Apollodorus says, and Callimachus, Phoebus is appointed over the sacrifices of asses among the Hyperboreans. And the same poet elsewhere says, Fat sacrifices of asses delight Phoebus. 2.29.5 And Hephaestus, whom Zeus hurled from Olympus "from the divine threshold," falling in Lemnos worked as a smith, lamed in both his feet, "and his slender shins moved nimbly beneath him." 2.30.1 You have also a physician, not only a smith, among the gods; and the physician was a lover of money, Asclepius his name. And I will quote to you your own poet, the Boeotian Pindar: Gold appearing in his hands turned even him for a splendid fee; and then the son of Cronus, casting with his hands through both of them, swiftly took away the breath from their chests, and the flashing thunderbolt hurled down death. 2.30.2 And Euripides: For Zeus is the cause of my son Asclepius's death, having cast a flame into his breast. He, then, lies thunderstruck in the borders of Cynosouris. 2.30.3 And Philochorus says that in Tenos Poseidon is honored as a physician, and that Sicily lies on top of Cronus and that he was buried there. 2.30.4 And Patrocles of Thurii and Sophocles the younger in three tragedies relate concerning the Dioscuri; that these two Dioscuri were mortal men, if Homer is sufficient for anyone to confirm what is said: 'But them the life-giving earth already held there in Lacedaemon, in their own dear native land.' 2.30.5 Let him who wrote the Cyprian poems also come forward: 'Castor was mortal, and for him the fate of death was decreed; but the other was immortal, Polydeuces, offspring of Ares.' 2.30.6 This he poetically falsified; for Homer is more trustworthy than he, speaking about both the Dioscuri, and moreover refuting Heracles as an "eidolon"; for "the man Heracles2.30.7, the witness of great deeds". 2.30.7 Homer himself, then, knows Heracles as a mortal man, and Hieronymus the philosopher also describes the build of his body, as small, with bristling hair, and strong; but Dicaearchus says he was spare, sinewy, dark, hook-nosed, with greyish eyes, and with straight hair. This Heracles, then, having lived fifty-two years, ended his life, having been given his funeral rites by the pyre on Oeta. 2.31.1 And the Muses, whom Alcman genealogizes as daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne and whom the other poets and writers deify and worship, and to whom even whole cities consecrate museums, these, being Mysian servant-girls, Megaclo the daughter of Macar bought. 2.31.2 And Macar was king of the Lesbians, and he was always quarreling with his wife, and Megaclo was indignant on behalf of her mother; for why should she not be? And she buys these Mysian servant-girls, so many in number, and calls them Muses, according to the Aeolian dialect. 2.31.3 These she taught to sing and play the cithara melodiously about the deeds of old. And they, continuously playing the cithara and beautifully singing enchantments, charmed Macar and stopped his anger. 2.31.4 On which account Megaclo, as a thank-offering on behalf of her mother, set up bronze statues of them and ordered that they be honored in all the temples. So such were the Muses; and the story is from Myrsilus of Lesbos. 2.32.1 Hear then, indeed, of the loves of the gods among you and the strange mythologies of their intemperance, and their wounds and bonds and laughter and battles, and further their servitudes and banquets and embraces in turn and tears and passions and 2.32.2 lewd pleasures. Call for me Poseidon and the chorus of those debauched by him, Amphitrite, Amymone, Alope, Melanippe, Alcyone, Hippothoe, Chione, the countless others; among whom, even though they were so many, your Poseidon's passions were still straitened. 2.32.3 Call for me also Apollo; this is Phoebus and a pure prophet and a good counselor; but Sterope does not say these things, nor Aethusa nor Arsinoe nor Zeuxippe nor Prothoe nor Marpessa nor Hypsipyle; for Daphne alone escaped both the prophet and 2.32.4 the ruin. And let Zeus himself come over all, the "father," according to you, "of men

Ἀπολλόδωρός φησι καὶ Καλλίμαχος, Φοῖβος Ὑπερβορέοισιν ὄνων ἐπιτέλλεται ἱροῖς. Ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ ἀλλαχοῦ τέρπουσιν λιπαραὶ Φοῖβον ὀνοσφαγίαι. 2.29.5 Ἥφαιστος δέ, ὃν ἔρριψεν ἐξ Ὀλύμπου Ζεὺς "βηλοῦ ἀπὸ θεσπεσίοιο", ἐν Λήμνῳ καταπεσὼν ἐχάλκευε, πηρωθεὶς τὼ πόδε, "ὑπὸ δὲ κνῆμαι ῥώοντο ἀραιαί." 2.30.1 Ἔχεις καὶ ἰατρόν, οὐχὶ χαλκέα μόνον ἐν θεοῖς· ὁ δὲ ἰατρὸς φιλάργυρος ἦν, Ἀσκληπιὸς ὄνομα αὐτῷ. Καί σοι τὸν σὸν παραθήσομαι ποιητήν, τὸν Βοιώτιον Πίνδαρον· ἔτραπε κἀκεῖνον ἀγάνορι μισθῷ χρυσὸς ἐν χερσὶ φανείς· χερσὶ δ' ἄρα Κρονίων ῥίψας δι' ἀμφοῖν ἀμπνοὰς στέρνων [καθεῖλεν ὠκέως, αἴθων δὲ κεραυνὸς ἔσκηψε μόρον. 2.30.2 Καὶ Εὐριπίδης· Ζεὺς γὰρ κατακτὰς παῖδα τὸν ἐμὸν αἴτιος Ἀσκληπιόν, στέρνοισιν ἐμβαλὼν φλόγα. Οὗτος μὲν οὖν κεῖται κεραυνωθεὶς ἐν τοῖς Κυνοσουρίδος 2.30.3 ὁρίοις. Φιλόχορος δὲ ἐν Τήνῳ Ποσειδῶνά φησι τιμᾶσθαι ἰατρόν, Κρόνῳ δὲ ἐπικεῖσθαι Σικελίαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα αὐτὸν 2.30.4 τεθάφθαι. Πατροκλῆς τε ὁ Θούριος καὶ Σοφοκλῆς ὁ νεώτερος ἐν τρισὶ τραγῳδίαις ἱστορεῖτον τοῖν ∆ιοσκούροιν πέρι· ἀνθρώπω τινὲ τούτω τὼ ∆ιοσκούρω ἐπικήρω ἐγενέσθην, εἴ τῳ ἱκανὸς πιστώσασθαι Ὅμηρος τὸ λελεγμένον· τοὺς δ' ἤδη κάτεχεν φυσίζοος αἶα ἐν Λακεδαίμονι αὖθι, φίλῃ ἐν πατρίδι γαίῃ. 2.30.5 Προσίτω δὲ καὶ ὁ τὰ Κυπριακὰ ποιήματα γράψας· Κάστωρ μὲν θνητός, θανάτου δέ οἱ αἶσα πέπρωται· αὐτὰρ ὅ γ' ἀθάνατος Πολυδεύκης, ὄζος Ἄρηος. 2.30.6 Τοῦτο μὲν ποιητικῶς ἐψεύσατο· Ὅμηρος δὲ ἀξιοπιστότερος αὐτοῦ εἰπὼν περὶ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν ∆ιοσκούροιν, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα "εἴδωλον" ἐλέγξας· "φῶτα" γὰρ "Ἡρακλῆα2.30.7, μεγάλων ἐπιίστορα ἔργων". Ἡρακλέα οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς Ὅμηρος θνητὸν οἶδεν ἄνθρωπον, Ἱερώνυμος δὲ ὁ φιλόσοφος καὶ τὴν σχέσιν αὐτοῦ ὑφηγεῖται τοῦ σώματος, μικρόν, φριξότριχα, ῥωστικόν· ∆ικαίαρχος δὲ σχιζίαν, νευρώδη, μέλανα, γρυπόν, ὑποχαροπόν, τετανότριχα. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ Ἡρακλῆς δύο πρὸς τοῖς πεντήκοντα ἔτη βεβιωκὼς κατέσ τρεψε τὸν βίον διὰ τῆς ἐν Οἴτῃ πυρᾶς κεκηδευμένος. 2.31.1 Τὰς δὲ Μούσας, ἃς Ἀλκμὰν ∆ιὸς καὶ Μνημοσύνης γενεαλογεῖ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ συγγραφεῖς ἐκθειά ζουσιν καὶ σέβουσιν, ἤδη δὲ καὶ ὅλαι πόλεις μουσεῖα τεμε νίζουσιν αὐταῖς, Μυσὰς οὔσας θεραπαινίδας ταύτας ἐώνηται 2.31.2 Μεγακλὼ ἡ θυγάτηρ ἡ Μάκαρος. Ὁ δὲ Μάκαρ Λεσβίων μὲν ἐβασίλευεν, διεφέρετο δὲ ἀεὶ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, ἠγα νάκτει δὲ ἡ Μεγακλὼ ὑπὲρ τῆς μητρός· τί δ' οὐκ ἔμελλε; Καὶ Μυσὰς θεραπαινίδας ταύτας τοσαύτας τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὠνεῖται καὶ καλεῖ Μοίσας κατὰ τὴν διάλεκτον τὴν Αἰολέων. 2.31.3 Ταύτας ἐδιδάξατο ᾄδειν καὶ κιθαρίζειν τὰς πράξεις τὰς παλαιὰς ἐμμελῶς. Αἳ δὲ συνεχῶς κιθαρίζουσαι καὶ καλῶς κατεπᾴδουσαι τὸν Μάκαρα ἔθελγον καὶ κατέπαυον τῆς 2.31.4 ὀργῆς. Οὗ δὴ χάριν ἡ Μεγακλὼ χαριστήριον αὐτὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς μητρὸς ἀνέθηκε χαλκᾶς καὶ ἀνὰ πάντα ἐκέλευσε τιμᾶσθαι τὰ ἱερά. Καὶ αἱ μὲν Μοῦσαι τοιαίδε· ἡ δὲ ἱστορία παρὰ Μυρσίλῳ τῷ Λεσβίῳ. 2.32.1 Ἀκούετε δὴ οὖν τῶν παρ' ὑμῖν θεῶν τοὺς ἔρωτας καὶ τὰς παραδόξους τῆς ἀκρασίας μυθολογίας καὶ τραύματα αὐτῶν καὶ δεσμὰ καὶ γέλωτας καὶ μάχας δουλείας τε ἔτι καὶ συμπόσια συμπλοκάς τ' αὖ καὶ δάκρυα καὶ πάθη καὶ 2.32.2 μαχλώσας ἡδονάς. Κάλει μοι τὸν Ποσειδῶ καὶ τὸν χορὸν τῶν διεφθαρμένων ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, τὴν Ἀμφιτρίτην, τὴν Ἀμυμώνην, τὴν Ἀλόπην, τὴν Μελανίππην, τὴν Ἀλκυόνην, τὴν Ἱπποθόην, τὴν Χιόνην, τὰς ἄλλας τὰς μυρίας· ἐν αἷς δὴ καὶ τοσαύταις οὔσαις ἔτι τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ὑμῶν ἐστενοχω 2.32.3 ρεῖτο τὰ πάθη. Κάλει μοι καὶ τὸν Ἀπόλλω· Φοῖβός ἐστιν οὗτος καὶ μάντις ἁγνὸς καὶ σύμβουλος ἀγαθός· ἀλλ' οὐ ταῦτα ἡ Στερόπη λέγει οὐδὲ ἡ Αἴθουσα οὐδὲ ἡ Ἀρσινόη οὐδὲ ἡ Ζευξίππη οὐδὲ ἡ Προθόη οὐδὲ ἡ Μάρπησσα οὐδὲ ἡ Ὑψιπύλη· ∆άφνη γὰρ ἐξέφυγε μόνη καὶ τὸν μάντιν καὶ 2.32.4 τὴν φθοράν. Αὐτός τε ὁ Ζεὺς ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἡκέτω, ὁ "πατὴρ" καθ' ὑμᾶς "ἀνδρῶν