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being his, in which virgins are to be married to one man; whom he called brides in his legislation because virgin girls resemble springs, which give birth and from hidden pores gush forth milk. For before his reign, all the women of the Atticans and the Athenians and the neighboring country mingled in a beastly union, consorting with each man who was pleasing to them, if she also wished it; and the woman who was seized was called no one's, but they came to all, giving themselves into prostitution. And for as many days as someone wished to keep them, they remained with him at home, being fed; and if he wished, he again released her to those who wanted her. This was excluded from Attica, that they should not be compelled to be with a man against their will; no one, therefore, knew who was his son or daughter, and she would give what was born to whichever man she wished who had mingled with her, whether she bore a male or a female, and they rejoiced in receiving them. But Cecrops, descending from Egypt, proclaimed this law, saying that the land of Attica was perishing because of this. And for the rest, they all became temperate, and the unmarried virgins joined themselves to men, and the one who had been prostituted was married to one man whom she wished; and the Athenians marveled at the king's law; and as some have also set forth, that for this reason the Athenians called him two-natured, because he ennobled the children by making their own parents known. Cecrops reigned over the Athe 72 nians for 50 years, and after him Cranaus reigned for 9 years. And in those times Sappho first was known as a musician. And after Cranaus, Phoroneus and others reigned until Codrus, who reigned over them for 21 years. Therefore, their kingdom lasted for 492 years. And in the time of the archons, one named Draco first gave laws to the Athenians, and after him Solon, and Solon repealed the laws of Draco. And again Thales the Milesian gave laws. And again there reigned over them first Aeschylus for 21 years, and after Aeschylus, Acmaeon reigned over them for two years; about whom Euripides the most wise composed a drama. And after Acmaeon, 18 others reigned over them until Arexion, who reigned over them for 12 years. And the kingdom of the Athenians was dissolved, having lasted for 907 years, as Africanus the most wise chronographer set forth. And after a short time, Gideon led Israel. And in that time there was Orpheus the Thracian, the Odrysian lyricist, the most wise and renowned poet; who set forth a theogony and the creation of the world and the fashioning of men, having said in the beginning of his composition that not from his own thought did he ever set forth anything about god or the creation of the world, but he said that 73 having asked through his own prayer to learn from Phoebus the Titan, the sun, about the theogony and the creation of the world and who made it. For it is reported in his exposition through poetic verses thus. O lord, son of Leto, far-shooter, mighty Phoebus, O master, son of day, who from afar with your rays shoots all things, undefiled and mighty, all-seeing, ruling over mortals and immortals, who looks upon all things, reigning over mortals and immortals, O Sun, lifted up on golden wings, O Sun, exalted into the air on precious wings, this twelfth divine voice I heard from you, this twelfth divine voice I heard from you, as you spoke, I would make you yourself, far-shooter, a witness. Since you have spoken to me, I make you yourself, who shines from afar, a witness. And the same Orpheus spoke many other verses concerning this; and he declared that he set it forth from the aforementioned poetic verses; and it was not possible to place the multitude of the verses 74 in this treatise. And what Orpheus set forth are these things. That from the beginning the aether was revealed in time, having been created by God, and on this side and that side of the aether was chaos, and gloomy night held all things and covered the things under the aether, signifying that night was first, having said in his exposition

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αὐτοῦ οὔσας ἐν ᾧ εἰσι παρθένοι γαμεῖσθαι ἑνὶ ἀνδρί· ἅστινας ἐκάλεσε νύμφας ἐν τῇ νομοθεσίᾳ αὐτοῦ διὰ τὸ πηγαῖς ἐοικέναι τὰς παρθένους κόρας, αἳ τίκτουσι καὶ ἀπὸ ἀδήλων πόρων πηγάζουσι γάλα. πρὸ γὰρ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες τῶν Ἀττικῶν καὶ τῶν Ἀθηναίων καὶ τῆς πλησίον χώρας θηριώδει μίξει ἐμίγνυντο, ἑκάστῳ συγγινόμεναι τῷ ἀρεσκομένῳ αὐταῖς, ἐὰν κἀκείνη ἠβούλετο· καὶ ἐκαλεῖτο ἡ ἁρπαζομένη γυνὴ οὐδενός, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πᾶσι προσήρχοντο, διδοῦσαι ἑαυτὰς εἰς πορνείαν. καὶ ὅσας ἠβουλήθη τις κρατῆσαι αὐτὰς ἡμέρας, κατ' οἶκον παρέμενον αὐτῷ τρεφόμεναι· καὶ εἰ ἤθελε, πάλιν ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὴν τοῖς βουλομένοις. τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀττικῆς εἴρχθη, τὸ μὴ ἀναγκάζεσθαι αὐτὰς συνεῖναι ἀνδρὶ πρὸς ὃν βούλονται· οὐδεὶς οὖν ᾔδει τίς ἦν υἱὸς ἢ θυγάτηρ, καὶ ἐδίδου τὸ τεχθὲν ᾧ ἠβούλετο ἀνδρὶ συμμιγέντι αὐτῇ, εἴτε ἄῤῥεν εἴτε θῆλυ ἔτεκε, καὶ ἔχαιρον δεχόμενοι. ὁ δὲ Κέκροψ ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου καταγόμενος ἐξεφώνησε τὸν νόμον τοῦτον, εἰρηκὼς ὅτι ἡ Ἀττικὴ χώρα διὰ τοῦτο ἀπώλετο. καὶ λοιπὸν ἐσωφρόνησαν πᾶσαι, καὶ ἀνδράσιν ἐζεύγνυον ἑαυτὰς αἱ ἄγαμοι παρθένοι, ἡ δὲ πορνευθεῖσα ἐγαμεῖτο ἑνὶ ᾧ ἠβούλετο ἀνδρί· καὶ ἐθαύμασαν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως νόμον· ὡς δὲ καί τινες ἐξέθεντο ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι εἶπαν διφυῆ, ὅτι ἐξευγένισε τὰ τέκνα τοῦ εἰδέναι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν γονεῖς. ἐβασίλευσε δὲ ὁ Κέκροψ τῶν Ἀθη 72 ναίων ἔτη νʹ, καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ἐβασίλευσε Κραναὸς ἔτη θʹ. ἐν ἐκείνοις δὲ τοῖς χρόνοις Σαπφὼ πρώτη μουσικὴ ἐγνωρίζετο. καὶ μετὰ Κραναὸν ἐβασίλευσε Φορωνεὺς καὶ ἄλλοι ἕως Κοδρῶνος, βασιλεύσαντος αὐτῶν ἔτη καʹ. κατέσχεν οὖν ἡ βασιλεία αὐτῶν ἔτη υςβʹ. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς χρόνοις τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐνομοθέτει Ἀθηναίους πρῶτος ὀνόματι ∆ράκων, καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν Σόλων, καὶ ἔλυσε τοὺς νόμους ∆ράκοντος Σόλων. καὶ πάλιν ἐνομοθέτησε Θαλῆς ὁ Μιλήσιος. καὶ πάλιν ἐβασίλευσεν αὐτῶν πρῶτος Αἰσχύλος ἔτος καʹ, καὶ μετὰ Αἰσχύλον ἐβασίλευσεν αὐτῶν Ἀκμαίων ἔτη δύο· περὶ οὗ Εὐριπίδης ὁ σοφώτατος δρᾶμα ἐξέθετο. καὶ μετὰ Ἀκμαίοντα ἐβασίλευσαν αὐτῶν ἄλλοι ιηʹ ἕως Ἀρεξίωνος, ὃς ἐβασίλευσεν αὐτῶν ἔτη ιβʹ. καὶ κατελύθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν Ἀθηναίων, κρατήσασα ἔτη Ϡζʹ, καθὼς Ἀφρικανὸς ὁ σοφώτατος χρονογράφος ἐξέθετο. Μετὰ δὲ βραχὺ ἡγήσατο τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ Γεδεών. ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ ἦν Ὀρφεὺς ὁ Θρᾴξ, ὁ λυρικὸς Ὀδρυσαῖος, ὁ σοφώτατος καὶ περιβόητος ποιητής· ὅστις ἐξέθετο θεογονίαν καὶ κόσμου κτίσιν καὶ ἀνθρώπων πλαστουργίαν, εἰρηκὼς ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ συντάγματος αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμήσεως οὐκ ἐξέθετό τί ποτε περὶ θεοῦ ἢ τῆς κοσμικῆς κτίσεως, ἀλλ' εἶπεν ὅτι 73 αἰτησαμένου διὰ ἰδίας αὐτοῦ εὐχῆς μαθεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Φοίβου Τιτᾶνος ἡλίου τὴν θεογονίαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου κτίσιν καὶ τίς ἐποίησεν αὐτήν. ἐμφέρεται γὰρ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ ἐκθέσει διὰ ποιητικῶν στίχων οὕτως. Ὦ ἄναξ, Λητοῦς υἱέ, ἑκατηβόλε, Φοῖβε κραταιέ, ὦ δέσποτα, ἡμέρας υἱέ, ὁ τὰ πάντα πόῤῥωθεν ταῖς ἀκτῖσί σου τοξεύων, ἀμίαντε καὶ δυνατέ, πανδερκές, θνητοῖσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισιν ἀνάσσων, ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐπιβλέπων, θνητῶν καὶ ἀθανάτων βασιλεύων, Ἥλιε χρυσέαισιν ἀειρόμενε πτερύγεσσιν, Ἥλιε τιμίαις εἰς τὸν ἀέρα ὑψούμενε πτέρυξι, δωδεκάτην δὴ τήνδε παρὰ σεῖο ἔκλυον ὀμφήν, δωδεκάτην δὴ ταύτην παρά σου ἤκουσα θείαν φωνήν, σεῖο φαμένου, σὲ δ' αὐτόν, ἑκηβόλε, μάρτυρα θείην. σοῦ εἰρηκότος μοι, σὲ δ' αὐτὸν τὸν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν λάμποντα τίθημι. καὶ ἄλλους δὲ πολλοὺς περὶ τούτου εἶπε στίχους ὁ αὐτὸς Ὀρφεύς· ἔφρασε δὲ ὡς ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων στίχων ποιητικῶν ἐξέθετο· καὶ οὐκ ἐνεδέχετο ἐντάξαι τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στίχων 74 ἐν τῇ συγγραφῇ ταύτῃ. ἔστι δὲ ἅπερ ἐξέθετο Ὀρφεὺς ταῦτα. ὅτι ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀνεδείχθη τῷ χρόνῳ ὁ αἰθὴρ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δημιουργηθείς, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν κἀκεῖθεν τοῦ αἰθέρος ἦν χάος, καὶ νὺξ ζοφερὰ πάντα κατεῖχε καὶ ἐκάλυπτε τὰ ὑπὸ τὸν αἰθέρα, σημαίνων τὴν νύκτα πρωτεύειν, εἰρηκὼς ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ ἐκθέσει