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Of Apollo (for this god is an archer) went about prophesying throughout all of Greece. 43.8 The eighth story is the one about Pegasus. And this is clearly the one about Bellerophon. For when the Patarian Chimaera appeared (which this divine Gregory also mentions in his Invectives, in the fiftieth story) and was ravaging the land of the Lycians, while Proetus was king of Lycia, Bellerophon was ordered to kill the Chimaera. The beast was such as we have also described there. In front a lion, behind a serpent, and in the middle a goat. From which goat fire was given forth, and the beast was hard to capture. Bellerophon, therefore, having found from a god the horse Pegasus, who was said to have wings and to make water drip from his hooves, came having the flight of the horse as an ally, because it was winged, as I said, and killed the Chimaera. 43.9 The ninth story is the one about the Alpheus. And it is this. Alpheus is a river of Arcadia. Arcadia is a city of the Peloponnese. And there is also a spring in the island of Sicily named Arethusa. It is said, therefore, that this river fell in love with the spring Arethusa. And having fallen in love, passing under the sea, he emerges in Sicily beside the spring, not mixing with the saltiness of the sea, but keeping his stream pure for his beloved. After this is also the story of the salamander. And it is this. The salamander is an animal about the size of a lizard or a small land crocodile. The animal is so extraordinarily cold that when it enters a fire, it extinguishes the flame, but is not itself burned. 43.10 The tenth story is the one about the Lydian chariot. This is a proverb for those who wish to contend but are not able to reach. The proverb is, 'He runs beside a Lydian chariot.' The proverb is derived from Lydian chariots, as they are very swift and cannot be overtaken. But others say that the proverb came from the chariot of Pelops. For some say that Pelops was a Lydian and not a Phrygian. With his own chariot, therefore, he defeated Oenomaus, and from then on the proverb arose, 'He runs beside a Lydian chariot.' 43.11 The eleventh story is the one about Orestes and Pylades. And it is this. This Orestes is the son of Agamemnon. And he had such a friendship for Pylades, and Pylades for Orestes, that when Pylades died, Orestes went down with him even to Hades. 43.12 The twelfth story is the one about the Molionidae. And it is this. Molione was a certain woman living near Thrace. She had two sons, one Otus, and the second Ephialtes. These grew each year one cubit in height, and one span in breadth. These became insolent and arrogant, and were so outrageous that they plotted to rise up against the heavenly gods. They therefore planned to place Ossa upon Athos, and through them to ascend into heaven. Ossa and Athos are two mountains near Thrace. Zeus, therefore, becoming angry, let fly a thunderbolt and struck them with lightning; and they perished. And there had been previously an oracle given to their mother about their being struck by lightning, that because of their arrogance they would be struck by lightning. 43.13 The thirteenth story is the one about the Labyrinth. And it is this. On the island of Crete there is a mountain in which there is a cavernous cave, both difficult to descend and hard to ascend, into which it is said the Minotaur was cast. Since, therefore, it is difficult to get out of the Labyrinth, the divine Gregory has now taken it to mean inescapable arguments, from which no one was able to escape, but was caught. For he also adds the nets. An arkys is a type of net with thick rope, which they set for hunting bears or stags or against other stronger animals. 43.14 The fourteenth story is the one about Minos and Rhadamanthus. And it is this. Minos and Rhadamanthus are said to be sons of Zeus, of whom Minos was a lawgiver, having received the art of lawgiving from his father, and Rhadamanthus a just judge, having learned justice from his father. The poets, therefore, and Plato himself say about them, that

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Ἀπόλλωνος (τοξότης γὰρ οὗτος ὁ θεός) περιῄει χρησμολογῶν πᾶσαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα. 43.8 Ὀγδόη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ κατὰ τὸν Πήγασον. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη σαφὴς ἡ κατὰ τὸν Βελλεροφόντην. Τῆς γὰρ Παταρικῆς Χιμαίρας ἀναφανείσης (περὶ ἧς μέμνηται καὶ ὁ θεῖος οὗτος Γρηγόριος ἐν τοῖς Στηλιτευτικοῖς, ἐν ἱστορίᾳ πεντηκοστῇ) καὶ λυμαινομένης τὴν χώραν τῶν Λυκίων, καὶ τοῦ Προίτου βασιλεύοντος τῆς Λυκίας, προσετάχθη ὁ Βελλεροφόντης ἀποκτεῖναι τὴν Χίμαιραν. ἦν δὲ τὸ θηρίον ὡς κἀκεῖσε παρεστήσαμεν, τοιοῦτον. πρόσθε μὲν λέων, ὄπισθε δὲ δράκων, μέση δὲ ἦν χίμαιρα. ἐξ ἧς χιμαίρας πῦρ ἀνεδίδοτο, καὶ ἦν δυσάλωτον τὸ θηρίον. τὸν ἵππον οὖν τὸν Πήγασον ἐκ θεοῦ εὑρὼν ὁ Βελλεροφόντης, ὃς ἐλέγετο ἔχειν πτερὰ καὶ ὕδωρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνύχων ἀποστάζειν, ἐλθὼν σύμμαχον ἔχων τὴν πτῆσιν τοῦ ἵππου διὰ τὸ εἶναι πτερωτόν, ὡς εἶπον, καὶ ἀνεῖλε τὴν Χίμαιραν. 43.9 Ἐνάτη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Ἀλφειὸς ποταμός ἐστι τῆς Ἀρκαδίας. Ἀρκαδία δὲ πόλις τῆς Πελοποννήσου. ἔστι δὲ καὶ πηγὴ ἐν Σικελίᾳ τῇ νήσῳ Ἀρέθουσα ὀνόματι. λέγεται οὖν ὅτι ὁ ποταμὸς οὗτος ἠράσθη τῆς Ἀρεθούσης πηγῆς. καὶ ἐρασθεὶς διαδὺς τὸ πέλαγος ἀναδίδοται ἐν Σικελίᾳ παρὰ τὴν πηγήν, μὴ συναναμιχθεὶς τῇ ἁλμυρίδι τῆς θαλάσσης, ἀλλὰ καθαρὸν τὸ νᾶμα διαφυλάττων πρὸς τὴν ἐρωμένην. Μετὰ ταύτην δέ ἐστι καὶ ἡ τῆς σαλαμάνδρας ἱστορία. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Ἡ σαλαμάνδρα ζῷόν ἐστιν ὡσεὶ σαύρας τὸ μέγεθος ἢ μικροῦ κροκοδείλου χερσαίου. ἔστι δὲ ψυχρότατον ὑπερφυῶς τὸ ζῷον ὥστε ἐν πυρὶ εἰσερχόμενον, τὴν μὲν φλόγα σβεννύναι, αὐτὸ δὲ μὴ κατακαῆναι. 43.10 ∆εκάτη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Λυδίου ἅρματος. Ἔστι δὲ παροιμία αὕτη ἐπὶ τῶν ἐρίζειν ἐθελόντων καὶ μὴ δυναμένων ἐφικέσθαι. ἔστι δὲ ἡ παροιμία Παρὰ Λύδιον ἅρμα θεῖ. παρῆκται δὲ ἡ παροιμία ἀπὸ τῶν Λυδίων ἁρμάτων ὡς ταχυτάτων ὄντων καὶ μὴ δυναμένων φθασθῆναι. Ἄλλοι δὲ ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ Πέλοπος ἅρματος ἤκουσεν ἡ παροιμία. τινὲς γὰρ λέγουσιν ὡς ὅτι ὁ Πέλοψ Λυδὸς ἦν καὶ οὐχὶ Φρύξ. τῷ οὖν ἰδίῳ ἅρματι ἐνίκησε τὸν Οἰνόμαον, καὶ ἔκτοτε ἡ παροιμία παρῆλθε, Παρὰ Λύδιον ἅρμα θεῖ. 43.11 Ἑνδεκάτη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Ὀρέστου καὶ τοῦ Πυλάδου. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Ὀρέστης οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος. φιλίαν δὲ τοσαύτην ἔσχε πρὸς τὸν Πυλάδην, καὶ Πυλάδης πρὸς τὸν Ὀρέστην ὡς ἀποθανόντος Πυλάδου συγκατελθεῖν τὸν Ὀρέστην μέχρι τοῦ Ἅιδου. 43.12 ∆ωδεκάτη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ κατὰ τοὺς Μολιονίδας. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Μολιόνη ἦν τις γυνὴ περὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην οἰκοῦσα. αὕτη ἔσχε δύο υἱούς, τὸν μὲν Ὦτον, τὸν δὲ δεύτερον Ἐφιάλτην. οὗτοι κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν ηὐξάνοντο κατὰ μὲν τὸ μῆκος πῆχυν ἕνα, κατὰ δὲ τὸ πλάτος σπιθαμὴν μίαν. γεγόνασι δὲ ὑβρισταὶ οὗτοι καὶ ὑπε ρήφανοι, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐφύβρισαν ὥστε βουλεύσασθαι ἀντᾶραι τοῖς οὐρανίοις θεοῖς. τὴν οὖν Ὄσσαν τῷ Ἄθῳ ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐπιθεῖναι, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἀνελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. ἡ δὲ Ὄσσα καὶ ὁ Ἄθως δύο ὄρη εἰσὶ περὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην. ὁ οὖν Ζεὺς ὀργισθεὶς κεραυνὸν ἐπαφεὶς ἐκεραύνωσεν αὐτούς· καὶ ἀπώλοντο. ἦν δὲ πρότερον περὶ τῆς κεραυνώσεως αὐτῶν χρησμὸς δοθεὶς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν, ὅτι διὰ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν αὐτῶν κεραυνωθήσονται. 43.13 Τρισκαιδεκάτη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Λαβυρίνθου. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ τῇ νήσῳ ἐστὶν ὄρος ἐν ᾧ σπήλαιον ἀντρώδες καὶ δύσκολον περὶ τὴν κάθοδον καὶ δυσχερὲς περὶ τὴν ἄνοδον, ἐν ᾧ λέγεται ὁ Μινώταυρος ἐμβληθῆναι. ἐπεὶ οὖν δυσχερὲς τὸ ἐκβῆναι τοῦ Λαβυρίνθου, νῦν ὁ θεῖος Γρηγόριος ἔλαβεν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων τῶν ἀφύκτων, ὧν οὐδεὶς ἠδύνατο ἐκφυγεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἡλίσκετο. ἐπιφέρει γὰρ καὶ τὰς ἄρκυς. ἄρκυς δέ ἐστιν εἶδος δικτύου παχυσχοίνου, ὃ ἱστᾶσι πρὸς θήραν ἄρκτων ἢ ἐλάφων ἢ κατὰ τῶν ἀλλῶν ἰσχυροτέρων ζῴων. 43.14 Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτη ἐστὶν ἱστορία ἡ περὶ τοῦ Μίνωος καὶ τοῦ Ῥαδαμάνθυος. ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Μίνως καὶ Ῥαδάμανθυς λέγονται υἱοὶ εἶναι τοῦ ∆ιός, ὧν ὁ μὲν Μίνως ἦν νομοθέτης, παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς δεξάμενος τὴν νομοθετικήν, ὁ δὲ Ῥαδάμανθυς δικαστὴς δίκαιος, ὡς παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν δικαιοσύνην μαθών. λέγουσιν οὖν περὶ τούτων οἱ ποιηταὶ καὶ Πλάτων δὲ αὐτός, ὅτι