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 Ultimate Enterprise
Data Analysis and
Forecasting using
Python

Leverage Cloud platforms with Azure Time

Series Insights and AWS Forecast Components
for Time Series Analysis and Forecasting with
Deep learning Modeling using Python

Shanthababu Pandian

www.orangeava.com
Copyright © 2023 Orange Education Pvt Ltd, AVA™

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
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First published: December 2023

Published by: Orange Education Pvt Ltd, AVA™
Address: 9, Daryaganj, Delhi, 110002

ISBN: 978-81-19416-44-8
www.orangeava.com
 Dedicated To
My beloved Parents:
Shri Pandian Marimuthu Subbiah
Smt Muthulekshmi Pandian
 About the Author
Shanthababu Pandian holds a Bachelor’s degree in engineering in
Electronics and Communication, followed by three Master's degrees -
MTech, MBA, and M.S. - from a prestigious university in India.
Additionally, he completed a Post Graduate Program in Artificial
Intelligence and Machine Learning from the University of Texas, along with a
Post Graduate Certification in Data Science from the Indian Institute of
Technology, Guwahati. With over 21 years of extensive experience in
information technology (IT), Shanthababu specializes in data engineering and
analytics solutions, development and implementation using agile
methodologies, and building complex data models for Business Intelligence
(BI) and data science products for various customers located across the UK
and US regions. As part of his responsibilities, Shanthababu is accustomed to
liaising with key stakeholders and business teams, gathering and eliciting
requirements, and architecting cost-effective data modeling solutions as per
delivery frameworks. He is efficient at mitigating project delivery risks
while managing stakeholders and leading project team members across
different locations.
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Technical Book Reviewer for Packt Publications – BIRMINGHAM,
UK. Reviewed more than 30 books from international authors on
various technical aspects
National and International Technical Speaker in the AIML domain, with
more than 40 webinars presented
Technical Mentor for various Engineering and Technical institutions
across Tamil Nadu, India
 About the Technical Reviewers
S.Ponmalar is an Academician with over 25 years of field and domain
experience in Information and Communication Engineering including optical
communication, Networks, Machine Learning, and Computer vision. She has
obtained her Doctoral degree in Information and Communcation Engineering
from Anna University. She is a recognized supervisor and guides many PG
and PhD scholars. She has published over 30 research papers in many
reputed Journals and Conferences. Her interest in upgrading with recent
trends and technology has obligated her to read and review articles and
books from different publishers.

Vidhya Veerabahu is a Professor and Head of IT at Sri Venkateswara

College of Engineering, Sriperumbudur. With over 23 years of experience in
the fields of data science and Natural Language Processing (NLP), she is an
expert in these domains. She has used statistical, semantical, and contextual
methods to automate various specific processes in the education sector.
Additionally, she has developed several smart mobile-based applications to
provide solutions to societal challenges and has helped the organization
analyze trends for better decision-making. She has published and presented
over 40 papers in international journals and conferences.
 Preface
This book covers various aspects of Time Series Analysis and Forecasting
using the Python language, emphasizing the importance of time series analysis
from an industry perspective for in-depth analysis and forecasting, with real-
time use cases and required examples. The primary objective of this book is
to provide a detailed pack of time series analysis and forecasting methods,
essential in the current digital market, and grow business opportunities using
various techniques from an AIML perspective. This book aims to connect the
Time Series and Forecasting problem statements across multiple industries
and demonstrate how to provide solutions using currently available tools,
technology, and evidence of success stories. This book promises that by the
end of the reading, the readers will understand time series and forecasting
techniques, and also learn how to analyze, design, and maintain the solutions.
In this manner, readers can follow the correct path to take the time series
components, work on them with Python packages, and understand the data for
analysis and productive solutions, such as predicting or forecasting.
This book covers the expectations of Data Analysts, Data Scientists, and
Machine Learning Engineers who will be involved in time series analysis
and forecasting-related projects. This book helps those interested in time
series analysis. The book begins with an introduction to Python and its
essential packages. It then delves into various aspects of time series data
analysis and models from both traditional and ML methods, followed by their
implementation in the cloud environment.
This book is divided into four parts and 11 chapters. It will cover everything,
starting with an introduction to Python and its essential packages for data
science and machine learning. The book will explore various time series
analysis and forecasting techniques, along with the implementation of time
series analysis in Azure and AWS environments. The chapter-wise details
are listed as follows.
Chapter 1. Introduction to Python and its key packages for DS and ML
Projects: This chapter will discuss the basics of Python and its libraries. It
will begin with Python’s IDEs and Jupyter Notebook installation, utilization,
and benefits to build Time Series Analysis and Forecasting solutions for the
readers before delving into the rest of the chapters of this book. A quick
overview of packages supporting Data Science and Machine Learning
implementation and their significance, along with sample code snippets will
be provided including Data Structure, File Operations, Packages such as
Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, SciKit-Learn, and Statsmodel. This chapter
would give confidence in Python and its features.
Chapter 2. Python for Time Series Data Analysis: This chapter will
discuss Data Analysis and its benefits. It will delve into why Python is the
best choice for Data Analysis. Also, it will cover Time Series Data
Management. Further discussion will focus on various aspects surrounding
Data Cleansing, Preparation, and Wrangling with Time Series Analysis. This
section will cover Data preparation for Time Series Analysis, converting
String data into DataTime format, Resampling and Frequency conversion
techniques, Generating Date ranges, Time Zone handling, and Period
Arithmetic techniques. This chapter will highlight the importance of Data
Visualization in Time Series Analysis. It will help discovering the scope of
data mining in Time Series Analysis and understanding the Statistics
Essentials for Analytics in relation to time series and forecasting.
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) for the time series, along with sample
code snippets to understand all the concepts mentioned will be covered.
Chapter 3. Time Series Analysis and its components: This chapter will
help readers understand the background of time series analysis. This chapter
will cover the importance of time series analysis and its significance. Also, a
detailed walk-through of Time Series components – Trend, Seasonality,
Cyclic patterns and Irregularity - with classic examples and distinctions
between them will be provided. The nature of the data in Time Series
Analysis is specific to their component’s classification. This chapter
focusses on realizing the WHITE NOISE in Time Series dataset. The acid
test for data stationarity – ADF, KPSS test is also covered. Handing non-
stationary data in Time Series Analysis and techniques to make a time series
stationary are also discussed. What are ACF and PACF in time series, and
how do they assist in determining the order of AR, MA, and ARMA models
are discussed along with sample code snippets to better understand all the
concepts mentioned.
Chapter 4. Time Series Analysis and Forecasting Opportunities in
Various Industries: This chapter will assist the reader in understanding the
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opportunity and scope of time series analysis and forecasting and learning
how to implement it. Gaining clarity on time series analysis is helpful in
business and industry. This chapter will cover the advantages of Time Series
Analysis in Forecasting. Demand forecasting and Price prediction in Retail,
and Forecasting in Healthcare for diagnosis and medication planning are also
covered. Anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, time series analysis,
and sales forecasting in the automotive industry are discussed. This chapter
will also address the challenges and major drawbacks of time series
forecasting-
Chapter 5. Exploring various aspects of Time Series Analysis and
Forecasting: This chapter will help the readers understand the detailed study
of Time Series Analysis starting from statistical inference. The statistical
properties of the time series are covered. The shapes in Time Series are
discussed. Power, Log, and Box-Cox Transformation for Time Series are
discussed. The chapter will explore forecasting metrics, providing an
overview of Naive Forecasting and various Forecasting Metrics. We will
also learn about univariate and multivariate models, generic types of
Forecasting Methods and Time Series Analysis for both traditional and
Machine learning approaches. It will also include sample code snippets to
better understand all the concepts mentioned.
Chapter 6. Exploring Time Series Models - AR, MA, ARMA, and
ARIMA: This chapter will help readers in exploring various Time Series
models and their implementation. It will provide detailed discussions on a
variety of models Autoregressive Models - AR(p), Moving Average Models
- MA(q), ARMA (AR +MA). The chapter will guide on how to calculate AR
and MA step by step, including training model and forecasting and
validation. It will also explain about why ARIMA came into picture and do a
detailed studies. The chapter will also cover Residual Analysis, Plotting,
and Scaling Techniques. Use cases for the above-mentioned methods and
sample code snippets are included to understand all the concepts mentioned.
Chapter 7. Understanding Exponential Smoothing and ETS Methods in
TSA: This chapter will help the readers in understanding exponential
smoothing and ETS methods in time series analysis, their characteristics and
various types. It will explain what exponential smoothing is and how to
calculate it. It will also cover how exponential smoothing is used for
forecasting purposes. The chapter will also delve into ETS (Error, Trend,
Seasonal), selecting the best ETS and why ETS models are implemented.
The chapter will discuss a few more models, including Simple Moving
Average (SMA), Exponentially Weighted Moving Averages (EWMA), Single
Exponential Smoothing (SES), Holt's Linear Trend Model, and Winters along
with sample code snippets to understand all the concepts mentioned.
Chapter 8. Exploring Vector Autoregression and its Subsets (VAR, VMA,
and VARMA): This chapter will help the readers in understanding various
Vector Autoregression methods and the essential requirements for using the
VAR model in Time Series problems. It will cover the distinctions between
VAR and AR. It will also discuss sub-types such as VA-VAR, VMA, VARMA
and VARMAX for multivariate time series. The chapter will cover the
characteristics of Vector Autoregression and its implementation. This chapter
will also discuss Extension of ARIMA - Seasonal Auto-Regressive
Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) with Exogenous Variables and
Fractional Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (FARIMA). Sample
code snippets are provided to understand all the concepts mentioned.
Chapter 9. Deep Learning for Time Series Analysis and Forecasting:
This chapter will assist readers in understanding whether deep learning is
good for time series forecasting. It will discuss the interpretability and
promises by Deep Learning for Time Series Forecasting. The chapter will
cover basic concepts such as the Activation Function and explain how a
Neural Network learns. It will delve into various types of deep learning
models such as ANNs, CNNs, RNNs, and LSTMs for time series forecasting.
The chapter will focus on understanding the Multilayer Perceptrons, CNNs,
Long Short-Term Memory Networks (LSTMs) and their use cases and will
include sample code snippets for better understanding of all the concepts
mentioned.
Chapter 10. Azure Time Series Insights: This chapter will help the readers
in understanding Azure Time Series insights and its significance. It explores
how this is a fully managed analytics, storage and visualization service for
managing IoT-scale time-series data in the cloud. The chapter will further
discuss Azure Time Series Insights Gen2 for industrial IoT concerning
various industries. Also, the chapter will cover topics such as data
exploration and visual anomaly detection using Azure Time Series Insights.
The chapter will also provide insights into the best practices for planning
and preparing the Azure Time Series Insights Gen2 environment. It will
include a comparison between Gen1 and Gen2 exploring their capabilities,
key benefits, and critical jobs.
Chapter 11. AWS Forecast: This chapter will assist readers in
understanding Amazon Forecast and its significance. It will cover the
working of Amazon Forecast, delve into its features in detail, and explore the
time series forecasting principles. The chapter will also guide the readers to
set up permissions for Amazon Forecast. It will walk through the process of
importing, building, evaluating, and cleaning for Amazon Forecast's future. It
will discuss the algorithms followed by the steps for preparing and cleaning
data for Amazon Forecast. The chapter will highlight the best practices of
Amazon Forecast.
 Downloading the code
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Code Bundles and Images of the book:

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Analysis-and-Forecasting-using-Python

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In case there’s an update to the code, it will be updated on the existing

GitHub repository.
 Errata
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 Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Python and its key packages for DS and ML Projects
Introduction
Structure
Introduction to Python programming language
Key features of Python
Python programming IDEs and comparisons
Jupyter Notebook
PyCharm
Spyder
Installing Jupyter notebook
Python libraries
Pandas
Panel + Data = Pandas
Reshaping DataFrame
Combining DataFrame
Working with categorical data
Encoding
Date and time data
Converting data types
NumPy
Python statistics libraries
Working with various files in Python
Conclusion
Points to remember

2. Python for Time Series Data Analysis

Introduction
Structure
Data analysis and its benefits
Benefits
Advanced Analytics
Python - the best choice for data analytics
Time series data
 Time series data management
Data lifecycle management (DLM)
Data acquisition or collection
Ingesting data
Transforming data
Storing data
Actionable information
Data remediation
Data cleansing and preparation
Handling missing and duplicate data
Handling uniform format
Handling categorical columns
Transformation of data
Handling time series data
Exploratory data analysis (EDA)
EDA for time series
Conclusion
Points to remember

3. Time Series Analysis and its Components

Introduction
Structure
Time series data analysis
Significance of time series data
Trend
Seasonality
Components of time series data
Stationarity versus non-stationarity
Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF)
Kwiatkowski–Phillips–Schmidt–Shin (KPSS) test
Converting non-stationary data into stationary
Conclusion
Points to remember

4. Time Series Analysis and Forecasting Opportunities in Various

Industries
Introduction
 Structure
Opportunity and scope of TSA&F
Scope of price prediction
Scope of forecasting in healthcare for diagnosis
Scope of predictive maintenance
Challenges with TSA&F
Case studies
Price prediction in retail and use case
EDA and Stationarity Analysis
Forecasting in healthcare for diagnosis and use case
Predictive maintenance and anomaly detection use case
Conclusion
Points to remember

5. Exploring various aspects of Time Series Analysis and Forecasting

Introduction
Structure
Understanding time series analysis (TSA)
Statistical analysis
The measure of central tendency
Measure of variability
Boxplots
Histogram
Inferential Statistics
Regression analysis
Linear model
Hypothesis testing
Confidence intervals
Confidence intervals assessment at the speed of the motor
Study the shapes of Time Series
Transforms for TSA&F
Box-Cox transformation
Overview of Naive forecasting
Conclusion
Points to remember

6. Exploring Time Series Models - AR, MA, ARMA, and ARIMA

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 Introduction
Structure
Overview and time series models
Statistical models for TSA&F
Autoregressive (AR) Model
Autoregressive (AR) Implementation
Analysis of the P-value
Auto-regression model for TSA&F with Python
Moving Average (MA) Model
Moving Average (MA) Implementation
ARMA Model
Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA)
Time Series Analysis and Forecasting Process Workflow
Pertinency of the model
Conclusion
Points to remember

7. Understanding Exponential Smoothing and ETS Methods in TSA

Introduction
Structure
Understanding Exponential Smoothing
Exponential Smoothing implementation using Excel
Exponential Smoothing types
Triple Exponential Smoothing Model for TSA&F using Excel
SES and DES Model implementation using Python
Error - Trend-Seasonality (ETS)
Exponentially Weighted Moving Averages (EWMA)
Benefits of EWMA
Limitations of EWMA
EWMA Model for TSA&F with Excel (simple method)
EWMA Model implementation using Python
Conclusion
Points to remember

8. Exploring Vector Autoregression and its Subsets (VAR, VMA, and

VARMA)
Introduction
 Structure
Understanding Vector Autoregression
VAR implementation using Python
1. Analyze the time series data and its characteristics
2. Test for data stationarity using the ADF method
Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test
3. Train-test split
4. Re-run the ADF test
5. Apply the VAR algorithm
6. Optimal order (p) selection process
7. Analysis of Serial Correlation of Residuals [ScoR]
8. Building forecast VAR model
9. Model evaluation
Vector Autoregression Moving - Average (VARMA)
VARMA implementation using Python
Vector Autoregression Moving-Average with Exogenous Regressors
(VARMAX)
VARMAX implementation using Python
Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving-Average (SARIMA)
SARIMA implementation using Python
SARIMAX implementation using Python
Fractional-Autoregressive-Integrated-Moving Average model
(FARIMA)
Conclusion
Points to remember

9. Deep Learning for Time Series Analysis and Forecasting

Introduction
Structure
Deep learning in time series analysis
Neural Networks
Artificial neural networks (ANN)
Long short-term memory (LSTM)
Convolutional neural networks (CNN)
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN)
Backpropagation through time (BPTT)
Conclusion
 Points to remember

10. Azure Time Series Insights

Introduction
Structure
Prerequisites
Understanding Azure - Time Series Insights (Azure-TSI) Gen2
component
Components of Azure TSI and its major jobs
Azure TSI – versions (Gen 1 and Gen 2)
Azure TSI – Capabilities
Exploring Azure TSI Data Storage
High-level architecture of Azure TSI
Creating Azure IoT hub instance
Creating Azure TSI Gen2 environment
Exploring Azure TSI Explorer
Conclusion
Points to remember

11. AWS Forecast

Introduction
Structure
Prerequisites
Understanding Amazon Forecast Service (AFS)
Workflow for Amazon Forecast Service
Data Preparations
Dataset Guidelines for Forecast
Quality of Data
Importing data
Training data
Forecast creation and selection
Retrieve the Forecast
Orchestration of Amazon Forecast
Conclusion
Points to remember

Index
 CHAPTER 1
Introduction to Python and its key
packages for DS and ML Projects
Introduction
Hello, my friends! I hope you are all aware that the focus of this book is on various
Time Series Analysis and Forecasting techniques and their implementation using
the Python Language. Python language is highly-demanded and powerful in recent
scenarios, not only for building web applications but also for implementing AIML
analytics and advanced analytics products. Before we dive into the objective of
this book, let me take you through some of the basics of Python programming
language skill sets that are required to build the TS&F model and analyze the same.
Please note that throughout this book, we will refer to “Time Series Analysis and
Forecasting” as TS&F for a quick reference to the content.
The major objective of this chapter is to discuss the basics of Python and its
libraries, specifically targeting those who are new to programming.

Structure
In this chapter, we will discuss the following topics:
Introduction to Python programming language
Key features of Python
Python programming IDEs and comparisons
Installing Jupyter notebook
Python libraries
Pandas
Date and time data
NumPy
Python statistics libraries
Working with various files in Python
Introduction to Python programming language
There are multiple answers that you can find on Google, but my straightforward
answer is “Python is a very simple, English, general-purpose programming
language”.
It has been designed with the base idea of emphasizing code readability in mind by
using significant indentation for programmers at any level to read. Similar to Java
programming language, Python is a dynamically typed, garbage-collected language
that supports multiple programming patterns, including structured, object-oriented,
functional programming and many more. That’s fine for all purposes, specifically,
this is an interpreter language which means that the code can be executed as soon as
it is written.
You may have a lot of questions, such as “What can Python do and Why use
Python?” Let’s quickly explore these points.
Python was created by Guido van Rossum and released in 1991. It has been used
like other programming languages for web development, software development,
mathematical modeling and frequently for system scripting.

Key features of Python

The following are the key features of Python:
It can support and work on multiple platforms
Windows, Linux, Mac – Web application, ML programming
Raspberry Pi – IoT programming
It has very simple syntax, similar to the English language so that the
developers can write code that is straightforward and easy to understand.
It requires fewer lines of code to accomplish the requirements compared to
other programming languages such as C, C++, and Java.
It provides robust and standard libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn
and many more.
It comes under the Interpreted category, which makes it easy to debug and
execute.
It supports both object-oriented and programming-oriented making it portable
and extensible.
From an AIML perspective, Python is simple, powerful, easy to write and read,
well-structured and extendable.
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ligno fabricatum, bovum plaustro vehere velatum, in vulgus vero
prodere Platæam eam esse Asopi filiam quæ sibi esset desponsa.
Fecit Juppiter quod jusserat Cithæron. (2) Id ubi ad Junonis aures
pervasit, accurrit illico, et ad plaustrum accedens veste conscissa
ligneam esse effigiem comperit, quam novam esse nuptam putarat.
Falsam se itaque lætanti animo ferens in gratiam cum Jove rediit. In
ejus rei memoriam festos celebrant dies quæ Dædala nuncupantur,
quod prisci lignea signa Dædala vocitabant. Quod sane nominis ante
natum Athenis Dædalum Palamaonis filium usurpatum crediderim;
Dædalo autem postea demum a dædalis (ligneis scilicet simulacris),
non autem inde a natalibus nomen hoc impositum fuisse arbitror. (3)
Celebrantur Dædala septimo quoque anno, sicuti mihi narrabat
interpres patriæ suæ antiquitatum; re autem vera breviore temporis
ambitu. Verum quum accuratissime numerare vellemus media
tempora a Dædalis ad altera Dædala, neutiquam id consequi
potuimus. (4) Festa tali peraguntur ritu. Quercetum est non longe ab
Alalcomenis; ibi caudices quercuum in Bœotia maximi sunt. In eum
lucum venientes Platæenses carnium frusta elixarum exponunt. Jam
cum reliquis avibus aliis nihil est eis negotii, corvos vero, qui in exta
involant, quam diligentissime observant. Quorum si quis carnem
abripuerit, in quanam is arbore consideat speculantur; in qua vero
consederit, eam cædunt, ex eaque faciunt dædalum: dædalum
scilicet ipsum nominant signum. (5) Atque hæc quidem festa, quæ
Dædala parva vocant, Platæenses agunt privatim: sed magnorum
solemnia Dædalorum etiam reliqui Bœoti una cum ipsis celebrant,
sexagesimo quoque anno. Tamdiu enim solennia intermissa tradunt,
illo tempore, quo Platæenses exules fuerint. Signa autem quoque
annorum (sexaginta) periodo iis præsto sunt quattuordecim Dædalis
parvis confecta. (6) Hæc sorte inter se distribuunt Platæenses,
Coronæi, Thespienses, Tanagræi, Chæronenses, Orchomenii,
Lebadenses, Thebani: nam hi quoque cum Platæensibus in gratiam
redeuntes communem cum ceteris conventum frequentare et
victimam ad Dædala concelebranda mittere instituerunt, post
restitutas nempe a Cassandro Antipatri filio Thebas. Qui vero oppida
minore sunt dignatione, ea societates inter se ineunt ad Dædala
communibus sumptibus concelebranda. (7) Ad Asopi ripas suum
quique simulacrum deportant eique in currum imposito addunt
mulierem pronubam. Tum rursus sortiti quo quisque populus loco
pompam ipsam ducat, plaustra a flumine in summum Cithæronis
verticem agunt. Ara ibi in ipso jugo parata est; eam aram hoc
exædificant modo: quadrata ligna eadem ratione inter se componunt
ac si e lapide ædificium structuri essent; sarmenta eo congesta in
fastigium erigunt. (8) Et civitates quidem et oppidulorum
communiones singulæ vaccam Junoni, taurum Jovi mactant, atque
hostias vino et odoribus refertas una cum dædalis in ara
concremant. Homines privati ditiores immolant quidquid est; quibus
vero minus est copiarum, e minoribus tantum immolare gregibus,
concremare autem hostias eodem modo omnes solent; simul vero
cum his ipsam etiam aram corripiens ignis consumit, atque
ingentem, quæ inde se attollit, flammam e maxime longinquo
conspici posse novimus. (9) Sub jugum illud in quo aram exstruunt,
ubi stadia ferme quindecim descenderis, antrum videas
Cithæronidum nympharum; Sphragidium (Sphragitides?) nominant.
Vaticinatas ibi priscis temporibus nymphas sermo hominum vulgavit.

CAPUT IV.

De templo et signo Minervæ Areæ — reliquis Platææ memorandis — fluvio Oeroe

et de Scoli reliquiis.
Minervæ etiam Areæ (Martiæ) apud Platæenses fanum est; de
manubiis erectum fuit quas e pugna Marathonia cum Platæensibus
Athenienses communicarunt. Signum e ligno est inauratum; ejus os,
summæ manus et pedes e Pentelico lapide; magnitudine prope pari
cum ea Minerva quam Athenienses in arce ex ære item de
Marathonia præda ceu primitias dedicarunt. Phidias vero erat qui
etiam hanc Platæensium Minervam fecit. (2) Picturæ in æde sunt
Polygnoti, Ulysses patrata procorum cæde; Onasiæ, Argivorum prior
ad Thebas expeditio. Atque hæ quidem picturæ in parietibus primi
aditus cernuntur. Ad pedes deæ est Arimnesti imago. Dux hic
Platæensium fuit in pugna contra Mardonium et ante etiam ad
Marathonem. (3) Est Cereris quoque cognomento Eleusiniæ Platæis
fanum et Leiti sepulcrum. Unus hic ex omnibus Bœotorum ducibus e
belio Trojano domum rediit. Gargaphiæ fontem Mardonii equitatus
corrupit, quod Græcorum copiæ quæ contra se stabant illa aqua
utebantur. Est tamen fons ille post a Platæensibus restitutus. (4) In
via quæ a Platæa Thebas ducit fluvius est Oeroe. Filiam fuisse Asopi
Oeroen dicunt. In citeriore Asopi ripa juxta fluvium ad inferiora
flectentibus stadiûm intervallo prope quadraginta, Scoli ruinæ sunt,
inter quas exstat imperfecta ædes Cereris et Proserpinæ cum
dearum signis item ad dimidias tantum partes perfectis. Dividit
adhuc a Thebano Platæensem agrum Asopus.

CAPUT V.

De primis Thebaidis incolis et regibus, Ogygo, Cadmo — Polydoro, Pentheo —

Amphione et Zetho — de Amphionis musica arte varia narratio — de Laio et
Œdipode — Polynice et Eteocle — Thebis ab Argivis captis et de Thersandro
— de Tisameno et reliquis Thebanorum regibus.
Qui primi Thebaidem terram tenuerint, Enctenas fuisse tradunt,
quorum rex fuerit Ogygus, homo indigena. Ab eo nempe poetarum
plurimis Thebas Ogygias cognomine appellant. Periisse hunc
populum ferunt pestilentia. Successisse in eas sedes Hyantes et
Aones, Bœoticas, opinor, non alienigenas gentes. Jam vero quum in
ea loca Cadmus Phœnicum copias adduxisset, prœlio fusi Hyantes
postera nocte profugere; Aones Cadmus supplices manere et cum
Phœnicibus permisceri facile passus est. (2) Aones quidem vicatim
adhuc habitabant, Cadmus vero oppidum, cui et nunc idem est
nomen, Cadmeam condidit. Sed aucta postea urbe inferioribus
Thebis pro arce Cadmea fuit. Illustres omnino Cadmi nuptiæ fuere,
si, quod Græcorum sermone proditum est, Martis et Veneris filiam
uxorem duxit. Ipsius quoque filiæ magnam celebritatem nactæ sunt,
quod Semele ex Jove pepererit, Ino in marinas deas relata sit. (3)
Eodem Cadmo regnante maximæ post ipsum Cadmum opes fuere
Spartorum: quorum nomina Chthonius, Hyperenor, Pelorus et
Udæus; nam Echionem virtutis ergo quem sibi generum adscisceret
dignum Cadmus duxit. Hos sane viros, quod nihil amplius comperti
habeam, fabulæ assentiens Spartos a satu quo dicuntur editi
appellatos crediderim. Postquam Cadmus ad Illyrios, ad Encheleas
scilicet Illyricum populum, commigraverat, Polydorus ejus filius
paternum imperium tenuit. (4) Pentheus quidem Echionis filius et
generis dignitate et regis amicitia plurimum pollebat; verum quum
esset insolentior et plane impius, Baccho violati numinis pœnas
dedit. Polydoro Labdacus filius fuit. Hunc pater, quum e vita
decederet, puerum adhuc relicturus erat; quare filium una cum
regno Nycteo in tutelam tradidit. (5) Quæ huc pertinent reliqua mihi
in Sicyoniarum rerum commentario exposita sunt; cujusmodi scilicet
mors Nyctei fuerit et quemadmodum ad Lycum ejus fratrem pueri
tutela et Thebanorum principatus pervenerit. Et Lycus quidem
Labdaco jam adulto regnum restituit. Sed quum non ita multo post
ipse quoque Labdacus diem suum obiisset, rursus Lycus Labdaci
filium Laium in tutelam suam recepit, (6) Lyco jam tutelam gerente
iterum Amphion et Zethus collecta militum manu agrum invadunt; et
Laium quidem periculo subtraxerunt ii quibus curæ fuit providere, ne
Cadmei generis nomen in posterum aboleretur; Lycum vero Antiopes
filii prœlio vicerunt. Iidem regno potiti oppidum inferius cum Cadmea
conjunxerunt; urbem totam Thebas ob cognationem quæ cum
Thebe ipsis fuit, nuncuparunt. (7) Hujus rei testimonio mihi sunt
Homeri in Odyssea versus:
 Qui portis septemgeminis et turribus altis
cinxerunt Thebas: neque enim sine turribus ausi
incolere, invicti quanquam illi viribus essent.

De Amphionis vero cantu et quod muros ad lyram erexerit, nullam

prorsus in carminibus suis fecit mentionem. Hanc in musicis famam
idcirco est Amphion consecutus, quod a Lydis ob Tantali affinitatem
Lydios modos didicit primusque chordas tres ad quattuor a
superioribus inventas addidit. (8) Is qui carmina in Europam fecit,
memoriæ prodidit, Amphionem Mercurio magistro lyræ primum
usum didicisse, cantu vero saxa et feras duxisse. At Mœro Byzantia,
quæ heroica carmina et elegos scripsit, Amphionem tradit primum
omnium Mercurio aram dedicasse et idcirco lyram ab eo accepisse.
Aiunt etiam apud inferos Amphionem ob eas contumelias plecti, quas
in Latonam et ejus filios jecerat. (9) De pœna ejus in carmine mentio
est cui Minyas nomen spectat vero Amphionis æque ac Thamyridis
Thracis pœnam. Posteaquam vero Amphionis domus pestilentia
deleta est, et Zethus, quum genitum ex se puerum ipsa ob certam
noxam mater peremisset, ipse quoque animi ægritudine contabuit;
(10) ibi Laio Thebani regnum detulerunt. Laio regi, qui Iocastam
uxorem duxerat, Delphis venit oraculum, a filio, si quis ei ex Iocasta
nasceretur, ipsum interfectum iri. Quare Œdipum exposuit. At ille
quum adolevisset, et patrem occidit et matrem uxorem duxit. Filios
vero ex ea nullos ei natos esse testimonio mihi sunt qui in Odyssea
leguntur Homeri versus:
(11)
Vidi etiam Œdipodis matrem, formosam Epicasten
quæ fœdo imprudens temeravit crimine vitam
gnati juncta toro; genitorem occiderat ille.
Mox tamen in lucem visum hoc proferre deis est.

Quî igitur cogitari potest, deos hoc mox patefecisse, si nimirum

quattuor liberi nati erant Œdipo ex Epicasta? Verum Eurygania illos
Hyperphantis filia peperit; quod is qui carmina illa condidit quæ
Œdipodia nominant, declarat; Onasias etiam Platæensibus tristem
demisso vultu ob filiorum dimicationem pinxit Euryganiam. (12)
Polynices enimvero vivente adhuc et imperante Œdipo Thebis
discessit, metuens ne diris quibus ipsos pater devoverat esset
obnoxius. Quum autem Argos confugisset et jam filiam ei nuptum
dedisset Adrastus, ab Eteocle fratre accersitus post Œdipi mortem
Thebas revertit. Orto vero cum fratre dissidio, urbe pulsus iterum
exulavit. Petitis deinde ab Adrasto copiis quibus reditum in patriam
pararet, exercitum perdit, ipse vero singulare cum fratre certamen
init ex provocatione. (13) Certantes quum periissent, regnum devenit
ad Eteoclis filium Laodamantem, cujus pueri tutorem agens Creon
imperabat, filius Menœcei. Adoleverat jam Laodamas ac penes ipsum
regnum erat, quum iterum Argivi Thebas oppugnatum exercitum
misere. Iis cum exercitu Thebani occurrerunt ad Glisantem,
quumque ad manus ventum esset, Ægialeum Adrasti filium
Laodamas occidit. Ab Argivis vero prœlio superatus, cum ea
Thebanorum manu quæ illum ultro secuta est, insequenti nocte fuga
se in Illyrios recepit. (14) Hostes captas Thebas Thersandro Polynicis
filio tradidere. Jam vero quum Agamemnonis copiarum pars, dum ad
Trojanum bellum contenderet, ab instituto navigationis cursu
aberrasset et in Mysia cladem accepisset, fors ita tulit ut Thersander
quoque, cujus in ea pugna præ ceteris Græcis virtus enituerat, a
Telepho occideretur; est vero ei monumentum erectum circa Caici
campos in Elæa urbe, lapis in subdiali fori parte, quo in loco ei
parentant, ut ipsi dicunt; incolæ. (15) Thersandro mortuo, altera jam
classe contra Paridem et Trojanos comparata, Peneleum sibi ducem
delegere, quod Tisamenus Thersandri filius nondum per ætatem erat
imperio capessendo idoneus. Interfecto ab Eurypylo Telephi filio
Peneleo, regem Tisamenum declarant, Thersandro et Demonassa
Amphiarai filia genitum. Furiarum Laii et Œdipi Tisamenus quidem
non est expertus iram, (16) verum filius Tisameni Autesion, adeo ut
ad Dores transmigrarit, jussu oraculi. Eo jam profecto regem
crearunt Damasichthonem, Opheltæ filium, nepotem Penelei.
Damasichthoni Ptolemæus filius fuit; Ptolemæo Xanthus, quem
Andropompus in singulari certamine non virtute, sed dolo interfecit.
Placuit in postremum Thebanis non uni amplius, sed pluribus
reipublicæ summam committere.
 CAPUT VI.

De Thebanorum rebus bello gestis — calamitatibus quibusdam divinitus

significatis.
Inter ea autem quæ ipsis vel prospera vel secus in belli certaminibus
evenere, hæc ego maxime memoratu digna comperi. Victi ab
Atheniensibus prœlio sunt quum illi eo bello quod de agri finibus
gerebatur, Platæensibus opem tulissent. Alteram etiam cladem
accepere ad Platæam cum iisdem Atheniensibus acie congressi, quo
tempore Xerxis amicitiam Græcorum saluti anteponere visi sunt. (2)
Verumtamen hujus rei culpa non fuit penes universum populum;
tunc enim paucorum principatus, non patria reipublicæ administratio
vigebat. At profecto si Pisistratus vel ejus filii Barbaris in Græciam
invadentibus adhuc Athenis dominati essent, dubitari non potest quin
ipsi quoque Athenienses, quod in Persarum studia propensiores
essent, crimine vacaturi non fuissent. (3) Posteriore vero tempore
etiam Athenienses ad Delium in Tanagræis victi sunt a Thebanis, et
Hippocrates Ariphronis filius imperator cum majore militum parte
cecidit. Lacedæmoniis statim post Persarum discessum usque ad id
bellum quod Peloponnesii Atheniensibus intulerunt, cum Thebanis
optime convenit. Bello autem confecto et exarmata jam
Atheniensium classe non ita multo post Thebani una eum Corinthiis
arma contra Lacedæmonios moverunt. (4) Quum vero pugna ad
Corinthum et Coroneam superati fuissent, mox ad Leuctra omnium
quas de Græcis Græcos unquam reportasse noverimus maxime
illustrem sunt victoriam adepti. Tunc et decurionatus quos in
civitatibus constituerant Lacedæmonii, sustulerunt; et harmostas
Spartanorum ejecerunt. Phocicum deinde bellum, quod Sacrum
Græci appellarunt, annos perpetuos decem gesserunt. (8) In rerum
Atticarum historia jam ante conscripsimus cladem illam ad
Chæroneam universis Græcis calamitosam fuisse; Thebanorum
tamen inprimis res vehementer attrivit: sunt enim illi præsidium
coacti intra urbis mœnia recipere, quod post Philippi demum mortem
regnante jam Alexandro ejicere conati sunt. Quo facto futura eis
pernicies illico est divinitus significata. Atque in Cereris fano Legiferæ
prorsus alia quam ante Leuctricam pugnam signa iis exstiterunt: (6)
tum enim albis, aggrediente vero Alexandri et Macedonum exercitu
nigris araneæ valvas fani telis obduxerunt. Proditum etiam est
annalibus in Attica terra cinere pluisse anno uno antequam Syllæ
arma ingens Atheniensibus exitium importassent.

CAPUT VII.

Thebani ejecti a Cassandro restituuntur — de Cassandri odio in Alexandri domum

ejusque morte — Cassandri liberorum factis — Thebanis in bello Mithridatico a
Sylla multatis.
Thebani ab Alexandro expulsi quum Athenas profugi se recepissent,
post a Cassandro Antipatri filio restituti sunt. Ad instaurandas Thebas
egregiam præ ceteris operam navarunt Athenienses, rem adjuvarunt
tamen etiam Messenii et Megalopolitani. (2) Restituisse vero Thebas
Cassandrum crediderim Alexandri maxime odio. Ejus enim domum
totam funditus evertere contendit. Nam et Olympiadem Alexandri
matrem iis Macedonum qui in eam acerrimis flagrabant odiis,
lapidibus obruendam tradidit, et Alexandri filios Herculem ex Barsine,
Alexandrum ex Rhoxane susceptos venenis peremit. Neque ipse
tamen fortunatus e vita discessit. Ex morbo enim aquæ subter
cutem fusæ vivens etiamnum erumpentibus undique vermibus
extabuit. (3) Ex ejus vero liberis Philippum natu maximum, ubi non
multo post regnum susceperat, tabida corporis lues sustulit. Post
hunc Antipater Thessalonicen matrem interfecit, Philippo Amyntæ
filio et Nicasipolide genitam. Parricidii ea fuit causa, quod ea plus
benevolentiæ Alexandro, qui erat Cassandri liberûm minimus,
impertiret. At Alexander, accito in auxilium Demetrio Antigoni filio,
interempto fratre Antipatro matris quidem cædem ultus est; verum
intellexit percussorem paratum quem sibi socium adsciverat. (4) A
Cassandro itaque deorum aliquis quisquis ille fuerit meritam pœnam
exegit. Thebanis Cassandri auspiciis vetus omnis murorum ambitus
est restitutus. Sed oportuit etiam in posterum magnorum eos
malorum minime expertes esse. Quum enim Mithridati cum Romanis
bellanti se adjunxissent, nulla, opinor, alia ratione quam publica
Atheniensium amicitia adducti, Sylla cum exercitu in Bœotiam
ingresso periculi terrore studia statim sua, mutata sententia, ad
Romanos converterunt. (5) Non tamen Sylla propterea quicquam de
sua in illos ira remisit. Nam et alia ad Thebanorum fortunas
comminuendas excogitavit et dimidia agri eos parte multavit. Factum
vero suum hujusmodi prætexuit causa. Quum primum bellum contra
Mithridatem gerere cœpit, ob pecuniæ inopiam donaria omnia
conflavit ex Olympia, ex Epidauro, ex Delphici etiam Apollinis templo
quæ Phocenses reliqua fecerant. (6) Hæc igitur militi divisit: diis vero
pro opibus illis dimidiam agri Thebani partem adjudicavit. Sed
Romanorum liberalitate ereptum agrum postea Thebani receperunt.
Ceteroquin ex eo tempore ad summam reducti sunt imbecillitatem.
Ætate mea inferior urbs tota, delubris deorum exceptis, deserta est;
arx tantum habitatur, Thebarum, non Cadmeæ amplius nomine.

CAPUT VIII.

De Potniarum reliquiis, memorandis et templo Bacchi Ægoboli — loco, ubi

Amphiaraus terræ hiatu absorptus — septem Thebarum portis, earumque
nominibus.
Ubi Asopum transieris, ab urbe ipsa decem stadiorum intervallo
Potniarum ruinæ sunt, et inter ipsas Cereris et Proserpinæ lucus.
Signa ad fluvium Potnias præterlabentem Potniadas deas appellant.
Iis stato tempore et alia patrio ritu faciunt sacra et in locum quæ
Megara vocant lactentes sues mittunt; eosdemque sues proxima
anni tempestate apud Dodonam aiunt. *** Id ut credat sibi qui volet
in animum inducat. Est ibidem et Bacchi ædes, cognomine Ægoboli
(Capram jaculantis) (2) Ita enim aliquando accidit, ut dum
sacrificarent, per temulentiam eo vecordiæ processerint, ut ipsum
Bacchi sacerdotem occiderint. Quod piaculum quum atrox pestilentia
consecuta esset, ex Delphici Apollinis responso puerum Baccho jam
pubescentem mactandum acceperunt. Sed non multis post annis
deum ipsum capellam pro puero supposuisse tradunt. Potniis etiam
puteus monstratur, e quo potantes equas in furorem agi tradunt. (3)
Qua est a Potniis Thebas iter, ad viæ dexteram circumsepta est area
non utique magna in eaque columnæ positæ. Ibi terram Amphiarao
se diffidisse credunt. Addunt ad fabulam, neque aves illis columnis
insidere, neque ejus areæ herbam ullum vel mansuetum vel ferum
animal attingere. (4) Thebani in veterum murorum ambitu portas
septem habuere, quæ adhuc manent. Sumpsisse audivi nomina,
Electridem ab Electra Cadmi sorore; Prœtides a Prœto homine
indigena. Qua vero hic ætate vixerit et unde genus duxerit,
perdifficile erat inventu. Neistas nominarunt quod in cithara
chordarum unam, cui Nete nomen, Amphion ante hanc portam
invenisse dicitur. Audivi etiam Zethi, qui frater Amphionis fuit, filio
Neis nomen fuisse, et ab isto Neide portæ nomen datum. (5) Jam
Crenæas portas a fonte denominant. Hypsistas (Altissimas) vero ex
eo nominant quod ** Ad eas portas Jovis Hypsisti cognomine
sacellum. Præter eas quas connumeravimus portas est quæ Ogygiæ
nominantur, et omnium postremæ Homoloides; harum etiam
portarum nomen novissimum esse mihi videbatur, Ogygiarum vero
antiquissimum. (6) Homoloides vero nominatas esse dicunt ex eo,
quod in pugna cum Argivis ad Glisantem accepta clade, quum
plurimi Laodamantem Eteoclis filium secuti ex urbe profugissent,
eorum pars una ab itinere in Illyrios capessendo abhorruisset,
conversi autem in Thessalos Homolen occupassent, omnium qui in
Thessalia sunt montium maxime fertilem et aquis irriguum. (7) Illinc
a Thersandro Polynicis filio postliminio revocatos portas, quibus
redeuntes urbem introierunt, ab Homole nuncupasse Homoloides. A
Platæa quidem venientes Electræ portæ excipiunt. Ad eas
Capaneum Hipponoi filium, dum vehementiore impetu muros
ascendere conatur, fulmine ictum memorant.
 CAPUT IX.

De Argivorum primo bello contra Thebas suscepto — Thersandri et Epigonorum

bello contra Thebanos — carmine de hoc bello composito.
Atque hoc quidem bellum quod Argivi gesserunt, eorum omnium
quæ heroicis temporibus inter Græcos gesta fuere, longe
dignissimum quod hominum memoriæ proderetur fuisse existimo.
Est enim ab Eleusiniis cum reliquis Attici nominis populis, et a
Thebanis cum Minyis ita pugnatum, ut brevi exercituum incursione et
unico conflictu debellatum fuerit, conversis mox ad concordiam et
fœdera hominum animis. (2) At Argivorum exercitus in mediam
Bœotiam ex media venit Peloponneso, et Adrastus ex Arcadia et a
Messeniis auxilia coegit; quum interea Thebanis auxilio copiæ a
Phocensibus missæ venirent et ex Minyade terra Phlegyæ. Prœlio
vero ad Ismenum inito in ipso congressu Thebani superati et in
fugam versi intra mœnia se recepere; (3) verum quum muros
oppugnare Peloponnesii nescirent, atque animorum audacia magis
quam arte freti impetum facerent, eorum multos de muris
deturbantes Thebani occiderunt; et facta deinceps in turbatos
ordines eruptione etiam reliquos prostravere, adeo ut totus exercitus
uno Adrasto excepto perierit. Sed ea Thebanis victoria magna stetit
clade. Ex eo usurpatum, ut si qua victores pernicies opprimat,
Cadmea victoria dicatur. (4) Non multis post annis Thersandro duce
Thebas adorti ilii sunt quos Epigonos Græci vocant. Satis autem
constat, eorum signa secutos non tantum Argivos, Messenios et
Arcadas, sed in auxilium accitos Corinthios etiam et Megarenses.
Thebanis rursus opem finitimi tulere. Acriter utrinque est ad
Glisantem dimicatum. (5) E Thebanis multi statim post cladem
acceptam cum Laodamante effugerunt, reliqui per obsidionem
subacti sunt. Et hoc quidem bellum est carmine perscriptum, cui
Thebaidis nomen est inditum. Cujus Callinus mentionem faciens ab
Homero factum esse censet, cui multi et ii non ignobiles auctores
assentiuntur. Ego certe poesin illam secundum Homeri sane Iliadem
et Odysseam plurimi facio. Et hactenus de bello quod cum Thebanis
Œdipi filiorum causa gesserunt Argivi.
 CAPUT X.

De memorandis prope Thebas — Apolline Ismenio, Minerva ac Mercurio Pronais —

Mantûs sella — Apollinis Ismenii annuo sacerdote — Marlis fonte et Caantho.
Non longe a portis commune sepulcrum exstat eorum qui in acie
cum Alexandro Macedone confligentes mortem oppetiere. Monstrant
proximo loco campum, in quo occisi a Cadmo ad vicinum fontem
draconis dentium facta semente (si fabulæ est fides habenda) terra
homines edidit. (2) Ad portæ dexteram collis est Apollini sacer; et
collis et deus eodem nomine Ismenius dicitur Ismeno fluvio
præterfluente. In ipso ad ædem aditu Minervæ et Mercurii
marmorea signa sunt; Pronai (Vestibulares) appellantur; Mercurium
Phidias, Minervam Scopas fecisse dicitur. Templum proxime erectum
est; in eo signum magnitudine ei quod in Branchidis est, par, specie
etiam ipsa ab illo nihil differt. Eorum signorum si quis alterum viderit
et a quo factum fuerit cognoverit, nimirum ille haud magno negotio,
quum alterum intueatur, item Canachi opus esse cognoscat; tantum
interest quod ille in Branchidis Apollo ex ære, Ismenius hic e cedro
est. (3) Est eodem in loco saxum super quo Manto Tiresiæ filiam
sedisse tradunt; jacet ante ipsum templi vestibulum; nostra
etiamnum ætate Mantûs sellam vocant. Ad templi dexteram effigies
e marmore sunt; eas esse dicunt Heniochæ et Pyrrhæ filiarum
Creontis, qui dum Laodamanti Eteoclis filio tutor esset, imperium
tenuit. (4) Apollini Ismenio hac etiam ætate Thebani puerum claris
natalibus, forma et robore præstantem, annuum sacerdotem
deligunt. Daphnaphorus (Lauriger) ei cognomen est, quod serta e
lauri foliis gestant pueri. Non habeo satis compertum an omnes qui
Daphnaphori munus obierint ex patrio instituto æneum Apollini
tripodem dedicent; existimo certe nulla lege illos teneri: paucos enim
illic tripodes vidi; igitur e ditissimis orti parentibus pueri dedicare
videntur. Eorum tripodum est maxime insignis tum operis vetustate,
tum hominis dignitate, quem Amphitryo dedicavit Hercule laurum
gestante. (5) Supra Ismenii, fontem videas quem Marti sacrum
dictitant, et a Marte fontis custodiam draconi demandatam. Prope
est Caanthi tumulus; Meliæ fratrem, Oceani fuisse filium Caanthum
dicunt, missum vero a patre sororem raptam quæsitum. Quum in
Apollinis eam esse potestate comperisset neque omnino abducere
puellam potuisset, ignem in lucum, quem Ismenium vocant, injicere
ausum, ob eam rem (uti narrant Thebani) sagittis ab Apolline
confixum. (6) Est illic quidem Caanthi sepulcrum; e Melia vero
Apollinem aiunt filios duos suscepisse, Tenerum et Ismenium; illi
divinationem dedisse, ab Ismenio fluvium nomen accepisse. Neque
tamen hic ante nomine caruit; nam priusquam Ismenius Apollini
nasceretur, Ladon amnis nuncupabatur.

CAPUT XI.

Memoranda Thebarum, Amphitryonis domus — imagines mulierum, quæ

Pharmacides dicuntur, et Herculis templum — de Dædalo et Icaro — signis et
ornamentis templi Herculis — ara Apollinis Spodii.
Ad lævam ejus portæ cui Electræ nomen, domus rudera sunt, quam
inhabitasse Amphitryonem memorant quum e Tirynthe ob
Electryonis cædem fugisset. Visitur adhuc inter ea rudera Alcmenæ
thalamus. Eum a Trophonio et Agamede Amphitryoni exædificatum
Thebani dicunt, atque inscriptionem in eo positam fuisse hanc:
Uxorem Alcmenen olim quum huc ducere vellet
Amphitryon, thalamum hunc sibi legit, quem fabricarunt
Anchasius docta arte Trophonius atque Agamedes.

(2) Hæc igitur ibi Thebani scripta fuisse dicunt. Ostendunt etiam
Herculis ex Megara liberorum sepulcrum; de eorum morte iis omni
ex parte assentiuntur quæ sunt ab Himeræo Stesichoro et Panyasi in
versus relata. Addunt vero Thebani Herculem præ insania ipsum
etiam Amphitryonem occisurum fuisse, nisi lapide ictus somno se
dedisset; eum lapidem Minervam jecisse; Sophronistera (resipiscendi
auctorem) nominant. (3) Sunt eodem in loco feminarum jam fere
evanidæ imagines extra aream exstantes. Pharmacidas (Veneficas)
vocant Thebani; missas vero a Junone aiunt quo parturienti
Alcmenæ impedimento essent. Sed eas, dum Alcmenæ partum
inhiberent, Tiresiæ filiam Historidem tali astu elusisse. Ex eo namque
loco unde ipsæ facile audire possent, alta voce jubilavit quasi
peperisset Alcmena; illas ea voce deceptas abisse, Alcmenam vero
puerum enixam. (4) Herculis illic templum cum signis, quorum
alterum e candido lapide Promachum (propugnatorem) vocant,
Xenocriti et Eubii Thebanorum opus; alterum, ligneum simulacrum,
prisci operis Dædali fuisse arbitrantur; quod ut credam ipse quoque
facile adducor. Dedicasse ipse Dædalus fertur ut bene de se merito
gratias referret. Quum enim e Creta fugiens sibi et Icaro filio non
magna ædificasset navigia primusque omnium velificationem
adinvenisset, quo Minois classem, quæ remis tantum utebatur,
secundo impulsi vento anteverterent, tunc ipse quidem incolumis
evasit; (5) Icari vero navem imperitia gubernantis eversam tradunt;
sub undis enectum maris æstu delatum esse in insulam supra
Samum sitam atque nomine adhuc carentem; Herculem, quum forte
in illa loca venisset, agnitum cadaver sepelisse, ubi hac etiam ætate
non magnus terræ agger exstat in promontorio quod Ægæo mari
imminet; et ab Icaro hoc insulam et quod eam incingit mare nomen
accepisse. (6) Thebanis in templi fastigiis plurima ex duodecim
Herculis laboribus fecit Praxiteles. Quæ prætermisit sunt Stympheli
aves et Eleæ terræ purgatio; pro illis est cum Antæo lucta.
Thrasybulus quidem Lyci filius totaque illa Atheniensium exulum
manus, quod Thebis moventes expulsis triginta tyrannis patriam
recepissent, in Herculis fano Minervam et Herculem colossos, formis
a fundo elevatis, e Pentelico lapide, Alcamenis opus, posuerunt. Jam
vero gymnasium et stadium, utrumque de Herculis nomine
appellatum, cum templo conjuncta sunt. (7) Supra lapidem
Sophronistera est Apollinis ara cognomento Spodii e victimarum
cineribus congesta. Ominum ibi divinatio observatur, qua præ ceteris
maxime Græcis uti Smyrnæos novi. Est enim apud illos quoque extra
mœnia supra urbem ad omina captanda sacrata ædes.
 CAPUT XII.

Apollinis Polii cultus apud Thebanos — de Cadmo Phœnice, non Ægyptio, et

Minervæ Phœnicio et Ægyptio nomme — varia quæ de Harmoniæ nuptiis ac
de Semele narrantur — de Pronomo tibicine et variis modorum generibus.
Apollini vero cognomine Spodio lauros priscis temporibus
immolabant Thebani; sed quum ita accidisset ut stato festoque die
hostiam cædendi tempus instaret, qui vero ut taurum adducerent
missi fuerant non venirent, de plaustro prætereunte bovem alterum
arreptum mactarunt; ex quo institutum operario bove facere.
Vulgatus est præterea inter Thebanos sermo, Cadmum Delphis
Phocensi via Thebas ducente venientem ducem itineris bovem
habuisse, emptam illam de Pelagontis bubulcis et in utroque latere
insignem fuisse candida nota in lunæ speciem jam plenæ. (2)
Oportebat autem Cadmum cum sociis et exercitu ex oraculi responso
ibi consistere, quo loco bos fessa procubuisset. Illum ipsum locum
hodie quoque ostendunt. In eo sub divo ara est Minervæ cum signo
quod a Cadmo dedicatum perhibent. Refellitur facile eorum error, qui
in Thebanorum fines Ægyptium, non Phœnicem Cadmum venisse
putant, vel ipso hujus Minervæ nomine; Onga enim Phœnicum, non
Sais Ægyptiorum lingua dicitur. (3) Tradunt præterea Thebani, quo
loco est arcis nunc forum, Cadmi olim domum fuisse; thalamorum
quoque ruinas ostendunt, quorum unum Harmoniæ, alterum
Semeles fuisse dicunt, quem ætate etiam nostra ab hominum
accessu custodiunt. Porro ab iis Græcis, qui Musas in Harmoniæ
nuptiis cecinisse credunt, locus in foro monstratur ubi deas cantasse
ajunt. (4) Est etiam memoriæ proditum, cum eo fulmine quo icta est
Semele de cœlo lignum decidisse in ejus thalamum; quod quum ære
Polydorus exornasset, Bacchum Cadmeum appellasse. Prope est
Bacchi signum quod Onasimedes e solido ære fecit. Aram vero
Praxitelis filii elaborarunt. (5) Posita illic etiam statua est Pronomi
tibicinis, qui unus maxime apposite omnium ad aures multitudinis
permulcendas tibiis cecinit; ante id tempus tres tibiarum species
tibicinibus erant comparatæ; aliæ namque Doricis modis fabricatæ,
aliis Phrygiam harmoniam exprimebant, et diversæ ab his ad Lydios
adhibebantur modos. At Pronomus ejusmodi primus excogitavit
tibias, quæ ad omnia harmoniæ genera essent accommodatæ,
primusque tam diversos generibus modos iisdem tibiis effinxit. (6)
Idem etiam vultus habitu et insuper totius corporis motu mirifice
dicitur spectatores in theatris delectasse. Exstat ejus cantilena quam
Chalcidensibus ad Euripum fecit, ut eo carmine Delum venientes loci
numina salutarent. Huic itaque Thebani et Epaminondæ Polymnidis
filio in quo diximus loco statuas posuere.

CAPUT XIII.

De Epaminonda ejusque rebus bello gestis — bello Lacedæmoniorum cum

Thebanis — Scedaso ejusque filiabus — pugna apud Leuctra cum
Lacedæmoniis commissa.
Epaminondæ majores quidem illustres generis claritate fuere, ejus
vero pater tenuiore fuit inter Thebanos re familiari quam alius
mediocris quivis; filium tamen patriis disciplinis accuratissime
erudiendum curavit; ipse ab ineunte adolescentia ad Lysin
Tarentinum se discendi causa contulit; hominem Pythagoræ Samii
præceptis instructum. Bello quod gessere cum Mantinensibus
Lacedæmonii, missus esse dicitur cum aliis Thebanis in
Lacedæmoniorum auxilium Epaminondas. Is Pelopidam saucium
magno suo periculo in pugna servavit. (2) Ac deinde quum legatus
venisset Spartam quo tempore Lacedæmonii pacem eam quæ
Antalcidæ vocatur sancire decreverant, et Epaminondam rogasset
Agesilaus, numquid singulas Bœotiæ urbes in pacem jurare situri
essent Thebani; respondit ille: Non utique, Spartane, priusquam
apud vos videamus singularum circa Spartam urbium incolas jurasse.
(3) Jam vero quum bellum inter Lacedæmonios et Thebanos
cœptum esset geri et Lacedæmonii quum suis tum sociorum opibus
freti Thebanos urgerent, ipse cum exercitus parte supra Cephisidem
paludem, qua Peloponnesii irruptionem facturi videbantur, castra
posuit. At Cleombrotus Lacedæmoniorum rex ad Ambrossum in
Phocenses agmen vertit: mox Chærea et iis quibus fuerat ejus aditus
custodia commissa interfectis, ad Leuctra in Bœotiam penetravit. (4)
Eo in loco quum ipsi Cleombroto, tum universis Lacedæmoniorum
copiis ostenta divinitus evenerunt. Mos fuit regibus Spartanis ad
bellum proficiscentibus ovium greges in extremo agmine habere, ut
inde quum hostias diis mactarent, tum ante certamina rimarentur, an
lætos exta successus portenderent. Earum pecudum duces itineris
erant capræ, quas Catœadas nominant pastores. Tunc quidem
gregem invadentes lupi ovibus nullam sane noxam intulerunt, solas
vero Catœadas necarunt. (5) Dicuntur etiam Lacedæmonii filiarum
Scedasi diris obnoxii fuisse. Scedaso enim Leuctris domicilium
habenti filiæ fuere Molpia et Hippo. Eas jam nubiles Lacedæmonii
homines jura divina violantes Phrurarchidas et Parthenius per vim
vitiarunt. Puellæ contumeliam minime ferendam ratæ laqueo vitam
continuo finierunt. Ipse Scedasus, quum Spartæ judicium postulanti
datum non fuisset, Leuctra reversus manum sibi intulit. (6) Huic
Scedaso tunc Epaminondas ejusque filiabus parentavit, votaque
nuncupavit professus prœlium non magis pro Thebanorum salute,
quam eam injuriam ulciscendi causa commissum iri. Sed Bœotii
nominis ducum non eædem erant, verum vehementer discrepantes
sententiæ. Nam Epaminondæ, Malgidi et Xenocrati placebat quam
celerrime pugnam capessere; Damoclidas vero et Damophilus et
Simangelus congrediendum neutiquam censebant, sed conjugibus et
liberis in Atticam amandatis ad obsidionem sustinendam quæ
pertinerent esse omnia comparanda. (7) Atque horum quidem sex in
hunc modum consilia variarunt. Ubi vero septimi, qui ad Cithæronis
angustias præsidio fuerat præfectus, Bacchylides ei nomen fuit, ad
exercitum reversi suffragio est eorum qui Epaminondæ assensi
fuerant sententia comprobata, decreverunt omnes prœlio belli
fortunam experiri. (8) Erant quum alii ex Bœotis Epaminondæ
suspecti, sed præ ceteris Thespienses. Veritus igitur ne dum manus
consererentur partes proderent, potestatem fecit omnibus qui vellent
e castris domum concedendi. Quare quum Thespienses, tum reliqui
Bœoti qui a Thebanis erant alieniores, discessere. (9) Quum vero ad
manus ventum esset, Lacedæmoniorum socii conceptum in illos jam
ante animo odium aperte declararunt, nempe qui neque locum
tenuerint et in quam partem hostis impressionem fecisset, terga
dederint. Æquavit inter duas acies certamen quod pristina rei
militaris scientia et patriæ gloriæ retinendæ cura Spartanos
incitabat; Thebani sibi pro patria, pro conjugibus et liberis
propositum certamen videbant. (10) Postea vero quam et alii de
Lacedæmoniorum primoribus et rex ipse Cleombrotus occubuit, ibi
Spartanos tametsi graviter affectos adegit necessitas, ut locum
pugnando tuerentur suum. Erat enim magno apud Lacedæmonios
dedecori regis cadaver sinere in hostium esse potestate. (11)
Thebani certe victoriam adepti sunt omnium præclarissimam quas de
Græcis Græci unquam reportaverint. Postero die Lacedæmonii
suorum cadavera ad sepulturam misso ad Thebanos caduceatore
poposcerunt. Epaminondas vero quum sciret maxime in
dissimulandis calamitatibus suis callidos esse Spartanos, sociis se
prius eorum cadavera tollendi facultatem daturum respondit; ac
deinde se facile suos a Lacedæmoniis humari passurum. (12) Quod
quum ita constitutum esset, sociorum aliis suos non fuit omnino
quod tollerent, quum neminem amisissent; alii quam paucissimos
desiderarunt; tum demum Lacedæmonii suos sustulerunt, et
Spartanis confiteri necesse fuit suorum illam stragem fuisse maxime.
De Thebanorum quidem et eorum qui permanserant Bœotorum
numero septem duntaxat et quadraginta desiderati fuere, quum e
Lacedæmoniis ipsis plures quam mille cecidissent.

CAPUT XIV.

De iis, quæ Leuctricam pugnam consecuta sunt — Epaminondas Thespienses, qui

Ceressum confugerant, ejicit — Epaminondas ab Arcadibus arcessitur,
Megalopolin condit et Messenen restituit — Epaminondas Iphicratem fugat —
capitis arcessitur.
Post pugnam edicto permisit ceteris Peloponnesiis ut domos quique
suas redirent; solos Lacedæmonios ad Leuctra interclusos tenuit.
Verum quum certior factus esset Spartanos ex urbe effusos suis in
auxilium universos venire, hostibus quo vellent abeundi sub certis
conditionibus potestatem dedit, suis asserens multo esse optabilius
ex Bœotia bellum in Laconiam propulsare. (2) Thespiensibus, quod
et vetera in se Thebanorum odia et recentem eorum felicitatem
suspectam haberent, visum est urbe relicta Ceressum confugere. Est
Ceressus castellum in Thespiensi agro, quo jam olim multo cum
exercitu invadentibus Thessalis, se receperant. Quo tempore quum
Ceressi expugnandi spes post longos conatus Thessalos frustrata
esset, Delphos dei consulendi causa miserunt, (3) a quo hujusmodi
oraculum est redditum:
Leuctra mihi umbrosa est curæ, est et Alesia tellus
et Scedasi soboles geminæ miseranda puellæ.
Pugna illic atrox miscebitur; haud erit ullus
qui sciat hoc hominum, lumen juvenile priusquam
perdiderint Dores, fatalis ubi ingruet hora.
Tunc quoque non alio capietur Marte Ceressus.

(4) Epaminondas expugnato Ceresso ac Thespiensibus qui illuc

confugerant ejectis ad Peloponnesi res ordinandas maturavit, magno
studio accersentibus Arcadibus, ac primo statim adventu Argivos
ipsius amicitiam expetentes socios adscivit, Mantinenses in vicos ab
Agesipolide dispersos in veterem urbem reduxit; Arcadibus ut parva
oppida, quibus ad se tuendum deerant vires, delerent ab eo
persuasis, communem patriam condidit urbem, quæ ad nostra usque
tempora Megalopolis (magna urbs) nominatur. (5) Exacto imperii
tempore quum lex capitis pœnam ei qui imperium continuasset,
irrogaret, alienissimo reipublicae tempore non esse existimans legis
rationem habendam, imperium retinuit, profectusque cum exercitu
Spartam, quum Agesilaus ad pugnam suos non eduxisset ad
Messenen restituendam cogitationem convertit suam. Eos enim qui
nunc nomen servant Messenios ipse restituit Epaminondas; qua de
re in exponendis Messeniorum rebus quæ opus fuere a me sunt
explicata. (6) Interea quum Thebanorum socii dissipati fines Laconici
agri excursionibus et direptionibus infestos reddidissent, adduxit ea
res Epaminondam ut in Bœotiam exercitum reportaret; quumque
jam ad Lechæum accederet ac prope esset ut ex locorum angustiis
et difficultatibus evaderet, occurrit Iphicrates Timothei filius cum
cetratis et aliis Atheniensium copiis quas contra Thebanos ducebat.
(7) Ibi Epaminondas invadentes in fugam vertit, et ad ipsa
Athenarum mœnia persecutus, quum egredi ad pugnam suos vetaret
Iphicrates, Thebas agmen retro egit. Jam vero capitis accusatus
quod exacto imperii tempore Bœoticam præturam continuasset,
condemnationem effugit; atque ii quibus judicandi sors obtigerat, ne
suffragium quidem iniisse dicuntur.

CAPUT XV.

Thebani Alexandro, Thessalorum tyranno, Pelopidam in vinculis tenenti bellum

inferunt — Orchomenios expellunt — Epaminondas ad Mantineam a Gryllo
Atheniensi occiditur — quæ signo Epaminondæ inscripta fuerunt, memorantur.
Postea vero quum Alexander Thessaliæ tyrannus Pelopidam ad se
quum privata tum publica fretum amicitia venientem in vincula
conjecisset, ut eam hominis perfidiam et contumeliam ulciscerentur
Thebani, contra illum statim exercitum compararunt, ducesque ejus
expeditionis Cleomenem declararunt et Hypatum, qui tum temporis
Bœotarcharum munere fungebantur. Epaminondas inter ordinarios
milites locum habebat. (2) Angustias Thermopylarum jam
superaverant, quum Alexander ex insidiis inter aspreta erumpens
hosti negotium cœpit facessere. Universus itaque exercitus quum
spem salutis in dubium vocari animadverteret, Epaminondæ, ipsis
Bœotiæ præfectis summa voluntate assentientibus, imperium
decrevit. Alexander simulac ad Epaminondam imperium translatum
intellexit, prœlium committere non est ausus ac Pelopidam ultro
dimisit. (3) Dum aberat Epaminondas, Orchomenios Thebani suis
sedibus expulerant; quod ille pro infortunio habendum esse censuit;
quin etiam affirmavit, si adfuisset, nullo pacto tantum se a Thebanis
facinus committi passurum fuisse. (4) Deinde quum ipsi iterum
imperium decerneretur, cum exercitu rursus in Peloponnesum
veniens Lacedæmonios ad Lechæum prœlio fudit, cumque iis ex
Achæis Pellenenses et ex Atheniensibus eos quos duxerat Chabrias.
Erat a Thebanis constitutum, ut quoscunque ex aliis populis captivos
haberent, pretio dimitterent; Bœotici vero nominis exules capitis
damnatos occiderent. At Epaminondas quum Sicyoniorum oppidum
Phœbiam, expugnasset, in quo maxima pars erat Bœotorum exulum,
eos qui comprehensi fuerant,... dimisit, alienæ singulos patriæ
nominibus, ut ei in mentem venit, recensos. (5) Jam vero quum ad
Mantineam victoriam esset adeptus, ab Atheniensi milite est
interfectus; et Athenis ubi equestris pugna picta est, miles ille,
Gryllus Xenophontis filius, Epaminondam occidens ostenditur. Ejus
pater Xenophon nempe is fuit qui se Cyro contra regem Artaxerxen
comitem præbuit, et redeuntibus ad mare Græcis dux fuit.
6. Ad Epaminondæ statuam elegi adscripti sunt, quibus et alia de eo
prædicantur et quod per ipsum fuerit Messene restituta et Græcis
parta libertas. Elegi hujusmodi sunt:
Consiliis nostris laus est attrita Laconum,
Messenen tandem pulsa redit soboles,
jam Thebes circa cincta est Megalepolis armis,
legibus et fruitur Græcia tota suis.

Atque hæc quidem ad viri gloriam pertinent.

CAPUT XVI.

Reliqua Thebarum memoranda, Ammonis delubrum a Pindaro dedicatum — de

tribus Veneris cognominibus ab Harmonia inditis — Cereris Θεσμοφόρου
templum et signum — Bacchi Lysii delubrum.
Proxime abest Ammonis delubrum, cui signum Calamidis opus
Pindarus dedicavit. Idem etiam ad Ammonios in Libyam Ammoni
hymnum misit. Mea adhuc ætate in triangula pila hymnus iste
Pindari exstabat, ad aram quam Lagi filius Ptolemæus Ammoni
statuit. Secundum Ammonis fanum apud Thebanos Tiresiæ est,
quod Auguraculum appellatur. Proxime Fortunæ ædes; (2) fert dea
Plutum infantem. Tradunt Thebani, manus et os ejus signi fabricasse
Xenophontem Atheniensem, reliqua Callistonicum civem suum.
Callidum sane fuit commentum, in manus Fortunæ tanquam vel
matris vel nutricis Plutum ponere. Neque minus prudenter
Cephisodotus, qui Pacem Atheniensibus fecit Plutum in sinu
habentem. (3) Sunt etiam Thebanis Veneris signa lignea tam
antiqua, ut dedicata dicantur ab Harmonia, fabricata vero de rostris,
quæ Cadmi naves habebant lignea. Tres Veneres sunt, quarum unam
Cœlestem, Popularem alteram, tertiam Apostrophiam nominant; (4)
cognomina imposuit Harmonia, Cælestis purum significans et
corporum cupiditate vacantem amorem; Popularis ob Venerios
congressus; Apostrophiæ (Aversatricis), quo ab exlege cupiditate et
incestis stupris hominum genus averteret. Multa enim apud
Barbaros, multa apud Græcos sciebat Harmonia per nefarios
concubitus turpiter commissa, qualia postea de Adonidis matre, de
Phædra Minois filia deque Tereo Thraciæ rege decantata sunt. (5)
Cereris quidem Legiferæ fanum Cadmi et ejus posterorum domum
aliquando fuisse dicunt. Deæ simulacrum supra pectus duntaxat in
aperto est. Fixa eo in loco sunt ænea scuta; fuisse illa procerum
Lacedæmoniorum aiunt, qui ad Leuctra ceciderant. (6) Ad eas portas
quæ Prœtides dicuntur theatrum surgit. Theatro proxima est Bacchi
ædes cognomento Lysii. Cognominis causa, quod quum olim
captivos complures ex Thebanis vinctos Thraces abducerent, eos,
quum ad Haliartiorum fines ventum esset, vinculis solutos deus
dimisit illisque Thracas somno oppressos occidendos præbuit.
Alterum quod in ea æde signum est, Semeles esse dicunt Thebani;
ac semel tantum statis diebus quotannis templum aperiri referunt.
(7) Sunt ibidem Lyci domus ruinæ et sepulcrum Semeles; nam
Alcmenæ sepulcrum non est; sed eam post mortem in lapidem
conversam memorant, neque omnino de ea idem est Thebanis qui
Megarensibus sermo. Dissentiunt enim plerumque inter se aliis item
de rebus plerisque omnibus Græci. Erecta etiam ibi sunt a Thebanis
Amphionis liberis monumenta seorsum maribus a puellis.

CAPUT XVII.

De aliis Thebarum memorandis, Dianæ Eucleæ delubro et Antipœni filiabus pro

patria mortem sponte oppetentibus — Minervæ Zosteriæ signis — Zethi et
Amphionis sepulcro — de Phoco et Antiope narratio — de saxis quæ
Amphionis cantum secuta sunt.
Prope est Dianæ delubrum Eucleæ (Gloriosæ). Signum Scopæ opus
est. Sepultas in templo Antipœni filias dicunt Androcleam et Alcidem.
Quum enim Thebani duce Hercule cum Orchomeniis prœlium
commissuri essent, oraculum redditum est, ejus belli victoriam penes
eos fore quorum civis qui generis. claritate præstaret sibi ipse
mortem ultro conscisceret. Erat Antipœnus natalium dignitate
omnium suorum civium facile princeps, sed adduci is non poterat ut
libenter mortem pro populi salute oppeteret; at ejus filiæ alacriter se
devoverunt. Necem itaque quum sibi ipsæ conscissent, publicos
promeritæ sunt honores. (2) Ante ædem Eucleæ Dianæ leo e lapide
factus collocatus est. Dedicasse dicitur Hercules victis in pugna
Orchomeniis et eorum rege Ergino Clymeni filio. Proxime abest
Apollo Boedromius et qui Agoræus (Forensis) vocatur Mercurius; fuit
hoc quoque Pindari donum. Distat liberorum Amphionis rogus a
sepulcris dimidium stadii. Permanet adhuc hujus rogi cinis. (3) Prope
duo sunt Minervæ lapidea signa Zosteriæ cognomento, ab
Amphitryone, ut perhibent, dedicata; illic enim dicitur arma induisse
cum Eubœensibus et Chalcodonte congressurus: ipsum vero arma
induere veteres Cingere (ζώσασθαι) dixerunt. Homerum quoque
quum Agamemnonem Marti, similem zona fecisset, de armorum
ornatu id intelligi voluisse putant. (4) Exstat Zethi et Amphionis
commune monumentum terræ non sane magnus tumulus; ex eo qui
Tithoream Phocensium incolunt terram, surripere magnopere
student; eo vero id agunt tempore quum sol taurum permeat. Tunc
enim si amotam ex eo tumulo terram ad Antiopes monumentum
(adjecerint), ager suus Tithorensibus fœcundior redditur, Thebanis
longe secus: quare per eos dies diligenter sepulcrum custodiunt
Thebani. (5) Id ita esse ex Bacidis oraculis persuasum est utrique
urbi. Sunt enim in oraculis istis etiam hæc:
Inferias quando a Tithorensi plebe precesque
et vota accipiet cum fratre Amphione Zethus,
Phœbus Agenoreum irradiat quum lumine Taurum;
tum noxam ingentem vitato quæ ingruit urbi.
Nam fruges in agris pereunt, si siveris illos
demere de terra Phocique apponere busto.

(6) Phoci monumentum Bacis dixit hac de causa: Lyci uxor præ
ceteris diis Baccho honorem habebat; quum vero passa esset quæ
vulgo prodita sunt, Bacchus Antiopæ vehementer succensuit; invidia
vero deorum esse solet, unde immanes excitentur pœnæ; narrant
itaque Antiopen insaniisse et mente captam totam pererrasse
Græciam; Phocum vero Ornytione Sisyphi filio genitum, quum in
eam incidisset (?), insaniæ morbo liberasse et uxorem duxisse;
quocirca commune Antiopiæ et Phoco monumentum positum fuit.
(7) At eos lapides qui Amphionis tumulo subjacent nulla cura aut
arte elaborati, ea tradunt esse saxa quæ Amphionis cantum secuta
fuerant. Etiam de Orpheo proditum est feras fidibus canentem
secutas.

CAPUT XVIII.

Memoranda sepulcra in via a Thebis Chalcidem versus, Menalippi — Tydei —

sepulcra Œdipi filiorum et sacra, quæ ibi fiunt — sepulcrum Hectoris et
Œdipodius fons.
Thebis Chalcidem ab his Prœtidibus portis iter est. In ipsa militari via
Melanippi sepulcrum ostenditur, viri bellicis laudibus Thebanorum
longe præstantissimi, qui quum Thebas Argivi oppugnatum
venissent, Tydeum et Mecisteum Adrasti fratrem occidit; interfectus
vero et ipse ab Amphiarao dicitur. (2) Huic tumulo proximi sunt rudes
lapides tres. Qui Thebanorum vetustas res commemorant, ibi
Tydeum situm esse autumant et a Mæone sepultum. Homeri vero ex
Iliade versum in hujus rei testimonium proferunt:
Tydeos, alta tegit Thebis quem terra sepultum.

(3) Exin proxima sunt Œdipi filiorum sepulcra. Ad ea quæ fiunt sacra
etsi ipse non spectavi, narrantibus tamen fidem habui. Aiunt enim
Thebani et aliis ex iis qui heroes vocantur, et Œdipi filiis inferias a se
mitti. His vero dum addent, quum flammam, tum emissum ex ea
fumum in partes duas discedere. (4) Id ego ut crederem me adduxit
quod in Mysia, quæ supra Caicum est, vidi. Est ibi modica urbs
Pioniæ appellata, cujus conditorem Pionin de posteris Herculis unum
incolæ perhibent. Huic dum parentant, sponte fumus e sepulcro
exsilit. Hoc ipse dum accideret vidi. Tiresiæ etiam monumentum,
quod abest a sepulcro filiorum Œdipi stadia ferme quindecim,
ostendunt Thebani. Verum quum et ipsi fateantur Tiresiam in
Haliartia e vita excessisse, cenotaphium esse qui apud se est
tumulum credunt. (8) Est etiam ad eam quæ Œdipodia appellatur
aquam Hectoris Priami filii apud Thebanos monumentum. Ejus enim
ossa ex hujusmodi oraculo ab Ilio se deportasse tradunt:
Excelsa incolitis Cadmi qui mœnia Thebas,
si patriam optatis nunquam non esse beatam,
ex Asia transferte domum magni Hectoris ossa;
hic Jovis imperio heroem sua justa manebunt.

(6) Œdipodia vero aqua idcirco est nuncupata, quod in ea paternæ

cædis cruorem Œdipus abluerit. Proxime ad fontem est Amphidici
sepulcrum. Hic Amphidicus, sicuti narrant Thebani, Parthenopæum
Talai filium, dum pugna cum Argivis committeretur, occidit. Nam
Thebaidis versus qui sunt de Parthenopæi cæde, Periclymenum ejus
interfectorem fuisse testantur.

CAPUT XIX.

De loco Teumeso et Minervæ Telchiniæ templo — Glisantis reliquiis et loco

Serpentis Caput dicto — monte et Jove Hypato — Harmatis et Mycalessi
urbium reliquiis ac Cereris Mycalessiæ templo — Aulide et memorandis ibi.
In hac eadem militari via vicus est Teumesus, ubi occultatam a Jove
Europam ferunt. Est alius quoque de Teumesia vulpe sermo,
Bacchum scilicet iratum ad Thebanorum perniciem eam feram ali
voluisse; quæ quum jam prope ab eo cane quem Procridi Erechthei
filiæ Diana dono dedit caperetur, et vulpes et canis in lapidem sunt
conversi. Est Teumesi etiam Minervæ Telchiniæ ædes, in qua nullum
exstat signum. Quod cognomen deæ attinet, licet suspicari partem
Telchinum, qui in Cypro olim habitabant, in Bœotiam profectam
templum dedicasse Minervæ Telchiniæ. (2) A Teumeso stadia ad
lævam septem progressis Glisantis ruinas se ostendunt, et ante illas
ad viæ dexteram tumulus non magnus quum agresti silva, tum
consitis arboribus opacus. Illic humati sunt qui Ægialeum Adrasti
filium sunt ad bellum Thebanum secuti Argivorum proceres, et inter
eos Promachus, Parthenopæi filius. Ægialeo vero ipsi Pagis
monumentum erectum esse jam ante, dum Megarensium res
persequerer, exposui. (3) Qua Thebis recta Glisantem iter est, locum
videas rudibus lapidibus circumseptum: Serpentis Caput Thebani
vocant. Serpentem enim, quocunque ille fuerit nomine appellandus,
e lustro suo caput ibi exserentem gladio a Tiresia, quum forte illuc
venisset, percussum tradunt, atque ex eo nomen inditum loco. Supra
Glisantem mons est cui nomen Hypati (Supremi); et in eo Jovis
Hypati est templum cum signo. Torrentem fluvium præterlabentem
Thermodontem nuncupant. Teumesum versus et in viam quæ
Chalcidem ducit regressis in conspectu est Chalcodontis
monumentum; qui, quum prœlium inter Thebanos et Eubœenses
fieret, ab Amphitryone est occisus. (4) Cernuntur exinde urbium
Harmatis et Mycalessi ruinæ; illi nomen, quod eo in loco, non autem
ubi Thebani dicunt, Amphiaraum cum curru in terræ voraginem
descendisse Tanagræi memorant. Mycalessum vero appellatam est
utriusque populi consensus, quod bos ea, quæ ad Thebas Cadmo et
ejus sociis dux fuit, illic immugierit. Quemadmodum vero Mycalessus
fuerit ad vastitatem redacta, est a me in ea quæ ad Atheniensium
res pertinet historia expositum. (5) In ea quæ ad mare spectat
Mycalessi parte est Cereris Mycalessiæ fanum; occludi illud singulis
noctibus et aperiri ab Hercule ferunt; Herculem vero ipsum de iis
unum esse qui sunt Idæi Dactyli appellati. Ostenditur eodem in loco
hujusmodi miraculum: ad simulacri pedes poma omnia quæ ferre
solet autumnus exponunt; ea quam recentissima totum annum
perdurant. (6) Ad Euripi, qua parte is Eubœam a Bœotiorum finibus
dividit, et Mycalessiæ Cereris dexteram paulo longius progressis est
Aulis. Nuncupatam credunt ab Ogygis filia. Est ibi Dianæ ædes et
duo in ea e candido marmore signa; faces altera præfert, jaculanti
est altera similis. Ad ejus templi aram quum ex Calchantis vaticinio
essent Græci Iphigeniam immolaturi, pro puella cervam mactandam
submisisse deam perhibent. (7) Platani vero ejus cujus in Iliade
mentionem facit Homerus, nunc etiam in templo reliquam e trunco
partem servant. Proditum memoriæ est, quum Aulide per malaciam
Græci detinerentur, ubi repente secundi venti flare cœperunt,
mactasse statim eos Dianæ quascumque vel feminas vel mares
habuit quisque in promptu hostias; mansisse dehinc ritum ut quavis
hostia Aulide litari possit. Ostenditur etiam fons ad quem platanus
enata est: et prope in colle Agamemnonis tabernaculi æneum limen.
(8) Palmæ vero ante ædem surgunt fructum ferentes, qui non est
omnino suavis edentibus uti palmulæ ex Palæstina; mitiorem tamen
iis quæ in Ionia leguntur. Homines non sane multi Aulidem incolunt,
et ii omnes figulinam exercent. Agrum istum et totam Mycalessi
atque Harmotis viciniam colunt Tanagræi.
 CAPUT XX.

De Delio, Apollinis templo — Tanagræ conditore, denominatione et memorandis —

de Tritone et Baccho narratio.
In Tanagræorum finibus ad mare est quod Delium vocatur. In eo
sunt Dianæ et Latonæ signa. Urbis suæ primordia Tanagræi
Pœmandro Chæresilai filio, Iasii nepoti, Eleutheris pronepoti, accepta
referunt; et Eleutherem quidem ex Apolline et Æthusa Neptuni filia
genitum dicunt, Pœmandrum ipsum in matrimonio habuisse
Tanagram Æoli filiam; Corinna tamen versibus mandavit Asopi illam
fuisse. (2) Hanc eo ætatis vivendo processisse, ut vicini dempto ei
hoc nomine quum mulierem ipsam tum progressu temporis urbem
quoque Græam (anum) appellarint, ac nomen istud eousque
permansisse, ut Homerus quo loco Græcorum populos recenset hoc
utatur versu:
Thespiam Græamque et latam arvis Mycalessum.

(3) Sed interjecto dein tempore pristinum nomen recepit. Est etiam
Tanagræ Orionis monumentum et Cerycius mons, in quo editum in
lucem Mercurium tradunt; Polus præterea qui dicitur vicus. In eo
Atlantem consedisse ferunt, et quæ sub terra sunt et res cœlestes
diligenter investigantem. Quod ab Homero etiam dictum norunt:
Filia magnanimi Atlantis, qui cærula ponti,
qui cœlum ac terras prospectat, quique columnis
proceris gemini dirimit confinia mundi.

(4) Est in Bacchi æde dignum quod spectetur simulacrum ex Pario

marmore, Calamidis opus. Admirationem intuentibus majorem Triton
affert; de quo dignitatis plenior sermo hic est: Tanagræorum
matronas, antequam Bacchi arcana celebrarent ad mare, quo
expiationis causa lavarent, descendisse; in eas natantes Tritonem
impetum fecisse; implorantibus numinis opem Bacchum præsto
fuisse, et ab eo pugna Tritonem superatum. (5) Alter vero est sermo
non ille quidem superiori par dignitate, sed a fide hominum minus
abhorrens: quæcunque ad mare agerentur pecora dicit ex insidiis
Tritonem adoriri et rapere, invadere etiam leviora navigia solitum.
Tandem Tarnagræi vini craterem exponunt; ad eum quum accurrisset
Triton odore allectus, potum et somno correptum in litore se
prostravisse; mox a Tanagræo homine bipenni caput ei a cervice
abscissum; eo factum ut et nunc sine capite cernatur. Quoniam vero
tunc eum temulentum cepit, a Baccho occisum crediderunt
hominem.

CAPUT XXI.

Tritonum forma describitur — de tauris Æthiopicis — alce — martichora seu

androphago, et serpentibus volucribus.
Vidi ego et alium Tritonem Romanorum in thesauris rerum
admirabilium, sed hoc qui apud Tanagræos est magnitudine
inferiorem. Hanc præ se ferunt Tritones figuram: capitis coma
persimilis est ranunculis colore, et capillum omnino nullum ab aliis
possis discernere; reliquum corpus squama inhorrescit minuta, quali
squatus piscis: branchias infra aures habent, nares hominis, rictum
oris latiorem et dentes belluæ; oculi glauci mihi esse visi sunt;
manus etiam illis sunt digitique et ungues ea forma qua superiores
conchyliorum testæ; sub pectore et ventre pro pedibus cauda uti
delphinis. (2) Vidi etiam Æthiopicos tauros, quos ex re ipsa
Rhinocerotas nominant; quod illis e nare extrema cornu prominet, et
paulo superius alterum non sane magnum; in capite vero nullum
prorsus habent. Præterea et Pæonios tauros spectavi, hirto corpore
quum omni ex parte tum præcipue pectoribus et mentis; nec minus
Indicos camelos, qui eodem prope quo pardi sunt colore. (3) Est
etiam fera quam alcen dicunt, media quadam inter cervum et
camelum specie; gignitur in terra Celtica: belluarum hanc unam
nequeunt homines aut investigare au prævidere; sed alias
indagantibus feras hanc fortuito nanciscuntur. Præsentit hominem
olfactu ex longo intervallo, uti narrant, et in retrusos anfractus et
speluncas profundissimas confugit. Venatores ubi campestres vel
montanos saltus mille minimum stadiorum in orbem continenti
indagine cinxerint, ita ut constanter omnes quem quisque ceperit in
eo ambitu locum obtineant, ad intimos eadem agminis forma
recessus progressi feras omnes in medio comprehendunt et inter eas
alcen; quæ si forte lustrum in ea regione non habuerit, nulla utique
reliqua est ad capiendum sollertia. (4) Jam vero eam belluam, quam
Ctesias in historia de Indis martichoram ab illis scribit appellari, a
Græcis androphagum, non aliam a tigride esse crediderim. Dentium
illi in maxilla altera triplicem ordinem esse et in extrema cauda
aculeos habere quibus et se cominus tueatur et venatores eminus
tanquam sagittis petat, hanc ego famam, quæ veluti per manus
tradita inter Indos increbuit, minime veram esse arbitror, sed præ
nimio terrore fuisse homines hallucinatos. (5) In colore etiam decepti
sunt, quod videlicet si quando tigrin in sole viderint, ob splendorem
ruber et concolor esse videbatur; aut explicandus error ex cursu
celeritate, aut, ubi non currit, ex continuis illis bestiæ
conversionibus; idque eo facilius accidere potuit, quod non ex
propinquo conspici solet. Equidem existimo, si quis vel Africæ vel
Indiæ aut Arabiæ extremos fines peragret, ut cognoscat num sint
illis in locis quotcunque sunt apud Græcos animalium formæ,
primum eorum multas omnino non inventurum, deinde quæ sunt
ejusdem generis feras alia longe esse specie ei visum iri. (6) Neque
enim homines tantum ex cœli terræque varietate diversam obtinent
formam, sed idem etiam reliquis accidit animantibus. Nam quum
Libycæ aspides alio sint atque Ægyptiacæ colore, in Æthiopia haud
minus quam homines nigras terra alit. Quocirca neque ad
assentiendum proclivior quisquam esse debet, neque se omnino
incredulum ad ea quæ sint rariora præbere. Volucres ego serpentes
nusquam spectavi; ut reperiri tamen credam eo maxime adducor,
quod homo Phryx scorpium locustis simillimas pinnas habentem in
Ioniam attulit.