Greek Texts & Translations

Both the oracle and the mountain belonged to the Thebans.

Acrsephium ^note itself is situated upon a height. This, it is said, is the place called Arne by the poet, having the same name as the Thessalian Arnē. 35

Some say that Arnē and Mideia were swallowed up by the lake. Zenodotus, however, when he writes the verse thus, they who occupied Ascra abounding with vines, ^note
Il. ii. 507. does not seem to have read Hesiod's description of his native country, and what has been said by Eudoxus, who relates things much more to the disparagement of Ascra. For how could any one believe that such a place could have been described by the poet as abounding with vines?
Neither are those persons in the right, who substitute in this passage Tarnē for Arnē, for there is not a place of the name of Tarne to be found in Boeotia, although there is in Lydia. Homer mentions it, Idomeneus then slew Phaestus, the son of Borus, the artificer, who came from the fruitful soil of Tarn. ^note Besides Alalcomenae and Tilphossium, which are near the lake, Chaeroneia, Lebadia, and Leuctra, are worthy of notice. 36

The poet mentions Alalcomenae, ^note but not in the Cata logue;. the Argive Juno and Minerva of Alalcomenae. ^note
Il. iv. 8. It has an ancient temple of Minerva, which is held in great veneration. It is said that this was the place of her birth, as Argos was that of Juno, and that Homer gave to both these goddesses designations derived from their native places. Perhaps for this reason he has not mentioned, in the Catalogue, the inhabitants; for having a sacred character, they were exempted from military service. Indeed the city has never suffered devastation by an enemy, although it is inconsiderable in size, and its position is weak, for it is situated in a plain.