The Life of Epimenides

I. Epimenides, as Theopompus and many other writers tell us, was the son of a man named Phædrus, but some call him the son of Dosiadas; and others of Agesarchus. He was a Cretan by birth, of the city of Gnossus; but because he let his hair grow long, he did not look like a Cretan.

I. Theopompus and many other writers say that Epimenides was the son of a man named Phædrus. But some say his father was Dosiadas, and others say it was Agesarchus. He was born in the Cretan city of Gnossus. But because he wore his hair long, he did not look like a Cretan.

II. He once, when he was sent by his father into the fields to look for a sheep, turned out of the road at mid-day and lay down in a certain cave and fell asleep, and slept there fifty-seven years; and after that, when he awoke, he went on looking for the sheep, thinking that he had been taking a short nap; but as he could not find it he went on to the field and there he found everything changed, and the estate in another person’s possession, and so he came back again to the city in great perplexity, and as he was going into his own house he met some people who asked him who he was, until at last he found his younger brother who had now become an old man, and from him he learnt all the truth.

II. Once, his father sent him into the fields to look for a sheep. At midday, he left the road, lay down in a cave, and fell asleep. He slept there for fifty-seven years. When he awoke, he went on looking for the sheep, thinking he had only taken a short nap. But he could not find it, so he continued to the field. There he found that everything had changed and that someone else owned the estate. Deeply confused, he returned to the city. As he entered his own house, he met people who asked him who he was. At last he found his younger brother, who had become an old man. From him, he learned the whole truth.

III. And when he was recognized he was considered by the Greeks as a person especially beloved by the Gods, on which account when the Athenians were afflicted by a plague, and the priestess at Delphi enjoined them to purify their city, they sent a ship and Nicias the son of Niceratus to Crete, to invite Epimenides to Athens; and he, coming there in the forty-sixth Olympiad, purified the city and eradicated the plague for that time; he took some black sheep and some white ones and led them up to the Areopagus, and from thence he let them wherever they chose, having ordered the attendants to follow them, and wherever any one of them lay down they were to sacrifice him to the God who was the patron of the spot, and so the evil was stayed; and owing to this one may even now find in the different boroughs of the Athenians altars without names, which are a sort of memorial of the propitiation of the Gods that then took place. Some said that the cause of the plague was the pollution contracted by the city in the matter of Cylon, and that Epimenides pointed out to the Athenians how to get rid of it, and that in consequence they put to death two young men, Cratinus and Ctesibius, and that thus the pestilence was put an end to.

III. When Epimenides was recognized, the Greeks considered him especially beloved by the gods. So when a plague struck Athens, the priestess at Delphi ordered the Athenians to purify their city. They sent a ship and Nicias, the son of Niceratus, to Crete to invite Epimenides to Athens. He came during the forty-sixth Olympiad, purified the city, and ended the plague for the time being. Epimenides took some black sheep and some white ones and led them up to the Areopagus. There he let them wander wherever they chose. He ordered his attendants to follow them and sacrifice each sheep wherever it lay down. Each sacrifice was to be made to the god who protected that place. In this way, the plague was stopped. As a result, unnamed altars can still be found in the different boroughs of Athens. They serve as memorials of how the gods were appeased at that time. Some said that the plague was caused by the pollution the city had incurred in the matter of Cylon. They said that Epimenides showed the Athenians how to rid themselves of it. As a result, the Athenians put two young men, Cratinus and Ctesibius, to death, and the plague came to an end.

III. And the Athenians passed a vote to give him a talent and a ship to convey him back to Crete, but he would not accept the money, but made a treaty of friendship and alliance between the Gnossians and Athenians.

III. The Athenians voted to give him a talent and a ship to take him back to Crete. But he refused the money and made a treaty of friendship and alliance between the Gnossians and the Athenians.

IV. And not long after he had returned home he died, as Phlegon relates in his book on long-lived people, after he had lived a hundred and fifty-seven years; but as the Cretans report he had lived two hundred and ninety-nine; but as Xenophones the Colophonian, states that he had heard it reported, he was a hundred and fifty-four years old when he died.

IV. Not long after he returned home, he died. Phlegon says in his book on long-lived people that he lived to be 157. But the Cretans say he lived to be 299. Xenophones the Colophonian says he had heard that he was 154 when he died.

V. He wrote a poem of five thousand verses on the Generation and Theogony of the Curetes and Corybantes, and another poem of six thousand five hundred verses on the building of the Argo and the expedition of Jason to Colchis.

V. He wrote a poem of 5,000 verses about the origins and divine ancestry of the Curetes and Corybantes. He wrote another poem of 6,500 verses about the building of the Argo and Jason’s expedition to Colchis.

VI. He also wrote a treatise in prose on the Sacrifices in Crete, and the Cretan Constitution, and on Minos and Rhadamanthus, occupying four thousand lines.

VI. He also wrote a prose work on sacrifices in Crete, the Cretan constitution, and Minos and Rhadamanthus. The work was four thousand lines long.

VI. Likewise he built at Athens the temple which is there dedicated to the venerable goddesses, as Lobon the Augur says in his book on Poets; and he is said to have been the first person who purified houses and lands, and who built temples.

VI. He also built the temple in Athens dedicated to the venerable goddesses. Lobon the Augur says so in his book on Poets. He is also said to have been the first person to purify houses and lands and to build temples.

VII. There are some people who assert that he did not sleep for the length of time that has been mentioned above, but that he was absent from his country for a considerable period, occupying himself with the anatomisation and examination of roots.

VII. Some people say that he did not sleep for the length of time mentioned above. Instead, they say he was away from his country for a long period, dissecting and examining roots.

VIII. A letter of his is quoted, addressed to Solon the lawgiver, in which he discusses the constitution which Minos gave the Cretans. But Demetrius the Magnesian, in his treatise on Poets and Prose writers of the same name as one another, attempts to prove that the letter is a modern one, and is not written in the Cretan but in the Attic dialect, and the new Attic too.

VIII. A letter of his to Solon the lawgiver is quoted. In it, he discusses the constitution Minos gave the Cretans. But Demetrius the Magnesian tries to prove that the letter is a modern work. He does so in his treatise on poets and prose writers who share the same name. He argues that the letter is written not in the Cretan dialect but in the newer Attic dialect.

IX. But I have also discovered another letter of his which runs thus:—

IX. But I have also found another letter from him, which reads:

Be of good cheer, my friend; for if Pisistratus had imposed his laws on the Athenians, they being habituated to slavery and not accustomed to good laws previously, he would have maintained his dominion for ever, succeeding easily in enslaving his fellow countrymen; but as it is, he is lording it over men who are no cowards, but who remember the precepts of Solon and are indignant at their bonds, and who will not endure the supremacy of a tyrant. But if Pisistratus does possess the city to-day, still I have no expectation that the supreme power will ever descend to his children. For it is impossible that men who have lived in freedom and in the enjoyment of most excellent laws should be slaves permanently; but as for yourself, do not you go wandering about at random, but come and visit me, for here there is no supreme ruler to be formidable to you; but if while you are wandering about any of the friends of Pisistratus should fall in with you, I fear you might suffer some misfortune.

Take heart, my friend. If the Athenians had been used to slavery and unfamiliar with good laws when Pisistratus imposed his laws on them, he would have ruled forever. He would easily have enslaved his fellow citizens. But instead, he rules over men who are no cowards. They remember Solon's teachings and resent their chains. They will not endure a tyrant's rule. Even though Pisistratus controls the city today, I do not expect his children ever to inherit supreme power. Men who have lived in freedom and enjoyed excellent laws cannot remain slaves forever. As for you, do not wander about aimlessly. Come and visit me. There is no supreme ruler here for you to fear. But if any of Pisistratus's friends should encounter you while you are wandering, I fear you might come to harm.

He then wrote thus:—

He then wrote:

X. But Demetrius says that some writers report that he used to receive food from the nymphs and keep it in a bullock’s hoof; and that eating it in small quantities he never required any evacuations, and was never seen eating. And Timæus mentions him in his second book.

X. But Demetrius says that some writers report that he received food from the nymphs and kept it in a bullock’s hoof. He ate the food in small amounts, so he never needed to relieve himself. He was never seen eating. Timæus also mentions him in his second book.

XI. Some authors say also that the Cretans sacrifice to him as a god, for they say that he was the wisest of men: and accordingly, that when he saw the port of Munychia,¹⁸ at Athens, he said that the Athenians did not know how many evils that place would bring upon them: since, if they did, they would tear it to pieces with their teeth; and he said this a long time before the event to which he alluded. It is said also, that he at first called himself Æacus; and that he foretold to the Lacedæmonians the defeat which they should suffer from the Arcadians; and that he pretended that he had lived several times. But Theopompus, in his Strange Stories, says that when he was building the temple of the Nymphs, a voice burst forth from heaven;—“Oh! Epimenides, build this temple, not for the Nymphs but for Jupiter.” He also foretold to the Cretans the defeat of the Lacedæmonians by the Arcadians, as has been said before. And, indeed, they were beaten at Orchomenos.

XI. Some authors also say that the Cretans sacrifice to him as a god, because they consider him the wisest of men. They say that when he saw the port of Munychia,¹⁸ at Athens, he spoke of the evils it would bring upon the Athenians. He said that if they knew how many evils it would bring, they would tear it apart with their teeth. He said this long before the event he was referring to. It is also said that he first called himself Æacus. He foretold that the Lacedæmonians would be defeated by the Arcadians, and he claimed to have lived several times. But Theopompus says in his Strange Stories that a voice came from heaven while Epimenides was building the temple of the Nymphs. It said: “Oh! Epimenides, build this temple not for the Nymphs but for Jupiter.” As mentioned before, he also foretold to the Cretans that the Lacedæmonians would be defeated by the Arcadians. And they were indeed defeated at Orchomenos.

XII. He pretended also, that he grew old rapidly, in the same number of days as he had been years asleep; at least, so Theopompus says. But Mysonianus, in his Coincidences, says, that the Cretans call him one of the Curetes. And the Lacedæmonians preserve his body among them, in obedience to some oracle, as Sosibius the Lacedæmonian says.

XII. He also claimed that he aged rapidly, in as many days as he had spent years asleep. At least, that is what Theopompus says. But Mysonianus says in his Coincidences that the Cretans call him one of the Curetes. Sosibius the Lacedæmonian says that the Lacedæmonians keep his body among them in obedience to an oracle.

XIII. There were also two other Epimenides, one the genealogist; the other, the man who wrote a history of Rhodes in the Doric dialect.

XIII. There were also two other men named Epimenides. One was a genealogist. The other wrote a history of Rhodes in the Doric dialect.