Zenobius 4.6

In every tale, the abomination of Daedalus too

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English

Proverb

In every tale, the abomination of Daedalus too

Explanation

Minos, sacrificing to Poseidon, prayed that something might be sent up to him from the sea that very day, and promised in turn to sacrifice whatever it might be. When Poseidon sent up a beautiful bull, Minos sent it to his cattle-herds. Poseidon, in anger, cast upon Pasiphaë, Minos' wife, a passion for the bull. She persuaded Daedalus to fashion a wooden cow and place her inside it, which the bull, mounting as a cow, rendered her with child; and from her was born the Minotaur. Minos, angered against the Athenians for the murder of Androgeos — who was killed out of envy by the Athenian youths after winning the pentathlon at the Panathenaea — exacted as tribute, at his command, seven maidens and as many youths in their prime from Athens, and they were thrown to the beast. So Daedalus, having been the originator of these evils, both because he had built the wooden cow and because he had been the cause of the beast's birth, became an abomination.

Greek

Proverb

Ἐν παντὶ μύθῳ καὶ τὸ Δαιδάλου μύσος

Explanation

Μίνως θυσίας τῷ Ποσειδῶνι ἐπιτελῶν ηὔξατο αὐθημερὸν ἀναδοθῆναί τι αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τοῦτο καταθῦσαι πάλιν ὑπέσχετο, ὃ ἂν καὶ εἴη. Τοῦ δὲ Ποσειδῶνος ταῦρον ἀναδόντος περικαλλῆ ἔπεμψε Μίνως εἰς τὰ βουφόρβια. Ὀργισθεὶς οὖν Ποσειδῶν ἐνέβαλεν ἔρωτα τοῦ ταύρου Πασιφάῃ, τῇ τοῦ Μίνωος γυναικί. Ἡ δὲ πείθει Δαίδαλον, ξυλίνην βοῦν κατασκευάσαντα εἰς αὐτὴν ἐνθεῖναι, ἣν ἐπιβαίνων ὁ ταῦρος ὡς βοῦν, ἔγκυον ἐποίησεν· ἐξ ἧς ἐγεννήθη ὁ Μινώταυρος. Μίνωος δὲ ὀργιζομένου Ἀθηναίοις διὰ τὸν τοῦ Ἀνδρόγεω φόνον, ὃς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Ἀθήνησι νέων διὰ φθόνον ἀνῃρέθη ἐν τοῖς Παναθηναίοις νικήσας πένταθλον, ἑπτὰ παρθένοι καὶ ἶσοι νέοι ἀκμαῖοι ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν ἐδασμολογοῦντο κατ’ ἐγκέλευσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρεβάλλοντο τῷ θηρίῳ. Ὡς οὖν τὸν Δαίδαλον ἀρχηγὸν τούτων τῶν κακῶν γενόμενον, διά τε τὸ κατεσκευακέναι τὴν ξυλίνην βοῦν, καὶ διὰ τὸ αἴτιον τῆς τοῦ θηρίου γενέσεως γεγονέναι, ἐμυσάχθησαν.

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0098.tlg001.1st1K-grc1:4.6