Zenobius 5.75
Many pebble-tossers, but few prophets
English
Proverb
Many pebble-tossers, but few prophets
Explanation
Philochorus says that three Nymphs, nurses of Apollo, possessed Parnassus, called the Thriae; from them the divining-pebbles are called thriai, and divining is called thriasthai. Others say Athena invented divination by pebbles; her method becoming more reputed than the Delphic oracles, Zeus, doing Apollo a favour, made divination by pebbles untrustworthy. Then, men coming back to Delphic oracles, the Pythia said: "Many pebble-tossers, but few prophets."
Greek
Proverb
Πολλοὶ θριοβόλοι, παῦροι δέ τε μάντιες ἄνδρες
Explanation
Φιλόχορός φησιν ὅτι Νύμφαι κατεῖχον τὸν Παρνασὸν τροφοὶ Ἀπόλλωνος τρεῖς, καλούμεναι Θριαί, ἀφ’ ὧν αἵ τε μαντικαὶ ψῆφοι θριαὶ καλοῦνται καὶ τὸ μαντεύεσθαι θριᾶσθαι. Ἄλλοι δὲ λέγουσι τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν εὑρεῖν τὴν διὰ τῶν ψήφων μαντικήν· ἧς εὐδοκιμούσης μᾶλλον τῶν Δελφικῶν χρησμῶν, τὸν Δία χαριζόμενον τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι ψευδῇ καταστῆσαι τὴν διὰ τῶν ψήφων μαντικήν. Πάλιν οὖν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τοὺς Δελφικοὺς ἐρχομένων χρησμοὺς τὴν Πυθίαν εἰπεῖν· Πολλοὶ θριοβόλοι, παῦροι δέ τε μάντιες ἄνδρες.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0098.tlg001.1st1K-grc1:5.75