Briton Rivière, Circe and the Swine, 1896 · Wikimedia Commons reproduction (collection not stated) · public domain
4.45.3
The Library of History, Book IV 4.45.3 · Hecate's daughters4.45.3Hecate's daughters
Book 4, chapter 45, section 3. Diodorus has just told how Hecate discovered aconite and poisoned her own father.
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μετὰ1
metà
after
δὲ2
dè
and
ταῦτα3
taûta
this
συνοικήσασαν4
synoikḗsasan
having marriedhaving lived with
Αἰήτῃ5
Aiḗtēi
Aeetes
γεννῆσαι6
gennêsai
she boreto bear
δύο7
dýo
two
θυγατέρας8
thygatéras
daughters
, Κίρκην9
Kírkēn
Circe
τε10
te
and
καὶ11
kaì
and
Μήδειαν12
Mḗdeian
Medea
, ἔτι13
éti
as wellstill
δʼ14
d’
and
υἱὸν15
hyiòn
a son
Αἰγιαλέα16
Aigialéa
Aegialeus
. καὶ17
kaì
and
τὴν18
tḕn
the
μὲν19
mèn
indeed
Κίρκην20
Kírkēn
Circe
εἰς22
eis
to
φαρμάκων24
pharmákōn
of drugs
παντοδαπῶν25
pantodapôn
of every kind
ἐπίνοιαν23
epínoian
the inventiondevising
ἐκτραπεῖσαν21
ektrapeîsan
turninghaving turned aside
ἐξευρεῖν26
exeureîn
discoveredto find out
ῥιζῶν27
rhizôn
of roots
παντοίας28
pantoías
all kindsof every sort
φύσεις29
phýseis
the natureskinds
καὶ30
kaì
and
δυνάμεις31
dynámeis
powers
ἀπιστουμένας32
apistouménas
past beliefdisbelieved
·; οὐκ33
ouk
not
ὀλίγα34
olíga
a fewlittle
μὲν35
mèn
indeed
γὰρ36
gàr
for
ὑπὸ38
hypò
by
τῆς39
tês
her
μητρὸς40
mētròs
mother
Ἑκάτης41
Hekátēs
Hecate
διδαχθῆναι37
didachthênai
she was taughtto be taught
, πολὺ42
polỳ
farmuch
δὲ43
dè
but
πλείω44
pleíō
more
διὰ46
dià
through
τῆς47
tês
her
ἰδίας48
idías
own
ἐπιμελείας49
epimeleías
studydiligence
ἐξευροῦσαν45
exeuroûsan
she discoveredhaving discovered
μηδεμίαν50
mēdemían
no
ὑπερβολὴν52
hyperbolḕn
room to surpass herexcess
ἀπολιπεῖν51
apolipeîn
she leftto leave
ἑτέρᾳ53
hetérai
for any other womanfor another
πρὸς54
pròs
in
ἐπίνοιαν55
epínoian
the inventiondevising
φαρμακείας56
pharmakeías
of drug-craftuse of drugs
. After this, having married Aeetes, she bore two daughters, Circe and Medea, and a son as well, Aegialeus. And Circe, turning to the invention of drugs of every kind, discovered the natures of all kinds of roots and powers past belief; for not a few she was taught by her mother Hecate, but far more she discovered through her own study, and she left no room for any other woman to surpass her in the invention of drug-craft.
After this, having married Aeetes, she bore two daughters, Circe and Medea, and a son as well, Aegialeus. And Circe, turning to the invention of drugs of every kind, discovered the natures of all kinds of roots and powers past belief; for not a few she was taught by her mother Hecate, but far more she discovered through her own study, and she left no room for any other woman to surpass her in the invention of drug-craft.
Interpretation
After this Hecate married Aeetes and bore two daughters, Circe and Medea, and a son as well, Aegialeus. Circe turned to the invention of drugs of every kind and discovered the natures of all kinds of roots and powers past belief. She was taught not a few by her mother Hecate, but discovered far more through her own study, and she left no room for any other woman to surpass her in the invention of drug-craft.
Diodorus tells the myth as history, so Hecate here is a woman, the daughter of a Crimean king, who discovered aconite and poisoned her own father to take his throne (4.45.2). Her daughters inherit the craft. In Hesiod, Circe is Aeetes' sister and Medea's aunt (Theogony 956–957); Diodorus makes them sisters.
4.46.1
The Library of History, Book IV 4.46.1 · Medea takes the other road4.46.1Medea takes the other road
Book 4, chapter 46, section 1, to the words "the safety of the unfortunate."
· · ·
Medea, they say, learned from her mother and her sister all the powers of drugs, but put them to the very opposite purpose; for she kept rescuing the strangers who landed there from their dangers, sometimes begging her father with pleading and charm for the lives of those about to die, and sometimes setting them free from prison herself and seeing to the safety of the unfortunate.