Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae, Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator), 41

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[41] From what cause was a river in Boeotia in the vicinity of Eleon called Scamander?

Deïmachus, the son of Eleon and a companion of Heracles, took part in the expedition against Troy. But since, as it appears, the war was dragging on, he welcomed to his quarters Glaucia, the daughter of Scamander, who had fallen in love with him, and got her with child; then he himself fell in fighting against the Trojans. But Glaucia, fearing detection, fled for refuge, and told Heracles of her love and of her association with Deïmachus. And he, both through pity for the woman, and for j oy that the stock of a brave man who was his close friend should thus survive, took Glaucia oil board his fleet; and when she gave birth to a son, he brought both the child and the mother, and delivered them to Eleon in Boeotia. The child was named Scamander, and he became the king of the country; and he named the Inachus river Scamander after himself, and the stream near by he called Glaucia from his mother. The spring Acidusa he named after his wife; and from her he had three daughters whom even to this day they honour under the name of the Maidens.

Quaestiones Graecae. Plutarch. Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1936.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Greek Questions (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).)

Editions (2)

Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 41 focus

[41] πόθεν ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ περὶ τὸν Ἐλέωνα ποταμὸς Σκάμανδρος ὠνομάσθη;

Δηίμαχος ὁ Ἐλέωνος υἱός, ἑταῖρος ὢν Ἡρακλέους, μετέσχε τῆς ἐπὶ Τροίαν στρατείας· τοῦ δὲ πολέμου μῆκος ὡς ἔοικε λαμβάνοντος, ἐρασθεῖσαν αὐτοῦ Γλαυκίαν τὴν Σκαμάνδρου θυγατέρα προσδεξάμενος ἔγκυον ἐποίησεν, εἶτʼ αὐτὸς μὲν ἔπεσε 301b μαχόμενος τοῖς Τρωσὶν ἡ δὲ Γλαυκία φοβουμένη κατάφωρος γενέσθαι κατέφυγε καὶ τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ¹ κατεῖπεν αὑτῆς τὸν ἔρωτα καὶ τὴν γενομένην πρὸς τὸν Δηίμαχον ὁμιλίαν. ὁ δʼ ἅμα μὲν οἴκτῳ τῆς γυναικὸς ἅμα δὲ χαίρων τῷ ὑπολείπεσθαι γένος ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ συνήθους, ἀνέλαβε τὴν Γλαυκίαν εἰς τὰς ναῦς, καὶ τεκοῦσαν υἱὸν ἀγαγὼν ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ ἀπέδωκε τῷ Ἐλέωνι καὶ τὸ παιδίον καὶ αὐτήν. ὠνομάσθη δʼ ὁ παῖς Σκάμανδρος καὶ τῆς χώρας ἐβασίλευσε. καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἴναχον ποταμὸν ἀφʼ αὐτοῦ² Σκάμανδρον, τὸ δὲ πλησίον ῥεῦμα Γλαυκίαν ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ὠνόμασεν· Ἀκίδουσαν δὲ τὴν κρήνην ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γυναικός, ἐξ 301c ἦς ἔσχε τρεῖς θυγατέρας, ἃς τιμῶσιν ἄχρι νῦν παρθένους προσαγορεύοντες.

Κεφαλαίων καταγραφή Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 41 focus

[41] πόθεν ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ περὶ τὸν Ἐλεῶνα 5 ποταμὸς Σκάμανδρος ὠνομάσθη; Δηίμαχος ὁ Ἐλεῶνος υἱός, ἑταῖρος ὢν Ἡρακλέους, μετέσχε τῆς ἐπὶ Τροίαν στρατείας· τοῦ δὲ πολέμου μῆκος ὡς ἔοικε λαμβάνοντος, ἐρασθεῖσαν αὐτοῦ Γλαυκίαν τὴν Σκαμάνδρου θυγατέρα προσδεξάμενος ἔγκυον ἐποίησεν, 10 301b εἶτʼ αὐτὸς μὲν ἔπεσε μαχόμενος τοῖς Τρωσίν· ἡ δὲ Γλαυκία φοβουμένη κατάφωρος γενέσθαι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ ¹ κατέφυγε, καὶ κατεῖπεν αὑτῆς τὸν ἔρωτα καὶ τὴν γενομένην πρὸς τὸν Δηίμαχον ὁμιλίαν. ὁ δʼ ἅμα μὲν οἴκτῳ τῆς γυναικὸς ἅμα δὲ χαίρων τῷ ὑπολείπεσθαι 15 γένος ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ συνήθους, ἀνέλαβε τὴν Γλαυκίαν εἰς τὰς ναῦς, καὶ τεκοῦσαν υἱὸν ἀγαγὼν ἐν τῇ Βοιωτίᾳ ἀπέδωκε τῷ Ἐλεῶνι καὶ τὸ παιδίον καὶ αὐτήν. ὠνομάσθη δʼ ὁ παῖς Σκάμανδρος καὶ τῆς χώρας ἐβασίλευσε. καὶ τὸν μὲν Ἴναχον 20 ποταμὸν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ Σκάμανδρον, τὸ δὲ πλησίον ῥεῦμα Γλαυκίαν ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ὠνόμασεν· Ἀκίδουσαν 301c δὲ τὴν κρήνην ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γυναικός, ἐξ ἦς ἔσχε τρεῖς θυγατέρας, ἃς τιμῶσιν ἄχρι νῦν παρθένους προσαγορεύοντες 25

Translations (1)

Greek Questions Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. II. Goodwin, William W., editor; Chauncy, Isaac translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.) — 41 focus

[41]

Question 41.

Whence is it that in Boeotia there is a river at Eleon called Scamander?

Solution.

Deimachus, the son of Elcon and intimate friend of Hercules, bore his part in the siege of Troy. But the war proving long (as it seems), he took to him Glaucia the daughter of Scamander who had fallen in love with him, and got her with child: soon after, fighting against the Trojans, he was slain. Glaucia, fearing that she might be apprehended, fled to Hercules, and acquainted him with her late affection towards Deimachus, and the familiarity she had with him. Hercules, both out of commiseration to the woman, as also for joy that there was an offspring left of so good a man and his intimate acquaintance, took Glaucia on shipboard; and when she was delivered of a son, brought her into Boeotia, and committed her and her child to the care of Eleon. The son was named Scamander, and came to reign over that country. He called the river Inachus by his own name Scamander, and the next rivulet he named from his mother Glaucia; but the fountain he called Acidusa by his own wife’s name, by whom he had three daughters, which they have a veneration for to this day, styling them virgins.

Plutarch Quaestiones Graecae 41

Frank Cole Babbitt (Translator)

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Question 41.

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