Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae, ed. William W. Goodwin, 59

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[59]

Question 59.

Whence was the race of Hamaxocylists in Megara?

Solution.

In that licentious democracy under which the demanding back of interest money paid to usurers¹ was introduced and sacrilege was permitted, the Peloponnesians went on a pilgrimage to Delphi through the borders of Megara, and lodged in Aegira by the lake-side with their wives and children, in their caravans, as they best could. There a resolute drunken company of the Megarians in a riotous and cruel manner overturned their wagons, and overwhelmed them in the lake; so that many of the pilgrims were drowned. The Megarians indeed, by reason of the disorder of the government, neglected the punishment of this wickedness; but the Amphictyons, taking into consideration the sanctity of this pilgrimage, punished the actors of this villany, some with banishment, some with death. Hence the posterity of these villains were called Ἁμαξοκυλισταί, i.e. overturners of wagons.

Quaestiones Graecae. Plutarch. ed. William W. Goodwin. Boston. 1874.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Greek Questions (English) (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.)

Editions (2)

Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 59 focus

[59] πόθεν ἐν Μεγάροις γένος ἁμαξοκυλιστῶν;

ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκολάστου δημοκρατίας, ἣ καὶ τὴν παλιντοκίαν ἐποίησε καὶ τὴν ἱεροσυλίαν, ἐπορεύετο θεωρία Πελοποννησίων εἰς Δελφοὺς διὰ τῆς Μεγαρικῆς 304f καὶ κατηυλίσθησαν¹ ἐν Αἰγείροις παρὰ τὴν λίμνην μετὰ παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐν ταῖς ἁμάξαις. τῶν δὲ Μεγαρέων οἱ θρασύτατοι μεθυσθέντες, ὕβρει καὶ ὠμότητι τὰς ἁμάξας ἀνακυλίσαντες εἰς τὴν λίμνην ἐνεώσαντο, ὥστε πολλοὺς ἀποπνιγῆναι τῶν θεωρῶν. οἱ μὲν οὖν Μεγαρεῖς διʼ ἀταξίαν τῆς πολιτείας ἠμέλησαν τοῦ ἀδικήματος, οἱ δὲ Ἀμφικτύονες, ἱερᾶς τῆς θεωρίας οὔσης, ἐπιστραφέντες τοὺς μὲν φυγῇ τοὺς δὲ θανάτῳ τῶν ἐναγῶν ἐζημίωσαν. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους ἁμαξοκυλισταί προσηγορεύθησαν.

Κεφαλαίων καταγραφή Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 59 focus

[59] πόθεν ἐν Μεγάροις γένος ἁμαξοκυλιστῶν; ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκολάστου δημοκρατίας, ἣ καὶ τὴν παλιντοκίαν ἐποίησε καὶ τὴν ἱεροσυλίαν, ἐπορεύετο θεωρία Πελοποννησίων εἰς Δελφοὺς διὰ τῆς Μεγαρικῆς καὶ 304f κατηυλίσθησαν ¹ ἐν Αἰγείροις παρὰ τὴν λίμνην μετὰ παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐν ταῖς ἁμάξαις. τῶν δὲ Μεγαρέων οἱ θρασύτατοι μεθυσθέντες, ὕβρει καὶ ὠμότητι τὰς ἁμάξας ἀνακυλίσαντες εἰς τὴν λίμνην ἐνεώσαντο ὥστε πολλοὺς ἀποπνιγῆναι τῶν θεωρῶν. οἱ μὲν οὖν Μεγαρεῖς διʼ ἀταξίαν τῆς πολιτείας ἠμέλησαν τοῦ ἀδικήματος, οἱ δʼ Ἀμφικτύονες, ἱερᾶς τῆς θεωρίας οὔσης, ἐπιστραφέντες τοὺς μὲν 10 φυγῇ τοὺς δὲ θανάτῳ τῶν ἐναγῶν ἐζημίωσαν. οἱ δʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους ἁμαξοκυλισταί προσηγορεύθησαν.

Translations (1)

The Greek Questions Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 59 focus

[59] Whence came the clan of Wagon-rollers among the Megarians?

In the time of the unbridled democracy which brought about both the return-interest¹ and the temple sacrilege, a sacred mission of Peloponnesians passed through the Megarid, on its way to Delphi and had encamped, as chance dictated, in their wagons, with their wives and children, in Aegeiri beside the lake. But the boldest spirits among the Megarians, inflamed with wine, in their insolence and savagery rolled back the wagons and pushed them into the lake, so that many members of the mission were drowned. Now because of the unsettled state of their government the Megarians took no notice of the crime; but the Amphictyonic Assembly, since the mission was sacred, took cognizance of the matter and punished some of the guilty men with banishment and others with death. The descendants of these men were called Wagon-rollers.

Notes on the current edition

Greek Questions

1. Called παλιντοκία.n See above, Question 18. (G.)

Plutarch Quaestiones Graecae 59

ed. William W. Goodwin

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Question 59.

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