41:41
Τὸ δὲ συνέχον σπευτέον μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας σαφηνίζειν, ὡς οὐχ Ὁμήρου μόνον πρεσβύτερός ἐστιν ὁ Μωυσῆς, ἔτι δὲ τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ συγγραφέων, Λίνου, Φιλάμμωνος, Θαμύριδος, Ἀμφίωνος, Μουσαίου, Ὀρφέως, Δημοδόκου, Φημίου, Σιβύλλης, Ἐπιμενίδου τοῦ Κρητός, ὅστις εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην ἀφίκετο, Ἀρισταίου τοῦ Προκοννησίου, τοῦ τὰ Ἀριμάσπια συγγράψαντος, Ἀσβόλου τε τοῦ Κενταύρου καὶ Ἰσάτιδος, Δρύμωνός τε καὶ Εὔκλου τοῦ Κυπρίου καὶ Ὥρου τοῦ Σαμίου καὶ Προναπίδου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου. Λίνος μὲν γὰρ Ἡρακλέους ἐστὶ διδάσκαλος, ὁ δὲ Ἡρακλῆς μιᾷ τῶν Τρωϊκῶν προγενέστερος πέφηνε γενεᾷ· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι φανερὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ Τληπολέμου, στρατεύσαντος ἐπὶ Ἴλιον. Ὀρφεὺς δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον Ἡρακλεῖ γέγονεν, ἄλλως τε καὶ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπιφερόμενά φασιν ὑπὸ Ὀνομακρίτου τοῦ Ἀθηναίου συντετάχθαι, γενομένου κατὰ τὴν Πεισιστρατιδῶν ἀρχὴν περὶ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν ὀλυμπιάδα.Τοῦ δὲ Ὀρφέως μαθητὴς Μουσαῖος. Ἀμφίων δὲ δυσὶ προάγων γενεαῖς τῶν Ἰλιακῶν τοῦ πλείονα πρὸς τοὺς φιλομαθεῖς συντάττειν ἀπείργει ἡμᾶς. Δημόδοκος δὲ καὶ Φήμιος κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τῶν Τρωϊκῶν πόλεμον γεγόνασι· διέτριβον γὰρ ὁ μὲν παρὰ τοῖς μνηστῆρσιν, ὁ δὲ παρὰ τοῖς Φαίαξιν.Ὁ Θάμυρις δὲ καὶ ὁ Φιλάμμων οὐ πολὺ τούτων εἰσὶν ἀρχαιότεροι. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς καθ ἕκαστον λόγον πραγματείας, χρόνων τε καὶ ἀναγραφῆς αὐτῶν, ὡς οἶμαι, σφόδρα μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας ὑμῖν ἀνεγράψαμεν. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ τὸ μέχρι νῦν ἐνδέον ἀποπληρώσωμεν, ἔτι καὶ περὶ τῶν νομιζομένων σοφῶν ποιήσομαι τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. Μίνως γάρ, ὁ πάσης προὔχειν νομισθεὶς σοφίας ἀγχινοίας τε καὶ νομοθεσίας, ἐπὶ Λυγκέως τοῦ μετὰ Δαναὸν βασιλεύσαντος γέγονεν, ἑνδεκάτῃ γενεᾷ μετὰ Ἴναχον. Λυκοῦργος δέ, πολὺ γεννηθεὶς μετὰ τὴν Ἰλίου ἅλωσιν, πρὸ τῶν ὀλυμπιάδων ἔτεσιν ἑκατὸν νομοθετεῖ Λακεδαιμονίοις. Δράκων δὲ περὶ ὀλυμπιάδα τριακοστὴν καὶ ἐννάτην εὑρίσκεται γεγονώς· Σόλων περὶ μς΄· Πυθαγόρας περὶ ξβ΄.Τὰς δὲ ὀλυμπιάδας ὕστερον τῶν Ἰλιακῶν ἔτεσι ἀπεδείξαμεν γεγονυίας τετρακοσίοις ἑπτά. Καὶ δὴ τούτων οὕτως ἀποδεδειγμένων, διὰ βραχέων ἔτι καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἑπτὰ σοφῶν ἡλικίας ἀναγράψομεν. Τοῦ γὰρ πρεσβυτάτου τῶν προειρημένων Θάλητος γενομένου περὶ τὴν πεντηκοστὴν ὀλυμπεάδα, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῶν μετ αὐτὸν σχεδὸν ὑμῖν συντόμως εἴρηται
但這要點必須極精確地說明：摩西不僅比荷馬更古老，也比在他之前的著作家更古老——就是利諾斯、菲拉蒙、塔米里斯、安菲翁、穆賽俄斯、俄耳甫斯、得摩多科斯、菲彌俄斯、西比拉、革哩底人厄庇墨尼得斯（他曾到斯巴達）、普羅孔涅索斯的阿里斯泰阿斯（他寫了《阿里瑪斯庇亞》）、半人馬阿斯波羅斯、伊薩提斯、德律蒙、居比路人歐克洛斯、薩摩斯人荷羅斯，以及雅典人普羅納庇得斯。原來利諾斯是赫拉克勒斯的老師，而赫拉克勒斯已被證為比特洛伊戰事早一代；這從他兒子特勒波勒摩斯（曾出兵攻打伊利昂）可以看出。俄耳甫斯與赫拉克勒斯同時；再者，據說歸在他名下的作品，是雅典人俄諾瑪克里托斯所作，此人活在庇西特拉圖一族當權時期，約在第五十屆奧林匹克。俄耳甫斯的門徒是穆賽俄斯。安菲翁既比特洛伊戰事早兩代，便攔阻我們不再為好學之人多寫。得摩多科斯與菲彌俄斯活在特洛伊戰爭當時；因為一個在求婚者中度日，一個在淮阿喀亞人中。塔米里斯與菲拉蒙也不比這些人古老多少。論到各篇言論的處理，以及這些人的年代與紀錄，我想我們已為你們寫得極其精確了。但為要補足至今尚缺之處，我也要就那些所謂的智者作出證明。原來那被認為在智慧、機敏與立法上勝過眾人的米諾斯，活在達那俄斯之後作王的林叩斯時代，即伊那科斯之後第十一代。呂庫古生在伊利昂陷落之後甚久，在奧林匹克紀年前一百年為斯巴達人立法。德拉孔被發現活在約第三十九屆奧林匹克；梭倫約在第四十六屆；畢達哥拉斯約在第六十二屆。我們已證明奧林匹克紀年是在特洛伊戰事後四百零七年才開始的。這些既如此得了證明，我也要就七賢的年代略作記述。原來前述那些人中最古老的泰勒斯，活在約第五十屆奧林匹克，那麼關乎他之後諸人的事，已向你們簡要說明了。
But the main point must be made plain with all accuracy: that Moses is older not only than Homer, but also than the writers before him—Linus, Philammon, Thamyris, Amphion, Musaeus, Orpheus, Demodocus, Phemius, the Sibyl, Epimenides the Cretan (who came to Sparta), Aristeas of Proconnesus (who wrote the Arimaspia), Asbolus the Centaur, and Isatis, and Drymon, and Euclus the Cyprian, and Horus the Samian, and Pronapides the Athenian. For Linus is the teacher of Heracles, and Heracles has been shown to be one generation earlier than the Trojan events; and this is evident from his son Tlepolemus, who campaigned against Ilium. And Orpheus lived at the same time as Heracles; and moreover they say that the works attributed to him were composed by Onomacritus the Athenian, who lived in the time of the rule of the Pisistratids, around the fiftieth Olympiad. And of Orpheus, Musaeus was a disciple. Amphion, being two generations earlier than the Trojan events, restrains us from composing more for the lovers of learning. And Demodocus and Phemius lived at the time of the very Trojan war; for the one passed his time among the suitors, the other among the Phaeacians. And Thamyris and Philammon are not much more ancient than these. Now concerning the treatment of each discourse, and the times and the record of these men, I think we have written for you exceedingly accurately. But that we may fill up what is still lacking up to now, I will make the demonstration also concerning the so-called wise men. For Minos, who was thought to excel all in wisdom and shrewdness and legislation, lived in the time of Lynceus, who reigned after Danaus, in the eleventh generation after Inachus. And Lycurgus, born long after the capture of Ilium, legislated for the Lacedaemonians a hundred years before the Olympiads. And Draco is found to have lived around the thirty-ninth Olympiad; Solon around the forty-sixth; Pythagoras around the sixty-second. And we have demonstrated that the Olympiads came about four hundred and seven years after the Trojan events. And these things being thus demonstrated, I will also briefly record concerning the age of the seven wise men. For since the most ancient of the aforesaid, Thales, lived around the fiftieth Olympiad, the matters concerning those after him have been stated to you concisely.