Crocodiles full translation

τοῖς μὲν δὴ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἱεροί εἰσιν οἱ κροκόδειλοι, τοῖς δ' οὒ, ἀλλ' ἅτε πολεμίους περιέπουσι. οἱ δὲ περί τε Θήβας καὶ τὴν Μοίρεως λίμνην οἰκουντες καὶ κάρτα ἡγοῦνται αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἱερούς.

To some of the Egyptians crocodiles are sacred, and to others, they are not but they treat them as enemies. Those who live around Thebes and Lake Moeris actually consider them to be very holy.

ἕνα δὲ ἑκάτεροι τρέφουσι κροκόδειλον, δεδιδαγμένον εἶναι χειροήθη· ἀρτήματα δὲ εἰς τὰ ὦτα ἐνθέντες καὶ ἀμφιδέας περὶ τοὺς προσθίους πόδας,

Each [community] raises one crocodile taught to be tame; inserting ornaments into their ears and bracelets around their front feet,

καὶ ἱερεῖα, περιέπουσιν ὡς κάλλιστα ζῶντας· ἀποθανόντας δὲ ταριχεύοντες θάπτουσιν ἐν ἱεραῖς θήκαις.

and giving them specially prepared food and animals for sacrifice, they treat them as the noblest of living things; and when they die embalming them they bury them in holy tombs.

οἱ δὲ περὶ Ἐλεφαντίνην πόλιν οἰκοῦντες καὶ ἐσθίουσιν αὐτοὺς, οὐχ ἡγούμενοι ἱεροὺς εἶναι.

But those who live around the city Elephantine, actually eat them since they do not consider them to be holy.

ἄγραι δἐ αὐτῶν πολλαὶ καθεστήκασι καὶ παντοῖαι· ἣ δ' ἐμοί γε δοκεῖ ἀξιωτάτη ἀφηγήσεως εἶναι ταύτην γράφω·

Many and various methods of catching them have been established and the one which seems to me most worthy of narration; this one I write [here].

ἐπειδὰν νῶτον ὑὸς δελεάσῃ τις περὶ ἄγκιστρον, μεθίησι εἰς μέσον τὸν ποταμόν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἔχων δέλφακα ζωὴν, ταύτην τύπτει.

Whenever someone puts the back of a hog [as bait] on a hook, he casts it into the middle of the river. And he himself on the banks of the river, having a living sow strikes her.

ἐπακούσας δὲ τῆς φωνῆς ὁ κροκόδειλος ἵεται κατὰ τὴν φωνήν· ἐντυχὼν δὲ τῷ νώτῳ καταπίνει, οἱ δὲ ἕλκουσι.

The crocodile, having heard the noise heads towards the sound, and coming upon the pig-back, swallows it down and they drag [it in].

ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐξελκυσθῇ εἰς γῆν, πρῶτον ἁπάντων ὁ θηρευτὴς πηλῷ κατέπλασεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς·

Then, when it has been dragged out onto land first of all the hunter smears its eyes with mud;

τούτο δὲ ποιήσας κάρτα εὐπετῶς τὰ λοιπὰ χειροῦται· μὴ ποιήσας δὲ σὺν πόνῳ.

having done this, he masters the rest very easily; if he did not do this [he would master it] with difficulty.