Read the _Collection of Chronicles and List of Olympian Victors_
by Phlegon[536] of Tralles, a freedman of the emperor Hadrian. The
work is dedicated to a certain Alcibiades, one of the emperor’s
bodyguards. It begins with the 1st Olympiad,[537] because, as
nearly all other writers affirm, there are no careful or accurate
accounts of preceding periods, but different writers make different
statements, and even those who have been eager to obtain the credit
of writing about them contradict themselves. For this reason, as we
have said, the author begins with the 1st Olympiad, and goes down, as
he himself says, to the times of Hadrian.
I have read as far as the 177th Olympiad,[538] in which Hecatomnus
of Miletus was victor in the _stadium_[539] and _diaulos_, and in
the race of men in armour three times; Hypsicles the Sicyonian
and Gaius of Rome in the long race; Aristonymidas of Cos in the
_pentathlum_;[540] Isidore of Alexandria in wrestling; Aptotus
in the _periodos_;[541] Atyanas the son of Hippocrates, a native
of Adramyttium, in boxing; Sphodrias the Sicyonian in the
_pancratium_.[542] Among the youths Sosigenes of Asia in the race;
Apollonius of Cyparissus in the wrestling-match; Sotericus of Elis
in the boxing-match; Calas of Elis in the _pancratium_; Hecatomnus
of Miletus in the armoured race (he was crowned three times in the
same day, in the _stadium_, the _diaulos_, and the armoured race);
Aristolochus of Elis in the four-horsed chariot race; Hagemon of Elis
with his race-horse; Hellanicus of Elis with his pair of horses, and
his four-horsed chariot; Cletias of Elis with his pair; and Callippus
of Pelion with his race-horse.
At that time Lucullus[543] was besieging Amisus,[544] but having
left Murena[545] with two legions to carry on the siege, he himself
set out with three others against the territory of the Cabiri, where
he went into winter quarters. He also ordered Hadrian to make war
against Mithradates, who was defeated. An earthquake in Rome did
much damage, and many other events happened during this Olympiad. In
its third year the population according to the census was 910,000.
Sinatruces, king of the Parthians, was succeeded by Phraates[546]
Theos, and Phaedrus the Epicurean[547] by Patron. Virgilius Maro
was born on the 15th of October in this year. In the fourth year of
this Olympiad Tigranes and Mithradates, having collected an army of
40,000 foot and 30,000 horse, who were drawn up in the Roman order
of battle, engaged Lucullus and were defeated; Tigranes lost 5000
killed, a large number of prisoners, besides a promiscuous rabble.
Catulus[548] dedicated the Capitol at Rome. Metellus[549] set out
against Crete with three legions and occupied the island; having
defeated Laosthenes and shut up the inhabitants within their walls,
he was rewarded with the title of imperator. The pirate Athenodorus
enslaved the people of Delos and insulted the images of the so-called
gods; but Gaius Triarius having repaired the damaged parts of the
city, fortified the island.
We have read five books as far as this Olympiad. The author’s
style, though not too mean and ordinary, does not always preserve
the Attic character. But his ill-timed, if laborious, diligence in
reckoning the Olympiads, his lists of names of the victors and their
achievements, and his accounts of the oracles, not only disgust the
reader, since they do not allow a glimpse of anything else to appear,
but also make the language disagreeable and rob it of all charm. He
also attaches undue importance to oracles of all kinds.