On Unbelievable Stories (15-19)

They say that Europa, the daughter of Phoinix, travelled across the sea from Tyre to Crete, riding a bull. But I don’t think that a bull – or even a horse – could swim across such an expanse of open water. And nor would a girl climb up onto the back of a wild bull: if Zeus had wanted Europa to go to Crete, he would have found a better way to get her there.

The truth is as follows. A man from Knossos called Tauros [‘Bull’] was waging war around Tyre. He ended up carrying off many girls – and among them was the king’s daughter, Europa. And so people would say, Tauros has taken Europa, the daughter of the king, and gone off with her! And from these events, the myth was fabricated.

They say that the best of Achaians sacked Troy in a hollow wooden horse. But this account is excessively mythic!

This is the truth. They built a wooden horse according to the dimensions of the city-gates so that it could not be pulled into the city since it was too tall. The Greek commanders then set up camp in a hollow near the city, which is called ‘the Argive ambush’ even now. Sinon deserted from the Argives and revealed a prophecy to the Trojans: if they did not bring the horse into the city, the Achaians would return; but if they did, the Achaians would leave. The Trojans listened to him, demolished their walls, and brought the horse inside. As they were feasting in celebration, the Greeks set upon them, coming through the wall which had been demolished. And this is how Troy was captured.

It is said that Aiolos was a man who ruled over the winds and that he gave them to Odysseus in a bag. I think it is clear to everyone that such a thing could not happen.

It is likely that Aiolos was an astronomer and that he explained to Odysseus about the seasons and under which constellations which winds blew. They also say that his city was encircled by a wall of bronze, which is false: he had hoplites guarding his city.

It is said that there existed certain women called the Hesperides who possessed a tree with golden apples on it guarded by a serpent, and that Heracles mounted an expedition to get these apples.

But the truth is as follows. Hesperos was a Milesian man who dwelt in Caria and had two daughters, who were called Hesperides [‘daughters of Hesperos’]. He had excellent, profitable sheep, of the breed which one still finds in Miletos. For this reason, they were named ‘golden’, for gold is a most fine thing and these sheep were likewise most fine. People referred to them as mela - an old-fashioned word for sheep that also happened to mean ‘apples’. Heracles saw them grazing by the sea, herded them onto his ship, and took them home. He also killed their shepherd, who was called Draco [‘Serpent’]. Hesperos was no longer alive, but his daughters were still living. Accordingly, people would say, We saw the golden mela which Heracles took from the Hesperides, after he killed their guardian, Draco. From this, the myth arose.

They say about Cottos and Briareos that they each had one hundred hands, even though they were men. How is this not naive?

The truth is as follows. The name of the city in which they lived was Hundred-hands; this was in Chaonia and is now called Orestias. I base my claim on the fact that they fought alongside the Olympians in the battle against the Titans and these lands border on Olympos. And so people would say, Cottos and Briareos, the Hundred-handers, helped the Olympians and drove the Titans from Olympos.