Übersetzung ausblenden
La cité de dieu

CHAPITRE XVI.

DE DIOMÈDE ET DE SES COMPAGNONS, CHANGÉS EN OISEAUX APRÈS LA RUINE DE TROIE.

Après la ruine de Troie, ce grand désastre illustré par les poètes et connu même des petits enfants, qui arriva sous le règne de Latinus, fils de Faunus (ce Latinus qui donna aux Laurentins leur nom nouveau de Latins qu’ils portèrent depuis ce moment), les Grecs victorieux regagnèrent leur pays et souffrirent pendant ce retour une infinité de maux. Ils en prirent sujet d’augmenter le nombre de leurs divinités. En effet, ils firent un dieu de Diomède; ce qui ne les empêcha pas de raconter, non comme une fable, mais comme une vérité historique, que les dieux s’opposèrent au retour de ce personnage pour le châtier de ses crimes, et que ses compagnons furent changés en oiseaux¹, sans que Diomède, devenu dieu, leur pût rendre leur première forme, ni obtenir cette grâce de Jupiter pour sa bienvenue. Ils assurent même que Diomède a un temple dans l’île Diomédéa, non loin du mont Garganus en Apulie², et qu’autour du lieu sacré volent ces oiseaux, jadis compagnons du héros divinisé, qui remplissent leur bec d’eau et arrosent son temple pour lui faire honneur. Ils ajoutent que lorsque des Grecs viennent en cette île, non-seulement les oiseaux ne s’effarouchent point, mais ils caressent les visiteurs, au lieu que, quand ils voient des étrangers, ils volent contre eux en furie, et souvent les tuent avec leur bec, qui est d’une longueur et d’une force extraordinaires.

Übersetzung ausblenden
The City of God

Chapter 16.--Of Diomede, Who After the Destruction of Troy Was Placed Among the Gods, While His Companions are Said to Have Been Changed into Birds.

Troy was overthrown, and its destruction was everywhere sung and made well known even to boys; for it was signally published and spread abroad, both by its own greatness and by writers of excellent style. And this was done in the reign of Latinus the son of Faunus, from whom the kingdom began to be called Latium instead of Laurentum. The victorious Greeks, on leaving Troy destroyed and returning to their own countries, were torn and crushed by divers and horrible calamities. Yet even from among them they increased the number of their gods for they made Diomede a god. They allege that his return home was prevented by a divinely imposed punishment, and they prove, not by fabulous and poetic falsehood, but by historic attestation, that his companions were turned into birds. Yet they think that, even although he was made a god, he could neither restore them to the human form by his own power, nor yet obtain it from Jupiter his king, as a favor granted to a new inhabitant of heaven. They also say that his temple is in the island of Diomedaea, not far from Mount Garganus in Apulia, and that these birds fly round about this temple, and worship in it with such wonderful obedience, that they fill their beaks with water and sprinkle it; and if Greeks, or those born of the Greek race, come there, they are not only still, but fly to meet them; but if they are foreigners, they fly up at their heads, and wound them with such severe strokes as even to kill them. For they are said to be well enough armed for these combats with their hard and large beaks.