38
They relate that the daughters of Minyas, Leucippê and Arsinoê and Alcathoê, becoming insane, conceived a craving for human flesh, and drew lots for their children. cf. Aelian, Varia Historia, iii. 42; Antonius Liberalis, Metamorphoses, x. Ovid’s account (Met. iv. 1. ff.; 389 ff.) is rather different and omits the murder of Hippasus. The lot fell upon Leucippe to contribute her son Hippasus to be torn to pieces, and their husbands, who put on ill-favoured garments for very grief and sorrow, were called Grimy (Psoloeis); but the Minyads themselves were called Oleiae, that is to say, Murderesses. And even to-day the people of Orchomenus give this name to the women descended from this family; and every year, at the festival of Agrionia, Cf.Moralia, 717 a; 291 a supra>. there takes place a flight and pursuit of them by the priest of Dionysus with sword in hand. Any one of them that he catches he may kill, and in my time the priest Zoïlus killed one of them. But this resulted in no benefit for the people of Orchomenus; but Zoïlus fell sick from some slight sore and, when the wound had festered for a long time, he died. The people of Orchomenus also found themselves involved in some suits for damages and adverse judgements; wherefore they transferred the priesthood from Zoïlus’s family and chose the best man from all the citizens to fili the office.
39
Why do the Arcadians stone persons who voluntarily enter the Lycaeon; but if such persons enter through ignorance, they send them away to Eleutherae?
39
Is it because they were released and set free that this story gained credence, and is the expression to Free Town (Eleutherae) of the same sort as to the land of Sans Souci and you will come to the Seat of Satisfaction?
