, what we have heard to have been
said by the Pythia concerning Homer in the time of the most sacred
Emperor Hadrian. When the monarch inquired from what city Homer came,
and whose son he was, the priestess delivered a response in hexameters
after this fashion:

'Do you ask me of the obscure race and country of the heavenly siren?
Ithaca is his country, Telemachus his father, and Epicasta, Nestor's
daughter, the mother that bare him, a man by far the wisest of mortal
kind.' This we must most implicitly believe, the inquirer and the
answerer being who they are--especially since the poet has so greatly
glorified his grandfather in his works.

Now some say that he was earlier than Hesiod, others that he was
younger and akin to him. They give his descent thus: Apollo and Aethusa,
daughter of Poseidon, had a son Linus, to whom was born Pierus. From
Pierus and the nymph Methone sprang Oeager; and from Oeager and Calliope
Orpheus; from Orpheus, Dres; and from him, Eucles. The descent is
continued through Iadmonides, Philoterpes, Euphemus, Epiphrades and
Melanopus who had sons Dius and Apelles. Dius by Pycimede, the daughter
of Apollo had two sons Hesiod and Perses; while Apelles begot Maeon who
was the father of Homer by a daughter of the River Meles.

According to one account they flourished at the same time and even had
a contest of skill at Chalcis in Euboea. For, they say, after Homer had
composed the "Margites", he went about from city to city as a minstrel,
and coming to Delphi, inquired who he was and of what country? The
Pythia answered:

'The Isle of Ios is your mother's country and it shall receive you dead;
but beware of the riddle of the young children.' [3701]

Hearing this, it is said, he hesitated to go to Ios, and remained in the
region where he was. Now about the same time Ganyctor was celebrating
the funeral rites of his father Amphidamas, king of Euboea, and invited
to the gathering not only all those who were famous for bodily strength
and fleetness of foot, but also those who excelled in wit, promising
them great rewards. And so, as the story goes, the two went to Chalcis
and met by chance. The leading Chalcidians were judges together with
Paneides, the brother of the dead king; and it is said that after a
wonderful contest between the two poets, Hesiod won in the following
manner: he came forward into the midst and put Homer one question after
another, which Homer answered. Hesiod, then, began:

'H