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[sc. The proverb arises because] he fled from the Molionidai.[1] Dio[n][2] in [book] 2 of his 2nd treatise [records that] the Idaean Dactyl Heracles,[3] after inventing the Olympics, boxed against two and was defeated.[4]

*ou)de\ *(hraklh=s pro\s du/o: tou\s *molioni/das e)/fuge. *di/wn de\ e)n b# th=s b# sunta/cews *(hrakle/a to\n *)idai=on *da/ktulon, katadei/canta *)olu/mpia, pro\s du/o diapukteu/santa h(tthqh=nai.

Likewise in Photius, Lexicon omicron606 Theodoridis (with copious references) = Pausanias the Atticist omicron30; later in the paroemiographer Michael Apostolius (13.29)
For this proverb see also omicron 794 (and pi 2622), and generally Tosi [cited under alpha 378] no.688.
[1] (The connecting ga/r is explicit in Photius and Apostolius.) The Molionidai, a.k.a. Moliones, were Cteatus and Erytus, the twin sons of Actor and Molione. See OCD(4) s.v. 'Moliones'.
[2] 'Dio[n]' has been taken to be a mistake for the fourth century BCE historian Dinon (or Deinon) of Colophon (OCD(4) s.v. 'Dinon'): see FGrH 690 F2.
[3] Pausanias 5.7.6-7 (web address 1) records the Elean account of how the Olympic Games were founded by Heracles, the eldest of the five Dactyls of Ida in Crete (on whom see OCD(4) s.v. 'Idean Dactyls', and cf. alpha 1338, iota 92, iota 93).
[4] Presumably the two Moliones, from whom he escaped, are intended.

Catharine Roth (added cross-references, adjusted link, set status) on 5 September 2007@11:37:25.
Catharine Roth (punctuation) on 5 September 2007@11:38:18.
David Whitehead (tweaks and cosmetics; augmented notes and keywords) on 9 September 2007@07:46:18.
David Whitehead (added primary note; tweaking) on 15 August 2012@08:29:56.
David Whitehead on 31 July 2013@04:00:56.
Catharine Roth (upgraded link) on 1 August 2013@12:42:33.
David Whitehead (expanded two notes; tweaks and cosmetics) on 27 June 2014@08:26:24.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 28 June 2014@01:17:56.
David Whitehead (updated some refs) on 6 August 2014@03:29:43.

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