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Pausanias, Description of Greece

§ 1.1.1  BOOK 1
On the Greek mainland facing theCyclades Islands and theAegean Sea theSunium promontory stands out from theAttic land. When you have rounded the promontory you see a harbor and atemple toAthenaSounias on the peak of the promontory. Farther on isLaurium, where once theAthenians had silver mines, and a small uninhabited island called theIsland of Patroclus. For a fortification was built on it and a palisade constructed byPatroclus, who was admiral in command of theEgyptian men-of-war sent byPtolemy, son ofPtolemy, son ofLagus, to help theAthenians, whenAntigonus, son ofDemetrius, was ravaging their country, which he had invaded with an army, and at the same time was blockading them by sea with a fleet.

§ 1.1.2  ThePeiraeus was a deme from early times, though it was not a port beforeThemistocles became an archon of theAthenians. Their port wasPhalerum, for at this place the sea comes nearest toAthens, and from here men say thatMenestheus set sail with his fleet forTroy, and before himTheseus, when he went to give satisfaction toMinos for the death ofAndrogeos. But whenThemistocles became archon [493 BCE], since he thought that thePeiraeus was more conveniently situated for mariners, and had three harbors as against one atPhalerum, he made it theAthenian port. Even up to my time there wereshipsheds there, and near the largestharbor is thegrave ofThemistocles. For it is said that theAthenians repented of their treatment ofThemistocles, and that his relations took up his bones and brought them fromMagnesia. And the children ofThemistocles certainly returned and set up in theParthenon a painting, on which is a portrait ofThemistocles.

§ 1.1.3  The most noteworthy sight in thePeiraeus is a precinct ofAthena andZeus. Both their images are of bronze;Zeus holds a staff and aVictory,Athena a spear. Here is a portrait ofLeosthenes and of his sons, painted byArcesilaus. ThisLeosthenes at the head of theAthenians and the united Greeks defeated theMacedonians inBoeotia and again outsideThermopylae forced them intoLamia over againstOeta, and shut them up there. The portrait is in theLong Stoa, where stands an agora for those living near the sea — those farther away from the harbor have another — but behind the stoa near the sea stand aZeus and aDemos, the work ofLeochares. And by the seaConon built a sanctuary ofAphrodite, after he had crushed theLacedemonian triremes offCnidus in theCarian peninsula. For theCnidians holdAphrodite in very great honor, and they have sanctuaries of the goddess; the oldest is to her asDoritis (Bountiful), the next in age asAcraea (Of the Height/Promontory), while the newest is to theAphrodite calledCnidian by men generally, butEuploia (Fair Voyage) by theCnidians themselves.

§ 1.1.4  TheAthenians have also another harbor, atMunychia, with atemple ofMunychianArtemis, and yet another atPhalerum, as I have already stated, and near it is a sanctuary ofDemeter. Here there is also atemple ofAthenaSciras, and one ofZeus some distance away, and altars of the gods namedUnknown, and of heroes, and of the children ofTheseus andPhalerus; for thisPhalerus is said by theAthenians to have sailed withJason toColchis. There is also an altar ofAndrogeos, son ofMinos, though it is called that of Heros; those, however, who pay special attention to the study of their country's antiquities know that it belongs toAndrogeos.

§ 1.1.5  Twenty stades away is theColias promontory; onto it, when thePersian fleet was destroyed, the wrecks were carried down by the waves. There is here an image of theColiadAphrodite, with the goddessesGenetyllides (Goddesses of Birth), as they are called. And I am of opinion that the goddesses of thePhocaeans inIonia, whom they call Gennaides, are the same as those atColias. On the way fromPhalerum toAthens there is a temple ofHera with neither doors nor roof. Men say thatMardonius, son ofGobryas, burnt it. But the image there today is, as report goes, the work ofAlcamenes. So that this, at any rate, cannot have been damaged by thePersians.

§ 1.2.1  On entering the city there is amonument toAntiope theAmazon. ThisAntiope,Pindar says, was carried off byPeirithous andTheseus, butHegias ofTroezen gives the following account of her.Heracles was besiegingThemiscyra on theThermodon, but could not take it, butAntiope, falling in love withTheseus, who was aidingHeracles in his campaign, surrendered the stronghold. Such is the account ofHegias. But theAthenians assert that when theAmazons came,Antiope was shot byMolpadia, whileMolpadia was killed byTheseus. ToMolpadia also there is a monument among theAthenians.

§ 1.2.2  As you go up from thePeiraeus you see the ruins of thewalls whichConon restored after the naval battle offCnidus. For those built byThemistocles after the retreat of thePersians were destroyed during the rule of those named theThirty. Along theroad are very famous graves, that ofMenander, son ofDiopeithes, and a cenotaph ofEuripides. He himself went to KingArchelaus and lies buried inMacedonia; as to the manner of his death (many have described it), let it be as they say.

§ 1.2.3  So even in his time poets lived at the courts of kings, as earlier stillAnacreon consorted withPolycrates, despot ofSamos, andAeschylus andSimonides journeyed toHiero atSyracuse.Dionysius, afterwards despot inSicily hadPhiloxenus at his court, andAntigonus, ruler ofMacedonia, hadAntagoras ofRhodes andAratus ofSoli. ButHesiod andHomer either failed to win the society of kings or else purposely despised it,Hesiod through boorishness and reluctance to travel, whileHomer, having gone very far abroad, depreciated the help afforded by despots in the acquisition of wealth in comparison with his reputation among ordinary men. And yetHomer, too, in his poem makesDemodocus live at the court ofAlcinous, andAgamemnon leave a poet with his wife. Not far from the gates is a grave, on which is mounted a soldier standing by ahorse. Who it is I do not know, but both horse and soldier were carved byPraxiteles.

§ 1.2.4  On entering the city there is abuilding for the preparation of the processions, which are held in some cases every year, in others at longer intervals. Hard by is a temple ofDemeter, with images of the goddess herself and of her daughter, and ofIacchus holding a torch. On the wall, inAttic characters, is written that they are works ofPraxiteles. Not far from the temple isPoseidon on horseback, hurling a spear against the giantPolybotes, concerning whom is prevalent among theCoans the story about the promontory of Chelone. But the inscription of our time assigns the statue to another, and not toPoseidon. From the gate to theCerameicus there are stoas, and in front of them bronze statues of such as had some title to fame, both men and women.

§ 1.2.5  One of the stoas contains shrines of gods, and a gymnasium called that ofHermes. In it is the house ofPoulytion, at which it is said that a mystic rite was performed by the most notableAthenians, parodying theEleusinian mysteries. But in my time it was devoted to the worship ofDionysus. ThisDionysus they callMelpomenus (Minstrel), on the same principle as they callApolloMusegetes (Leader of theMuses). Here there are images ofAthenaPaeonia (Healer), ofZeus, ofMnemosyne (Memory) and of theMuses, anApollo, the votive offering and work ofEubulides, andAcratus, a daemon attendant uponDionysos; it is only a face of him worked into the wall. After the precinct ofDionysos is a building that contains clay images,Amphictyon, king ofAthens, feastingDionysus and other gods. Here also isPegasus ofEleutherae, who introduced the god to theAthenians. Herein he was helped by the oracle atDelphi, which called to mind that the god once dwelt inAthens in the days ofIcarius.

§ 1.2.6  Amphictyon won the kingdom thus. It is said thatActaeus was the first king of what is nowAttica. When he died,Cecrops, the son-in-law ofActaeus, received the kingdom, and there were born to him daughters,Herse,Aglaurus andPandrosus, and a sonErysichthon. This son did not become king of theAthenians, but happened to die while his father lived, and the kingdom ofCecrops fell toCranaus, the most powerful of theAthenians. They say thatCranaus had daughters, and among themAtthis; and from her they call the countryAttica, which before was named Actaea. AndAmphictyon, rising up againstCranaus, although he had his daughter to wife, deposed him from power. Afterwards he himself was banished byErichthonius and his fellow rebels. Men say thatErichthonius had no human father, but that his parents wereHephaestus andEarth.

§ 1.3.1  The district of theCerameicus has its name from the heroCeramus, he too being the reputed son ofDionysus andAriadne. First on the right is what is called theRoyal Stoa, where sits theking when holding the yearly office called the kingship. On the tiling of this stoa are images of baked earthenware,Theseus throwingSciron into the sea andHemera (day) carrying awayCephalus, who they say was very beautiful and was ravished byHemera, who was in love with him. His son wasPhaethon, . . . and [Aphrodite] made a guardian of her temple. Such is the tale told byHesiod, among others, in his poem on women.

§ 1.3.2  Near the stoa standConon,Timotheus his son andEvagoras King ofCyprus, who caused thePhoenician men-of-war to be given toConon by KingArtaxerxes. This he did as anAthenian whose ancestry connected him withSalamis, for he traced his pedigree back toTeucer and the daughter ofCinyras. Here standsZeus, calledZeusEleutherios (of Freedom ), and theEmperor Hadrian, a benefactor to all his subjects and especially to the city of theAthenians.

§ 1.3.3  Astoa is built behind with pictures of the gods called theTwelve. On the wall opposite are paintedTheseus,Democracy andDemos. The picture representsTheseus as the one who gave theAthenians political equality. By other means also has the report spread among men thatTheseus bestowed sovereignty upon the people, and that from his time they continued under a democratical government, untilPeisistratus rose up and became despot. But there are many false beliefs current among the mass of mankind, since they are ignorant of historical science and consider trustworthy whatever they have heard from childhood in choruses and tragedies; one of these is aboutTheseus, who in fact himself became king, and afterwards, whenMenestheus was dead, the Theseidae remained rulers even to the fourth generation. But if I cared about tracing the pedigree I should have included in the list, besides these, the kings fromMelanthus toCleidicus the son ofAesimides.

§ 1.3.4  Here is a picture of the exploit, nearMantinea, of theAthenians who were sent to help theLacedemonians.Xenophon among others has written a history of the whole war — the taking of theCadmea, the defeat of theLacedemonians atLeuctra, how theBoeotians invaded thePeloponnesus, and the contingent sent to theLacedemonians from theAthenians. In the picture is a cavalry battle, in which the most famous men are, among theAthenians,Grylus the son ofXenophon, and in theBoeotian cavalry,Epaminondas theTheban. These pictures were painted for theAthenians byEuphranor, and he also wrought theApollo surnamedPatroos (Ancestral) in thetemple hard by. And in front of the temple is oneApollo made byLeochares; the otherApollo, calledAlexikakos (Averter of evil), was made byCalamis. They say that the god received this name because by an oracle fromDelphi he stayed the pestilence which afflicted theAthenians at the time of thePeloponnesian War.

§ 1.3.5  Here is built also asanctuary of theMother of the Gods; the image is byPheidias. Hard by is theBouleuterion of those called the Five Hundred, who are theAthenian councillors for a year. In it are axoanon ofZeusBoulaios (Counsellor) and anApollo, the work ofPeisias, and aDemos byLyson. The thesmothetae (lawgivers) were painted byProtogenes theCaunian, andOlbiades portrayedCallippus, who led theAthenians toThermopylae to stop the incursion of the Gauls into Greece.

§ 1.4.1  These Gauls inhabit the most remote portion of Europe, near a great sea that is not navigable to its extremities, and possesses ebb and flow and creatures quite unlike those of other seas. Through their country flows the riverEridanos, on the bank of which the daughters ofHelius (Sun) are supposed to lament the fate that befell their brotherPhaethon. It was late before the name “Gauls” came into vogue; for anciently they were calledCelts both amongst themselves and by others. An army of them mustered and turned towards theIonian Sea, dispossessed theIllyrian people, all who dwelt as far asMacedonia with theMacedonians themselves, and overranThessaly. And when they drew near toThermopylae, the Greeks in general made no move to prevent the inroad of the barbarians, since previously they had been severely defeated byAlexander andPhilip. Further,Antipater andCassander afterwards crushed the Greeks, so that through weakness each state thought no shame of itself taking no part in the defence of the country.

§ 1.4.2  But theAthenians, although they were more exhausted than any of the Greeks by the longMacedonian war, and had been generally unsuccessful in their battles, nevertheless set forth toThermopylae with such Greeks as joined them, having made theCallippus I mentioned their general. Occupying the pass where it was narrowest, they tried to keep the foreigners from entering Greece; but theCelts, having discovered the path by whichEphialtes ofTrachis once led thePersians, overwhelmed thePhocians stationed there and crossedOeta unperceived by the Greeks.

§ 1.4.3  Then it was that theAthenians put the Greeks under the greatest obligation, and although outflanked offered resistance to the foreigners on two sides. But theAthenians on the fleet suffered most, for theLamian gulf is a swamp nearThermopylae — the reason being, I think, the hot water that here runs into the sea. These then were more distressed; for taking the Greeks on board they were forced to sail through the mud weighted as they were by arms and men.

§ 1.4.4  So they tried to save Greece in the way described, but the Gauls, now south of theGates, cared not at all to capture the other towns, but were very eager to sackDelphi and the treasures of the god. They were opposed by theDelphians themselves and thePhocians of the cities aroundParnassus; a force ofAetolians also joined the defenders, for theAetolians at this time were pre-eminent for their vigorous activity. When the forces engaged, not only were thunderbolts and rocks broken off fromParnassus hurled against the Gauls, but terrible shapes as armed warriors haunted the foreigners. They say that two of them,Hyperochus andAmadocus, came from theHyperboreans, and that the third wasPyrrhus son ofAchilles. Because of this help in battle theDelphians sacrifice toPyrrhus as to a hero, although formerly they held even his tomb in dishonor, as being that of an enemy.

§ 1.4.5  The greater number of the Gauls crossed over toAsia by ship and plundered its coasts. Some time after, the inhabitants ofPergamus, that was called of oldTeuthrania, drove the Gauls into it from the sea. Now this people occupied the country on the farther side of the riverSangarius capturingAncyra, a city of thePhrygians, whichMidas son ofGordius had founded in former time. And the anchor, whichMidas found, was even as late as my time in the sanctuary ofZeus, as well as a spring called the Spring ofMidas, water from which they sayMidas mixed with wine to captureSilenus. Well then, thePergameni tookAncyra andPessinus which lies under MountAgdistis, where they say thatAttis lies buried.

§ 1.4.6  They have spoils from the Gauls, and a painting which portrays their deed against them. The land they dwell in was, they say, in ancient times sacred to theCabeiri, and they claim that they are themselvesArcadians, being of those who crossed intoAsia withTelephus. Of the wars that they have waged no account has been published to the world, except that they have accomplished three most notable achievements; the subjection of the coast region ofAsia, the expulsion of the Gauls therefrom, and the exploit ofTelephus against the followers ofAgamemnon, at a time when the Greeks after missingTroy, were plundering the Meian plain thinking itTrojan territory. Now I will return from my digression.

§ 1.5.1  Near to theBouleuterion of the Five Hundred is what is calledTholos (Round House); here the presidents sacrifice, and there are a few small statues made of silver. Farther up standstatues of heroes, from whom afterwards theAthenian tribes received their names. Who the man was who established ten tribes instead of four, and changed their old names to new ones — all this is told byHerodotus.

§ 1.5.2  TheEponymoi — this is the name given to them — areHippothoon son ofPoseidon andAlope daughter ofCercyon,Antiochus, one of the children ofHeracles borne to him byMeda daughter ofPhylas, thirdly,Ajax son ofTelamon, and to theAthenians belongsLeos, who is said to have given up his daughters, at the command of the oracle, for the safety of the commonwealth. Among the Eponymoi isErechtheus, who conquered theEleusinians in battle, and killed their general,Immaradus the son ofEumolpus. There isAegeus also andOeneus the bastard son ofPandion, andAcamas, one of the children ofTheseus.

§ 1.5.3  I saw also among the eponymoi, statues ofCecrops andPandion, but I do not know who of those names are thus honored. For there was an earlier rulerCecrops who took to wife the daughter ofActaeus, and a later — he it was who migrated toEuboea — son ofErechtheus, son ofPandion, son ofErichthonius. And there was a kingPandion who was son ofErichthonius, and another who was son ofCecrops the second. This man was deposed from his kingdom by theMetionidae, and when he fled toMegara — for he had to wife the daughter ofPylas king ofMegara — his children were banished with him. AndPandion is said to have fallen ill there and died, and on the coast of theMegarid is his tomb, on the rock called the Skopelos ofAthenaAithyia (the Gannet).

§ 1.5.4  But his children expelled theMetionidae, and returned from banishment atMegara, andAegeus, as the eldest, became king of theAthenians. But in rearing daughtersPandion was unlucky, nor did they leave any sons to avenge him. And yet it was for the sake of power that he made the marriage alliance with the king ofThrace. But there is no way for a mortal to overstep what the deity thinks fit to send. They say thatTereus, though wedded toProcne, dishonoredPhilomela, thereby transgressing Greek custom, and further, having mangled the body of the damsel, constrained the women to avenge her. There is another statue, well worth seeing, ofPandion on theAcropolis.

§ 1.5.5  These are theAthenian eponymoi who belong to the ancients. And of later date than these they have tribes named after the following,Attalus theMysian andPtolemy theEgyptian, and within my own time the emperorHadrian, who was extremely religious in the respect he paid to the deity and contributed very much to the happiness of his various subjects. He never voluntarily entered upon a war, but he reduced theHebrews beyondSyria, who had rebelled. As for the sanctuaries of the gods that in some cases he built from the beginning, in others adorned with offerings and furniture, and the bounties he gave to Greek cities, and sometimes even to foreigners who asked him, all these acts are inscribed in his honor in the sanctuary atAthens common to all the gods.

§ 1.6.1  But as to the history ofAttalus andPtolemy, it is more ancient in point of time, so that tradition no longer remains, and those who lived with these kings for the purpose of chronicling their deeds fell into neglect even before tradition failed. Wherefore it occurred to me to narrate their deeds also, and how the sovereignty ofEgypt, of theMysians and of the neighboring peoples fell into the hands of their fathers.

§ 1.6.2  TheMacedonians considerPtolemy to be the son ofPhilip, the son ofAmyntas, though putatively the son ofLagus, asserting that his mother was with child byPhilip when she was married toLagus. And among the distinguished acts ofPtolemy inAsia they mention that it was he who, ofAlexander's companions, was foremost in succoring him when in danger among theOxydracae. After the death ofAlexander, by withstanding those who would have conferred all his empire uponAridaeus, the son ofPhilip, he became chiefly responsible for the division of the various nations into the kingdoms.

§ 1.6.3  He crossed over toEgypt in person, and killedCleomenes, whomAlexander had appointed satrap of that country, considering him a friend ofPerdiccas, and therefore not faithful to himself; and theMacedonians who had been entrusted with the task of carrying the corpse ofAlexander toAegae, he persuaded to hand it over to him. And he proceeded to bury it withMacedonian rites inMemphis, but, knowing thatPerdiccas would make war, he keptEgypt garrisoned. AndPerdiccas tookAridaeus, son ofPhilip, and the boyAlexander, whomRoxana, daughter ofOxyartes, had borne toAlexander, to lend color to the campaign, but really he was plotting to take fromPtolemy his kingdom inEgypt. But being expelled fromEgypt, and having lost his reputation as a soldier, and being in other respects unpopular with theMacedonians, he was put to death by his body guard.

§ 1.6.4  The death ofPerdiccas immediately raisedPtolemy to power, who both reduced the Syrians andPhoenicia, and also welcomedSeleucus, son ofAntiochus, who was in exile, having been expelled byAntigonus; he further himself prepared to attackAntigonus. He prevailed onCassander, son ofAntipater, andLysimachus, who was king inThrace, to join in the war, urging thatSeleucus was in exile and that the growth of the power ofAntigonus was dangerous to them all.

§ 1.6.5  For a timeAntigonus prepared for war, and was by no means confident of the issue; but on learning that the revolt ofCyrene had calledPtolemy toLibya, he immediately reduced the Syrians andPhoenicians by a sudden inroad, handed them over toDemetrius, his son, a man who for all his youth had already a reputation for good sense, and went down to theHellespont. But he led his army back without crossing, on hearing thatDemetrius had been overcome byPtolemy in battle. ButDemetrius had not altogether evacuated the country beforePtolemy, and having surprised a body ofEgyptians, killed a few of them. Then on the arrival ofAntigonusPtolemy did not wait for him but returned toEgypt.

§ 1.6.6  When the winter was over,Demetrius sailed toCyprus and overcame in a naval actionMenelaus, the satrap ofPtolemy, and afterwardsPtolemy himself, who had crossed to bring help.Ptolemy fled toEgypt, where he was besieged byAntigonus on land and byDemetrius with a fleet. In spite of his extreme perilPtolemy saved his empire by making a stand with an army atPelusium while offering resistance with warships from the river.Antigonus now abandoned all hope of reducingEgypt in the circumstances, and dispatchedDemetrius against theRhodians with a fleet and a large army, hoping, if the island were won, to use it as a base against theEgyptians. But theRhodians displayed daring and ingenuity in the face of the besiegers, whilePtolemy helped them with all the forces he could muster.

§ 1.6.7  Antigonus thus failed to reduceEgypt or, later,Rhodes, and shortly afterwards he offered battle toLysimachus, and toCassander and the army ofSeleucus, lost most of his forces, and was himself killed, having suffered most by reason of the length of the war withEumenes. Of the kings who put downAntigonus I hold that the most wicked wasCassander, who although he had recovered the throne ofMacedonia with the aid ofAntigonus, nevertheless came to fight against a benefactor.

§ 1.6.8  After the death ofAntigonus,Ptolemy again reduced the Syrians andCyprus, and also restoredPyrrhus toThesprotia on the mainland.Cyrene rebelled; butMagas, the son ofBerenice (who was at this time married toPtolemy) capturedCyrene in the fifth year of the rebellion. If thisPtolemy really was the son ofPhilip, son ofAmyntas, he must have inherited from his father his passion for women, for, while wedded toEurydice, the daughter ofAntipater, although he had children he took a fancy toBerenice, whomAntipater had sent toEgypt withEurydice. He fell in love with this woman and had children by her, and when his end drew near he left the kingdom ofEgypt toPtolemy (from whom theAthenians name their tribe) being the son ofBerenice and not of the daughter ofAntipater.

§ 1.7.1  ThisPtolemy fell in love withArsinoe, his full sister, and married her, violating hereinMacedonian custom, but following that of hisEgyptian subjects. Secondly he put to death his brotherArgaeus, who was, it is said, plotting against him; and he it was who brought down fromMemphis the corpse ofAlexander. He put to death another brother also, son ofEurydice, on discovering that he was creating disaffection among theCyprians. ThenMagas, the half-brother ofPtolemy, who had been entrusted with the governorship ofCyrene by his motherBerenice — she had borne him toPhilip, aMacedonian but of no note and of lowly origin — induced the people ofCyrene to revolt fromPtolemy and marched againstEgypt.

§ 1.7.2  Ptolemy fortified the entrance intoEgypt and awaited the attack of theCyrenians. But while on the marchMagas was in formed that theMarmaridae, a tribe of Libyan nomads, had revolted, and thereupon fell back uponCyrene.Ptolemy resolved to pursue, but was checked owing to the following circumstance. When he was preparing to meet the attack ofMagas, he engaged mercenaries, including some four thousand Gauls. Discovering that they were plotting to seizeEgypt, he led them through the river to a deserted island. There they perished at one another's hands or by famine.

§ 1.7.3  Magas, who was married toApame, daughter ofAntiochus, son ofSeleucus, persuadedAntiochus to break the treaty which his fatherSeleucus had made withPtolemy and to attackEgypt. WhenAntiochus resolved to attack,Ptolemy dispatched forces against all the subjects ofAntiochus, freebooters to overrun the lands of the weaker, and an army to hold back the stronger, so thatAntiochus never had an opportunity of attackingEgypt. I have already stated how thisPtolemy sent a fleet to help theAthenians againstAntigonus and theMacedonians, but it did very little to saveAthens. His children were byArsinoe, not his sister, but the daughter ofLysimachus. His sister who had wedded him happened to die before this, leaving no issue, and there is inEgypt a district calledArsinoites after her.

§ 1.8.1  It is pertinent to add here an account ofAttalus, because he too is one of theAthenian eponymoi. AMacedonian of the name ofDocimus, a general ofAntigonus, who afterwards surrendered both himself and his property toLysimachus, had aPaphlagonian eunuch calledPhiletaerus. All thatPhiletaerus did to further the revolt fromLysimachus, and how he won overSeleucus, will form an episode in my account ofLysimachus.Attalus, however, son ofAttalus and nephew ofPhiletaerus, received the kingdom from his cousinEumenes, who handed it over. The greatest of his achievements was his forcing the Gauls to retire from the sea into the country which they still hold.

§ 1.8.2  After the statues of theEponymoi come statues of gods,Amphiaraus, andEirene (Peace) carrying the boyPlutus (Wealth). Here stands a bronze figure ofLycurgus, son of Lycophron, and ofCallias, who, as most of theAthenians say, brought about the peace between the Greeks andArtaxerxes, son ofXerxes. Here also isDemosthenes, whom theAthenians forced to retire toCalauria, the island offTroezen, and then, after receiving him back, banished again after the disaster atLamia.

§ 1.8.3  Exiled for the second timeDemosthenes crossed once more toCalauria, and committed suicide there by taking poison, being the only Greek exile whomArchias failed to bring back toAntipater and theMacedonians. ThisArchias was aThurian who undertook the abominable task of bringing toAntipater for punishment those who had opposed theMacedonians before the Greeks met with their defeat inThessaly. Such wasDemosthenes' reward for his great devotion toAthens. I heartily agree with the remark that no man who has unsparingly thrown himself into politics trusting in the loyalty of the democracy has ever met with a happy death.

§ 1.8.4  Near the statue ofDemosthenes is asanctuary ofAres, where are placed two images ofAphrodite, one ofAres made byAlcamenes, and one ofAthena made by aParian of the name ofLocrus. There is also an image ofEnyo, made by the sons ofPraxiteles. About thetemple stand images ofHeracles,Theseus,Apollo binding his hair with a fillet, and statues ofCalades, who it is said framed laws for theAthenians, and ofPindar, the statue being one of the rewards theAthenians gave him for praising them in an ode.

§ 1.8.5  Hard by standstatues ofHarmodius andAristogiton, who killedHipparchus. The reason of this act and the method of its execution have been related by others; of the figures some were made byCritius, the old ones being the work ofAntenor. WhenXerxes tookAthens after theAthenians had abandoned the city he took away these statues also among the spoils, but they were afterwards restored to theAthenians byAntiochus.

§ 1.8.6  Before the entrance of the theater which they call theOdeum (Music Hall) are statues ofEgyptian kings. They are all alike calledPtolemy, but each has his own surname. For they call onePhilometor, and anotherPhiladelphus, while the son ofLagus is calledSoter, a name given him by theRhodians. Of these,Philadelphus is he whom I have mentioned before among the eponymoi, and near him is a statue of his sisterArsinoe.

§ 1.9.1  The one calledPhilometor is eighth in descent fromPtolemy son ofLagus, and his surname was given him in sarcastic mockery, for we know of none of the kings who was so hated by his mother. Although he was the eldest of her children she would not allow him to be called to the throne, but prevailed on his father before the call came to send him toCyprus. Among the reasons assigned forCleopatra's enmity towards her son is her expectation thatAlexander the younger of her sons would prove more subservient, and this consideration induced her to urge theEgyptians to chooseAlexander as king.

§ 1.9.2  When the people offered opposition, she dispatchedAlexander for the second time toCyprus, ostensibly as general, but really because she wished by his means to makePtolemy more afraid of her. Finally she covered with wounds those eunuchs she thought best disposed, and presented them to the people, making out that she was the victim ofPtolemy's machinations, and that he had treated the eunuchs in such a fashion. The people ofAlexandria rushed to killPtolemy, and when he escaped on board a ship, madeAlexander, who returned fromCyprus, their king.

§ 1.9.3  Retribution for the exile ofPtolemy came uponCleopatra, for she was put to death byAlexander, whom she herself had made to be king of theEgyptians. When the deed was discovered, andAlexander fled in fear of the citizens,Ptolemy returned and for the second time assumed control ofEgypt. He made war against theThebans, who had revolted, reduced them two years after the revolt, and treated them so cruelly that they were left not even a memorial of their former prosperity, which had so grown that they surpassed in wealth the richest of the Greeks, the sanctuary ofDelphi and theOrchomenians. Shortly after thisPtolemy met with his appointed fate, and theAthenians, who had been benefited by him in many ways which I need not stop to relate, set up a bronze likeness of him and ofBerenice, his only legitimate child.

§ 1.9.4  After theEgyptians come statues ofPhilip and of his sonAlexander. The events of their lives were too important to form a mere digression in another story. Now theEgyptians had their honors bestowed upon them out of genuine respect and because they were benefactors, but it was rather the sycophancy of the people that gave them toPhilip andAlexander, since they set up a statue toLysimachus also not so much out of goodwill as because they thought to serve their immediate ends.

§ 1.9.5  ThisLysimachus was aMacedonian by birth and one ofAlexander's body-guards, whomAlexander once in anger shut up in a chamber with alion, and afterwards found that he had overpowered the brute. Henceforth he always treated him with respect, and honored him as much as the noblestMacedonians. After the death ofAlexander,Lysimachus ruled such of theThracians, who are neighbors of theMacedonians, as had been under the sway ofAlexander and before him ofPhilip. These would comprise but a small part ofThrace. If race be compared with race no nation of men except theCelts are more numerous than theThracians taken all together, and for this reason no one before the Romans reduced the whole Thracian population. But the Romans have subdued allThrace, and they also hold suchCeltic territory as is worth possessing, but they have intentionally overlooked the parts that they consider useless through excessive cold or barrenness.

§ 1.9.6  ThenLysimachus made war against his neighbours, first theOdrysae, secondly theGetae andDromichaetes. Engaging with men not unversed in warfare and far his superiors in number, he himself escaped from a position of extreme danger, but his sonAgathocles, who was serving with him then for the first time, was taken prisoner by theGetae.Lysimachus met with other reverses afterwards, and attaching great importance to the capture of his son made peace withDromichaetes, yielding to theGetic king the parts of his empire beyond theIster, and, chiefly under compulsion, giving him his daughter in marriage. Others say that notAgathocles butLysimachus himself was taken prisoner, regaining his liberty whenAgathocles treated with theGetic king on his behalf. On his return he married toAgathoclesLysandra, the daughter ofPtolemy, son ofLagus, and ofEurydice.

§ 1.9.7  He also crossed with a fleet toAsia and helped to overthrow the empire ofAntigonus. He founded also the modern city ofEphesus as far as the coast, bringing to it as settlers people ofLebedos andColophon, after destroying their cities, so that the iambic poetPhoenix composed a lament for the capture ofColophon.Hermesianax, the elegiac writer, was, I think, no longer living, otherwise he too would certainly have been moved by the taking ofColophon to write a dirge.Lysimachus also went to war withPyrrhus, son ofAeacides. Waiting for his departure fromEpeirus (Pyrrhus was of a very roving disposition) he ravagedEpeirus until he reached the royal tombs.

§ 1.9.8  The next part of the story is incredible to me, butHieronymus theCardian relates that he destroyed the tombs and cast out the bones of the dead. But thisHieronymus has a reputation generally of being biased against all the kings exceptAntigonus, and of being unfairly partial towards him. As to the treatment of theEpeirot graves, it is perfectly plain that it was malice that made him record that aMacedonian desecrated the tombs of the dead. Besides,Lysimachus was surely aware that they were the ancestors not ofPyrrhus only but also ofAlexander. In factAlexander was anEpeirot and anAeacid on his mother's side, and the subsequent alliance betweenPyrrhus andLysimachus proves that even as enemies they were not irreconcilable. PossiblyHieronymus had grievances againstLysimachus, especially his destroying the city of theCardians and foundingLysimachia in its stead on the isthmus of the ThracianChersonesus.

§ 1.10.1  As long asAridaeus reigned, and after himCassander and his sons, friendly relations continued betweenLysimachus andMacedon. But when the kingdom devolved uponDemetrius, son ofAntigonus,Lysimachus, henceforth expecting that war would be declared upon him byDemetrius, resolved to take aggressive action. He was aware thatDemetrius inherited a tendency to aggrandise, and he also knew that he visitedMacedonia at the summons ofAlexander andCassander, and on his arrival murderedAlexander himself and ruled theMacedonians in his stead.

§ 1.10.2  Therefore encounteringDemetrius atAmphipolis he came near to being expelled fromThrace, but onPyrrhus' coming to his aid he masteredThrace and afterwards extended his empire at the expense of theNestians andMacedonians. The greater part ofMacedonia was under the control ofPyrrhus himself, who came fromEpeirus with an army and was at that time on friendly terms withLysimachus. When howeverDemetrius crossed over intoAsia and made war onSeleucus, the alliance betweenPyrrhus andLysimachus lasted only as long asDemetrius continued hostilities; whenDemetrius submitted toSeleucus, the friendship betweenLysimachus andPyrrhus was broken, and when war broke outLysimachus fought againstAntigonus son ofDemetrius and againstPyrrhus himself, had much the better of the struggle, conqueredMacedonia and forcedPyrrhus to retreat toEpeirus.

§ 1.10.3  Eros is wont to bring many calamities upon men.Lysimachus, although by this time of mature age and considered happy in respect of his children, and althoughAgathocles had children byLysandra, nevertheless marriedLysandra's sisterArsinoe. ThisArsinoe, fearing for her children, lest on the death ofLysimachus they should fall into the hands ofAgathocles, is said for this reason to have plotted againstAgathocles. Historians have already related howArsinoe fell in love withAgathocles, and being unsuccessful they say that she plotted against his life. They say also thatLysimachus discovered later his wife's machinations, but was by this time powerless, having lost all his friends.

§ 1.10.4  SinceLysimachus, then, overlookedArsinoe's murder ofAgathocles,Lysandra fled toSeleucus, taking with her her children and her brothers, who were taking refuge withPtolemy and finally adopted this course. They were accompanied on their flight toSeleucus byAlexander who was the son ofLysimachus by anOdrysian woman. So they going up toBabylon entreatedSeleucus to make war onLysimachus. And at the same timePhiletaerus, to whom the property ofLysimachus had been entrusted, aggrieved at the death ofAgathocles and suspicious of the treatment he would receive at the hands ofArsinoe, seizedPergamus on theCaicus, and sending a herald offered both the property and himself toSeleucus.

§ 1.10.5  Lysimachus hearing of all these things lost no time in crossing intoAsia, and assuming the initiative metSeleucus, suffered a severe defeat and was killed.Alexander, his son by theOdrysian woman, after interceding long withLysandra, won his body and afterwards carried it to theChersonesus and buried it, where his grave is still to be seen between the village ofCardia andPactye.

§ 1.11.1  Such was the history ofLysimachus. TheAthenians have also a statue ofPyrrhus. ThisPyrrhus was not related toAlexander, except by ancestry.Pyrrhus was son ofAeacides, son ofArybbas, butAlexander was son ofOlympias, daughter ofNeoptolemus, and the father ofNeoptolemus andArybbas wasAlcetas, son ofTharypus. And fromTharypus toPyrrhus, son ofAchilles, are fifteen generations. NowPyrrhus was the first who after the capture ofTroy disdained to return toThessaly, but sailing toEpeirus dwelt there because of the oracles ofHelenus. ByHermionePyrrhus had no child, but byAndromache he hadMolossus,Pielus, andPergamus, who was the youngest.Helenus also had a son,Cestrinus, being married toAndromache after the murder ofPyrrhus atDelphi.

§ 1.11.2  Helenus on his death passed on the kingdom toMolossus, son ofPyrrhus, so thatCestrinus with volunteers from theEpeirots took possession of the region beyond the riverThyamis, whilePergamus crossed intoAsia and killedAreius, despot inTeuthrania, who fought with him in single combat for his kingdom, and gave his name to the city which is still called after him. ToAndromache, who accompanied him, there is still a hero-shrine in the city.Pielus remained behind inEpeirus, and to him as ancestorPyrrhus, the son ofAeacides, and his fathers traced their descent, and not toMolossus.

§ 1.11.3  Down toAlcetas, son ofTharypus,Epeirus too was under one king. But the sons ofAlcetas after a quarrel agreed to rule with equal authority, remaining faithful to their compact; and afterwards, whenAlexander, son ofNeoptolemus, died among theLeucani, andOlympias returned toEpeirus through fear ofAntipater,Aeacides, son ofArybbas, continued in allegiance toOlympias and joined in her campaign againstAridaeus and theMacedonians, although theEpeirots refused to accompany him.

§ 1.11.4  Olympias on her victory behaved wickedly in the matter of the death ofAridaeus, and much more wickedly to certainMacedonians, and for this reason was considered to have deserved her subsequent treatment at the hands ofCassander; soAeacides at first was not received even by theEpeirots because of their hatred ofOlympias, and when afterwards they forgave him, his return toEpeirus was next opposed byCassander. When a battle occurred atOeniadae betweenPhilip, brother ofCassander, andAeacides,Aeacides was wounded and shortly after met his fate.

§ 1.11.5  TheEpeirots acceptedAlcetas as their king, being the son ofArybbas and the elder brother ofAeacides, but of an uncontrollable temper and on this account banished by his father. Immediately on his arrival he began to vent his fury on theEpeirots, until they rose up and put him and his children to death at night. After killing him they brought backPyrrhus, son ofAeacides. No sooner had he arrived thanCassander made war upon him, while he was young in years and before he had consolidated his empire. When theMacedonians attacked him,Pyrrhus went toPtolemy, son ofLagus, inEgypt.Ptolemy gave him to wife the half-sister of his children, and restored him by anEgyptian force.

§ 1.11.6  The first Greeks thatPyrrhus attacked on becoming king were theCorcyraeans. He saw that the island lay off his own territory, and he did not wish others to have a base from which to attack him. My account ofLysimachus has already related how he fared, after takingCorcyra, in his war withLysimachus, how he expelledDemetrius and ruledMacedonia until he was in turn expelled byLysimachus, the most important of his achievements until he waged war against the Romans,

§ 1.11.7  being the first Greek we know of to do so. For no further battle, it is said, took place betweenAeneas andDiomedes with hisArgives. One of the many ambitions of theAthenians was to reduce allItaly, but the disaster atSyracuse prevented their trying conclusions with the Romans.Alexander, son ofNeoptolemus, of the same family asPyrrhus but older, died among theLeucani before he could meet the Romans in battle.

§ 1.12.1  SoPyrrhus was the first to cross theIonian Sea from Greece to attack the Romans. And even he crossed on the invitation of theTarentines. For they were already involved in a war with the Romans, but were no match for them unaided.Pyrrhus was already in their debt, because they had sent a fleet to help him in his war withCorcyra, but the most cogent arguments of theTarentine envoys were their accounts ofItaly, how its prosperity was equal to that of the whole of Greece, and their plea that it was wicked to dismiss them when they had come as friends and suppliants in their hour of need. When the envoys urged these considerations,Pyrrhus remembered the capture ofTroy, which he took to be an omen of his success in the war, as he was a descendant ofAchilles making war upon a colony ofTrojans.

§ 1.12.2  Pleased with this proposal, and being a man who never lost time when once he had made up his mind, he immediately proceeded to man war ships and to prepare transports to carryhorses and men-at-arms. There are books written by men of no renown as authors, entitled “Memoirs.” When I read these I marvelled greatly both at the personal bravery ofPyrrhus in battle, and also at the forethought he displayed whenever a contest was imminent. So on this occasion also when crossing toItaly with a fleet he eluded the observation of the Romans, and for some time after his arrival they were unaware of his presence; it was only when the Romans made an attack upon theTarentines that he appeared on the scene with his army, and his unexpected assault naturally threw his enemies into confusion.

§ 1.12.3  And being perfectly aware that he was no match for the Romans, he prepared to let loose against them his elephants. The first European to acquire elephants wasAlexander, after subduingPorus and the power of theIndians; after his death others of the kings got them butAntigonus more than any;Pyrrhus captured his beasts in the battle withDemetrius. When on this occasion they came in sight the Romans were seized with panic, and did not believe they were animals.

§ 1.12.4  For although the use of ivory in arts and crafts all men obviously have known from of old, the actual beasts, before theMacedonians crossed intoAsia, nobody had seen at all except theIndians themselves, theLibyans, and their neighbours. This is proved byHomer, who describes the couches and houses of the more prosperous kings as ornamented with ivory, but never mentions the beast; but if he had seen or heard about it he would, in my opinion have been much more likely to speak of it than of thebattle between thePygmies and cranes.

§ 1.12.5  Pyrrhus was brought over toSicily by an embassy of theSyracusans. TheCarthaginians had crossed over and were destroying the Greek cities, and had sat down to investSyracuse, the only one now remaining. WhenPyrrhus heard this from the envoys he abandonedTarentum and the Italiots on the coast, and crossing intoSicily forced theCarthaginians to raise the siege ofSyracuse. In his self-conceit, although theCarthaginians, beingPhoenicians ofTyre by ancient descent, were more experienced sea men than any other non-Greek people of that day,Pyrrhus was nevertheless encouraged to meet them in a naval battle, employing theEpeirots, the majority of whom, even after the capture ofTroy, knew no thing of the sea nor even as yet how to use salt. Witness the words ofHomer in theOdyssey: — Nothing they know of ocean, and mix not salt with their victuals.” 11.122

§ 1.13.1  Worsted on this occasionPyrrhus put back with the remainder of his vessels toTarentum. Here he met with a serious reverse, and his retirement, for he knew that the Romans would not let him depart without striking a blow, he contrived in the following manner. On his return fromSicily and his defeat, he first sent various dispatches toAsia and toAntigonus, asking some of the kings for troops, some for money, andAntigonus for both. When the envoys returned and their dispatches were delivered, he summoned those in authority, whetherEpeirot orTarentine, and without reading any of the dispatches declared that reinforcements would come. A report spread quickly even to the Romans thatMacedonians and Asiatic tribes also were crossing to the aid ofPyrrhus. The Romans, on hearing this, made no move, butPyrrhus on the approach of that very night crossed to the headlands of the mountains calledCeraunian.

§ 1.13.2  After the defeat inItalyPyrrhus gave his forces a rest and then declared war onAntigonus, his chief ground of complaint being the failure to send reinforcements toItaly. Overpowering the native troops ofAntigonus and his Gallic mercenaries he pursued them to the coast cities, and himself reduced upperMacedonia and theThessalians. The extent of the fighting and the decisive character of the victory ofPyrrhus are shown best by theCeltic armour dedicated in thesanctuary ofItonianAthena betweenPherae andLarisa, with this inscription on them:

§ 1.13.3  “Pyrrhus theMolossian hung these shields
taken from the bold Gauls as a gift toItonianAthena, when he had destroyed all the host
ofAntigonus. 'Tis no great marvel. TheAeacidae are warriors now, even as they were of old.”
These shields then are here, but the bucklers of theMacedonians themselves he dedicated toDodonianZeus. They too have an inscription:
“These once ravaged goldenAsia, and brought slavery upon the Greeks. Now ownerless they lie by the pillars of thetemple of Zeus, spoils of boastfulMacedonia.”
Pyrrhus came very near to reducingMacedonia entirely, but,

§ 1.13.4  being usually readier to do what came first to hand, he was prevented byCleonymus. ThisCleonymus, who persuadedPyrrhus to abandon hisMacedonian adventure and to go to thePeloponnesus, was aLacedemonian who led an hostile army into theLacedemonian territory for a reason which I will relate after giving the descent ofCleonymus.Pausanias, who was in command of the Greeks atPlataea, was the father ofPleistoanax, he ofPausanias, and he ofCleombrotus, who was killed atLeuctra fighting againstEpaminondas and theThebans.Cleombrotus was the father ofAgesipolis andCleomenes, and,Agesipolis dying without issue,Cleomenes ascended the throne.

§ 1.13.5  Cleomenes had two sons, the elder beingAcrotatus and the youngerCleonymus. NowAcrotatus died first; and when afterwardsCleomenes died, a claim to the throne was put forward byAreus son ofAcrotatus, andCleonymus took steps to inducePyrrhus to enter the country. Before the battle ofLeuctra theLacedemonians had suffered no disaster, so that they even refused to admit that they had yet been worsted in a land battle. ForLeonidas, they said, had won the victory, but his followers were insufficient for the entire destruction of thePersians; the achievement ofDemosthenes and theAthenians on the island ofSphacteria was no victory, but only a trick in war.

§ 1.13.6  Their first reverse took place inBoeotia, and they afterwards suffered a severe defeat at the hands ofAntipater and theMacedonians. Thirdly the war withDemetrius came as an unexpected misfortune to their land. Invaded byPyrrhus and seeing a hostile army for the fourth time, they arrayed themselves to meet it along with theArgives andMessenians who had come as their allies.Pyrrhus won the day, and came near to capturingSparta without further fighting, but desisted for a while after ravaging the land and carrying off plunder. The citizens prepared for a siege, andSparta even before this in the war withDemetrius had been fortified with deep trenches and strong stakes, and at the most vulnerable points with buildings as well.

§ 1.13.7  Just about this time, while theLaconian war was dragging on,Antigonus, having recovered theMacedonian cities, hastened to thePeloponnesus being well aware that ifPyrrhus were to reduceLacedemon and the greater part of thePeloponnesus, he would not return toEpeirus but toMacedonia to make war there again. WhenAntigonus was about to lead his army fromArgos intoLaconia,Pyrrhus himself reachedArgos. Victorious once more he dashed into the city along with the fugitives, and his formation not unnaturally was broken up.

§ 1.13.8  When the fighting was now taking place by sanctuaries and houses, and in the narrow lanes, between detached bodies in different parts of the town,Pyrrhus left by himself was wounded in the head. It is said that his death was caused by a blow from a tile thrown by a woman. TheArgives however declare that it was not a woman who killed him butDemeter in the likeness of a woman. This is what theArgives themselves relate about his end, andLyceas, the guide for the neighborhood, has written a poem which confirms the story. They have a sanctuary ofDemeter, built at the command of the oracle, on the spot wherePyrrhus died, and in itPyrrhus is buried.

§ 1.13.9  I consider it remarkable that of those styledAeacidae three met their end by similar heaven-sent means; if, asHomer says,Achilles was to be killed byAlexander, son ofPriam, and byApollo, if theDelphians were bidden by thePythia to slayPyrrhus, son ofAchilles, and if the end of the son ofAeacides was such as theArgives say andLyceas has described in his poem. The account, however, given byHieronymus theCardian is different, for a man who associates with royalty cannot help being a partial historian. IfPhilistus was justified in suppressing the most wicked deeds ofDionysius, because he expected his return toSyracuse, surelyHieronymus may be fully forgiven for writing to pleaseAntigonus.

§ 1.14.1  So ended the period ofEpeirot ascendancy. When you have entered theOdeum atAthens you meet, among other objects, a figure ofDionysus worth seeing. Hard by is a spring calledEnneacrunos (Nine Jets), embellished as you see it byPeisistratus. There are cisterns all over the city, but this is the only fountain. Above the spring are two temples, one toDemeter andKore, while in that ofTriptolemus is a statue of him. The accounts given ofTriptolemus I shall write, omitting from the story as much as relates toDeiope.

§ 1.14.2  The Greeks who dispute most theAthenian claim to antiquity and the gifts they say they have received from the gods are theArgives, just as among those who are not Greeks theEgyptians compete with thePhrygians. It is said, then, that whenDemeter came toArgos she was received byPelasgus into his home, and thatChrysanthis, knowing about the rape ofKore, related the story to her. AfterwardsTrochilus, the priest of the mysteries, fled, they say, fromArgos because of the enmity ofAgenor, came toAttica and married a woman ofEleusis, by whom he had two children,Eubuleus andTriptolemus. That is the account given by theArgives. But theAthenians and those who with them . . . know thatTriptolemus, son ofCeleus, was the first to sow seed for cultivation.

§ 1.14.3  Some extant verses ofMusaeus, if indeed they are to be included among his works, say thatTriptolemus was the son ofOceanus andEarth; while those ascribed toOrpheus (though in my opinion the received authorship is again incorrect) say thatEubuleus andTriptolemus were sons ofDysaules, and that because they gaveDemeter information about her daughter the sowing of seed was her reward to them. ButChoerilus, anAthenian, who wrote a play calledAlope, says thatCercyon andTriptolemus were brothers, that their mother was the daughter ofAmphictyon, while the father ofTriptolemus wasRarus, ofCercyon,Poseidon. After I had intended to go further into this story, and to describe the contents of the sanctuary atAthens, called theEleusinium, I was stayed by a vision in a dream. I shall therefore turn to those things it is lawful to write of to all men.

§ 1.14.4  In front of this temple, where is also the statue ofTriptolemus, is a bronzebull being led as it were to sacrifice, and there is a sitting figure ofEpimenides ofCnossus, who they say entered a cave in the country and slept. And the sleep did not leave him before the fortieth year, and afterwards he wrote verses and purifiedAthens and other cities. ButThales who stayed the plague for theLacedemonians was not related toEpimenides in any way, and belonged to a different city. The latter was fromCnossus, butThales was fromGortyn, according toPolymnastus ofColophon, who composed a poem about him for theLacedemonians.

§ 1.14.5  Still farther off is a temple toEukleia (Glory), this too being a thank-offering for the victory over thePersians, who had landed atMarathon. This is the victory of which I am of opinion theAthenians were proudest; whileAeschylus, who had won such renown for his poetry and for his share in the naval battles beforeArtemisium and atSalamis, recorded at the prospect of death nothing else, and merely wrote his name, his father's name, and the name of his city, and added that he had witnesses to his valor in the grove atMarathon and in thePersians who landed there.

§ 1.14.6  Above theCerameicus and the stoa called theRoyal Stoa is atemple ofHephaestus. I was not surprised that by it stands a statue ofAthena, because I knew the story aboutErichthonius. But when I saw that the statue ofAthena had blue eyes I found out that the legend about them is Libyan. For theLibyans have a saying that the Goddess is the daughter ofPoseidon and LakeTritonis, and for this reason has blue eyes likePoseidon.

§ 1.14.7  Hard by is asanctuary of theHeavenly Aphrodite; the first men to establish her cult were theAssyrians, after theAssyrians thePaphians ofCyprus and thePhoenicians who live atAscalon inPalestine; thePhoenicians taught her worship to the people ofCythera. Among theAthenians the cult was established byAegeus, who thought that he was childless (he had, in fact, no children at the time) and that his sisters had suffered their misfortune because of the wrath ofHeavenlyAphrodite. The statue still extant is ofParian marble and is the work ofPheidias. One of theAthenian demes is that of theAthmoneis, who say thatPorphyrion, an earlier king thanActaeus, founded their sanctuary of the Heavenly One. But the traditions current among the demes often differ altogether from those of the city.

§ 1.15.1  As you go to the stoa which they callPoikile, because of its pictures, there is a bronze statue ofHermesAgoraios, and near it a gate. On it is a trophy erected by theAthenians, who in a cavalry action overcamePleistarchus, to whose command his brotherCassander had entrusted his cavalry and mercenaries. Thisstoa contains, first, theAthenians arrayed against theLacedemonians atOenoe in theArgive territory. What is depicted is not the crisis of the battle nor when the action had advanced as far as the display of deeds of valor, but the beginning of the fight when the combatants were about to close.

§ 1.15.2  On the middle wall are theAthenians andTheseus fighting with theAmazons. So, it seems, only the women did not lose through their defeats their reckless courage in the face of danger;Themiscyra was taken byHeracles, and afterwards the army which they dispatched toAthens was destroyed, but nevertheless they came toTroy to fight all the Greeks as well as theAthenians them selves. After theAmazons come the Greeks when they have takenTroy, and the kings assembled on account of the outrage committed byAjax againstCassandra. The picture includesAjax himself,Cassandra and other captive women.

§ 1.15.3  At the end of the painting are those who fought atMarathon; theBoeotians ofPlataea and theAttic contingent are coming to blows with the foreigners. In this place neither side has the better, but the center of the fighting shows the foreigners in flight and pushing one another into the morass, while at the end of the painting are thePhoenician ships, and the Greeks killing the foreigners who are scrambling into them. Here is also a portrait of the heroMarathon, after whom the plain is named, ofTheseus represented as coming up from the underworld, ofAthena and ofHeracles. TheMarathonians, according to their own account, were the first to regardHeracles as a god. Of the fighters the most conspicuous figures in the painting areCallimachus, who had been elected commander-in-chief by theAthenians,Miltiades, one of the generals, and a hero calledEchetlus, of whom I shall make mention later.

§ 1.15.4  Here are dedicated brazen shields, and some have an inscription that they are taken from theScioneans and their allies, while others, smeared with pitch lest they should be worn by age and rust, are said to be those of theLacedemonians who were taken prisoners in the island ofSphacteria.

§ 1.16.1  Here are placed bronze statues, one, in front of the stoa, ofSolon, who composed the laws for theAthenians, and, a little farther away, one ofSeleucus, whose future prosperity was foreshadowed by unmistakable signs. When he was about to set forth fromMacedonia withAlexander, and was sacrificing atPella toZeus, the wood that lay on the altar advanced of its own accord to the image and caught fire without the application of a light. On the death ofAlexander,Seleucus, in fear ofAntigonus, who had arrived atBabylon, fled toPtolemy, son ofLagus, and then returned again toBabylon. On his return he overcame the army ofAntigonus and killedAntigonus himself, afterwards capturingDemetrius, son ofAntigonus, who had advanced with an army.

§ 1.16.2  After these successes, which were shortly followed by the fall ofLysimachus, he entrusted to his sonAntiochus all his empire inAsia, and himself proceeded rapidly towardsMacedonia, having with him an army both of Greeks and of foreigners. ButPtolemy, brother ofLysandra, had taken refuge with him fromLysimachus; this man, an adventurous character named for this reason Keraunos (Thunderbolt), when the army ofSeleucus had advanced as far asLysimachia, assassinatedSeleucus, allowed the kings to seize his wealth, and ruled overMacedonia until, being the first of the kings to my knowledge to dare to meet the Gauls in battle, he was killed by the foreigners. The empire was recovered byAntigonus, son ofDemetrius.

§ 1.16.3  I am persuaded thatSeleucus was the most righteous, and in particular the most religious of the kings. Firstly, it wasSeleucus who sent back toBranchidae for theMilesians the bronzeApollo that had been carried byXerxes toEcbatana inPersia. Secondly, when he foundedSeleucea on the riverTigris and brought to itBabylonian colonists he spared the wall ofBabylon as well as the sanctuary ofBel, near which he permitted theChaldeans to live.

§ 1.17.1  In theAthenianAgora among the objects not generally known is an altar toMercy, of all divinities the most useful in the life of mortals and in the vicissitudes of fortune, but honored by theAthenians alone among the Greeks. And they are conspicuous not only for their humanity but also for their devotion to religion. They have an altar toAidos (Shamefastness), one toPheme (Rumor) and one toOrme (Effort). It is quite obvious that those who excel in piety are correspondingly rewarded by good fortune.

§ 1.17.2  In thegymnasium not far from theAgora, calledPtolemy's from the founder, are stone Hermae well worth seeing and a likeness in bronze ofPtolemy. Here also isJuba the Libyan andChrysippus ofSoli. Hard by thegymnasium is asanctuary ofTheseus, where are pictures ofAthenians fightingAmazons. This war they have also represented on the shield of theirAthena and upon the pedestal of theOlympian Zeus. In thesanctuary ofTheseus is also a painting of the battle between theCentaurs and theLapithae.Theseus has already killed aCentaur, but elsewhere the fighting is still undecided.

§ 1.17.3  The painting on the third wall is not intelligible to those unfamiliar with the traditions, partly through age and partly becauseMicon has not represented in the picture the whole of the legend. WhenMinos was takingTheseus and the rest of the company of young folk toCrete he fell in love withPeriboea, and on meeting with determined opposition fromTheseus, hurled insults at him and denied that he was a son ofPoseidon, since he could not recover for him the signet-ring, which he happened to be wearing, if he threw it into the sea. With these wordsMinos is said to have thrown the ring, but they say thatTheseus came up from the sea with that ring and also with a gold crown thatAmphitrite gave him.

§ 1.17.4  The accounts of the end ofTheseus are many and inconsistent. They say he was kept a prisoner untilHeracles restored him to the light of day, but the most plausible account I have heard is this.Theseus invadedThesprotia to carry off the wife of theThesprotian king, and in this way lost the greater part of his army, and both he andPeirithous (he too was taking part in the expedition, being eager for the marriage) were taken captive. TheThesprotian king kept them prisoners atCichyrus.

§ 1.17.5  Among the sights ofThesprotia are a sanctuary ofZeus atDodona and an oak sacred to the god. NearCichyrus is a lake calledAcherusia, and a river calledAcheron. There is alsoCocytus, a most unlovely stream. I believe it was becauseHomer had seen these places that he made bold to describe in his poems the regions ofHades, and gave to the rivers there the names of those inThesprotia. WhileTheseus was thus kept in bonds, the sons ofTyndareus marched againstAphidna, captured it and restoredMenestheus to the kingdom.

§ 1.17.6  NowMenestheus took no account of the children ofTheseus, who had secretly withdrawn toElephenor inEuboea, but he was aware thatTheseus, if ever he returned fromThesprotia, would be a doughty antagonist, and so curried favour with his subjects thatTheseus on recovering afterwards his liberty was expelled. SoTheseus set out toDeucalion inCrete. Being carried out of his course by winds to the island ofScyros he was treated with marked honor by the inhabitants, both for the fame of his family and for the reputation of his own achievements. AccordinglyLycomedes contrived his death. Hisshrine was built atAthens after thePersians landed atMarathon, whenCimon, son ofMiltiades, ravagedScyros, thus avengingTheseus' death, and carried his bones toAthens.

§ 1.18.1  Thesanctuary of theDioscuri is ancient. They themselves are represented as standing, while their sons are seated onhorses. HerePolygnotus has painted the marriage of the daughters ofLeucippus, a part of the gods' history, butMicon those who sailed withJason to theColchians, and he has concentrated his attention uponAcastus and hishorses.

§ 1.18.2  Above thesanctuary of theDioscuri is asacred enclosure ofAglaurus. It was toAglaurus and her sisters,Herse andPandrosus, that they sayAthena gaveErichthonius, whom she had hidden in a chest, forbidding them to pry curiously into what was entrusted to their charge.Pandrosus, they say, obeyed, but the other two (for they opened the chest) went mad when they sawErichthonius, and threw themselves down the steepest part of theAcropolis. Here it was that thePersians climbed and killed theAthenians who thought that they understood the oracle better than didThemistocles, and fortified theAcropolis with logs and stakes.

§ 1.18.3  Hard by is thePrytaneum (Town-hall), in which the laws ofSolon are inscribed, and figures are placed of the goddessesPeace andHestia (Hearth), while among the statues isAutolycus the pancratiast. For the likenesses ofMiltiades andThemistocles have had their titles changed to a Roman and a Thracian.

§ 1.18.4  As you descend from here to the lower part of the city, is a sanctuary ofSerapis, whose worship theAthenians introduced fromPtolemy. Of theEgyptian sanctuaries ofSerapis the most famous is atAlexandria, the oldest atMemphis. Into this neither stranger nor priest may enter, until they buryApis. Not far from the sanctuary ofSerapis is the place where they say thatPeirithous andTheseus made their pact before setting forth toLacedemon and afterwards toThesprotia.

§ 1.18.5  Hard by is built a temple ofEileithyia, who they say came from theHyperboreans toDelos and helpedLeto in her labour; and fromDelos the name spread to other peoples. TheDelians sacrifice toEileithyia and sing a hymn ofOlen. But theCretans suppose thatEileithyia was born atAmnisus in theCnossian territory, and thatHera was her mother. Only among theAthenians are thexoana ofEileithyia draped to the feet. The women told me that two areCretan, being offerings ofPhaedra, and that the third, which is the oldest,Erysichthon brought fromDelos.

§ 1.18.6  Before the entrance to thesanctuary of Olympian Zeus —Hadrian the Roman emperor dedicated the temple and the statue, one worth seeing, which in size exceeds all other statues save the colossi atRhodes andRome, and is made of ivory and gold with an artistic skill which is remarkable when the size is taken into account — before the entrance, I say, stand statues ofHadrian, two ofThasian stone, two ofEgyptian. Before the pillars stand bronze statues which theAthenians call “colonies.” The whole circumference of the precincts is about four stades, and they are full of statues; for every city has dedicated a likeness of the emperorHadrian, and theAthenians have surpassed them in dedicating, behind the temple, the remarkable colossus.

§ 1.18.7  Within the precincts are antiquities: a bronzeZeus, atemple ofCronus andRhea and an enclosure ofEarth surnamedOlympian. Here the floor opens to the width of a cubit, and they say that along this bed flowed off the water after the deluge that occurred in the time ofDeucalion, and into it they cast every year wheat meal mixed with honey.

§ 1.18.8  On a pillar is a statue ofIsocrates, whose memory is remarkable for three things: his diligence in continuing to teach to the end of his ninety-eight years, his self-restraint in keeping aloof from politics and from interfering with public affairs, and his love of liberty in dying a voluntary death, distressed at the news of the battle atChaeronea. There are also statues inPhrygian marble ofPersians supporting a bronze tripod; both the figures and the tripod are worth seeing. The ancient sanctuary ofOlympian Zeus theAthenians say was built byDeucalion, and they cite as evidence thatDeucalion lived atAthens a grave which is not far from the present temple.

§ 1.18.9  Hadrian constructed other buildings also for theAthenians: atemple ofHera andZeusPanhellenios, and a shared sanctuary for all the gods, and, most famous of all, a hundred pillars ofPhrygian marble [Hadrian's library]. The walls too are constructed of the same material as the cloisters. And there are rooms there adorned with a gilded roof and with alabaster stone, as well as with statues and paintings. In them are kept books. There is also a gymnasium named afterHadrian; of this too the pillars are a hundred in number from the Libyan quarries.

§ 1.19.1  Close to thetemple of Olympian Zeus is a statue of thePythianApollo. There is anothersanctuary ofApollo surnamedDelphinius. The story has it that when the temple was finished with the exception of the roof,Theseus arrived in the city, a stranger as yet to everybody. When he came to thetemple of the Delphinian, wearing a tunic that reached to his feet and with his hair neatly plaited, those who were building the roof mockingly inquired what a marriageable virgin was doing wandering about by herself. The only answer thatTheseus made was to loose, it is said, theoxen from the cart hard by, and to throw them higher than the roof of the temple they were building.

§ 1.19.2  Concerning the district called Kepoi (Gardens), and the temple ofAphrodite, there is no story that is told by them, nor yet about theAphrodite which stands near the temple. Now the shape of it is square, like that of the Hermae, and the inscription declares that theHeavenly Aphrodite is the oldest of those calledFates. But the statue ofAphrodite in the Gardens is the work ofAlcamenes, and one of the most noteworthy things inAthens.

§ 1.19.3  There is also the place calledCynosarges, sacred toHeracles; the story of the whitedog may be known by reading the oracle. There are altars ofHeracles andHebe, who they think is the daughter ofZeus and wife toHeracles. An altar has been built toAlcmena and toIolaus, who shared withHeracles most of his labours. TheLyceum has its name fromLycus, the son ofPandion, but it was considered sacred toApollo from the beginning down to my time, and here was the god first namedLyceius. There is a legend that theTermilae also, to whomLycus came when he fled fromAegeus, were called Lycii after him.

§ 1.19.4  Behind theLyceum is a monument ofNisus, who was killed while king ofMegara byMinos, and theAthenians carried him here and buried him. About thisNisus there is a legend. His hair, they say, was red, and it was fated that he should die on its being cut off. When theCretans attacked the country, they captured the other cities of theMegarid by assault, butNisaea, in whichNisus had taken refuge, they beleaguered. The story says how the daughter ofNisus, falling in love here withMinos, cut off her father's hair.

§ 1.19.5  Such is the legend. The rivers that flow throughAthenian territory are theIlissos and its tributary theEridanus, whose name is the same as that of theCeltic river. ThisIlissos is the river by whichOreithyia was playing when, according to the story, she was carried off by theNorth Wind. WithOreithyia he lived in wedlock, and because of the tie between him and theAthenians he helped them by destroying most of the foreigners' warships. TheAthenians hold that theIlisus is sacred to other deities as well, and on its bank is an altar of the IlisianMuses. The place too is pointed out where thePeloponnesians killedCodrus, son ofMelanthus and king ofAthens.

§ 1.19.6  Across theIlissos is a district calledAgrae and atemple ofArtemisAgrotera (the Huntress). They say thatArtemis first hunted here when she came fromDelos, and for this reason the statue carries a bow. A marvel to the eyes, though not so impressive to hear of, is arace-course of white marble, the size of which can best be estimated from the fact that beginning in a crescent on the heights above theIlissos it descends in two straight lines to the river bank. This was built byHerodes, anAthenian, and the greater part of thePentelic quarry was exhausted in its construction.

§ 1.20.1  Leading from thePrytaneum is a road calledTripods. The place takes its name from thetemples, which while large enough to hold the bronze tripods that stand upon them, contain very remarkable works of art, including aSatyr, of whichPraxiteles is said to have been very proud.Phryne once asked of him the most beautiful of his works, and the story goes that lover-like he agreed to give it, but refused to say which he thought the most beautiful. So a slave ofPhryne rushed in saying that a fire had broken out in the studio ofPraxiteles, and the greater number of his works were lost, though not all were destroyed.

§ 1.20.2  Praxiteles at once started to rush through the door crying that his labour was all wasted if indeed the flames had caught hisSatyr and hisEros. ButPhryne bade him stay and be of good courage, for he had suffered no grievous loss, but had been trapped into confessing which were the most beautiful of his works. SoPhryne chose the statue ofEros; while aSatyr is in thetemple ofDionysus hard by, a boy holding out a cup. TheEros standing with him and theDionysus were made byThymilus.

§ 1.20.3  The oldest sanctuary ofDionysus is near thetheater. Within the precincts are twotemples and twoDionysuses, theEleuthereus and the oneAlcamenes made of ivory and gold. There are paintings here —Dionysus bringingHephaestus up to heaven. One of the Greek legends is thatHephaestus, when he was born, was thrown down byHera. In revenge he sent as a gift a golden chair with invisible fetters. WhenHera sat down she was held fast, andHephaestus refused to listen to any other of the gods saveDionysus — in him he reposed the fullest trust — and after making him drunkDionysus brought him to heaven. Besides this picture there are also representedPentheus andLycurgus paying the penalty of their insolence toDionysus,Ariadne asleep,Theseus putting out to sea, andDionysus on his arrival to carry offAriadne.

§ 1.20.4  Near the sanctuary ofDionysus and thetheater is astructure, which is said to be a copy ofXerxes' tent. It has been rebuilt, for the old building was burnt by the Roman generalSulla when he tookAthens. The cause of the war was this.Mithridates was king over the foreigners around theEuxine. Now the grounds on which he made war against the Romans, how he crossed intoAsia, and the cities he took by force of arms or made his friends, I must leave for those to find out who wish to know the history ofMithridates, and I shall confine my narrative to the capture ofAthens.

§ 1.20.5  There was anAthenian,Aristion, whomMithridates employed as his envoy to the Greek cities. He induced theAthenians to joinMithridates rather than the Romans, although he did not induce all, but only the lower orders, and only the turbulent among them. The respectableAthenians fled to the Romans of their own accord. In the engagement that ensued the Romans won a decisive victory;Aristion and theAthenians they drove in flight into the city,Archelaus and the foreigners into thePeiraeus. ThisArchelaus was another general ofMithridates, whom earlier than this theMagnetes, who inhabitSipylus, wounded when he raided their territory, killing most of the foreigners as well. SoAthens was invested.

§ 1.20.6  Taxilus, a general ofMithridates, was at the time besiegingElatea inPhocis, but on receiving the news he withdrew his troops towardsAttica. Learning this, the Roman general entrusted the siege ofAthens to a portion of his army, and with the greater part of his forces advanced in person to meetTaxilus inBoeotia. On the third day from this, news came to both the Roman armies;Sulla heard that theAthenian fortifications had been stormed, and the besieging force learnt thatTaxilus had been defeated in battle nearChaeronea. WhenSulla returned toAttica he imprisoned in theCerameicus theAthenians who had opposed him, and one chosen by lot out of every ten he ordered to be led to execution.

§ 1.20.7  Sulla abated nothing of his wrath against theAthenians, and so a few effected an escape toDelphi, and asked if the time were now come when it was fated forAthens also to be made desolate, receiving from thePythia the response about the wine skin. AfterwardsSulla was smitten with the disease which I learn attackedPherecydes the Syrian. AlthoughSulla's treatment of theAthenian people was so savage as to be unworthy of a Roman, I do not think that this was the cause of his calamity, but rather the vengeance ofHikesios (protector of suppliants), for he had draggedAristion from the sanctuary ofAthena, where he had taken refuge, and killed him. Such wise wasAthens sorely afflicted by the war withRome, but she flourished again whenHadrian was emperor.

§ 1.21.1  In thetheater theAthenians have portrait statues of poets, both tragic and comic, but they are mostly of undistinguished persons. With the exception ofMenander no poet of comedy represented here won a reputation, but tragedy has two illustrious representatives,Euripides andSophocles. There is a legend that after the death ofSophocles theLacedemonians invadedAttica, and their commander saw in a visionDionysus, who bade him honor, with all the customary honors of the dead, the newSiren. He interpreted the dream as referring toSophocles and his poetry, and down to the present day men are wont to liken to aSiren whatever is charming in both poetry and prose.

§ 1.21.2  The likeness ofAeschylus is, I think, much later than his death and than the painting which depicts the action atMarathonAeschylus himself said that when a youth he slept while watching grapes in a field, and thatDionysus appeared and bade him write tragedy. When day came, in obedience to the vision, he made an attempt and hereafter found composing quite easy.

§ 1.21.3  Such were his words. On the South wall, as it is called, of theAcropolis, which faces thetheater, there is dedicated a gilded head ofMedusa theGorgon, and round it is wrought an aegis. At the top of thetheater is acave in the rocks under theAcropolis. This also has a tripod over it, wherein areApollo andArtemis slaying the children ofNiobe. ThisNiobe I myself saw when I had gone up to MountSipylus. When you are near it is a beetling crag, with not the slightest resemblance to a woman, mourning or otherwise; but if you go further away you will think you see a woman in tears, with head bowed down.

§ 1.21.4  On the way to theAthenianAcropolis from thetheater is the tomb ofCalos.Daedalus murdered thisCalos, who was his sister's son and a student of his craft, and therefore he fled toCrete; afterwards he escaped toCocalus inSicily. Thesanctuary ofAsclepius is worth seeing both for its paintings and for the statues of the god and his children. In it there is a spring, by which they say thatPoseidon's sonHalirrhothius defloweredAlcippe the daughter ofAres, who killed the ravisher and was the first to be put on his trial for the shedding of blood.

§ 1.21.5  Among the votive offerings there is aSauromatic breast plate. On seeing this a man will say that no less than Greeks are foreigners skilled in the arts. For theSauromatae have no iron, neither mined by themselves nor yet imported. They have, in fact, no dealings at all with the foreigners around them. To meet this deficiency they have contrived inventions. In place of iron they use bone for their spear-blades, and cornel-wood for their bows and arrows, with bone points for the arrows. They throw a lasso round any enemy they meet, and then turning round theirhorses upset the enemy caught in the lasso.

§ 1.21.6  Their breastplates they make in the following fashion. Each man keeps many mares, since the land is not divided into private allotments, nor does it bear any thing except wild trees, as the people are nomads. These mares they not only use for war, but also sacrifice them to the local gods and eat them for food. Their hoofs they collect, clean, split, and make from them as it were python scales. Whoever has never seen a python must at least have seen a pine-cone still green. He will not be mistaken if he liken the product from the hoof to the segments that are seen on the pine-cone. These pieces they bore and stitch together with the sinews ofhorses andoxen, and then use them as breastplates that are as handsome and strong as those of the Greeks. For they can withstand blows of missiles and those struck in close combat.

§ 1.21.7  Linen breastplates are not so useful to fighters, for they let the iron pass through, if the blow be a violent one. They aid hunters, how ever, for the teeth oflions or leopards break off in them. You may see linen breastplates dedicated in other sanctuaries, notably in that atGryneum, where there is a most beautiful grove ofApollo, with cultivated trees, and all those which, although they bear no fruit, are pleasing to smell or look upon.

§ 1.22.1  After thesanctuary of Asclepius, as you go by this way towards theAcropolis, there is atemple ofThemis. Before it is raised a sepulchral mound toHippolytus. The end of his life, they say, came from curses. Everybody, even a foreigner who has learnt Greek, knows about the love ofPhaedra and the wickedness the nurse dared commit to serve her. TheTroezenians too have a grave ofHippolytus, and their legend about it is this.

§ 1.22.2  WhenTheseus was about to marryPhaedra, not wishing, should he have children,Hippolytus either to be their subject or to be king in their stead, sent him toPittheus to be brought up and to be the future king ofTroezen. AfterwardsPallas and his sons rebelled againstTheseus. After putting them to death he went toTroezen for purification, andPhaedra first sawHippolytus there. Falling in love with him she contrived the plot for his death. TheTroezenians have a myrtle with every one of its leaves pierced; they say that it did not grow originally in this fashion, the holes being due toPhaedra's disgust with love and to the pin which she wore in her hair.

§ 1.22.3  WhenTheseus had united into one state the manyAthenian demes, he established thecults ofAphroditePandemos and ofPeitho (Persuasion). The old statues no longer existed in my time, but those I saw were the work of no inferior artists. There is also a sanctuary ofEarthKourotrophos, and ofDemeterChloe (Green). You can learn all about their names by conversing with the priests.

§ 1.22.4  There is but one entry to theAcropolis. It affords no other, being precipitous throughout and having a strong wall. ThePropylaia has a roof of white marble, and down to the present day it is unrivalled for the beauty and size of its stones. Now as to the statues of the horsemen, I cannot tell for certain whether they are the sons ofXenophon or whether they were made merely to beautify the place. On the right of thePropylaia is atemple ofWinglessNike (Victory). From this point the sea is visible, and here it was that, according to legend,Aegeus threw himself down to his death.

§ 1.22.5  For the ship that carried the young people toCrete began her voyage with black sails; butTheseus, who was sailing on an adventure against thebull ofMinos, as it is called, had told his father beforehand that he would use white sails if he should sail back victorious over thebull. But the loss ofAriadne made him forget the signal. ThenAegeus, when from this eminence he saw the vessel borne by black sails, thinking that his son was dead, threw himself down to destruction. There is atAthens a sanctuary dedicated to him, and called the hero-shrine ofAegeus.

§ 1.22.6  On the left of thePropylaia is abuilding with pictures. Among those not effaced by time I foundDiomedes taking theAthena fromTroy, and [Odysseus] inLemnos taking away the bow ofPhiloctetes. There in the pictures isOrestes killingAegisthus, andPylades killing the sons ofNauplius who had come to bringAegisthus succor. And there isPolyxena about to be sacrificed near the grave ofAchilles.Homer did well in passing by this barbarous act. I think too that he showed poetic insight in makingAchilles captureScyros, differing entirely from those who say thatAchilles lived inScyros with the maidens, asPolygnotus has represented in his picture. He also paintedOdysseus coming upon the women washing clothes withNausicaa at the river, just like the description inHomer. There are other pictures, including a portrait ofAlcibiades,

§ 1.22.7  and in the picture are emblems of the victory hishorses won atNemea. There is alsoPerseus journeying toSeriphos, and carrying toPolydectes the head ofMedusa, the legend about whom I am unwilling to relate in my description ofAttica. Included among the paintings — I omit the boy carrying the water-jars and the wrestler byTimaenetus — isMusaeus. I have read verse in whichMusaeus receives from theNorth Wind the gift of flight, but, in my opinion,Onomacritus wrote them, and there are no certainly genuine works ofMusaeus except a hymn toDemeter written for theLycomidae.

§ 1.22.8  Right at the very entrance to theAcropolis are aHermes (calledHermesPropylaios) and figures ofGraces, which tradition says were sculptured bySocrates, the son ofSophroniscus, who thePythia testified was the wisest of men, a title she refused toAnacharsis, although he desired it and came toDelphi to win it.

§ 1.23.1  Among the sayings of the Greeks is one that there were seven wise men. Two of them were the despot ofLesbos andPeriander the son ofCypselus. And yetPeisistratus and his sonHippias were more humane thanPeriander, wiser too in warfare and in statecraft, until, on account of the murder ofHipparchus,Hippias vented his passion against all and sundry, including a woman namedLeaena (Lioness).

§ 1.23.2  What I am about to say has never before been committed to writing, but is generally credited among theAthenians. WhenHipparchus died,Hippias torturedLeaena to death, because he knew she was the mistress ofAristogeiton, and therefore could not possibly, he held, be in ignorance of the plot. As a recompense, when the tyranny of thePeisistratidae was at an end, theAthenians put up a bronze lioness in memory of the woman, which they sayCallias dedicated andCalamis made.

§ 1.23.3  Hard by is a bronze statue ofDiitrephes shot through by arrows. Among the acts reported of thisDiitrephes by theAthenians is his leading back home the Thracian mercenaries who arrived too late to take part in the expedition ofDemosthenes againstSyracuse. He also put into the ChalcidicEuripus, where theBoeotians had an inland townMycalessus, marched up to this town from the coast and took it. Of the inhabitants theThracians put to the sword not only the combatants but also the women and children. I have evidence to bring. All theBoeotian towns which theThebans sacked were inhabited in my time, as the people escaped just before the capture; so if the foreigners had not exterminated theMycalessians the survivors would have afterwards reoccupied the town.

§ 1.23.4  I was greatly surprised to see the statue ofDiitrephes pierced with arrows, because the only Greeks whose custom it is to use that weapon are theCretans. For theOpuntian Locrians, whomHomer represents as coming toTroy with bows and slings, we know were armed as heavy infantry by the time of thePersian wars. Neither indeed did theMalians continue the practice of the bow; in fact, I believe that they did not know it before the time ofPhiloctetes, and gave it up soon after. Near the statue ofDiitrephes — I do not wish to write of the less distinguished portraits — are figures of gods: ofHygeia (health), whom legend calls daughter ofAsclepius, and ofAthena, also surnamedHygieia.

§ 1.23.5  There is also a smallish stone, just large enough to serve as a seat to a little man. On it legend saysSilenus rested whenDionysus came to the land. The oldest of theSatyrs they callSileni. Wishing to know better than most people who theSatyrs are I have inquired from many about this very point.Euphemus theCarian said that on a voyage toItaly he was driven out of his course by winds and was carried into the outer sea, beyond the course of seamen. He affirmed that there were many uninhabited islands, while in others lived wild men. The sailors did not wish to put in at the latter,

§ 1.23.6  because, having put in before, they had some experience of the inhabitants, but on this occasion they had no choice in the matter. The islands were called Satyrides by the sailors, and the inhabitants were red haired, and had upon their flanks tails not much smaller than those ofhorses. As soon as they caught sight of their visitors, they ran down to the ship without uttering a cry and assaulted the women in the ship. At last the sailors in fear cast a foreign woman onto the island. So theSatyrs outraged this woman not only in the usual place but her whole body similarly.

§ 1.23.7  I remember looking at other things also on the AthenianAcropolis, a bronze boy holding the perirrhanterion, byLycius son ofMyron, andMyron'sPerseus after beheadingMedusa. There is also asanctuary ofBrauronianArtemis; the image is the work ofPraxiteles, but the goddess derives her name from the deme ofBrauron. The oldxoanon is inBrauron, theTauricArtemis as she is called.

§ 1.23.8  There is thehorse called Wooden set up in bronze. That the work ofEpeius was a contrivance to make a breach in theTrojan wall is known to everybody who does not attribute utter silliness to thePhrygians. But legend says of thathorse that it contained the most valiant of the Greeks, and the design of the bronze figure fits in well with this story.Menestheus andTeucer are peeping out of it, and so are the sons ofTheseus.

§ 1.23.9  Of the statues that stand after thehorse, the likeness ofEpicharinus who practised the race in armour was made byCritius, whileOenobius performed a kind service forThucydides the son ofOlorus. He succeeded in getting a decree passed for the return ofThucydides toAthens, who was treacherously murdered as he was returning, and there is a monument to him not far from theMelitid gate.

§ 1.23.10  The stories ofHermolycus the pancratiast andPhormio the son ofAsopichus I omit, as others have told them. AboutPhormio, however, I have a detail to add. Quite one of the best men atAthens and distinguished for the fame of his ancestors he chanced to be heavily in debt. So he withdrew to the demePaeania and lived there until theAthenians elected him to command a naval expedition. But he refused the office on the ground that before his debts were discharged he lacked the spirit to face his troops. So theAthenians, who were absolutely determined to havePhormio as their commander, paid all his creditors.

§ 1.24.1  In this place is a statue ofAthena strikingMarsyas theSilenus for taking up the flutes that the goddess wished to be cast away for good. Opposite these I have mentioned is represented the fight which legend saysTheseus fought with the so-calledBull ofMinos, whether this was a man or a beast of the nature he is said to have been in the accepted story. For even in our time women have given birth to far more extraordinary monsters than this.

§ 1.24.2  There is also a statue ofPhrixus the son ofAthamas carried ashore to theColchians by the ram. Having sacrificed the animal to some god or other, presumably to the one called by theOrchomeniansLaphystius, he has cut out the thighs in accordance with Greek custom and is watching them as they burn. Next come other statues, including one ofHeracles strangling theserpents as the legend describes. There isAthena too coming up out of the head ofZeus, and also abull dedicated by the Council of theAreopagus on some occasion or other, about which, if one cared, one could make many conjectures.

§ 1.24.3  I have already stated that theAthenians are far more devoted to religion than other men. They were the first to surnameAthenaErgane (Worker); they were the first to set up limblessHermae, and the temple ... is shared by the daimonSpoudaios [or, of good men]. Those who prefer artistic workmanship to mere antiquity may look at the following: a man wearing a helmet, byCleoetas, whose nails the artist has made of silver, and an image ofEarth beseechingZeus to rain upon her; perhaps theAthenians themselves needed showers, or may be all the Greeks had been plagued with a drought. There also are set upTimotheus the son ofConon andConon himself;Procne too, who has already made up her mind about the boy, andItys as well — a group dedicated byAlcamenes.Athena is represented displaying the olive plant, andPoseidon the wave,

§ 1.24.4  and there are statues ofZeus, one made byLeochares and one calledPolieus (of the polis), the customary mode of sacrificing to whom I will give without adding the traditional reason thereof. Upon thealtar ofZeusPolieus they place barley mixed with wheat and leave it unguarded. Theox, which they keep already prepared for sacrifice, goes to the altar and partakes of the grain. One of the priests they call the ox-slayer, who kills theox and then, casting aside the axe here according to the ritual runs away. The others bring the axe to trial, as though they know not the man who did the deed.

§ 1.24.5  Their ritual, then, is such as I have described. As you enter the temple that they name theParthenon, all the sculptures you see on what is called the pediment refer to the birth ofAthena, those on the rear pediment represent the contest for the land betweenAthena andPoseidon. Theagalma itself is made of ivory and gold. On the middle of her helmet is placed a likeness of theSphinx — the tale of theSphinx I will give when I come to my description ofBoeotia — and on either side of the helmet are griffins in relief.

§ 1.24.6  These griffins,Aristeas ofProconnesus says in his poem, fight for the gold with theArimaspi beyond theIssedones. The gold which the griffins guard, he says, comes out of the earth; theArimaspi are men all born with one eye; griffins are beasts likelions, but with the beak and wings of aneagle. I will say no more about the griffins.

§ 1.24.7  Theagalma ofAthena is upright, with a tunic reaching to the feet, and on her breast the head ofMedusa is worked in ivory. She holds a statue ofVictory about four cubits high, and in the other hand a spear; at her feet lies a shield and near the spear is aserpent. Thisserpent would beErichthonius. On the pedestal is the birth ofPandora in relief.Hesiod and others have sung how thisPandora was the first woman; beforePandora was born there was as yet no womankind. The only portrait statue (eikon) I remember seeing here is one of the emperorHadrian, and at the entrance one ofIphicrates, who accomplished many remarkable achievements.

§ 1.24.8  Opposite thetemple is a bronzeApollo, said to be the work ofPheidias. They call itParnopion (Locust), because once when locusts were devastating the land the god said that he would drive them fromAttica. That he did drive them away they know, but they do not say how. I myself know that locusts have been destroyed three times in the past on MountSipylus, and not in the same way. Once a gale arose and swept them away; on another occasion violent heat came on after rain and destroyed them; the third time sudden cold caught them and they died.

§ 1.25.1  Such were the fates I saw befall the locusts. On theAthenianAcropolis is a statue ofPericles, the son ofXanthippus, and one ofXanthippus himself, who fought against thePersians at the naval battle ofMycale. But that ofPericles stands apart, while nearXanthippus standsAnacreon ofTeos, the first poet afterSappho ofLesbos to devote himself to love songs, and his posture is as it were that of a man singing when he is drunk.Deinomenes made the two female figures which stand near,Io, the daughter ofInachus, andCallisto, the daughter ofLycaon, of both of whom exactly the same story is told, to wit, love ofZeus, wrath ofHera, and metamorphosis,Io becoming acow andCallisto a bear.

§ 1.25.2  By the south wall are represented the legendary war with the giants, who once dwelt aboutThrace and on the isthmus ofPallene, the battle between theAthenians and theAmazons, the engagement with thePersians atMarathon and the destruction of the Gauls inMysia. Each is about two cubits, and all were dedicated byAttalus. There stands tooOlympiodorus, who won fame for the greatness of his achievements, especially in the crisis when he displayed a brave confidence among men who had met with continuous reverses, and were therefore in despair of winning a single success in the days to come.

§ 1.25.3  For the disaster atChaeronea was the beginning of misfortune for all the Greeks, and especially did it enslave those who had been blind to the danger and such as had sided withMacedon. Most of their citiesPhilip captured; withAthens he nominally came to terms, but really imposed the severest penalties upon her, taking away the islands and putting an end to her maritime empire. For a time theAthenians remained passive, during the reign ofPhilip and subsequently ofAlexander. But when on the death ofAlexander theMacedonians choseAridaeus to be their king, though the whole empire had been entrusted toAntipater, theAthenians now thought it intolerable if Greece should be for ever under theMacedonians, and themselves embarked on war besides inciting others to join them.

§ 1.25.4  The cities that took part were, of thePeloponnesians,Argos,Epidaurus,Sicyon,Troezen, theEleans, thePhliasians,Messene; on the other side of theCorinthian isthmus theLocrians, thePhocians, theThessalians,Carystus, theAcarnanians belonging to theAetolian League. TheBoeotians, who occupied theThebaid territory now that there were noThebans left to dwell there, in fear lest theAthenians should injure them by founding a settlement on the site ofThebes, refused to join the alliance and lent all their forces to furthering theMacedonian cause.

§ 1.25.5  Each city ranged under the alliance had its own general, but as commander-in-chief was chosen theAthenianLeosthenes, both because of the fame of his city and also because he had the reputation of being an experienced soldier. He had already proved himself a general benefactor of Greece. All the Greeks that were serving as mercenaries in the armies ofDarius and his satrapsAlexander had wished to deport toPersia, butLeosthenes was too quick for him, and brought them by sea to Europe. On this occasion too his brilliant actions surpassed expectation, and his death produced a general despair which was chiefly responsible for the defeat. AMacedonian garrison was set over theAthenians, and occupied firstMunychia and afterwardsPeiraeus also and theLong Walls.

§ 1.25.6  On the death ofAntipaterOlympias came over fromEpeirus, killedAridaeus, and for a time occupied the throne; but shortly afterwards she was besieged byCassander, taken and delivered up to the people. Of the acts ofCassander when he came to the throne my narrative will deal only with such as concern theAthenians. He seized the fort ofPanactum inAttica and alsoSalamis, and established as tyrant inAthensDemetrius the son ofPhanostratus, a man who had won a reputation for wisdom. This tyrant was put down byDemetrius the son ofAntigonus, a young man of strong Greek sympathies.

§ 1.25.7  ButCassander, inspired by a deep hatred of theAthenians, made a friend ofLachares, who up to now had been the popular champion, and induced him also to arrange a tyranny. We know no tyrant who proved so cruel to man and so impious to the gods. AlthoughDemetrius the son ofAntigonus was now at variance with theAthenian people, he notwithstanding deposedLachares too from his tyranny, who, on the capture of the fortifications, escaped toBoeotia.Lachares took golden shields from theAcropolis, and stripped even the statue ofAthena of its removable ornament; he was accordingly suspected of being a very wealthy man,

§ 1.25.8  and was murdered by some men ofCoronea for the sake of this wealth. After freeing theAthenians from tyrantsDemetrius the son ofAntigonus did not restore thePeiraeus to them immediately after the flight ofLachares, but subsequently overcame them and brought a garrison even into the upper city, fortifying the place called theMuseum. This is a hill right opposite theAcropolis within the old city boundaries, where legend saysMusaeus used to sing, and, dying of old age, wasburied. Afterwards amonument also was erected here to a Syrian. At the time to which I referDemetrius fortified and held it.

§ 1.26.1  But afterwards a few men called to mind their forefathers, and the contrast between their present position and the ancient glory ofAthens, and without more ado forth with electedOlympiodorus to be their general. He led them against theMacedonians, both the old men and the youths, and trusted for military success more to enthusiasm than to strength. TheMacedonians came out to meet him, but he overcame them, pursued them to theMuseum, and captured the position.

§ 1.26.2  SoAthens was delivered from theMacedonians, and though all theAthenians fought memorably,Leocritus the son ofProtarchus is said to have displayed most daring in the engagement. For he was the first to scale the fortification, and the first to rush into theMuseum; and when he fell fighting, theAthenians did him great honor, dedicating his shield toZeus of Freedom (Eleutherios) and in scribing on it the name ofLeocritus and his exploit.

§ 1.26.3  This is the greatest achievement ofOlympiodorus, not to mention his success in recoveringPeiraeus andMunychia; and again, when theMacedonians were raidingEleusis he collected a force ofEleusinians and defeated the invaders. Still earlier than this, whenCassander had invadedAttica,Olympiodorus sailed toAetolia and induced theAetolians to help. This allied force was the main reason why theAthenians escaped war withCassander.Olympiodorus has not only honors atAthens, both on theAcropolis and in thePrytaneum but also a portrait atEleusis. ThePhocians too ofElatea dedicated atDelphi a bronze statue ofOlympiodorus for help in their revolt fromCassander.

§ 1.26.4  Near the statue ofOlympiodorus stands a bronze image ofArtemis surnamedLeucophryne, dedicated by the sons ofThemistocles; for theMagnesians, whose city the King had given him to rule, holdArtemisLeucophryne in honor. But my narrative must not loiter, as my task is a general description of all Greece.Endoeus was anAthenian by birth and a pupil ofDaedalus, who also, whenDaedalus was in exile because of the death ofCalos, followed him toCrete. Made by him is a statue ofAthena seated, with an inscription thatCallias dedicated the image, butEndoeus made it.

§ 1.26.5  There is also a building called theErechtheum. Before the entrance is an altar ofZeusHypatos, on which they never sacrifice a living creature but offer cakes, not being wont to use any wine either. Inside the entrance are altars, one toPoseidon, on which in obedience to an oracle they sacrifice also toErechtheus, the second to the heroButes, and the third toHephaestus. On the walls are paintings representing members of the clanButadae; there is also inside — the building is double — sea-water in a cistern. This is no great marvel, for other inland regions have similar wells, in particularAphrodisias inCaria. But this cistern is remarkable for the noise of waves it sends forth when a south wind blows. On the rock is the outline of a trident. Legend says that these appeared as evidence in support ofPoseidon's claim to the land.

§ 1.26.6  Both the city and the whole of the land are alike sacred toAthena; for even those who in their demes have an established worship of other gods nevertheless holdAthena in honor. But the most holy symbol, that was so considered by all many years before the unification of the demes, is the agalma ofAthena which is on what is now called theAcropolis, but in early days the polis (City). A legend concerning it says that it fell from heaven; whether this is true or not I shall not discuss. A golden lamp for the goddess was made byCallimachus.

§ 1.26.7  Having filled the lamp with oil, they wait until the same day next year, and the oil is sufficient for the lamp during the interval, although it is alight both day and night. The wick in it is ofCarpasian flax, the only kind of flax which is fire-proof, and a bronze palm above the lamp reaches to the roof and draws off the smoke. TheCallimachus who made the lamp, although not of the first rank of artists, was yet of unparalleled cleverness, so that he was the first to drill holes through gems, and gave himself the title of Refiner of Art, or perhaps others gave the title and he adopted it as his.

§ 1.27.1  In thetemple of [Athena]Polias is a woodenHermes, said to have been dedicated byCecrops, but not visible because of myrtle boughs. The votive offerings worth noting are, of the old ones, a folding chair made byDaedalus,Persian spoils, namely the breastplate ofMasistius, who commanded the cavalry atPlataea, and a scimitar said to have belonged toMardonius. NowMasistius I know was killed by theAthenian cavalry. ButMardonius was opposed by theLacedemonians and was killed by aSpartan; so theAthenians could not have taken the scimitar to begin with, and furthermore theLacedemonians would scarcely have suffered them to carry it off.

§ 1.27.2  About the olive they have nothing to say except that it was testimony the goddess produced when she contended for their land. Legend also says that when thePersians firedAthens the olive was burnt down, but on the very day it was burnt it grew again to the height of two cubits. Adjoining thetemple ofAthena is the temple ofPandrosus, the only one of the sisters to be faithful to the trust.

§ 1.27.3  I was much amazed at something which is not generally known, and so I will describe the circumstances. Two maidensdwell not far from thetemple ofPolias, called by theAtheniansArrephoroi (Bearers of the Sacred Offerings). For a time they live with the goddess, but when the festival comes round they perform at night the following rites. Having placed on their heads what the priestess ofAthena gives them to carry — neither she who gives nor they who carry have any knowledge what it is — there is a precinct in the city called of Aphrodite in the Gardens, and there the maidens descend by the natural underground passage. They leave down below what they carry and receive something else which they bring back covered up. These maidens they henceforth let go free, and take up to theAcropolis others in their place.

§ 1.27.4  By the temple ofAthena is . . . an old woman about a cubit high, said to be a handmaid ofLysimache, and large bronze figures of men facing each other for a fight, one of whom they callErechtheus, the otherEumolpus; and yet thoseAthenians who are acquainted with antiquity must surely know that this victim ofErechtheus wasImmaradus, the son ofEumolpus.

§ 1.27.5  On the pedestal are also statues ofTheaenetus, who was seer toTolmides, and ofTolmides himself, who when in command of theAthenian fleet inflicted severe damage upon the enemy, especially upon thePeloponnesians who dwell along the coast, burnt the dock-yards atGythium and capturedBoeae, belonging to thePerioikoi, and the island ofCythera. He made a descent onSicyonia, and, attacked by the citizens as he was laying waste the country, he put them to flight and chased them to the city. Returning afterwards toAthens, he conductedAthenian colonists toEuboea andNaxos and invadedBoeotia with an army. Having ravaged the greater part of the land and reducedChaeronea by a siege, he advanced into the territory ofHaliartus, where he was killed in battle and all his army worsted. Such was the history ofTolmides that I learnt.

§ 1.27.6  There are also old figures ofAthena, no limbs of which indeed are missing, but they are rather black and too fragile to bear a blow. For they too were caught by the flames when theAthenians had gone on board their ships and the King captured the city emptied of its able-bodied inhabitants. There is also a boar-hunt (I do not know for certain whether it is theCalydonian Boar) andCycnus fighting withHeracles. ThisCycnus is said to have killed, among others,Lycus a Thracian, a prize having been proposed for the winner of the duel, but near the riverPeneius he was himself killed byHeracles.

§ 1.27.7  One of theTroezenian legends aboutTheseus is the following. WhenHeracles visitedPittheus atTroezen, he laid aside hislion's skin to eat his dinner, and there came in to see him someTroezenian children withTheseus, then about seven years of age. The story goes that when they saw the skin the other children ran away, butTheseus slipped out not much afraid, seized an axe from the servants and straightway attacked the skin in earnest, thinking it to be alion.

§ 1.27.8  This is the firstTroezenian legend aboutTheseus. The next is thatAegeus placed boots and a sword under a rock as tokens for the child, and then sailed away toAthens;Theseus, when sixteen years old, pushed the rock away and departed, taking whatAegeus had deposited. There is a representation of this legend on theAcropolis, everything in bronze except the rock.

§ 1.27.9  Another deed ofTheseus they have represented in an offering, and the story about it is as follows: — The land of theCretans and especially that by the river Tethris was ravaged by abull. It would seem that in the days of old the beasts were much more formidable to men, for example theNemean lion, thelion ofParnassus, theserpents in many parts of Greece, theCalydonianandErymanthianboars andSow ofCrommyon in the land ofCorinth, so that it was said that some were sent up by the earth, that others were sacred to the gods, while others had been let loose to punish mankind. And so theCretans say that thisbull was sent byPoseidon to their land because, althoughMinos was lord of the Greek Sea, he did not worshipPoseidon more than any other god.

§ 1.27.10  They say that thisbull crossed fromCrete to thePeloponnesus, and came to be one of what are called the Twelve Labours ofHeracles. When he was let loose on theArgive plain he fled through the isthmus ofCorinth, into the land ofAttica as far as theAttic deme ofMarathon, killing all he met, includingAndrogeos, son ofMinos.Minos sailed againstAthens with a fleet, not believing that theAthenians were innocent of the death ofAndrogeos, and sorely harassed them until it was agreed that he should take seven maidens and seven boys for theMinotaur that was said to dwell in theLabyrinth atCnossus. But thebull atMarathonTheseus is said to have driven afterwards to theAcropolis and to have sacrificed to the goddess; the offering commemorating this deed was dedicated by the deme ofMarathon.

§ 1.28.1  Why they set up a bronze statue ofCylon in spite of his plotting a tyranny, I cannot say for certain; but I infer that it was because he was very beautiful to look upon, and of no undistinguished fame, having won anOlympic victory in the double foot-race, while he had married the daughter ofTheagenes, tyrant ofMegara.

§ 1.28.2  In addition to the works I have mentioned, there are two tithes dedicated by theAthenians after wars. There is first abronze Athena, tithe from thePersians who landed atMarathon. It is the work ofPheidias, but the reliefs upon the shield, including the fight betweenCentaurs andLapithae, are said to be from the chisel ofMys, for whom they sayParrhasius the son ofEvenor, designed this and the rest of his works. The point of the spear of thisAthena and the crest of her helmet are visible to those sailing toAthens, as soon asSunium is passed. Then there is a bronze chariot, tithe from theBoeotians and theChalcidians inEuboea. There are two other offerings, a statue ofPericles, the son ofXanthippus, and the best worth seeing of the works ofPheidias the statue ofAthena calledLemnian after those who dedicated it.

§ 1.28.3  All theAcropolis is surrounded by awall; a part was constructed byCimon, son ofMiltiades, but all the rest is said to have been built round it by thePelasgians, who once lived under theAcropolis. The builders, they say, wereAgrolas andHyperbius. On inquiring who they were I could discover nothing except that they wereSicilians originally who emigrated toAcarnania.

§ 1.28.4  On descending, not to the lower city, but to just beneath thePropylaia, you see aspring of water and near it asanctuary ofApollo in a cave. It is here thatApollo is believed to have metCreusa, daughter ofErechtheus . . . when thePersians had landed inAtticaPhilippides was sent to carry the tidings toLacedemon. On his return he said that the Lacedaemonians had postponed their departure, because it was their custom not to go out to fight before the moon was full.Philippides went on to say that near MountParthenius he had been met byPan, who told him that he was friendly to theAthenians and would come toMarathon to fight for them. This deity, then, has been honored for this announcement.

§ 1.28.5  There is also theAreos Pagos, so named becauseAres was the first to be tried here; my narrative has already told that he killedHalirrhothius, and what were his grounds for this act. Afterwards, they say,Orestes was tried for killing his mother, and there is an altar toAthenaAreia (Warlike), which he dedicated on being acquitted. The unworked stones on which stand the defendants and the prosecutors, they call the stone ofHubris and the stone ofAnaideia (Ruthlessness).

§ 1.28.6  Hard by is asanctuary of the goddesses which theAthenians call theSemnai, butHesiod in theTheogony calls themErinyes (Furies). It wasAeschylus who first represented them withsnakes in their hair. But on the images neither of these nor of any of the under-world deities is there anything terrible. There are images ofPlouton,Hermes, andEarth, by which sacrifice those who have received an acquittal on theAreos Pagos; sacrifices are also offered on other occasions by both citizens and aliens.

§ 1.28.7  Within the precinct is a monument toOedipus, whose bones, after diligent inquiry, I found were brought fromThebes. The account of the death ofOedipus in the drama ofSophocles I am prevented from believing byHomer, who says that after the death ofOedipusMecisteus came toThebes and took part in the funeral games.

§ 1.28.8  TheAthenians have other law courts as well, which are not so famous. We have the Parabyston (Thrust aside) and the Triangle; the former is in an obscure part of the city, and in it the most trivial cases are tried; the latter is named from its shape. The names of Green Court and Red Court, due to their colors, have lasted down to the present day. The largest court, to which the greatest numbers come, is calledHeliaia. One of the other courts that deal with bloodshed is called “AtPalladium,” into which are brought cases of involuntary homicide. All are agreed thatDemophon was the first to be tried there, but as to the nature of the charge accounts differ.

§ 1.28.9  It is reported that after the capture ofTroyDiomedes was returning home with his fleet when night overtook them as in their voyage they were offPhalerum. TheArgives landed, under the impression that it was hostile territory, the darkness preventing them from seeing that it wasAttica. Thereupon they say thatDemophon, he too being unaware of the facts and ignorant that those who had landed wereArgives, attacked them and, having killed a number of them, went off with thePalladium. AnAthenian, however, not seeing before him in the dark, was knocked over by thehorse ofDemophon, trampled upon and killed. WhereuponDemophon was brought to trial, some say by the relatives of the man who was trampled upon, others say by theArgive commonwealth.

§ 1.28.10  At theDelphinium are tried those who claim that they have committed justifiable homicide, the plea put forward byTheseus when he was acquitted, after having killedPallas, who had risen in revolt against him, and his sons. BeforeTheseus was acquitted it was the established custom among all men for the shedder of blood to go into exile, or, if he remained, to be put to a similar death. The court in thePrytaneum, as it is called, where they try iron and all similar inanimate things, had its origin, I believe, in the following incident. It was whenErechtheus was king ofAthens that the ox-slayer first killed anox at thealtar ofZeusPolieus. Leaving the axe where it lay he went out of the land into exile, and the axe was forthwith tried and acquitted, and the trial has been repeated year by year down to the present.

§ 1.28.11  Furthermore, it is also said that inanimate objects have on occasion of their own accord inflicted righteous retribution upon men, of this the scimitar ofCambyses affords the best and most famous instance. Near the sea at thePeiraeus isPhreattys. Here it is that men in exile, when a further charge has been brought against them in their absence, make their defense on a ship while the judges listen on land. The legend is thatTeucer first defended himself in this way beforeTelamon, urging that he was guiltless in the matter of the death ofAjax. Let this account suffice for those who are interested to learn about the law courts.

§ 1.29.1  Near theAreos Pagos is shown a ship built for the procession of thePanathenaea. This ship, I suppose, has been surpassed in size by others, but I know of no builder who has beaten the vessel atDelos, with its nine banks of oars below the deck.

§ 1.29.2  Outside the city, too, in the demes and on the roads, theAthenians have sanctuaries of the gods, and graves of heroes and of men. The nearest is theAcademy, once the property of a private individual, but in my time agymnasium. As you go down to it you come to aprecinct ofArtemis, andxoana (wooden images) of Ariste (Best) andCalliste (Fairest). In my opinion, which is supported by the poems ofPamphos, these are surnames ofArtemis. There is another account of them, which I know but shall omit. Then there is a small temple, into which every year on fixed days they carry the image ofDionysusEleuthereus.

§ 1.29.3  Such are their sanctuaries here, and of the graves the first is that ofThrasybulus son ofLycus, in all respects the greatest of all famousAthenians, whether they lived before him or after him. The greater number of his achievements I shall pass by, but the following facts will suffice to bear out my assertion. He put down what is known as the tyranny of theThirty, setting out fromThebes with a force amounting at first to sixty men; he also persuaded theAthenians, who were torn by factions, to be reconciled, and to abide by their compact. His is the first grave, and after it come those ofPericles,Chabrias andPhormio.

§ 1.29.4  There is also amonument for all theAthenians whose fate it has been to fall in battle, whether at sea or on land, except such of them as fought atMarathon. These, for their valor, have their graves on the field of battle, but the others lie along the road to theAcademy, and on their graves stand slabs bearing the name and deme of each. First were buried those who inThrace, after a victorious advance as far asDrabescus, were unexpectedly attacked by theEdonians and slaughtered. There is also a legend that they were struck by lightning.

§ 1.29.5  Among the generals wereLeagrus, to whom was entrusted chief command of the army, andSophanes ofDecelea, who killed when he came to the help of theAeginetansEurybates theArgive, who won the prize in the pentathlon at theNemean games. This was the third expedition which theAthenians dispatched out of Greece. For againstPriam and theTrojans war was made with one accord by all the Greeks; but by them selves theAthenians sent armies, first withIolaus toSardinia, secondly to what is nowIonia, and thirdly on the present occasion toThrace.

§ 1.29.6  Before the monument is a slab on which are horsemen fighting. Their names areMelanopus andMacartatus, who met their death fighting against theLacedemonians andBoeotians on the borders ofEleon andTanagra. There is also a grave ofThessalian horsemen who, by reason of an old alliance, came when thePeloponnesians withArchidamus invadedAttica with an army for the first time, and hard by that ofCretan bowmen. Again there are monuments toAthenians: toCleisthenes, who invented the system of the tribes at present existing, and to horsemen who died when theThessalians shared the fortune of war with theAthenians.

§ 1.29.7  Here too lie theCleonaeans, who came with theArgives intoAttica; the occasion whereof I shall set forth when in the course of my narrative I come to theArgives. There is also the grave of theAthenians who fought against theAeginetans before thePersian invasion. It was surely a just decree even for a democracy when theAthenians actually allowed slaves a public funeral, and to have their names inscribed on a slab, which declares that in the war they proved good men and true to their masters. There are also monuments of other men, their fields of battle lying in various regions. Here lie the most renowned of those who went againstOlynthus, andMelesander who sailed with a fleet along theMaeander into upperCaria;

§ 1.29.8  also those who died in the war withCassander, and theArgives who once fought as the allies ofAthens. It is said that the alliance between the two peoples was brought about thus.Sparta was once shaken by an earthquake, and theHelots seceded toIthome. After the secession theLacedemonians sent for help to various places, includingAthens, which dispatched picked troops under the command ofCimon, the son ofMiltiades. These theLacedemonians dismissed, because they suspected them.

§ 1.29.9  TheAthenians regarded the insult as intolerable, and on their way back made an alliance with theArgives, the immemorial enemies of theLacedemonians. Afterwards, when a battle was imminent atTanagra, theAthenians opposing theBoeotians andLacedemonians, theArgives reinforced theAthenians. For a time theArgives had the better, but night came on and took from them the assurance of their victory, and on the next day theLacedemonians had the better, as theThessalians betrayed theAthenians.

§ 1.29.10  It occurred to me to tell of the following men also, firstlyApollodorus, commander of the mercenaries, who was anAthenian dispatched byArsites, satrap ofPhrygia by theHellespont, and saved their city for thePerinthians whenPhilip had invaded their territory with an army. He, then, is buried here, and alsoEubulus the son ofSpintharus, along with men who though brave were not attended by good fortune; some attackedLachares when he was tyrant, others planned the capture of thePeiraeus when in the hands of aMacedonian garrison, but before the deed could be accomplished were betrayed by their accomplices and put to death.

§ 1.29.11  Here also lie those who fell nearCorinth. The God showed most distinctly here and again atLeuctra that those whom the Greeks call brave are as nothing ifTyche (good fortune) be not with them, seeing that theLacedemonians, who had on this occasion overcomeCorinthians andAthenians, and furthermoreArgives andBoeotians, were afterwards atLeuctra so utterly overthrown by theBoeotians alone. After those who were killed atCorinth, we come across elegiac verses declaring that one and the same slab has been erected to those who died inEuboea andChios, and to those who perished in the remote parts of the continent ofAsia, or inSicily.

§ 1.29.12  The names of the generals are inscribed with the exception ofNicias, and among the private soldiers are included thePlataeans along with theAthenians. This is the reason whyNicias was passed over, and my account is identical with that ofPhilistus, who says that whileDemosthenes made a truce for the others and excluded himself, attempting to commit suicide when taken prisoner,Nicias voluntarily submitted to the surrender. For this reasonNicias had not his name inscribed on the slab, being condemned as a voluntary prisoner and an unworthy soldier.

§ 1.29.13  On another slab are the names of those who fought in the region ofThrace and atMegara, and whenAlcibiades persuaded theArcadians inMantinea and theEleans to revolt from theLacedemonians, and of those who were victorious over theSyracusans beforeDemosthenes arrived inSicily. Here were buried also those who fought in the sea-fights near theHellespont, those who opposed theMacedonians atChaeronea, those who took part in the expedition withCleon toAmphipolis, those who were killed atDelium in the territory ofTanagra, the menLeosthenes led intoThessaly, those who sailed withCimon toCyprus, and of those who withOlympiodorus expelled the garrison not more than thirteen men.

§ 1.29.14  TheAthenians declare that when the Romans were waging a border war they sent a small force to help them, and later on fiveAttic warships assisted the Romans in a naval action against theCarthaginians. Accordingly these men also have their grave here. The achievements ofTolmides and his men, and the manner of their death, I have already set forth, and any who are interested may take note that they are buried along this road. Here lie too those who withCimon achieved the great feat of winning a land and naval victory on one and the same day.

§ 1.29.15  Here also are buriedConon andTimotheus, father and son, the second pair thus related to accomplish illustrious deeds,Miltiades andCimon being the first;Zeno too, the son of Mnaseas andChrysippus ofSoli,Nicias the son ofNicomedes, the best painter from life of all his contemporaries,Harmodius andAristogeiton, who killedHipparchus, the son ofPeisistratus; there are also two orators,Ephialtes, who was chiefly responsible for the abolition of the privileges of theAreopagus, andLycurgus, the son of Lycophron;

§ 1.29.16  Lycurgus provided for the state-treasury six thousand five hundred talents more thanPericles, the son ofXanthippus, collected, and furnished for the procession of the Goddess golden figures ofVictory and ornaments for a hundred maidens; for war he provided arms and missiles, besides increasing the fleet to four hundred warships. As for buildings, he completed thetheater that others had begun, while during his political life he built dockyards in thePeiraeus and the gymnasium near what is called theLyceum. Everything made of silver or gold became part of the plunderLachares made away with when he became tyrant, but the buildings remained to my time.

§ 1.30.1  Before the entrance to theAcademy is an altar toEros, with an inscription thatCharmus was the firstAthenian to dedicate an altar to that god. The altar within the city called the altar ofAnteros (Reciprocal Love) they say was dedicated by resident aliens, because theAthenianMeles, spurning the love ofTimagoras, a resident alien, bade him ascend to the highest point of the rock and cast himself down. NowTimagoras took no account of his life, and was ready to gratify the youth in any of his requests, so he went and cast himself down. WhenMeles saw thatTimagoras was dead, he suffered such pangs of remorse that he threw himself from the same rock and so died. From this time the resident aliens worshipped asAnteros the avenging spirit ofTimagoras.

§ 1.30.2  In theAcademy is an altar toPrometheus, and from it they run to the city carrying burning torches. The contest is while running to keep the torch still alight; if the torch of the first runner goes out, he has no longer any claim to victory, but the second runner has. If his torch also goes out, then the third man is the victor. If all the torches go out, no one is left to be winner. There is an altar to theMuses, and another toHermes, and one within toAthena, and they have built one toHeracles. There is also an olive tree, accounted to be the second that appeared.

§ 1.30.3  Not far from theAcademy is the monument ofPlato, to whom the god foretold that he would be the prince of philosophers. The manner of the foretelling was this. On the night beforePlato was to become his pupilSocrates in a dream saw a swan fly into his bosom. Now the swan is a bird with a reputation for music, because, they say, a musician of the name ofCycnus (swan) became king of theLigyes on the other side of theEridanus beyond theCeltic territory, and after his death by the will ofApollo he was changed into the bird. I am ready to believe that a musician became king of theLigyes, but I cannot believe that a bird grew out of a man.

§ 1.30.4  In this part of the country is seen the tower ofTimon, the only man to see that there is no way to be happy except to shun other men. There is also pointed out a place called theHill of Horses, the first point inAttica, they say, thatOedipus reached — this account too differs from that given byHomer, but it is nevertheless current tradition — and an altar toPoseidonHippios, and toAthenaHippia, and a heroon forPeirithous andTheseus,Oedipus andAdrastus. The grove ofPoseidon and the temple were burnt byAntigonus when he invadedAttica, who at other times also ravaged the land of theAthenians.

§ 1.31.1  The small demes ofAttica, which were founded severally as chance would have it, presented the following noteworthy features. AtAlimus is a sanctuary ofDemeterThesmophoros andKore, and atZoster (Girdle) on the coast is an altar toAthena, as well as toApollo, toArtemis and toLeto. The story is thatLeto did not give birth to her children here, but loosened her girdle with a view to her delivery, and the place received its name from this incident.Prospalta has also a sanctuary ofKore andDemeter, andAnagyrus a sanctuary of theMother of the Gods. AtCephale the chief cult is that of theDioscuri, for the inhabitants call them the Great Gods.

§ 1.31.2  AtPrasiae is a temple ofApollo. Hither they say are sent the first-fruits of theHyperboreans, and theHyperboreans are said to hand them over to theArimaspi, theArimaspi to theIssedones, from these theScythians bring them toSinope, thence they are carried by Greeks toPrasiae, and theAthenians take them toDelos. The first-fruits are hidden in wheat straw, and they are known of none. There is atPrasiae a monument toErysichthon, who died on the voyage home fromDelos, after the sacred mission (theoria) thither.

§ 1.31.3  HowAmphictyon banishedCranaus, his kinsman by marriage and king ofAthens, I have already related. They say that fleeing with his supporters to the deme ofLamptrae he died and was buried there, and at the present day there is a monument toCranaus atLamptrae. AtPotami inAttica is also the grave ofIon the son ofXuthus — for he too dwelt among theAthenians and was their commander-in-chief in the war withEleusis.

§ 1.31.4  Such is the legend. But for what there is atPhlya andMyrrhinus, the former has altars ofApolloDionysodotus,ArtemisSelasphoros,DionysusAnthios (Flowery), theIsmenid Nymphs andEarth, whom they name the Great Goddess; another temple contains altars ofDemeterAnesidora (Sender-up of Gifts),ZeusCtesius,TithroneAthena, theKoreProtogone (First-born) and the so-calledSolemn Goddesses (Eumenides/Furies). AtMyrrhinus, thexoanon is ofColaenis.Athmonia worshipsArtemisAmarysia.

§ 1.31.5  On inquiry I discovered that the guides knew nothing about these deities, so I give my own conjecture.Amarynthus is a town inEuboea, the inhabitants of which worshipAmarysia, while the festival ofAmarysia which theAthenians celebrate is no less splendid than theEuboean. The name of the goddess, I think, came toAthmonia in this fashion and theColaenis inMyrrhinus is called afterColaenus. I have already written that many of the inhabitants of the demes say that they were ruled by kings even before the reign ofCecrops. NowColaenus, say theMyrrhinusians, is the name of a man who ruled beforeCecrops became king.

§ 1.31.6  There is a deme calledAcharnae, where they worshipApolloAgyieus (God of Streets) andHeracles, and there is an altar ofAthenaHygeia (Health). And they callAthenaHippia andDionysusMelpomenos andKissos (Ivy), saying that the plant ivy first appeared there.

§ 1.32.1  TheAttic mountains arePentelikon, where there are quarries,Parnes, where there is hunting of wildboars and of bears, andHymettus, which grows the most suitable pasture forbees, except that of theAlazones. For at Alazon they have actuallybees ranging free, tamely following the other creatures when they go to pasture. Thesebees are not kept shut up in hives, and they work in any part of the land they happen to visit. They produce a solid mass from which you cannot separate either wax or honey. Such then is its nature.

§ 1.32.2  TheAthenians have also statues of gods on their mountains. OnPentele is a statue ofAthena, onHymettus one ofZeusHymettius. There arealtars both of ZeusOmbrios (Rainy) and ofApollo Proopsios (Foreseer or First Seen). OnParnes is a bronzeZeusParnethius, and an altar toZeusSemaleus (Sign-giving). There is onParnes another altar, and on it they make sacrifice, callingZeus sometimesOmbrios, sometimesApemios (Averter).Anchesmus is a mountain of no great size, with an image ofZeusAnchesmius.

§ 1.32.3  Before turning to a description of the islands, I must again proceed with my account of the demes. There is a deme calledMarathon, equally distant fromAthens andCarystus inEuboea. It was at this point inAttica that the foreigners landed, were defeated in battle, and lost some of their vessels as they were putting off from the land. On theplain is thegrave of theAthenians, and upon it are slabs giving the names of the killed according to their tribes; and there is anothergrave for theBoeotianPlataeans and for the slaves, for slaves fought then for the first time by the side of their masters.

§ 1.32.4  Here is also a separate monument to one man,Miltiades, the son ofCimon, although his end came later, after he had failed to takeParos and for this reason had been brought to trial by theAthenians. AtMarathon every night you can hearhorses neighing and men fighting. No one who has expressly set himself to behold this vision has ever got any good from it, but the spirits are not wroth with such as in ignorance chance to be spectators. TheMarathonians worship both those who died in the fighting, calling them heroes, and secondlyMarathon, from whom the deme derives its name, and thenHeracles [shrine], saying that they were the first among the Greeks to acknowledge him as a god.

§ 1.32.5  They say too that there chanced to be present in the battle a man of rustic appearance and dress. Having slaughtered many of the foreigners with a plough he was seen no more after the engagement. When theAthenians made enquiries at the oracle the god merely ordered them to honorEchetlaeus (He of the Plough-tail) as a hero. Atrophy too of white marble has been erected. Although theAthenians assert that they buried thePersians, because in every case the divine law applies that a corpse should be laid under the earth, yet I could find no grave. There was neither mound nor other trace to be seen, as the dead were carried to a trench and thrown in anyhow.

§ 1.32.6  InMarathon is a spring calledMacaria with the following legend. WhenHeracles leftTiryns, fleeing fromEurystheus, he went to live with his friendCeyx, who was king ofTrachis. But whenHeracles departed this lifeEurystheus demanded his children; whereupon the king ofTrachis sent them toAthens, saying that he was weak butTheseus had power enough to succor them. The arrival of the children as suppliants caused for the first time war betweenPeloponnesians andAthenians,Theseus refusing to give up the refugees at the demand ofEurystheus. The story says that an oracle was given theAthenians that one of the children ofHeracles must die a voluntary death, or else victory could not be theirs. ThereuponMacaria, daughter ofDeianeira andHeracles, slew herself and gave to theAthenians victory in the war and to the spring her own name.

§ 1.32.7  There is atMarathon alake which for the most part is marshy. Into this ignorance of the roads made the foreigners fall in their flight, and it is said that this accident was the cause of their great losses. Above the lake are the stone stables ofArtaphernes'horses, and marks of his tent on the rocks. Out of the lake flows a river, affording near the lake itself water suitable forcattle, but near its mouth it becomes salt and full of sea fish. A little beyond the plain is the Hill ofPan and a remarkableCave of Pan. The entrance to it is narrow, but farther in are chambers and baths and the so-called “Pan's herd ofgoats,” which are rocks shaped in most respects like togoats.

§ 1.33.1  At some distance fromMarathon isBrauron, where, according to the legend,Iphigenia, the daughter ofAgamemnon, landed with the image ofArtemis when she fled from theTauri; leaving the image there she came toAthens also and afterwards toArgos. There is indeed an old wooden image ofArtemis here, but who in my opinion have the one taken from the foreigners I will set forth in another place.

§ 1.33.2  About sixty stades fromMarathon as you go along the road by the sea toOropus standsRhamnus. The dwelling houses are on the coast, but a little way inland is asanctuary of Nemesis, the most implacable deity to men guilty of hubris. It is thought that the wrath of this goddess fell also upon the foreigners who landed atMarathon. For thinking in their pride that nothing stood in the way of their takingAthens, they were bringing a piece ofParian marble to make a trophy, convinced that their task was already finished.

§ 1.33.3  Of this marblePheidias made astatue ofNemesis, and on the head of the goddess is a crown with deer and small images ofVictory. In her left hand she holds an apple branch, in her right hand a cup on which are wroughtAethiopians. As to theAethiopians, I could hazard no guess myself, nor could I accept the statement of those who are convinced that theAethiopians have been carved upon the cup because of the riverOcean. For theAethiopians, they say, dwell near it, andOcean is the father ofNemesis.

§ 1.33.4  It is not the riverOcean, but the farthest part of the sea navigated by man, near which dwell theIberians and theCelts, andOcean surrounds the island ofBritain. But of theAethiopians beyondSyene, those who live farthest in the direction of theRed Sea are theIchthyophagi (Fish-eaters), and the gulf round which they live is called after them. The most righteous of them inhabit the cityMeroe and what is called theAethiopian plain. These are they who show the Table of theSun, and they have neither sea nor river except theNile.

§ 1.33.5  There are otherAethiopians who are neighbours of theMauri and extend as far as theNasamones. For theNasamones, whomHerodotus calls the Atlantes, and those who profess to know the measurements of the earth name theLixitae, are theLibyans who live the farthest close toMount Atlas, and they do not till the ground at all, but live on wild vines. But neither theseAethiopians nor yet theNasamones have any river. For the water nearAtlas, which provides a beginning to three streams, does not make any of the streams a river, as the sand swallows it all up at once. So theAethiopians dwell near no river Ocean.

§ 1.33.6  The water fromAtlas is muddy, and near the source were crocodiles of not less than two cubits, which when the men approached dashed down into the spring. The thought has occurred to many that it is the reappearance of this water out of the sand which gives theNile toEgypt.Mount Atlas is so high that its peaks are said to touch heaven, but is inaccessible because of the water and the presence everywhere of trees. Its region indeed near theNasamones is known, but we know of nobody yet who has sailed along the parts facing the sea. I must now resume.

§ 1.33.7  Neither this nor any other ancient statue ofNemesis has wings, for not even the holiestxoana of theSmyrnaeans have them, but later artists, convinced that the goddess manifests herself most as a consequence of love, give wings toNemesis as they do toEros. I will now go onto describe what is figured on the pedestal of thestatue, having made this preface for the sake of clearness. The Greeks say thatNemesis was the mother ofHelen, whileLeda suckled and nursed her. The father ofHelen the Greeks like everybody else hold to be notTyndareus butZeus.

§ 1.33.8  Having heard this legendPheidias has representedHelen as being led toNemesis byLeda, and he has representedTyndareus and his children with a manHippeus by name standing by with ahorse. There areAgamemnon andMenelaus andPyrrhus, the son ofAchilles and first husband ofHermione, the daughter ofHelen.Orestes was passed over because of his crime against his mother, yetHermione stayed by his side in everything and bore him a child. Next upon the pedestal is one calledEpochus and another youth; the only thing I heard about them was that they were brothers ofOenoe, from whom thedeme has its name.

§ 1.34.1  The land ofOropus, betweenAttica and the land ofTanagra, which originally belonged toBoeotia, in our time belongs to theAthenians, who always fought for it but never won secure possession untilPhilip gave it to them after takingThebes. The city is on the coast and affords nothing remarkable to record. About twelve stades from the city is asanctuary ofAmphiaraus.

§ 1.34.2  Legend says that whenAmphiaraus was exiled fromThebes the earth opened and swallowed both him and his chariot. Only they say that the incident did not happen here, the place calledHarma (Chariot) being on the road fromThebes toChalcis. The divinity ofAmphiaraus was first established among theOropians, from whom afterwards all the Greeks received the cult. I can enumerate other men also born at this time who are worshipped among the Greeks as gods; some even have cities dedicated to them, such asEleus inChersonesus dedicated toProtesilaus, andLebadea of theBoeotians dedicated toTrophonius. TheOropians have both atemple and a white marble statue ofAmphiaraus.

§ 1.34.3  The altar shows parts. One part is toHeracles,Zeus, andApolloPaion, another is given up to heroes and to wives of heroes, the third is toHestia andHermes andAmphiaraus and the children ofAmphilochus. ButAlcmaeon, because of his treatment ofEriphyle, is honored neither in theshrine ofAmphiaraus nor yet withAmphilochus. The fourth portion of the altar is toAphrodite andPanacea, and further toIaso,Health andAthenaPaionia. The fifth is dedicated to the Nymphs and toPan, and to the riversAchelous andCephisus. TheAthenians too have an altar toAmphilochus in the city, and there is atMallos inCilicia an oracle of his which is the most trustworthy of my day.

§ 1.34.4  TheOropians have near thetemple a spring, which they call the Spring ofAmphiaraus; they neither sacrifice into it nor are wont to use it for purifications or for lustral water. But when a man has been cured of a disease through a response the custom is to throw silver and coined gold into the spring, for by this way they say thatAmphiaraus rose up after he had become a god.Iophon theCnossian, a guide, produced responses in hexameter verse, saying thatAmphiaraus gave them to theArgives who were sent againstThebes. These verses unrestrainedly appealed to popular taste. Except those whom they sayApollo inspired of old none of the seers uttered oracles, but they were good at explaining dreams and interpreting the flights of birds and the entrails of victims.

§ 1.34.5  My opinion is thatAmphiaraus devoted himself most to the exposition of dreams. It is manifest that, when his divinity was established, it was a dream oracle that he set up. One who has come to consultAmphiaraus is wont first to purify himself. The mode of purification is to sacrifice to the god, and they sacrifice not only to him but also to all those whose names are on the altar. And when all these things have been first done, they sacrifice a ram, and, spreading the skin under them, go to sleep and await enlightenment in a dream.

§ 1.35.1  There are islands not far fromAttica. Of the one called theIsland of Patroclus I have already given an account. There isanother when you have sailed pastSunium withAttica on the left. On this they say thatHelen landed after the capture ofTroy,

§ 1.35.2  and for this reason the name of the island isHelene.Salamis lies over againstEleusis, and stretches as far as the territory ofMegara. It is said that the first to give this name to the island wasCychreus, who called it after his motherSalamis, the daughter ofAsopus, and afterwards it was colonized by theAeginetans withTelamon.Philaeus, the son ofEurysaces, the son ofAjax, is said to have handed the island over to theAthenians, having been made anAthenian by them. Many years afterwards theAthenians drove out all theSalaminians, having discovered that they had been guilty of treachery in the war withCassander, and mainly of set purpose had surrendered to theMacedonians. They sentenced to deathAeschetades, who on this occasion had been elected general forSalamis, and they swore never to forget the treachery of theSalaminians.

§ 1.35.3  There are still the remains of an agora, a temple ofAjax and his statue in ebony. Even at the present day theAthenians pay honors toAjax himself and toEurysaces, for there is analtar ofEurysaces also atAthens. InSalamis is shown a stone not far from the harbor, on which they say thatTelamon sat when he gazed at the ship in which his children were sailing away toAulis to take part in the joint expedition of the Greeks.

§ 1.35.4  Those who dwell aboutSalamis say that it was whenAjax died that the flower first appeared in their country. It is white and tinged with red, both flower and leaves being smaller than those of the lily; there are letters on it like to those on the iris. About the judgment concerning the armour I heard a story of theAeolians who afterwards settled atIlium, to the effect that whenOdysseus suffered shipwreck the armour was cast ashore near the grave ofAjax. As to the hero's size, aMysian was my informant.

§ 1.35.5  He said that the sea flooded the side of the grave facing the beach and made it easy to enter the tomb, and he bade me form an estimate of the size of the corpse in the following way. The bones on his knees, called by doctors the knee-pan, were in the case ofAjax as big as the quoit of a boy in the pentathlon. I saw nothing to wonder at in the stature of thoseCelts who live farthest off on the borders of the land which is uninhabited because of the cold; these people, theCabares, are no bigger thanEgyptian corpses. But I will relate all that appeared to me worth seeing.

§ 1.35.6  For theMagnesians on theLethaeus,Protophanes, one of the citizens, won atOlympia in one day victories in the pancration and in wrestling. Into the grave of this man robbers entered, thinking to gain some advantage, and after the robbers people came in to see the corpse, which had ribs not separated but joined together from the shoulders to the smallest ribs, those called by doctors bastard. Before the city of theMilesians is an island calledLade, and from it certain islets are detached. One of these they call the islet ofAsterius, and say thatAsterius was buried in it, and thatAsterius was the son ofAnax, andAnax the son ofEarth. Now the corpse is not less than ten cubits.

§ 1.35.7  But what really caused me surprise is this. There is a small city of upperLydia calledTemenou Thyrai (Doors of Temenos). There a hill ruptured in a storm, and there appeared bones the shape of which led one to suppose that they were human, but from their size one would never have thought it. At once the story spread among the multitude that it was the corpse ofGeryon, the son ofChrysaor, and that the seat also was his. For there is a man's seat carved on a rocky spur of the mountain. And a torrent they called the river Ocean, and they said that men ploughing met with the horns ofcattle, for the story is thatGeryon reared excellentcows.

§ 1.35.8  And when I criticized the account and pointed out to them thatGeryon is atGadeira, where there is, not his tomb, but a tree showing different shapes, the guides of theLydians related the true story, that the corpse is that ofHyllus, a son ofEarth, from whom the river is named. They also said thatHeracles from his sojourning withOmphale called his sonHyllus after the river.

§ 1.36.1  But I will return to my subject. InSalamis is a sanctuary ofArtemis, and also a trophy erected in honor of the victory whichThemistocles the son ofNeocles won for the Greeks. There is also a sanctuary ofCychreus. When theAthenians were fighting thePersians at sea, aserpent is said to have appeared in the fleet, and the god in an oracle told theAthenians that it wasCychreus the hero.

§ 1.36.2  BeforeSalamis there is an island calledPsyttalea. Here they say that about four hundred of thePersians landed, and when the fleet ofXerxes was defeated, these also were killed after the Greeks had crossed over toPsyttalea. The island has no artistic statue, only some roughly carvedxoana ofPan.

§ 1.36.3  As you go toEleusis fromAthens along what theAthenians call theSacred Way you see the tomb ofAnthemocritus. TheMegarians committed against him a most wicked deed, for when he had come as a herald to forbid them to encroach upon the land in future they put him to death. For this act the wrath of theTwo Goddesses lies upon them even to this day, for they are the only Greeks that not even the emperorHadrian could make more prosperous.

§ 1.36.4  After that ofAnthemocritus comes the stele ofMolottus, who was deemed worthy of commanding theAthenians when they crossed intoEuboea to reinforcePlutarch, and also a place calledSkiron, which received its name for the following reason. TheEleusinians were making war againstErechtheus when there came fromDodona a seer calledSkiros, who also set up atPhalerum the ancientsanctuary ofAthenaSciras. When he fell in the fighting theEleusinians buried him near a winter torrent, and the hero has given his name to bothplace and torrent.

§ 1.36.5  Hard by is the monument ofCephisodorus, who was champion of the people and opposed to the utmostPhilip, the son ofDemetrius, king ofMacedon.Cephisodorus induced to become allies ofAthens two kings,Attalus theMysian andPtolemy theEgyptian, and, of the self-governing peoples, theAetolians with theRhodians and theCretans among the islanders.

§ 1.36.6  As the reinforcements fromEgypt,Mysia, andCrete were for the most part too late, and theRhodians, whose strength lay only in their fleet, were of little help against theMacedonian men-at-arms,Cephisodorus sailed with otherAthenians toItaly and begged aid of the Romans. They sent a force and a general, who so reducedPhilip and theMacedonians that afterwardsPerseus, the son ofPhilip, lost his throne and was himself taken prisoner toItaly. ThisPhilip was the son ofDemetrius.Demetrius was the first of this house to hold the throne ofMacedon, having put to deathAlexander, son ofCassander, as I have related in a former part of my account.

§ 1.37.1  After the monument ofCephisodorus is buriedHeliodorus Halis. A portrait of this man is also to be seen in thegreat temple ofAthena. Here too is the grave ofThemistocles son of Poliarchus, grandson of theThemistocles who fought the sea fight againstXerxes and thePersians. Of the later descendants I shall mention none exceptAkestion. She, her fatherXenocles, his father Sophocles, and his fatherLeon, all of them up to her great-grandfatherLeon won the honor of being torch-bearer, and in her own lifetime she saw as torch-bearers, first her brother Sophocles, after him her husband Themistocles, and after his death her son Theophrastus. Such was the fortune, they say, that happened to her.

§ 1.37.2  A little way past here is a precinct sacred toLakios, a hero, a deme called after himLakiadai, and the tomb ofNikokles ofTarentum, who won a unique reputation as a kitharode. There is also an altar ofZephyrus and a sanctuary ofDemeter and her daughter. With themAthena andPoseidon are honored. There is a legend that in this placePhytalus welcomedDemeter in his home, for which act the goddess gave him the fig tree. This story is borne out by the inscription on the tomb ofPhytalus:
“Hero and king,Phytalus here welcome gave toDemeter,
August goddess, when first she created fruit of the harvest;
Sacred fig is the name which mortal men have assigned it.
WhencePhytalus and his race have gotten honours immortal.”

§ 1.37.3  Before you cross theCephisus you come to the monument ofTheodorus, the best tragic actor of his day. By the river is a statue ofMnesimache, and a votive statue of her son cutting his hair as a gift forCephisus. That this habit has existed from ancient times among all the Greeks may be inferred from the poetry ofHomer, who makesPeleus vow that on the safe return ofAchilles fromTroy he will cut off the young man's hair as a gift for theSpercheus.

§ 1.37.4  Across theCephisus is an ancient altar ofZeusMeilichius (Gracious). At this altarTheseus obtained purification at the hands of the descendants ofPhytalus after killing brigands, includingSinis who was related to him throughPittheus. Here is the grave ofTheodectes ofPhaselis, and also that ofMnesitheus. They say that he was a skilful physician and dedicated statues, among which is a representation ofIacchus. On the road stands a small temple called that ofCyamites. I cannot state for certain whether he was the first to sow beans, or whether they gave this name to a hero because they may not attribute toDemeter the discovery of beans. Whoever has been initiated atEleusis or has read what are called theOrphica knows what I mean.

§ 1.37.5  Of the tombs, the largest and most beautiful are that of aRhodian who settled atAthens, and the one made by theMacedonianHarpalus, who ran away fromAlexander and crossed with a fleet fromAsia to Europe. On his arrival atAthens he was arrested by the citizens, but ran away after bribing among others the friends ofAlexander. But before this he marriedPythionice, whose family I do not know, but she was a courtesan atAthens and atCorinth. His love for her was so great that when she died he made her atomb which is the most noteworthy of all the old Greek tombs.

§ 1.37.6  There is asanctuary in which are set statues ofDemeter, her daughter,Athena, andApollo. At the first it was built in honor ofApollo only. For legend says thatCephalus, the son ofDeion, having helpedAmphitryon to destroy theTeleboans, was the first to dwell in that island which now is called after himCephallenia, and that he resided till that time atThebes, exiled fromAthens because he had killed his wifeProcris. In the tenth generation afterwards Chalcinus andDaetus, descendants ofCephalus, sailed toDelphi and asked the god for permission to return toAthens.

§ 1.37.7  He ordered them first to sacrifice toApollo in that spot inAttica where they should see a trireme running on the land. When they reached the mountain calledPoikilon asnake was seen hurrying into its hole. In this place they sacrificed toApollo; afterwards they came toAthens and theAthenians made them citizens. After this is atemple ofAphrodite, before which is a noteworthy wall of unworked stone.

§ 1.38.1  The streams calledRheiti are rivers only in so far as they are currents, for their water is sea water. It is a reasonable belief that they flow beneath the ground from theEuripus of theChalcidians, and fall into a sea of a lower level. They are said to be sacred toKore and toDemeter, and only the priests of these goddesses are permitted to catch the fish in them. Anciently, I learn, these streams were the boundaries between the land of theEleusinians and that of the otherAthenians,

§ 1.38.2  and the first to dwell on the other side of theRheiti wasCrocon, where at the present day is what is called the Basileia (palace) ofCrocon. ThisCrocon theAthenians say marriedSaesara, daughter ofCeleus. Not all of them say this, but only those who belong to the deme ofScambonidae. I could not find the grave ofCrocon, butEleusinians andAthenians agreed in identifying the tomb ofEumolpus. ThisEumolpus they say came fromThrace, being the son ofPoseidon andChione.Chione they say was the daughter of the windBoreas and ofOreithyia.Homer says nothing about the family ofEumolpus, but in his poems styles him “manly.”

§ 1.38.3  When theEleusinians fought with theAthenians,Erechtheus, king of theAthenians, was killed, as was alsoImmaradus, son ofEumolpus. These were the terms on which they concluded the war: theEleusinians were to have independent control of theMysteries, but in all things else were to be subject to theAthenians. The ministers of theTwo Goddesses wereEumolpus and the daughters ofCeleus, whomPamphos andHomer agree in namingDiogenia,Pammerope, and the thirdSaesara.Eumolpus was survived byCeryx, the younger of his sons whom theCeryces themselves say was a son ofAglaurus, daughter ofCecrops, and ofHermes, not ofEumolpus.

§ 1.38.4  There is also a heroon ofHippothoon, after whom the tribe is named, and hard by one ofZarex. The latter they say learned music fromApollo, but my opinion is that he was aLacedemonian who came as a stranger to the land, and that after him is namedZarax, a town in theLaconian territory near the sea. If there is a nativeAthenian hero calledZarex, I have nothing to say concerning him.

§ 1.38.5  AtEleusis flows aCephisus which is more violent than theCephisus I mentioned above, and by the side of it is the place they call Erineon, saying thatPlouton descended there to the lower world after carrying offKore. Near thisCephisusTheseus killed a brigand namedPolypemon and surnamedProcrustes.

§ 1.38.6  TheEleusinians have a temple ofTriptolemus, andanother ofArtemis Propylaia and FatherPoseidon, and a well calledCallichoron (Lovely dance), where first the women of theEleusinians danced and sang in praise of the goddess. They say that the plain calledRharium was the first to be sown and the first to grow crops, and for this reason it is the custom to use sacrificial barley and to make cakes for the sacrifices from its produce. Here there is shown a threshing-floor called that ofTriptolemus and an altar.

§ 1.38.7  My dream forbade the description of the things within the wall of the sanctuary, and the uninitiated are of course not permitted to learn that which they are prevented from seeing. The heroEleusis, after whom the city is named, some assert to be a son ofHermes and ofDaeira, daughter ofOcean; there are poets, however, who have madeOgygus father ofEleusis. Ancient legends, deprived of the help of poetry, have given rise to many fictions, especially concerning the pedigrees of heroes.

§ 1.38.8  When you have turned fromEleusis toBoeotia you come to thePlataean land, which borders onAttica. FormerlyEleutherae formed the boundary on the side towardsAttica, but when it came over to theAthenians henceforth the boundary ofBoeotia wasCithaeron. The reason why the people ofEleutherae came over was not because they were reduced by war, but because they desired to shareAthenian citizenship and hated theThebans. In this plain is atemple ofDionysus, from which the old wooden image was carried off toAthens. The image atEleutherae at the present day is a copy of the old one.

§ 1.38.9  A little farther on is a small cave, and beside it is a spring of cold water. The legend about the cave is thatAntiope after her labour placed herbabies into it; as to the spring, it is said that the shepherd who found the babies washed them there for the first time, taking off their swaddling clothes. OfEleutherae there were still left the ruins of the fort and of the houses. From these it is clear that the city was built a little above the plain close toCithaeron.

§ 1.39.1  There is another road fromEleusis, which leads toMegara. As you go along this road you come to a well called Anthium (Flowery Well).Pamphos in his poems describes howDemeter in the likeness of an old woman sat at this well after the rape of her daughter, how the daughters ofCeleus thence took her as anArgive woman to their mother, and howMetaneira thereupon entrusted to her the rearing of her son.

§ 1.39.2  A little farther on from the well is a sanctuary ofMetaneira, and after it are graves ofthose who went againstThebes. ForCreon, who at that time ruled inThebes as guardian ofLaodamas the son ofEteocles, refused to allow the relatives to take up and bury their dead. ButAdrastus having supplicatedTheseus, theAthenians fought with theBoeotians, andTheseus being victorious in the fight carried the dead to theEleusinian territory and buried them here. TheThebans, however, say that they voluntarily gave up the dead for burial and deny that they engaged in battle.

§ 1.39.3  After the graves of theArgives is the tomb ofAlope, who, legend says, being mother ofHippothoon byPoseidon was on this spot put to death by her fatherCercyon. He is said to have treated strangers wickedly, especially in wrestling with them against their will. So even to my day this place is called the Palaistra ofCercyon, being a little way from the grave ofAlope.Cercyon is said to have killed all those who tried a bout with him exceptTheseus, who outmatched him mainly by his skill. ForTheseus was the first to discover the art of wrestling, and through him afterwards was established the teaching of the art. Before him men used in wrestling only size and strength of body. Such in my opinion are the most famous legends and sights among theAthenians, and from the beginning my narrative has picked out of much material the things that deserve to be recorded.

§ 1.39.4  Next toEleusis is the district calledMegaris. This too belonged toAthens in ancient times,Pylas the king having left it toPandion. My evidence is this; in the land is the grave ofPandion, andNisus, while giving up the rule over theAthenians toAegeus, the eldest of all the family, was himself made king ofMegara and of the territory as far asCorinth. Even at the present day the port of theMegarians is calledNisaea after him. Subsequently in the reign ofCodrus thePeloponnesians made an expedition againstAthens. Having accomplished nothing brilliant, on their way home they tookMegara from theAthenians, and gave it as a dwelling-place to such of theCorinthians and of their other allies as wished to go there.

§ 1.39.5  In this way theMegarians changed their customs and dialect and becameDorians, and they say that the city received its name whenCar the son ofPhoroneus was king in this land. It was then they say that sanctuaries ofDemeter were first made by them, and then that men used the nameMegara (Chambers). This is their history according to theMegarians themselves. But theBoeotians declare thatMegareus, son ofPoseidon, who dwelt inOnchestus, came with an army ofBoeotians to helpNisus wage the war againstMinos; that falling in the battle he was buried on the spot, and the city was namedMegara from him, having previously been called Nisa.

§ 1.39.6  In the twelfth generation afterCar the son ofPhoroneus theMegarians say thatLelex arrived fromEgypt and became king, and that in his reign the tribeLeleges received its name.Lelex they say begatCleson,ClesonPylas andPylasSciron, who married the daughter ofPandion and afterwards disputed withNisus, the son ofPandion, about the throne, the dispute being settled byAeacus, who gave the kingship toNisus and his descendants, and toSciron the leadership in war. They say further thatNisus was succeeded byMegareus, the son ofPoseidon, who marriedIphinoe, the daughter ofNisus, but they ignore altogether theCretan war and the capture of the city in the reign ofNisus.

§ 1.40.1  There is in the city afountain, which was built for the citizens byTheagenes, whom I have mentioned previously as having given his daughter in marriage toCylon theAthenian. ThisTheagenes upon becoming tyrant built the fountain, which is noteworthy for its size, beauty and the number of its pillars. Water flows into it called the water of theSithnid nymphs. TheMegarians say that theSithnid nymphs are native, and that one of them mated withZeus; thatMegarus, a son ofZeus and of this nymph, escaped the flood in the time ofDeucalion, and made his escape to the heights ofGerania. The mountain had not yet received this name, but was then namedGerania (Crane Hill) because cranes were flying andMegarus swam towards the cry of the birds.

§ 1.40.2  Not far from this fountain is an ancient sanctuary, and in our day likenesses stand in it of Roman emperors, and a bronze image is there ofArtemis surnamedSaviour. There is a story that a detachment of the army ofMardonius, having overrunMegaris, wished to return toMardonius atThebes, but that by the will ofArtemis night came on them as they marched, and missing their way they turned into the hilly region. Trying to find out whether there was a hostile force near they shot some missiles. The rock near groaned when struck, and they shot again with greater eagerness,

§ 1.40.3  until at last they used up all their arrows thinking that they were shooting at the enemy. When the day broke, theMegarians attacked, and being men in armour fighting against men without armour who no longer had even a supply of missiles, they killed the greater number of their opponents. For this reason they had an image made ofArtemisSaviour. Here are also images of the gods named the Twelve, said to be the work ofPraxiteles. But the image ofArtemis herself was made byStrongylion.

§ 1.40.4  After this when you have entered the precinct ofZeus called the Olympieum you see a noteworthy temple. But the image ofZeus was not finished, for the work was interrupted by the war of thePeloponnesians against theAthenians, in which theAthenians every year ravaged the land of theMegarians with a fleet and an army, damaging public revenues and bringing private families to dire distress. The face of the image ofZeus is of ivory and gold, the other parts are of clay and gypsum. The artist is said to have beenTheocosmus, a native, helped byPheidias. Above the head ofZeus are theSeasons andFates, and all may see that he is the only god obeyed by Destiny, and that he apportions the seasons as is due. Behind the temple lie half-worked pieces of wood, whichTheocosmus intended to overlay with ivory and gold in order a complete the image ofZeus.

§ 1.40.5  In the temple itself is dedicated a bronze ram of a galley. This ship they say that they captured offSalamis in a naval action with theAthenians. TheAthenians too admit that for a time they evacuated the island before theMegarians, saying that afterwardsSolon wrote elegiac poems and encouraged them, and that thereupon theAthenians challenged their enemies, won the war and recoveredSalamis. But theMegarians say that exiles from themselves, whom they call Dorycleans, reached the colonists inSalamis and betrayed the island to theAthenians.

§ 1.40.6  After the precinct ofZeus, when you have ascended the acropolis, which even at the present day is called Caria fromCar, son ofPhoroneus, you see a temple ofDionysusNyctelius (Nocturnal), a sanctuary built toAphroditeEpistrophia (She who turns men to love), an oracle called that ofNight and a temple ofZeusConius (Dusty) without a roof. The image ofAsclepius and also that ofHealth were made byBryaxis. Here too is what is called the Megaron ofDemeter, built, they say, byCar when he was king.

§ 1.41.1  On coming down from the acropolis, where the ground turns northwards, is the tomb ofAlcmena, near the Olympieum. They say that as she was walking fromArgos toThebes she died on the way atMegara, and that theHeracleidae fell to disputing, some wishing to carry the corpse ofAlcmena back toArgos, others wishing to take it toThebes, as inThebes were buriedAmphitryon and the children ofHeracles byMegara. But the god inDelphi gave them an oracle that it was better for them to buryAlcmena inMegara.

§ 1.41.2  From this place the local guide took us to a place which he said was named Rhus (Stream), for that water once flowed here from the mountains above the city. ButTheagenes, who was tyrant at that time, turned the water into another direction and made here an altar toAchelous. Hard by is the tomb ofHyllus, son ofHeracles, who fought a duel with anArcadian,Echemus the son ofAeropus. Who theEchemus was who killedHyllus I will tell in another part of my narrative, butHyllus also is buried atMegara. These events might correctly be called an expedition of theHeracleidae into thePeloponnesus in the reign ofOrestes.

§ 1.41.3  Not far from the tomb ofHyllus is a temple ofIsis, and beside it one ofApollo and ofArtemis. They say thatAlcathous made it after killing thelion calledCithaeronian. By thislion they say many were slain, includingEuippus, the son ofMegareus their king, whose elder sonTimalcus had before this been killed byTheseus while on a campaign with theDioscuri againstAphidna.Megareus they say promised that he who killed theCithaeronianlion should marry his daughter and succeed him in the kingdom.Alcathous therefore, son ofPelops, attacked the beast and overcame it, and when he came to the throne he built this sanctuary, surnamingArtemisAgrotera (Huntress) andApolloAgraeus (Hunter).

§ 1.41.4  Such is the account of theMegarians; but although I wish my account to agree with theirs, yet I cannot accept everything they say. I am ready to believe that alion was killed byAlcathous onCithaeron, but what historian has recorded thatTimalcus the son ofMegareus came with theDioscuri toAphidna? And supposing he had gone there, how could one hold that he had been killed byTheseus, whenAlcman wrote a poem on theDioscuri, in which he says that they capturedAthens and carried into captivity the mother ofTheseus, butTheseus himself was absent?

§ 1.41.5  Pindar in his poems agrees with this account, saying thatTheseus, wishing to be related to theDioscuri, carried offHelen and kept her until he departed to carry out withPeirithous the marriage that they tell of. Whoever has studied genealogy finds theMegarians guilty of great silliness, sinceTheseus was a descendant ofPelops. The fact is that theMegarians know the true story but conceal it, not wishing it to be thought that their city was captured in the reign ofNisus, but that bothMegareus, the son-in-law ofNisus, andAlcathous, the son-in-law ofMegareus, succeeded their respective fathers-in-law as king.

§ 1.41.6  It is evident thatAlcathous arrived fromElis just at the time whenNisus had died and theMegarians had lost everything. Witness to the truth of my statements the fact that he built the wall afresh from the beginning, the old one round the city having been destroyed by theCretans. Let so much suffice forAlcathous and for thelion, whether it was onCithaeron or elsewhere that the killing took place that caused him to make a temple toArtemisAgrotera andApolloAgraeus. On going down from this sanctuary you see the shrine of the heroPandion. My narrative has already told howPandion was buried on what is called the Rock ofAthenaAethyia (Gannet). He receives honors from theMegarians in the city as well.

§ 1.41.7  Near the shrine of the heroPandion is the tomb ofHippolyte. I will record the account theMegarians give of her. When theAmazons, having marched against theAthenians because ofAntiope, were overcome byTheseus, most of them met their death in the fight, butHippolyte, the sister ofAntiope and on this occasion the leader of the women, escaped with a few others toMegara. Having suffered such a military disaster, being in despair at her present situation and even more hopeless of reaching her home inThemiscyra, she died of a broken heart, and theMegarians gave her burial. The shape of her tomb is like an Amazonian shield.

§ 1.41.8  Not far from this is the grave ofTereus, who marriedProcne the daughter ofPandion. TheMegarians say thatTereus was king of the region around what is calledPagae (Springs) ofMegaris, but my opinion, which is confirmed by extant evidence, is that he ruled overDaulis beyondChaeronea, for in ancient times the greater part of what is now called Greece was inhabited by foreigners. WhenTereus did what he did toPhilomela andItys suffered at the hands of the women,Tereus found himself unable to seize them.

§ 1.41.9  He committed suicide inMegara, and theMegarians forthwith raised him a barrow, and every year sacrifice to him, using in the sacrifice gravel instead of barley meal; they say that the bird called the hoopoe appeared here for the first time. The women came toAthens, and while lamenting their sufferings and their revenge, perished through their tears; their reported metamorphosis into a nightingale and a swallow is due, I think, to the fact that the note of these birds is plaintive and like a lamentation.

§ 1.42.1  TheMegarians have another acropolis, which is named afterAlcathous. As you ascend this acropolis you see on the right the tomb ofMegareus, who at the time of theCretan invasion came as an ally fromOnchestus. There is also shown a hearth of the gods calledProdomeis (Builders before). They say thatAlcathous was the first to sacrifice to them, at the time when he was about to begin the building of the wall.

§ 1.42.2  Near this hearth is a stone, on which they sayApollo laid his lyre when he was helpingAlcathous in the building. I am confirmed in my view that theMegarians used to be tributary to theAthenians by the fact thatAlcathous appears to have sent his daughterPeriboea withTheseus toCrete in payment of the tribute. On the occasion of his building the wall, theMegarians say,Apollo helped him and placed his lyre on the stone; and if you happen to hit it with a pebble it sounds just as a lyre does when struck.

§ 1.42.3  This made me marvel, but the colossus inEgypt made me marvel far more than anything else. InEgyptianThebes, on crossing theNile to the so called Pipes, I saw a statue, still sitting, which gave out a sound. The many call itMemnon, who they say fromAethiopia overranEgypt and as far asSusa. TheThebans, however, say that it is a statue, not ofMemnon, but of a native named Phamenoph, and I have heard some say that it isSesostris. This statue was broken in two byCambyses, and at the present day from head to middle it is thrown down; but the rest is seated, and every day at the rising of the sun it makes a noise, and the sound one could best liken to that of a harp or lyre when a string has been broken.

§ 1.42.4  TheMegarians have a council chamber which once, they say, was the grave ofTimalcus, who just now I said was not killed byTheseus. On the top of the acropolis is built a temple ofAthena, with an image gilt except the hands and feet; these and the face are of ivory. There is another sanctuary built here, ofAthenaNike, and yet a third ofAthenaAeantis (Ajaxian). About the last theMegarian guides have omitted to record anything, but I will write what I take to be the facts.Telamon the son ofAeacus marriedPeriboea the daughter ofAlcathous; so my opinion is thatAjax, who succeeded to the throne ofAlcathous, made the statue ofAthena.

§ 1.42.5  The ancient temple ofApollo was of brick, but the emperorHadrian afterwards built it of white marble. TheApollo calledPythian and the one calledDecatephorus (Bringer of Tithes) are very like theEgyptian wooden images, but the one surnamedArchegetes (Founder) resemblesAeginetan works. They are all alike made of ebony. I have heard a man ofCyprus, who was skilled at sorting herbs for medicinal purposes, say that the ebony does not grow leaves or bear fruit, or even appear in the sunlight at all, but consists of underground roots which are dug up by theAethiopians, who have men skilled at finding ebony.

§ 1.42.6  There is also a sanctuary ofDemeterThesmophorus (Lawgiver). On going down from it you see the tomb ofCallipolis, son ofAlcathous.Alcathous had also an elder son,Ischepolis, whom his father sent to helpMeleager to destroy the wild beast inAetolia. There he died, andCallipolis was the first to hear of his death. Running up to the acropolis, at the moment when his father was preparing a fire to sacrifice toApollo, he flung the logs from the altar.Alcathous, who had not yet heard of the fate ofIschepolis, judged thatCallipolis was guilty of impiety, and forthwith, angry as he was, killed him by striking his head with one of the logs that had been flung from the altar.

§ 1.42.7  On the road to the Town-hall is the shrine of the heroineIno, about which is a fencing of stones, and beside it grow olives. TheMegarians are the only Greeks who say that the corpse ofIno was cast up on their coast, thatCleso andTauropolis, the daughters ofCleson, son ofLelex, found and buried it, and they say that among them first was she namedLeucothea, and that every year they offer her sacrifice.

§ 1.43.1  They say that there is also a shrine of the heroineIphigenia; for she too according to them died inMegara. Now I have heard another account ofIphigenia that is given byArcadians and I know thatHesiod, in his poemCatalogue of Women, says thatIphigenia did not die, but by the will ofArtemis isHecate. With this agrees the account ofHerodotus, that theTauri nearScythia sacrifice castaways to a maiden who they say isIphigenia, the daughter ofAgamemnon.Adrastus also is honored among theMegarians, who say that he too died among them when he was leading back his army after takingThebes, and that his death was caused by old age and the fate ofAegialeus. A sanctuary ofArtemis was made byAgamemnon when he came to persuadeCalchas, who dwelt inMegara, to accompany him toTroy.

§ 1.43.2  In the Prytaneion are buried, they say,Euippus the son ofMegareus andIschepolis the son ofAlcathous. Near the Prytaneion is a rock. They name it Anaclethris (Recall), becauseDemeter (if the story be credible) here too called her daughter back when she was wandering in search of her. Even in our day theMegarian women hold a performance that is a mimic representation of the legend.

§ 1.43.3  In the city are graves ofMegarians. They made one for those who died in thePersian invasion, and what is called the Aesymnium (Shrine of Aesymnus) was also a tomb of heroes. WhenAgamemnon's sonHyperion, the last king ofMegara, was killed bySandion for his greed and violence, they resolved no longer to be ruled by one king, but to have elected magistrates and to obey one another in turn. ThenAesymnus, who had a reputation second to none among theMegarians, came to the god inDelphi and asked in what way they could be prosperous. The oracle in its reply said that they would fare well if they took counsel with the majority. This utterance they took to refer to the dead, and built a council chamber in this place in order that the grave of their heroes might be within it.

§ 1.43.4  Between this and the hero-shrine ofAlcathous, which in my day theMegarians used as a record office, was the tomb, they said, ofPyrgo, the wife ofAlcathous before he marriedEuaechme, the daughter ofMegareus, and the tomb ofIphinoe, the daughter ofAlcathous; she died, they say, a maid. It is customary for the girls to bring libations to the tomb ofIphinoe and to offer a lock of their hair before their wedding, just as the daughters of theDelians once cut their hair forHecaerge andOpis.

§ 1.43.5  Beside the entrance to the sanctuary ofDionysus is the grave ofAstycratea andManto. They were daughters ofPolyidus, son ofCoeranus, son ofAbas, son ofMelampus, who came toMegara to purifyAlcathous when he had killed his sonCallipolis.Polyidus also built the sanctuary ofDionysus, and dedicated a wooden image that in our day is covered up except the face, which alone is exposed. By the side of it is aSatyr ofParian marble made byPraxiteles. ThisDionysus they callPatroos (Paternal); but the image of another, that they surnameDasyllius, they say was dedicated byEuchenor, son ofCoeranus, son ofPolyidus.

§ 1.43.6  After the sanctuary ofDionysus is a temple ofAphrodite, with an ivory image ofAphrodite surnamed Praxis (Action). This is the oldest object in the temple. There is alsoPersuasion and another goddess, whom they nameParegoros (consoler), works ofPraxiteles. ByScopas areEros andHimerus (yearning) andPothos (desire), if indeed their functions are as different as their names. Near the temple ofAphrodite is a sanctuary ofTyche, the image being one of the works ofPraxiteles. In the temple hard by areMuses and a bronzeZeus byLysippus.

§ 1.43.7  TheMegarians have also the grave ofCoroebus. The poetical story of him, although it equally concernsArgos, I will relate here. They say that in the reign ofCrotopus atArgos,Psamathe, the daughter ofCrotopus, bore a son toApollo, and being in dire terror of her father, exposed the child. He was found and destroyed by sheepdogs ofCrotopus, andApollo sentPoine (Vengeance) to the city to punish theArgives. They say that she used to snatch the children from their mothers, untilCoroebus to please theArgives slewPoine. Whereat as a second punishment plague fell upon them and stayed not. SoCoroebus of his own accord went toDelphi to submit to the punishment of the god for having slainPoine.

§ 1.43.8  ThePythia would not allowCoroebus to return toArgos, but ordered him to take up a tripod and carry it out of the sanctuary, and where the tripod should fall from his hands, there he was to build a temple ofApollo and to dwell himself. At MountGerania the tripod slipped and fell unawares. Here he dwelt in the village calledTripodiskoi. The grave ofCoroebus is in the agora of theMegarians. The story ofPsamathe and ofCoroebus himself is carved on it in elegiac verses and further, upon the top of the grave is representedCoroebus slayingPoine. These are the oldest stone images I am aware of having seen among the Greeks.

§ 1.44.1  NearCoroebus is buriedOrsippus who won the footrace atOlympia by running naked when all his competitors wore girdles according to ancient custom. They say also thatOrsippus when general afterwards annexed some of the neighboring territory. My own opinion is that atOlympia he intentionally let the girdle slip off him, realizing that a naked man can run more easily than one girt.

§ 1.44.2  As you go down from the agora you see on the right of the street called Straight a sanctuary ofApolloProstaterius (Protecting). You must turn a little aside from the road to discover it. In it is a noteworthyApollo,Artemis also, andLeto, and other statues, made byPraxiteles. In the old gymnasium near the gate called the Gate of theNymphs is a stone of the shape of a small pyramid. This they nameApolloCarinus, and here there is a sanctuary of theEileithyiae. Such are the sights that the city had to show.

§ 1.44.3  When you have gone down to the port, which to the present day is calledNisaea, you see a sanctuary ofDemeterMalophorus (Sheep-bearer or Apple-bearer). One of the accounts given of the surname is that those who first rearedsheep in the land namedDemeterMalophorus. The roof of the temple one might conclude has fallen in through age. There is an acropolis here, which also is calledNisaea. Below the acropolis near the sea is the tomb ofLelex, who they say arrived fromEgypt and became king, being the son ofPoseidon and ofLibya, daughter ofEpaphus. Parallel toNisaea lies the small island ofMinoa, where in the war againstNisus anchored the fleet of theCretans.

§ 1.44.4  The hilly part ofMegaris borders uponBoeotia, and in it theMegarians have built the cityPagae and another one calledAegosthena. As you go toPagae, on turning a little aside from the highway, you are shown a rock with arrows stuck all over it, into which thePersians once shot in the night. InPagae a noteworthy relic is a bronze image ofArtemis surnamedSaviour, in size equal to that atMegara and exactly like it in shape. There is also a hero-shrine ofAegialeus, son ofAdrastus. When theArgives made their second attack onThebes he died atGlisas early in the first battle, and his relatives carried him toPagae inMegaris and buried him, the shrine being still called the Aegialeum.

§ 1.44.5  InAegosthena is a sanctuary ofMelampus, son ofAmythaon, and a small figure of a man carved upon a slab. ToMelampus they sacrifice and hold a festival every year. They say that he divines neither by dreams nor in any other way. Here is something else that I heard inErenea, a village of theMegarians.Autonoe, daughter ofCadmus, leftThebes to live here owing to her great grief at the death ofActaeon, the manner of which is told in legend, and at the general misfortune of her father's house. The tomb ofAutonoe is in this village.

§ 1.44.6  On the road fromMegara toCorinth are graves, including that of theSamian flute-playerTelephanes, said to have been made byCleopatra, daughter ofPhilip, son ofAmyntas. There is also thetomb ofCar, son ofPhoroneus, which was originally a mound of earth, but afterwards, at the command of the oracle, it was adorned with mussel stone. TheMegarians are the only Greeks to possess this stone, and in the city also they have made many things out of it. It is very white, and softer than other stone; in it throughout are sea mussels. Such is the nature of the stone. The road calledScironian to this day and named afterSciron, was made by him when he was war minister of theMegarians, and originally they say was constructed for the use of active men. But the emperorHadrian broadened it, and made it suitable even for chariots to pass each other in opposite directions.

§ 1.44.7  There are legends about the rocks, which rise especially at the narrow part of the road. As to the Molurian, it is said that from itIno flung herself into the sea withMelicertes, the younger of her children.Learchus, the elder of them, had been killed by his father. One account is thatAthamas did this in a fit of madness; another is that he vented onIno and her children unbridled rage when he learned that the famine which befell theOrchomenians and the supposed death ofPhrixus were not accidents from heaven, but thatIno, the step-mother, had intrigued for all these things.

§ 1.44.8  Then it was that she fled to the sea and cast herself and her son from the Molurian Rock. The son, they say, was landed on theCorinthianIsthmus by adolphin, and honors were offered toMelicertes, then renamedPalaemon, including the celebration of theIsthmian games. TheMolurian rock they thought sacred toLeucothea andPalaemon; but those after it they consider accursed, in thatSciron, who dwelt by them, used to cast into the sea all the strangers he met. A tortoise used to swim under the rocks to seize those that fell in. Sea tortoises are like land tortoises except in size and for their feet, which are like those ofseals. Retribution for these deeds overtookSciron, for he was cast into the same sea byTheseus.

§ 1.44.9  On the top of the mountain is atemple ofZeus surnamedAphesius (Releaser). It is said that on the occasion of the drought that once afflicted the GreeksAeacus in obedience to an oracular utterance sacrificed inAegina toZeusPanhellenios, andZeus rained and ended the drought, gaining thus the nameAphesius. Here there are also images ofAphrodite,Apollo, andPan.

§ 1.44.10  Farther on is the tomb ofEurystheus. The story is that he fled fromAttica after the battle with theHeracleidae and was killed here byIolaus. When you have gone down from this road you see a sanctuary ofApolloLatous, after which is the boundary betweenMegara andCorinth, where legend says thatHyllus, son ofHeracles, fought a duel with theArcadianEchemus.

§ 2.1.1  TheCorinthian land is a portion of theArgive, and is named afterCorinthus. ThatCorinthus was a son ofZeus I have never known anybody say seriously except the majority of theCorinthians.Eumelus, the son ofAmphilytus, of the family calledBacchidae, who is said to have composed the epic poem, says in hisCorinthiac composition (if indeed the work be his) thatEphyra, the daughter ofOceanus, dwelt first in this land; that afterwardsMarathon, the son ofEpopeus, the son ofAloeus, the son ofHelius (Sun), fleeing from the lawless violence of his father migrated to the sea coast ofAttica; that on the death ofEpopeus he came toPeloponnesus, divided his kingdom among his sons, and returned toAttica; and thatAsopia was renamed afterSicyon, and Ephyraea afterCorinthus.

§ 2.1.2  Corinth is no longer inhabited by any of the oldCorinthians, but by colonists sent out by the Romans. This change is due to theAchaean League. TheCorinthians, being members of it, joined in the war against the Romans, whichCritolaus, when appointed general of theAchaeans, brought about by persuading to revolt both theAchaeans and the majority of the Greeks outside thePeloponnesus. When the Romans won the war, they carried out a general disarmament of the Greeks and dismantled the walls of such cities as were fortified.Corinth was laid waste byMummius, who at that time commanded the Romans in the field, and it is said that it was afterwards refounded byCaesar, who was the author of the present constitution ofRome.Carthage, too, they say, was refounded in his reign.

§ 2.1.3  In theCorinthian territory is also the place calledCromyon fromCromus the son ofPoseidon. Here they say thatPhaea was bred; overcoming thissow was one of the traditional achievements ofTheseus. Farther on the pine still grew by the shore at the time of my visit, and there was an altar ofMelicertes. At this place, they say, the boy was brought ashore by adolphin;Sisyphus found him lying and gave him burial on theIsthmus, establishing theIsthmian games in his honor.

§ 2.1.4  At the beginning of theIsthmus is the place where the brigandSinis used to take hold of pine trees and draw them down. All those whom he overcame in fight he used to tie to the trees, and then allow them to swing up again. Thereupon each of the pines used to drag to itself the bound man, and as the bond gave way in neither direction but was stretched equally in both, he was torn in two. This was the way in whichSinis himself was slain byTheseus. ForTheseus rid of evildoers the road fromTroezen toAthens, killing those whom I have enumerated and, in sacredEpidaurus,Periphetes, thought to be the son ofHephaestus, who used to fight with a bronze club.

§ 2.1.5  TheCorinthian Isthmus stretches on the one hand to the sea atCenchreae, and on the other to the sea atLechaeum. For this is what makes the region to the south mainland. He who tried to make thePeloponnesus an island gave up before digging through theIsthmus. Where they began to dig is still to be seen, but into the rock they did not advance at all. So it still is mainland as its nature is to be.Alexander the son ofPhilip wished to dig throughMimas, and his attempt to do this was his only unsuccessful project. TheCnidians began to dig through their isthmus, but thePythian priestess stopped them. So difficult it is for man to alter by violence what Heaven has made.

§ 2.1.6  A legend of theCorinthians about their land is not peculiar to them, for I believe that theAthenians were the first to relate a similar story to glorifyAttica. TheCorinthians say thatPoseidon had a dispute withHelius (Sun) about the land, and thatBriareos arbitrated between them, assigning toPoseidon theIsthmus and the parts adjoining, and giving toHelius theheight above the city. Ever since, they say, theIsthmus has belonged toPoseidon.

§ 2.1.7  Worth seeing here are atheater and a white-marblerace-course. Within the sanctuary of the god stand on the one side portrait statues of athletes who have won victories at theIsthmian games, on the other side pine trees growing in a row, the greater number of them rising up straight. On thetemple, which is not very large, stand bronzeTritons. In the fore-temple are images, two ofPoseidon, a third ofAmphitrite, and aThalassa (Sea), which also is of bronze. The offerings inside were dedicated in our time byHerodes theAthenian, fourhorses, gilded except for the hoofs, which are of ivory,

§ 2.1.8  and two goldTritons beside thehorses, with the parts below the waist of ivory. On the car standAmphitrite andPoseidon, and there is the boyPalaemon upright upon adolphin. These too are made of ivory and gold. On the middle of the base on which the car is has been wrought a Sea holding up the youngAphrodite, and on either side are the nymphs calledNereids. I know that there are altars to these in other parts of Greece, and that some Greeks have even dedicated to them precincts by shores, where honors are also paid toAchilles. InGabala is a holy sanctuary ofDoto, where there was still remaining the robe by which the Greeks say thatEriphyle was bribed to wrong her sonAlcmaeon.

§ 2.1.9  Among the reliefs on the base of the statue ofPoseidon are the sons ofTyndareus, because these too are saviours of ships and of sea-faring men. The other offerings are images ofGalene (Calm) and ofThalassa (Sea), ahorse like a whale from the breast onward,Ino andBellerophontes, and thehorsePegasus.

§ 2.2.1  Within the enclosure is on the left a temple ofPalaemon, with images in it ofPoseidon,Leucothea andPalaemon himself. There is also what is called his Holy of Holies, and an underground descent to it, where they say thatPalaemon is concealed. Whosoever, whetherCorinthian or stranger, swears falsely here, can by no means escape from his oath. There is also an ancient sanctuary called the altar of theCyclopes, and they sacrifice to theCyclopes upon it.

§ 2.2.2  The graves ofSisyphus and ofNeleus — for they say thatNeleus came toCorinth, died of disease, and was buried near theIsthmus — I do not think that anyone would look for after readingEumelus. For he says that not even toNestor didSisyphus show the tomb ofNeleus, because it must be kept unknown to everybody alike, and thatSisyphus is indeed buried on theIsthmus, but that fewCorinthians, even those of his own day, knew where the grave was. TheIsthmian games were not interrupted even whenCorinth had been laid waste byMummius, but so long as it lay deserted the celebration of the games was entrusted to theSicyonians, and when it was rebuilt the honor was restored to the present inhabitants.

§ 2.2.3  The names of theCorinthian harbors were given them byLeches andCenchrias, said to be the children ofPoseidon andPeirene the daughter ofAchelous, though in the poem called theGreat EoeaePeirene is said to be a daughter ofOebalus. InLechaeum are a sanctuary and a bronze image ofPoseidon, and on the road leading from theIsthmus toCenchreae a temple and ancient wooden image ofArtemis. InCenchreae are a temple and a stone statue ofAphrodite, after it on the mole running into the sea a bronze image ofPoseidon, and at the other end of the harbor sanctuaries ofAsclepius and ofIsis. Right oppositeCenchreae isHelen's Bath. It is a large stream of salt, tepid water, flowing from a rock into the sea.

§ 2.2.4  As one goes up toCorinth are tombs, and by thegate is buriedDiogenes ofSinope, whom the Greeks surname theDog. Before the city is a grove of cypresses calledCraneum. Here are a precinct ofBellerophontes, a temple ofAphroditeMelaenis and the grave ofLais, upon which is set a lioness holding a ram in her fore-paws.

§ 2.2.5  There is inThessaly another tomb which claims to be that ofLais, for she went to that country also when she fell in love withHippostratus. The story is that originally she was ofHycara inSicily. Taken captive while yet a girl byNicias and theAthenians, she was sold and brought toCorinth, where she surpassed in beauty the courtesans of her time, and so won the admiration of theCorinthians that even now they claimLais as their own.

§ 2.2.6  The things worthy of mention in the city include the extant remains of antiquity, but the greater number of them belong to the period of its second ascendancy. On theagora, where most of the sanctuaries are, standArtemis surnamedEphesian and wooden images ofDionysus, which are covered with gold with the exception of their faces; these are ornamented with red paint. They are calledLysius andBaccheus,

§ 2.2.7  and I too give the story told about them. They say thatPentheus treatedDionysus despitefully, his crowning outrage being that he went toCithaeron, to spy upon the women, and climbing up a tree beheld what was done. When the women detectedPentheus, they immediately dragged him down, and joined in tearing him, living as he was, limb from limb. Afterwards, as theCorinthians say, thePythian priestess commanded them by an oracle to discover that tree and to worship it equally with the god. For this reason they have made these images from the tree.

§ 2.2.8  There is also a temple ofFortune, with a standing image ofParian marble. Beside it is a sanctuary for all the gods. Hard by is built a fountain, on which is a bronzePoseidon; under the feet ofPoseidon is adolphin spouting water. There is also a bronzeApollo surnamedClarius and a statue ofAphrodite made byHermogenes ofCythera. There are two bronze, standing images ofHermes, for one of which a temple has been made. The images ofZeus also are in the open; one had not a surname, another they callChthonius (of the Lower World) and the thirdHypsistos (most high.)

§ 2.3.1  In the middle of theagora is a bronzeAthena, on the pedestal of which are wrought in relief figures of theMuses. Above theagora is atemple ofOctavia the sister ofAugustus, who was emperor of the Romans afterCaesar, the founder of the modernCorinth.

§ 2.3.2  On leaving theagora along the road toLechaeum you come to a gateway, on which are two gilded chariots, one carryingPhaethon the son ofHelius (Sun), the otherHelius himself. A little farther away from the gateway, on the right as you go in, is a bronzeHeracles. After this is the entrance to the water ofPeirene. The legend aboutPeirene is that she was a woman who became a spring because of her tears shed in lamentation for her sonCenchrias, who was unintentionally killed byArtemis.

§ 2.3.3  Thespring is ornamented with white marble, and there have been made chambers like caves, out of which the water flows into an open-air well. It is pleasant to drink, and they say that theCorinthian bronze, when red-hot, is tempered by this water, since bronze . . . theCorinthians have not. Moreover nearPeirene are an image and asacred enclosure ofApollo; in the latter is a painting of the exploit ofOdysseus against the suitors.

§ 2.3.4  Proceeding on the directroad toLechaeum we see a bronze image of a seatedHermes. By him stands a ram, forHermes is the god who is thought most to care for and to increase flocks, asHomer puts it in theIliad: “Son was he ofPhorbas, the dearest ofTrojans toHermes, Rich in flocks, for the god vouchsafed him wealth in abundance.” The story told at the mysteries of theMother aboutHermes and the ram I know but do not relate. After the image ofHermes comePoseidon,Leucothea, andPalaemon on adolphin.

§ 2.3.5  TheCorinthians have baths in many parts of the city, some put up at the public charge andone by the emperorHadrian. The most famousbath is near thePoseidon. It was made by theSpartanEurycles, who beautified it with various kinds of stone, especially theone quarried atCroceae inLaconia. On the left of the entrance stands aPoseidon, and after himArtemis hunting. Throughout the city are many wells, for theCorinthians have a copious supply of flowing water, besides thewater which the emperorHadrian brought from LakeStymphalus, but the most noteworthy is the one by the side of the image ofArtemis. Over it is aBellerophontes, and the water flows through the hoof of thehorsePegasus.

§ 2.3.6  As you go along another road from theagora, which leads toSicyon, you can see on the right of the road atemple and bronze image ofApollo, and a little farther on a well called theWell ofGlauce. Into this they say she threw herself in the belief that the water would be a cure for the drugs ofMedea. Above this well has been built what is called theOdeion (music hall), beside which is the tomb ofMedea's children. Their names wereMermerus andPheres, and they are said to have been stoned to death by theCorinthians owing to the gifts which legend says they brought toGlauce.

§ 2.3.7  But as their death was violent and illegal, the young babies of theCorinthians were destroyed by them until, at the command of the oracle, yearly sacrifices were established in their honor and a figure ofDeima (terror) was set up. This figure still exists, being the likeness of a woman frightful to look upon but afterCorinth was laid waste by the Romans and the oldCorinthians were wiped out, the new settlers broke the custom of offering those sacrifices to the sons ofMedea, nor do their children cut their hair for them or wear black clothes.

§ 2.3.8  On the occasion referred toMedea went toAthens and marriedAegeus, but subsequently she was detected plotting againstTheseus and fled fromAthens also; coming to the land then calledAria she caused its inhabitants to be named after herMedes. The son, whom she brought with her in her flight to the Arii, they say she had byAegeus, and that his name wasMedus.Hellanicus, however, calls himPolyxenus and says that his father wasJason.

§ 2.3.9  The Greeks have an epic poem calledNaupactia. In thisJason is represented as having removed his home after the death ofPelias fromIolcus toCorcyra, andMermerus, the elder of his children, to have been killed by a lioness while hunting on the mainland opposite. OfPheres is recorded nothing. ButCinaethon ofLacedemon, another writer of pedigrees in verse, said thatJason's children byMedea were a sonMedeus and a daughterEriopis; he too, however, gives no further information about these children.

§ 2.3.10  Eumelus said thatHelius (Sun) gave the Asopian land toAloeus and Ephyraea toAeetes. WhenAeetes was departing forColchis he entrusted his land toBunus, the son ofHermes andAlcidamea, and whenBunus diedEpopeus the son ofAloeus extended his kingdom to include the Ephyraeans. Afterwards, whenCorinthus, the son ofMarathon, died childless, theCorinthians sent forMedea fromIolcus and bestowed upon her the kingdom.

§ 2.3.11  Through herJason was king inCorinth, andMedea, as her children were born, carried each to thesanctuary ofHera and concealed them, doing so in the belief that so they would be immortal. At last she learned that her hopes were vain, and at the same time she was detected byJason. When she begged for pardon he refused it, and sailed away toIolcus. For these reasonsMedea too departed, and handed over the kingdom toSisyphus.

§ 2.4.1  This is the account that I read, and not far from the tomb is the temple ofAthenaChalinitis (Bridler). ForAthena, they say, was the divinity who gave most help toBellerophontes, and she delivered to himPegasus, having herself broken in and bridled him. The image of her is of wood, but face, hands and feet are of white marble.

§ 2.4.2  ThatBellerophontes was not an absolute king, but was subject toProetus and theArgives is the belief of myself and of all who have read carefully the Homeric poems. WhenBellerophontes migrated toLycia it is clear that theCorinthians none the less were subject to the despots atArgos orMycenae. By themselves they provided no leader for the campaign againstTroy, but shared in the expedition as part of the forces,Mycenaean and other, led byAgamemnon.

§ 2.4.3  Sisyphus had other sons besidesGlaucus, the father ofBellerophontes a second wasOrnytion, and besides him there wereThersander andAlmus.Ornytion had a sonPhocus, reputed to have been begotten byPoseidon. He migrated toTithorea in what is now calledPhocis, butThoas, the younger son ofOrnytion, remained behind atCorinth.Thoas begatDamophon,Damophon begatPropodas, andPropodas begatDoridas andHyanthidas. While these were kings theDorians took the field againstCorinth, their leader beingAletes, the son ofHippotas, the son ofPhylas, the son ofAntiochus, the son ofHeracles. SoDoridas andHyanthidas gave up the kingship toAletes and remained atCorinth, but theCorinthian people were conquered in battle and expelled by theDorians.

§ 2.4.4  Aletes himself and his descendants reigned for five generations toBacchis, the son ofPrumnis, and, named after him, theBacchidae reigned for five more generations toTelestes, the son ofAristodemus.Telestes was killed in hate by Arieus and Perantas, and there were no more kings, butPrytanes (Presidents) taken from theBacchidae and ruling for one year, untilCypselus, the son ofEetion, became tyrant and expelled theBacchidae.Cypselus was a descendant ofMelas, the son of Antasus.Melas fromGonussa aboveSicyon joined theDorians in the expedition againstCorinth. When the god expressed disapprovalAletes at first orderedMelas to withdraw to other Greeks, but afterwards, mistaking the oracle, he received him as a settler. Such I found to be the history of theCorinthian kings.

§ 2.4.5  Now the sanctuary ofAthenaChalinitis is by theirtheater, and near is a naked wooden image ofHeracles, said to be a work ofDaedalus. All the works of this artist, although rather uncouth to look at, are nevertheless distinguished by something divine (ἔνθεον). Above thetheater is a sanctuary ofZeus surnamed in the Latin tongueCapitolinus, which might be rendered into Greek “Coryphaeos”. Not far from this theater is the ancientgymnasium, and a spring calledLerna. Pillars stand around it, and seats have been made to refresh in summer time those who have entered it. By thisgymnasium aretemples ofZeus andAsclepius. The images ofAsclepius and ofHealth are of white marble, that ofZeus is of bronze.

§ 2.4.6  TheAcrocorinthus is a mountain peak above the city, assigned toHelius byBriareos when he acted as adjudicator, and handed over, theCorinthians say, byHelius toAphrodite. As you go up thisAcrocorinthus you see two precincts ofIsis, one οfIsis surnamedPelagian (Marine) and the other ofEgyptianIsis, and two ofSerapis, one of them being ofSerapis called “inCanopus.” After these are altars toHelius, and a sanctuary ofAnanke (Necessity) andBia (Violence), into which it is not customary to enter.

§ 2.4.7  Above it are a temple of theMother of the gods with a stele and a throne; the stele and the throne are made of stone. The temple of theFates andthat ofDemeter andKore have images that are not exposed to view. Here, too, is the temple ofHeraBounaia set up byBounos the son ofHermes. It is for this reason that the goddess is called Bounaia.

§ 2.5.1  On the summit of theAcrocorinthus is atemple ofAphrodite. The images areAphrodite armed,Helius, andEros with a bow. Thespring, which is behind the temple, they say was the gift ofAsopus toSisyphus. The latter knew, so runs the legend, thatZeus had ravishedAegina, the daughter ofAsopus, but refused to give information to the seeker before he had a spring given him on theAcrocorinthus. WhenAsopus granted this requestSisyphus turned informer, and on this account he receives — if anyone believes the story — punishment inHades. I have heard people say that this spring andPeirene are the same, the water in the city flowing hence underground.

§ 2.5.2  ThisAsopus rises in thePhliasian territory, flows through theSicyonian, and empties itself into the sea here. His daughters, say thePhliasians, wereCorcyra,Aegina, andThebe.Corcyra andAegina gave new names to the islands calledScheria andOenone, while fromThebe is named the city below theCadmea. TheThebans do not agree, but say thatThebe was the daughter of theBoeotian, and not of thePhliasian,Asopus.

§ 2.5.3  The other stories about the river are current among both thePhliasians and theSicyonians, for instance that its water is foreign and not native, in that theMaeander, descending fromCelaenae throughPhrygia andCaria, and emptying itself into the sea atMiletus, goes to thePeloponnesus and forms theAsopus. I remember hearing a similar story from theDelians, that the stream which they callInopus comes to them from theNile. Further, there is a story that theNile itself is theEuphrates, which disappears into a marsh, rises again beyondAethiopia and becomes theNile.

§ 2.5.4  Such is the account I heard of theAsopus. When you have turned from theAcrocorinthus into the mountain road you see the Teneatic gate and a sanctuary ofEilethyia. The town calledTenea is just about sixty stades distant. The inhabitants say that they areTrojans who were taken prisoners inTenedos by the Greeks, and were permitted byAgamemnon to dwell in their present home. For this reason they honorApollo more than any other god.

§ 2.5.5  As you go fromCorinth, not into the interior but along the road toSicyon, there is on the left not far from the city a burnt temple. There have, of course, been many wars carried on inCorinthian territory, and naturally houses and sanctuaries outside the wall have been fired. But this temple, they say, wasApollo's, andPyrrhus the son ofAchilles burned it down. Subsequently I heard another account, that theCorinthians built the temple forOlympianZeus, and that suddenly fire from some quarter fell on it and destroyed it.

§ 2.5.6  TheSicyonians, the neighbours of theCorinthians at this part of the border, say about their own land thatAegialeus was its first and aboriginal inhabitant, that the district of thePeloponnesus still calledAegialus was named after him because he reigned over it, and that he founded the city Aegialea on the plain. Their acropolis, they say, was where is now their sanctuary ofAthena; further, thatAegialeus begatEurops,EuropsTelchis, and TelchisApis.

§ 2.5.7  ThisApis reached such a height of power beforePelops came toOlympia that all the territory south of theIsthmus was called after himApia.Apis begatThelxion,ThelxionAegyrus, heThurimachus, andThurimachusLeucippus.Leucippus had no male issue, only a daughterCalchinia. There is a story that thisCalchinia mated withPoseidon; her child was reared byLeucippus, who at his death handed over to him the kingdom. His name wasPeratus.

§ 2.5.8  What is reported ofPlemnaeus, the son ofPeratus, seemed to me very wonderful. All the children borne to him by his wife died the very first time they wailed. At lastDemeter took pity onPlemnaeus, came toAegialea in the guise of a strange woman, and reared forPlemnaeus his sonOrthopolis.Orthopolis had a daughterChrysorthe, who is thought to have borne a son namedCoronus toApollo.Coronus had two sons,Corax and a younger oneLamedon.

§ 2.6.1  Corax died without issue, and at about this time cameEpopeus fromThessaly and took the kingdom. In his reign the first hostile army is said to have invaded the land, which before this had enjoyed unbroken peace. The reason was this.Antiope, the daughter ofNycteus, had a name among the Greeks for beauty, and there was also a report that her father was notNycteus butAsopus, the river that separates the territories ofThebes andPlataea.

§ 2.6.2  This womanEpopeus carried off but I do not know whether he asked for her hand or adopted a bolder policy from the beginning. TheThebans came against him in arms, and in the battleNycteus was wounded.Epopeus also was wounded, but won the day.Nycteus they carried back ill toThebes, and when he was about to die he appointed to be regent ofThebes his brotherLycus forLabdacus, the son ofPolydorus, the son ofCadmus, being still a child, was the ward ofNycteus, who on this occasion entrusted the office of guardian toLycus. He also besought him to attackAegialea with a larger army and bring vengeance uponEpopeus;Antiope herself, if taken, was to be punished.

§ 2.6.3  As toEpopeus, he forthwith offered sacrifice for his victory and began a temple ofAthena, and when this was complete he prayed the goddess to make known whether the temple was finished to her liking, and after the prayer they say that olive oil flowed before the temple. AfterwardsEpopeus also died of his wound, which he had neglected at first, so thatLycus had now no need to wage war. ForLamedon, the son ofCoronus, who became king afterEpopeus, gave upAntiope. As she was being taken toThebes by way ofEleutherae, she was delivered there on the road.

§ 2.6.4  On this matterAsius the son of Amphiptolemus says in his poem: “Zethus andAmphion hadAntiope for their mother, Daughter ofAsopus, the swift, deep-eddying river, Having conceived ofZeus andEpopeus, shepherd of peoples.”Homer traces their descent to the more august side of their family, and says that they were the first founders ofThebes, in my opinion distinguishing the lower city from theCadmea.

§ 2.6.5  WhenLamedon became king he took to wife anAthenian woman,Pheno, the daughter ofClytius. Afterwards also, when war had arisen between him andArchander andArchiteles, the sons ofAchaeus, he brought in as his allySicyon fromAttica, and gave himZeuxippe his daughter to wife. This man became king, and the land was named after himSicyonia, and the citySicyon instead ofAegiale. But they say thatSicyon was not the son ofMarathon, the son ofEpopeus, but ofMetion the son ofErechtheus.Asius confirms their statement, whileHesiod makesSicyon the son ofErechtheus, andIbycus says that his father wasPelops.

§ 2.6.6  Sicyon had a daughterChthonophyle, and they say that she andHermes were the parents ofPolybus. Afterwards she marriedPhlias, the son ofDionysus, and gave birth toAndrodamas.Polybus gave his daughterLysianassa toTalaus the son ofBias, king of theArgives; and whenAdrastus fled fromArgos he came toPolybus atSicyon, and afterwards on the death ofPolybus he became king atSicyon. WhenAdrastus returned toArgos,Ianiscus, a descendant ofClytius the father-in-law ofLamedon, came fromAttica and was made king, and whenIaniscus died he was succeeded byPhaestus, said to have been one of the children ofHeracles.

§ 2.6.7  AfterPhaestus in obedience to an oracle migrated toCrete, the next king is said to have beenZeuxippus, the son ofApollo and the nymphSyllis. On the death ofZeuxippus,Agamemnon led an army againstSicyon and kingHippolytus, the son ofRhopalus, the son ofPhaestus. In terror of the army that was attacking him,Hippolytus agreed to become subject toAgamemnon and theMycenaeans. ThisHippolytus was the father ofLacestades.Phalces the son ofTemenus, with theDorians, surprisedSicyon by night, but didLacestades no harm, because he too was one of theHeracleidae, and made him partner in the kingdom.

§ 2.7.1  From that time theSicyonians becameDorians and their land a part of theArgive territory. The city built byAegialeus on the plain was destroyed byDemetrius the son ofAntigonus, who founded the modern city near what was once the ancient acropolis. The reason why theSicyonians grew weak it would be wrong to seek; we must be content withHomer's saying aboutZeus: “Many, indeed, are the cities of which he has levelled the strongholds.” When they had lost their power there came upon them an earthquake, which almost depopulated their city and took from them many of their famous sights. It damaged also the cities ofCaria andLycia, and the island ofRhodes was very violently shaken, so that it was thought that theSibyl had had her utterance aboutRhodes fulfilled.

§ 2.7.2  When you have come from theCorinthian to theSicyonian territory you see the tomb ofLycus theMessenian, whoever thisLycus may be; for I can discover noMessenianLycus who practised the pentathlon or won a victory atOlympia. This tomb is a mound of earth, but theSicyonians themselves usually bury their dead in a uniform manner. They cover the body in the ground, and over it they build a basement of stone upon which they set pillars. Above these they put something very like the pediment of a temple. They add no inscription, except that they give the dead man's name without that of his father and bid him farewell.

§ 2.7.3  After the tomb ofLycus, but on the other side of theAsopus, there is on the right the Olympium, and a little farther on, to the left of the road, the grave ofEupolis, theAthenian comic poet. Farther on, if you turn in the direction of the city, you see the tomb ofXenodice, who died in childbirth. It has not been made after the native fashion, but so as to harmonize best with the painting, which is very well worth seeing.

§ 2.7.4  Farther on from here is the grave of theSicyonians who were killed atPellene, atDyme of theAchaeans, inMegalopolis and atSellasia. Their story I will relate more fully presently. By the gate they have a spring in a cave, the water of which does not rise out of the earth, but flows down from the roof of the cave. For this reason it is called the Dripping Spring (Stazousa).

§ 2.7.5  On the modern acropolis is a sanctuary ofFortuneAkraia (of the Height), and after it one of theDioscuri. Their images and that ofFortune are xoana. On the stage of thetheater built under the acropolis is a statue of a man with a shield, who they say isAratus, the son ofCleinias. After thetheater is a temple ofDionysus. The god is of gold and ivory, and by his side are Bacchanals of white marble. These women they say are sacred toDionysus and maddened by his inspiration. TheSicyonians have also some images which are kept secret. These one night in each year they carry to the Dionysion from what they call the Cosmeterium (Tiring-room), and they do so with lighted torches and native hymns.

§ 2.7.6  The first is the one namedBaccheus, set up byAndrodamas, the son ofPhlias, and this is followed by the one calledLysios (Deliverer), brought fromThebes by theThebanPhanes at the command of thePythian priestess.Phanes came toSicyon whenAristomachus, the son ofCleodaeus, failed to understand the oracle given him, and therefore failed to return to thePeloponnesus. As you walk from the Dionysion to the agora you see on the right atemple ofArtemisLimnaia (of the lake). A look shows that the roof has fallen in, but the inhabitants cannot tell whether the image has been removed or how it was destroyed on the spot.

§ 2.7.7  Within the agora is a sanctuary ofPeitho [Persuasion]; this too has no image. The worship ofPersuasion was established among them for the following reason. WhenApollo andArtemis had killedPython they came toAegialea to obtain purification. Dread coming upon them at the place now namedPhobos [Fear], they turned aside toCarmanor inCrete, and the people ofAegialea were smitten by a plague. When the seers bade them propitiateApollo andArtemis,

§ 2.7.8  they sent seven boys and seven maidens as suppliants to the riverSythas. They say that the deities, persuaded by these, came to what was then the acropolis, and the place that they reached first is the sanctuary ofPersuasion. Conformable with this story is the ceremony they perform at the present day; the children go to theSythas at the feast ofApollo, and having brought, as they pretend, the deities to the sanctuary ofPersuasion, they say that they take them back again to thetemple ofApollo. The temple stands in the modern agora, and was originally, it is said, made byProetus, because in this place hisdaughters recovered from their madness.

§ 2.7.9  It is also said that in thistempleMeleager dedicated the spear with which he slew theboar. There is also a story that the flutes ofMarsyas are dedicated here. When theSilenus met with his disaster, the riverMarsyas carried the flutes to theMaeander; reappearing in theAsopus they were cast ashore in theSicyonian territory and given toApollo by the shepherd who found them. I found none of these offerings still in existence, for they were destroyed by fire when the temple was burnt. Thetemple that I saw, and its image, were dedicated byPythocles.

§ 2.8.1  The precinct near the sanctuary ofPersuasion that is devoted toRoman emperors was once the house of the tyrantCleon. He became tyrant in the modern city; there was another tyranny while theSicyonians still lived in the lower city, that ofCleisthenes, the son ofAristonymus, the son ofMyron. Before this house is a hero-shrine ofAratus, whose achievements eclipsed those of all contemporary Greeks. His history is as follows.

§ 2.8.2  After the despotism ofCleon, many of those in authority were seized with such an ungovernable passion for tyranny that two actually became tyrants together,Euthydemus andTimocleidas. These were expelled by the people, who madeCleinias, the father ofAratus, their champion. A few years afterwardsAbantidas became tyrant. Before this timeCleinias had met his death, andAratus went into exile, either of his own accord or because he was compelled to do so byAbantidas. NowAbantidas was killed by some natives, and his fatherPaseas immediately became tyrant.

§ 2.8.3  He was killed byNicocles, who succeeded him. ThisNicocles was attacked byAratus with a force ofSicyonian exiles andArgive mercenaries. Making his attempt by night, he eluded some of the defenders in the darkness; the others he overcame, and forced his way within the wall. Day was now breaking, and taking the populace with him he hastened to the tyrant's house. This he easily captured, butNicocles himself succeeded in making his escape.Aratus restored equality of political rights to theSicyonians, striking a bargain for those in exile; he restored to them their houses and all their other possessions which had been sold, compensating the buyers out of his own purse.

§ 2.8.4  Moreover, as all the Greeks were afraid of theMacedonians and ofAntigonus, the guardian ofPhilip, the son ofDemetrius, he induced theSicyonians, who wereDorians, to join theAchaean League. He was immediately elected general by theAchaeans, and leading them against theLocrians ofAmphissa and into the land of theAetolians, their enemies, he ravaged their territory.Corinth was held byAntigonus, and there was aMacedonian garrison in the city, but he threw them into a panic by the suddenness of his assault, winning a battle and killing among othersPersaeus, the commander of the garrison, who had studied philosophy underZeno, the son of Mnaseas.

§ 2.8.5  WhenAratus had liberatedCorinth, theLeague was joined by theEpidaurians andTroezenians inhabitingArgolian Acte, and by theMegarians among those beyond theIsthmus, whilePtolemy made an alliance with theAchaeans. TheLacedemonians and kingAgis, the son ofEudamidas, surprised and tookPellene by a sudden onslaught, but whenAratus and his army arrived they were defeated in an engagement, evacuatedPellene, and returned home under a truce.

§ 2.8.6  After his success in thePeloponnesus,Aratus thought it a shame to allow theMacedonians to hold unchallengedPeiraeus,Munychia,Salamis, andSunium; but not expecting to be able to take them by force he bribedDiogenes, the commander of the garrisons, to give up the positions for a hundred and fifty talents, himself helping theAthenians by contributing a sixth part of the sum. He inducedAristomachus also, the tyrant ofArgos, to restore to theArgives their democracy and to join theAchaean League; he capturedMantinea from theLacedemonians who held it. But no man finds all his plans turn out according to his liking, and evenAratus was compelled to become an ally of theMacedonians andAntigonus in the following way.

§ 2.9.1  Cleomenes, the son ofLeonidas, the son ofCleonymus, having succeeded to the kingship atSparta, resembledPausanias in being dissatisfied with the established constitution and in aiming at a tyranny. A more fiery man thanPausanias, and no coward, he quickly succeeded by spirit and daring in accomplishing all his ambition. He poisonedEurydamidas, the king of the other royal house, while yet a boy, raised to the throne by means of the ephors his brotherEpicleidas, destroyed the power of theSenate, and appointed in its stead a nominalCouncil of Fathers. Ambitious for greater things and for supremacy over the Greeks, he first attacked theAchaeans, hoping if successful to have them as allies, and especially wishing that they should not hinder his activities.

§ 2.9.2  Engaging them atDyme beyondPatrae,Aratus being still leader of theAchaeans, he won the victory. In fear for theAchaeans and forSicyon itself,Aratus was forced by this defeat to bring inAntigonus as an ally.Cleomenes had violated the peace which he had made withAntigonus and had openly acted in many ways contrary to treaty, especially in laying wasteMegalopolis. SoAntigonus crossed into thePeloponnesus and theAchaeans metCleomenes atSellasia. TheAchaeans were victorious, the people ofSellasia were sold into slavery, andLacedemon itself was captured.Antigonus and theAchaeans restored to theLacedemonians the constitution of their fathers;

§ 2.9.3  but of the children ofLeonidas,Epicleidas was killed in the battle, andCleomenes fled toEgypt. Held in the highest honor byPtolemy, he came to be cast into prison, being convicted of incitingEgyptians to rebel against their king. He made his escape from prison and began a riot among theAlexandrians, but at last, on being captured, he fell by his own hand. TheLacedemonians, glad to be rid ofCleomenes, refused to be ruled by kings any longer, but the rest of their ancient constitution they have kept to the present day.Antigonus remained a constant friend ofAratus, looking upon him as a benefactor who hid helped him to accomplish brilliant deeds.

§ 2.9.4  But whenPhilip succeeded to the throne, sinceAratus did not approve of his violent treatment of his subjects, and in some cases even opposed the accomplishment of his purposes, he killedAratus by giving him secretly a dose of poison. This fate came uponAratus atAegium, from which place he was carried toSicyon and buried, and there is still in that city the hero-shrine ofAratus.Philip treated twoAthenians,Eurycleides andMicon, in a similar way. These men also, who were orators enjoying the confidence of the people, he killed by poison.

§ 2.9.5  After all,Philip himself in his turn was fated to suffer disaster through the fatal cup.Philip's son,Demetrius, was poisoned byPerseus, his younger son, and grief at the murder brought the father also to his grave. I mention the incident in passing, with my mind turned to the inspired words of the poetHesiod, that he who plots mischief against his neighbor directs it first to himself.

§ 2.9.6  After the hero-shrine ofAratus is an altar toIsthmianPoseidon, and also aZeusMeilichius (Gracious) and anArtemis namedPatroa (ancestral), both of them very inartistic works. TheMeilichius is like a pyramid, theArtemis like a pillar. Here too stand their council-chamber and a stoa called Cleisthenean from the name of him who built it. It was built from spoils byCleisthenes, who helped theAmphictyons in the war atCirrha. In the agora under the open sky is a bronzeZeus, a work ofLysippus, and by the side of it a gildedArtemis.

§ 2.9.7  Hard by is a sanctuary ofApolloLycius (Wolf-god), now fallen into ruins and not worth any attention. Forwolves once so preyed upon their flocks that there was no longer any profit therefrom, and the god, mentioning a certain place where lay a dry log, gave an oracle that the bark of this log mixed with meat was to be set out for the beasts to eat. As soon as they tasted it the bark killed them, and that log lay in my time in the sanctuary of the Wolf-god, but not even the guides of theSicyonians knew what kind of tree it was.

§ 2.9.8  Next after this are bronze portrait statues, said to be thedaughters ofProetus, but the inscription I found referred to other women. Here there is a bronzeHeracles, made byLysippus theSicyonian, and hard by standsHermesAgoraeus (of the Market-place).

§ 2.10.1  In the gymnasium not far from the agora is dedicated a stoneHeracles made byScopas. There is also in another place a sanctuary ofHeracles. The whole of the enclosure here they name Paedize; in the middle of the enclosure is the sanctuary, and in it is an old wooden figure carved byLaphaes thePhliasian. I will now describe the ritual at the festival. The story is that on coming to theSicyonian landPhaestus found the people giving offerings toHeracles as to a hero.Phaestus then refused to do anything of the kind, but insisted on sacrificing to him as to a god. Even at the present day theSicyonians, after slaying a lamb and burning the thighs upon the altar, eat some of the meat as part of a victim given to a god, while the rest they offer as to a hero. The first day of the festival in honor ofHeracles they name . . .; the second they call Heraclea.

§ 2.10.2  From here is a way to a sanctuary ofAsclepius. On passing into the enclosure you see on the left a building with two rooms. In the outer room lies a figure ofHypnos (Sleep), of which nothing remains now except the head. The inner room is given over to theCarneanApollo; into it none may enter except the priests. In the stoa lies a huge bone of a sea-monster, and after it an image ofOneiros (Dream) andHypnos, surnamedEpidotes (Bountiful), lulling to sleep alion. Within the sanctuary on either side of the entrance is an image, on the one handPan seated, on the otherArtemis standing.

§ 2.10.3  When you have entered you see the god, a beardless figure of gold and ivory made byCalamis. He holds a staff in one hand, and a cone of the cultivated pine in the other. TheSicyonians say that the god was carried to them fromEpidaurus on a carriage drawn by two mules, that he was in the likeness of aserpent, and that he was brought byNicagora ofSicyon, the mother ofAgasicles and the wife ofEchetimus. Here are small figures hanging from the roof. She who is on theserpent they say isAristodama, the mother ofAratus, whom they hold to be a son ofAsclepius.

§ 2.10.4  Such are the noteworthy things that this enclosure presented to me, and opposite is another enclosure, sacred toAphrodite. The first thing inside is a statue ofAntiope. They say that her sons wereSicyonians, and because of them theSicyonians will have it thatAntiope herself is related to themselves. After this is the sanctuary ofAphrodite, into which enter only a female neokoros (verger), who after her appointment may not have intercourse with a man, and a virgin, called the Bath-bearer, holding her sacred office for a year. All others are wont to behold the goddess from the entrance, and to pray from that place.

§ 2.10.5  The image, which is seated, was made by theSicyonianCanachus, who also fashioned theApollo atDidyma of theMilesians, and theIsmenianApollo for theThebans. It is made of gold and ivory, having on its head a polos, and carrying in one hand a poppy and in the other an apple. They offer the thighs of the victims, excepting pigs; the other parts they burn for the goddess with juniper wood, but as the thighs are burning they add to the offering a leaf of the paideros.

§ 2.10.6  This is a plant in the open parts of the enclosure, and it grows nowhere else either inSicyonia or in any other land. Its leaves are smaller than those of the esculent oak, but larger than those of the holm; the shape is similar to that of the oak-leaf. One side is of a dark color, the other is white. You might best compare the color to that of white-poplar leaves.

§ 2.10.7  Ascending from here to the gymnasium you see in the right a sanctuary ofArtemisPheraea. It is said that the wooden image was brought fromPherae. This gymnasium was built for theSicyonians byCleinias, and they still train the youths here. White marble images are here, anArtemis wrought only to the waist, and aHeracles whose lower parts are similar to the square Hermae.

§ 2.11.1  Turning away from here towards the gate called Holy you see, not far from the gate, a temple ofAthena. Dedicated long ago byEpopeus, it surpassed all its contemporaries in size and splendor. Yet the memory of even this was doomed to perish through lapse of time — the god burned it down by lightning — but the altar there, which escaped injury, remains down to the present day asEpopeus made it. Before the altar a barrow has been raised forEpopeus himself, and near the grave are the godsApotropaioi (Averters of evil). Near them the Greeks perform such rites as they are wont to do in order to avert misfortunes. They say that the neighboring sanctuary ofArtemis andApollo was also made byEpopeus, and that ofHera after it byAdrastus. I found no images remaining in either. Behind the sanctuary ofHera he built an altar toPan, and one toHelius (Sun) made of white marble.

§ 2.11.2  On the way down to the plain is a sanctuary ofDemeter, said to have been founded byPlemnaeus as a thank-offering to the goddess for the rearing of his son. A little farther away from the sanctuary ofHera founded byAdrastus is a temple of theCarneanApollo. Only the pillars are standing in it; you will no longer find there walls or roof, nor yet in that ofHeraProdromia (Pioneer). This temple was founded byPhalces, son ofTemenus, who asserted thatHera guided him on the road toSicyon.

§ 2.11.3  On the direct road fromSicyon toPhlius, on the left of the road and just about ten stades from it, is a grove called Pyraea, and in it a sanctuary ofDemeterProstasia (protectress) andKore. Here the men celebrate a festival by themselves, giving up to the women the so-calledNymphon for the purposes of their festival. In theNymphon are images ofDionysus,Demeter, andKore, with only their faces exposed. The road toTitane is sixty stades long, and too narrow to be used by carriages drawn by a yoke.

§ 2.11.4  At a distance along it, in my opinion, of twenty stades, to the left on the other side of theAsopus, is a grove of holm oaks and a temple of the goddesses named by theAthenians theSemnai (August ones), and by theSicyonians the Eumenides (kindly ones). On one day in each year they celebrate a festival to them and offersheep big with young as a burnt offering, and they are accustomed to use a libation of honey and water, and flowers instead of garlands. They practise similar rites at the altar of theFates; it is in an open space in the grove.

§ 2.11.5  On turning back to the road, and having crossed theAsopus again and reached the summit of the hill, you come to the place where the natives say thatTitan first dwelt. They add that he was the brother ofHelius (Sun), and that after him the place got the nameTitane. My own view is that he proved clever at observing the seasons of the year and the times when the sun increases and ripens seeds and fruits, and for this reason was held to be the brother ofHelius. AfterwardsAlexanor, the son ofMachaon, the son ofAsclepius, came toSicyonia and built the sanctuary ofAsclepius atTitane.

§ 2.11.6  The neighbors are chiefly servants of the god, and within the enclosure are old cypress trees. One cannot learn of what wood or metal the image is, nor do they know the name of the maker, though one or two attribute it toAlexanor himself. Of the image can be seen only the face, hands, and feet, for it has about it a tunic of white wool and a cloak. There is a similar image ofHealth; this, too, one cannot see easily because it is so surrounded with the locks of women, who cut them off and offer them to the goddess, and with strips ofBabylonian raiment. With whichever of these a votary here is willing to propitiate heaven, the same instructions have been given to him, to worship this image which they are pleased to callHealth.

§ 2.11.7  There are images also ofAlexanor and ofEuamerion; to the former they give offerings as to a hero after the setting of the sun; toEuamerion, as being a god, they give burnt sacrifices. If I conjecture aright, thePergamenes, in accordance with an oracle, call thisEuamerionTelesphorus (Accomplisher) while theEpidaurians call himAcesis (Cure). There is also a wooden image ofCoronis, but it has no fixed position anywhere in the temple. While to the god are being sacrificed abull, a lamb, and a pig, they removeCoronis to the sanctuary ofAthena and honor her there. The parts of the victims which they offer as a burnt sacrifice, and they are not content with cutting out the thighs, they burn on the ground, except the birds, which they burn on the altar.

§ 2.11.8  In the gable at the ends are figures ofHeracles and of Victories. In the stoa are dedicated images ofDionysus andHecate, withAphrodite, theMother of the gods, andFortune. These are wooden, butAsclepius, surnamedGortynian, is of stone. They are unwilling to enter among the sacredserpents through fear, but they place their food before the entrance and take no further trouble. Within the enclosure is a bronze statue of aSicyonian namedGranianus, who won the following victories atOlympia: the pentathlon twice, the foot-race, the double-course foot-race twice, once without and once with the shield.

§ 2.12.1  InTitane there is also a sanctuary ofAthena, into which they bring up the image ofCoronis. In it is an old wooden figure ofAthena, and I was told that it, too, was struck by lightning. The sanctuary is built upon a hill, at the bottom of which is an Altar of theWinds, and on it the priest sacrifices to the winds one night in every year. He also performs other secret rites at four pits, taming the fierceness of the blasts, and he is said to chant as well charms ofMedea.

§ 2.12.2  On reachingSicyon fromTitane, as you go down to the shore you see on the left of the road a temple ofHera having now neither image nor roof. They say that its founder wasProetus, the son ofAbas. When you have gone down to the harbor called theSicyonians' and turned towardsAristonautae, the port ofPellene, you see a little above the road on the left hand a sanctuary ofPoseidon. Farther along the highway is a river called theHelisson, and after it theSythas, both emptying themselves into the sea.

§ 2.12.3  Phliasia borders onSicyonia. The city is just about forty stades distant fromTitane, and there is a straight road to it fromSicyon. That thePhliasians are in no way related to theArcadians is shown by the passage inHomer that deals with the list of theArcadians, in which they are not included among theArcadian confederates. As my narrative progresses it will become clear that they wereArgive originally, and becameDorian later after the return of theHeracleidae to thePeloponnesus. I know that most of the traditions concerning thePhliasians are contradictory, but I shall make use of those which have been most generally accepted.

§ 2.12.4  They say that the first man in this land wasAras, who sprang from the soil. He founded a city around that hillock which even down to our day is called the Arantine Hill, not far distant from a second hill on which thePhliasians have their acropolis and their sanctuary ofHebe. Here, then, he founded a city, and after him in ancient times both the land and the city were called Arantia. While he was king,Asopus, said to be the son ofCelusa andPoseidon, discovered for him the water of the river which the present inhabitants call after himAsopus. The tomb ofAras is in the place calledCeleae, where they say is also buriedDysaules ofEleusis.

§ 2.12.5  Aras had a sonAoris and a daughterAraethyrea, who, thePhliasians say, were experienced hunters and brave warriors.Araethyrea died first, andAoris, in memory of his sister, changed the name of the land toAraethyrea. This is whyHomer, in making a list ofAgamemnon's subjects, has the verse: “Orneae was their home andAraethyrea the delightful.” The graves of the children ofAras are, in my opinion, on the Arantine Hill and not in any other part of the land. On the top of them are far-seen gravestones, and before the celebration of the mysteries ofDemeter the people look at these tombs and callAras and his children to the libations.

§ 2.12.6  TheArgives say thatPhlias, who has given the land its third name, was the son ofCeisus, the son ofTemenus. This account I can by no means accept, but I know that he is called a son ofDionysus, and that he is said to have been one of those who sailed on theArgo. The verses of theRhodian poet confirm me in my opinion:
“Came after thesePhlias fromAraethyrea to the muster;
Here did he dwell and prosper, becauseDionysus his father
Cared for him well, and his home was near to the springs ofAsopus.”
The account goes on to say that the mother ofPhlias wasAraethyrea and notChthonophyle. The latter was his wife and bore himAndrodamas.

§ 2.13.1  On the return of theHeracleidae disturbances took place throughout the whole of thePeloponnesus exceptArcadia, so that many of the cities received additional settlers from theDorian race, and their inhabitants suffered yet more revolutions. The history ofPhlius is as follows. TheDorianRhegnidas, the son ofPhalces, the son ofTemenus, attacked it fromArgos andSicyonia. Some of thePhliasians were inclined to accept the offer ofRhegnidas, which was that they should remain on their own estates and receiveRhegnidas as their king, giving theDorians with him a share in the land.

§ 2.13.2  Hippasus and his party, on the other hand, urged the citizens to defend themselves, and not to give up many advantages to theDorians without striking a blow. The people, however, accepted the opposite policy, and soHippasus and any others who wished fled toSamos. Great-grandson of thisHippasus wasPythagoras, the celebrated sage. ForPythagoras was the son ofMnesarchus, the son of Euphron [or Euphranor?], the son ofHippasus. This is the account thePhliasians give about themselves, and theSicyonians in general agree with them.

§ 2.13.3  I will now add an account of the most remarkable of their famous sights. On thePhliasian acropolis is a grove of cypress trees and a sanctuary which from ancient times has been held to be peculiarly holy. The earliestPhliasians named the goddess to whom the sanctuary belongs Ganymeda; but later authorities call herHebe, whomHomer mentions in the duel betweenMenelaus andAlexander, saying that she was the cup-bearer of the gods; and again he says, in the descent ofOdysseus toHades, that she was the wife ofHeracles.Olen, in his hymn toHera, says thatHera was reared by theSeasons, and that her children wereAres andHebe. Of the honors that thePhliasians pay to this goddess the greatest is the pardoning of suppliants.

§ 2.13.4  All those who seek sanctuary here receive full forgiveness, and prisoners, when set free, dedicate their fetters on the trees in the grove. ThePhliasians also celebrate a yearly festival which they call Ivy-cutters. There is no image, either kept in secret or openly displayed, and the reason for this is set forth in a sacred legend of theirs though on the left as you go out is a temple ofHera with an image ofParian marble.

§ 2.13.5  On the acropolis is another enclosure, which is sacred toDemeter, and in it are a temple and statue ofDemeter and her daughter. Here there is also a bronze statue ofArtemis, which appeared to me to be ancient. As you go down from the acropolis you see on the right a temple ofAsclepius with an image of the god as a beardless youth. Below this temple is built a theater. Not far from it is a sanctuary ofDemeter and old, seated images.

§ 2.13.6  On the agora is a votive offering, a bronze she-goat for the most part covered with gold. The following is the reason why it has received honors among thePhliasians. The constellation which they call theGoat on its rising causes continual damage to the vines. In order that they may suffer nothing unpleasant from it, thePhliasians pay honors to the bronzegoat on the agora and adorn the image with gold. Here also is the tomb ofAristias, the son ofPratinas. ThisAristias and his fatherPratinas composedsatyric plays more popular than any save those ofAeschylus.

§ 2.13.7  Behind the agora is a building which thePhliasians name the House of Divination. Into itAmphiaraus entered, slept the night there, and then first, say thePhliasians, began to divine. According to their accountAmphiaraus was for a time an ordinary person and no diviner. Ever since that time the building has been shut up. Not far away is what is called the Omphalos (Navel), the center of all thePeloponnesus, if they speak the truth about it. Farther on from the Omphalos they have an old sanctuary ofDionysus, a sanctuary ofApollo, and one ofIsis. The image ofDionysus is visible to all, and so also is that ofApollo, but the image ofIsis only the priests may behold.

§ 2.13.8  ThePhliasians tell also the following legend. WhenHeracles came back safe fromLibya, bringing the apples of theHesperides, as they were called, he visitedPhlius on some private matter. While he was staying thereOeneus came to him fromAetolia. He had already allied himself to the family ofHeracles, and after his arrival on this occasion either he entertainedHeracles orHeracles entertained him. Be this as it may, displeased with the drink given himHeracles struck on the head with one of his fingers the boyCyathus, the cup-bearer ofOeneus, who died on the spot from the blow. A chapel keeps the memory of the deed fresh among thePhliasians; it is built by the side of the sanctuary ofApollo, and it contains statues made of stone representing Cyathus holding out a cup toHeracles.

§ 2.14.1  Celeae is some five stades distant from the city, and here they celebrate the mysteries in honor ofDemeter, not every year but every fourth year. Thehierophant is not appointed for life, but at each celebration they elect a fresh one, who takes, if he cares to do so, a wife. In this respect their custom differs from that atEleusis, but the actual celebration is modelled on theEleusinian rites. ThePhliasians themselves admit that they copy the “performance” atEleusis.

§ 2.14.2  They say that it wasDysaules, the brother ofCeleus, who came to their land and established the mysteries, and that he had been expelled fromEleusis byIon, whenIon, the son ofXuthus, was chosen by theAthenians to be commander-in-chief in theEleusinian war. Now I cannot possibly agree with thePhliasians in supposing that anEleusinian was conquered in battle and driven away into exile, for the war terminated in a treaty before it was fought out, andEumolpus himself remained atEleusis.

§ 2.14.3  But it is possible thatDysaules came toPhlius for some other reason than that given by thePhliasians. I do not believe either that he was related toCeleus, or that he was in any way distinguished atEleusis, otherwiseHomer would never have passed him by in his poems. ForHomer is one of those who have written in honor ofDemeter, and when he is making a list of those to whom the goddess taught the mysteries he knows nothing of anEleusinian namedDysaules. These are the verses:
“She toTriptolemus taught, and toDiocles, driver ofhorses,
Also to mightyEumolpus, toCeleus, leader of peoples,
Cult of the holy rites, to them all her mystery telling.”

§ 2.14.4  At all events, thisDysaules, according to thePhliasians, established the mysteries here, and he it was who gave to the place the nameCeleae. I have already said that the tomb ofDysaules is here. So the grave ofAras was made earlier, for according to the account of thePhliasiansDysaules did not arrive in the reign ofAras, but later. ForAras, they say, was a contemporary ofPrometheus, the son ofIapetus, and three generations of men older thanPelasgus the son ofArcas and those called atAthens aboriginals. On the roof of what is called the Anactorum they say is dedicated the chariot ofPelops.

§ 2.15.1  These are the things that I found most worthy of mention among thePhliasians. On the road fromCorinth toArgos is a small cityCleonae. They say thatCleones was a son ofPelops, though there are some who say thatCleone was one of the daughters ofAsopus, that flows by the side ofSicyon. Be this as it may, one or other of these two accounts for the name of the city. Here there is a sanctuary ofAthena, and the image is a work ofScyllis andDipoenus. Some hold them to have been the pupils ofDaedalus, but others will have it thatDaedalus took a wife fromGortyn, and thatDipoenus andScyllis were his sons by this woman.Cleonae possesses this sanctuary and the tomb ofEurytus andCteatus. The story is that as they were going as ambassadors fromElis to theIsthmian contest they were here shot byHeracles, who charged them with being his adversaries in the war againstAugeas.

§ 2.15.2  FromCleonae toArgos are two roads; one is direct and only for active men, the other goes along the pass calledTretus (Pierced), is narrow like the other, being surrounded by mountains, but is nevertheless more suitable for carriages. In these mountains is still shown the cave of the famouslion, and the placeNemea is distant some fifteen stades. InNemea is a noteworthy temple ofNemeanZeus, but I found that the roof had fallen in and that there was no longer remaining any image. Around the temple is a grove of cypress trees, and here it is, they say, thatOpheltes was placed by hisnurse in the grass and killed by theserpent.

§ 2.15.3  TheArgives offer burnt sacrifices toZeus inNemea also, and elect a priest ofNemeanZeus; moreover they offer a prize for a race in armour at the winter celebration of theNemean games. In this place is the grave ofOpheltes; around it is a fence of stones, and within the enclosure are altars. There is also a mound of earth which is the tomb ofLycurgus, the father ofOpheltes. The spring they callAdrastea for some reason or other, perhaps becauseAdrastus found it. The land was named, they say, afterNemea, who was another daughter ofAsopus. AboveNemea is MountApesas, where they say thatPerseus first sacrificed toZeusApesantios.

§ 2.15.4  Ascending toTretus, and again going along the road toArgos, you see on the left the ruins ofMycenae. The Greeks are aware that the founder ofMycenae wasPerseus, so I will narrate the cause of its foundation and the reason why theArgives afterwards laidMycenae waste. The oldest tradition in the region now calledArgolis is that whenInachus was king he named theriver after himself and sacrificed toHera.

§ 2.15.5  There is also another legend which says thatPhoroneus was the first inhabitant of this land, and thatInachus, the father ofPhoroneus, was not a man but the river. This river, with the rivers Cephisus andAsterion, judged concerning the land betweenPoseidon andHera. They decided that the land belonged toHera, and soPoseidon made their waters disappear. For this reason neitherInachus nor either of the other rivers I have mentioned provides any water except after rain. In summer their streams are dry except those atLerna.Phoroneus, the son ofInachus, was the first to gather together the inhabitants, who up to that time had been scattered and living as isolated families. The place into which they were first gathered was named the Phoronikon Asty.

§ 2.16.1  Argus, the grandson ofPhoroneus, succeeding to the throne afterPhoroneus, gave his name to the land.Argus begatPeirasus andPhorbas,Phorbas begatTriopas, andTriopas begatIasus andAgenor.Io, the daughter ofIasus, went toEgypt, whether the circumstances be asHerodotus records or as the Greeks say. AfterIasus,Crotopus, the son ofAgenor, came to the throne and begatSthenelas, butDanaus sailed fromEgypt againstGelanor, the son ofSthenelas, and stayed the succession to the kingdom of the descendants ofAgenor. What followed is known to all alike: the crime the daughters ofDanaus committed against their cousins, and how, on the death ofDanaus,Lynceus succeeded him.

§ 2.16.2  But the sons ofAbas, the son ofLynceus, divided the kingdom between themselves;Acrisius remained where he was atArgos, andProetus took over theHeraeum,Midea,Tiryns, and theArgive coast region. Traces of the residence ofProetus inTiryns remain to the present day. AfterwardsAcrisius, learning thatPerseus himself was not only alive but accomplishing great achievements, retired toLarisa on thePeneus. AndPerseus, wishing at all costs to see the father of his mother and to greet him with fair words and deeds, visited him atLarisa. Being in the prime of life and proud of his inventing the quoit, he gave displays before all, andAcrisius, as luck would have it, stepped unnoticed into the path of the quoit.

§ 2.16.3  So the prediction of the god toAcrisius found its fulfillment, nor was his fate prevented by his precautions against his daughter and grandson.Perseus, ashamed because of the gossip about the homicide, on his return toArgos inducedMegapenthes, the son ofProetus, to make an exchange of kingdoms; taking over himself that ofMegapenthes, he foundedMycenae. For on its site the cap (myces) fell from his scabbard, and he regarded this as a sign to found a city. I have also heard the following account. He was thirsty, and the thought occurred to him to pick up a mushroom (myces) from the ground. Drinking with joy water that flowed from it, he gave to the place the name ofMycenae.

§ 2.16.4  Homer in theOdyssey mentions a womanMycene in the following verse: “Tyro andAlcmene and the fair-crowned ladyMycene.” She is said to have been the daughter ofInachus and the wife ofArestor in the poem which the Greeks call theGreat Eoeae. So they say that this lady has given her name to the city. But the account which is attributed toAcusilaus, thatMyceneus was the son ofSparton, and Sparton ofPhoroneus, I cannot accept, because theLacedemonians themselves do not accept it either. For theLacedemonians have atAmyclae a portrait statue of a woman namedSparte, but they would be amazed at the mere mention of aSparton, son ofPhoroneus.

§ 2.16.5  It was jealousy which caused theArgives to destroyMycenae. For at the time of thePersian invasion theArgives made no move, but theMycenaeans sent eighty men toThermopylae who shared in the achievement of theLacedemonians. This eagerness for distinction brought ruin upon them by exasperating theArgives. There still remain, however, parts of the city wall, including the gate, upon which standlions. These, too, are said to be the work of theCyclopes, who made forProetus the wall atTiryns.

§ 2.16.6  In the ruins ofMycenae is a fountain calledPersea; there are also underground chambers ofAtreus and his children, in which were stored their treasures. There is the grave ofAtreus, along with the graves of such as returned withAgamemnon fromTroy, and were murdered byAegisthus after he had given them a banquet. As for the tomb ofCassandra, it is claimed by theLacedemonians who dwell aroundAmyclae.Agamemnon has his tomb, and so hasEurymedon the charioteer, while another is shared byTeledamus andPelops, twin sons, they say, ofCassandra,

§ 2.16.7  whom while yet babiesAegisthus slew after their parents.Electra has her tomb, forOrestes married her toPylades.Hellanicus adds that the children ofPylades byElectra wereMedon andStrophius.Clytemnestra andAegisthus were buried at some little distance from the wall. They were thought unworthy of a place within it, where layAgamemnon himself and those who were murdered with him.

§ 2.17.1  Fifteen stades distant fromMycenae is on the left theHeraeum. Beside the road flows the brook called Eleutherion (Water of Freedom). The priestesses use it in purifications and for such sacrifices as are secret. The sanctuary itself is on a lower part ofEuboea.Euboea is the name they give to the hill here, saying thatAsterion the river had three daughters,Euboea,Prosymna, andAcraea, and that they were nurses ofHera.

§ 2.17.2  The hill opposite theHeraeum they name afterAcraea, the environs of the sanctuary they name afterEuboea, and the land beneath theHeraeum afterProsymna. ThisAsterion flows above theHeraeum, and falling into a cleft disappears. On its banks grows a plant, which also is called asterion. They offer the plant itself toHera, and from its leaves weave her garlands.

§ 2.17.3  It is said that the architect of the temple wasEupolemus, anArgive. The sculptures carved above the pillars refer either to the birth ofZeus and the battle between the gods and the giants, or to theTrojan War and the capture ofIlium. Before the entrance stand statues of women who have been priestesses toHera and of various heroes, includingOrestes. They say thatOrestes is the one with the inscription saying it represents the EmperorAugustus. In the fore-temple are on the one side ancient statues of theGraces, and on the right a couch ofHera and a votive offering, the shield whichMenelaus once took fromEuphorbus atTroy.

§ 2.17.4  The statue ofHera is seated on a throne; it is huge, made of gold and ivory, and is a work ofPolycleitus. She is wearing a crown withGraces andSeasons worked upon it, and in one hand she carries a pomegranate and in the other a sceptre. About the pomegranate I must say nothing, for its story is somewhat of a holy mystery. The presence of a cuckoo seated on the sceptre they explain by the story that whenZeus was in love withHera in her maidenhood he changed himself into this bird, and she caught it to be her pet. This tale and similar legends about the gods I relate without believing them, but I relate them nevertheless.

§ 2.17.5  By the side ofHera stands what is said to be an image ofHebe fashioned byNaucydes; it, too, is of ivory and gold. By its side is an old image ofHera on a pillar. The oldest image is made of wild-pear wood, and was dedicated inTiryns byPeirasus, son ofArgus, and when theArgives destroyedTiryns they carried it away to theHeraeum. I myself saw it, a small, seated image.

§ 2.17.6  Of the votive offerings the following are noteworthy. There is an altar upon which is wrought in relief the fabled marriage ofHebe andHeracles. This is of silver, but thepeacock dedicated by the EmperorHadrian is of gold and gleaming stones. He dedicated it because they hold the bird to be sacred toHera. There lie here a golden crown and a purple robe, offerings ofNero.

§ 2.17.7  Above this temple are the foundations of the earlier temple and such parts of it as were spared by the flames. It was burnt down because sleep overpoweredChryseis, the priestess ofHera, when the lamp before the wreaths set fire to them.Chryseis went toTegea and supplicatedAthenaAlea. Although so great a disaster had befallen them theArgives did not take down the statue ofChryseis; it is still in position in front of the burnt temple.

§ 2.18.1  By the side of the road fromMycenae toArgos there is on the left hand a hero-shrine ofPerseus. The neighboring folk, then, pay him honors here, but the greatest honors are paid to him inSeriphus and among theAthenians, who have a precinct sacred toPerseus and an altar ofDictys andClymene, who are called the saviours ofPerseus. Advancing a little way in theArgive territory from this hero-shrine one sees on the right the grave ofThyestes. On it is a stone ram, becauseThyestes obtained the golden lamb after debauching his brother's wife [Aerope]. ButAtreus was not restrained by prudence from retaliating, but contrived the slaughter of the children ofThyestes and the banquet of which the poets tell us.

§ 2.18.2  But as to what followed, I cannot say for certain whetherAegisthus began the sin or whetherAgamemnon sinned first in murderingTantalus, the son ofThyestes. It is said thatTantalus had receivedClytaemnestra in marriage fromTyndareus when she was still a virgin. I myself do not wish to condemn them of having been wicked by nature; but if the pollution ofPelops and the avenging spirit ofMyrtilus dogged their steps so long, it was after all only consistent that thePythian priestess said to theSpartiateGlaucus, the son ofEpicydes, who consulted her about breaking his oath, that the punishment for this also comes upon the descendants of the sinner.

§ 2.18.3  A little beyond the Rams — this is the name they give to the tomb ofThyestes — there is on the left a place calledMysia and a sanctuary ofMysianDemeter, so named from a manMysius who, say theArgives, was one of those who entertainedDemeter. Now this sanctuary has no roof, but in it is another temple, built of burnt brick, and wooden images ofKore,Plouton andDemeter. Farther on is a river calledInachus, and on the other side of it an altar ofHelius (the Sun). After this you will come to a gate named after the sanctuary near it. This sanctuary belongs toEileithyia.

§ 2.18.4  TheArgives are the only Greeks that I know of who have been divided into three kingdoms. For in the reign ofAnaxagoras, son ofArgeus, son ofMegapenthes, thewomen were smitten with madness, and straying from their homes they roamed about the country, untilMelampus the son ofAmythaon cured them of the plague on condition that he himself and his brotherBias had a share of the kingdom equal to that ofAnaxagoras. Now descended fromBias five men,Neleids on their mother's side, occupied the throne for four generations down toCyanippus, son ofAegialeus, and descended fromMelampus six men in six generations down toAmphilochus, son ofAmphiaraus.

§ 2.18.5  But the native house of theAnaxagoridae ruled longer than the other two. ForIphis, son ofAlector, son ofAnaxagoras, left the throne toSthenelus, son ofCapaneus his brother. After the capture ofTroy,Amphilochus migrated to the people now called theAmphilochians, and,Cyanippus having died without issue,Cylarabes, son ofSthenelus, became sole king. However, he too left no offspring, andArgos was seized byOrestes, son ofAgamemnon, who was a neighbor. Besides his ancestral dominion, he had extended his rule over the greater part ofArcadia and had succeeded to the throne ofSparta; he also had a contingent ofPhocian allies always ready to help him.

§ 2.18.6  WhenOrestes became king of theLacedemonians, they themselves consented to accept him for they considered that the sons of the daughter ofTyndareus had a claim to the throne prior to that ofNicostratus andMegapenthes, who were sons ofMenelaus by a slave woman. On the death ofOrestes, there succeeded to the throneTisamenus, the son ofOrestes and ofHermione, the daughter ofMenelaus. The mother ofPenthilus, the bastard son ofOrestes, was, according to the poetCinaethon,Erigone, the daughter ofAegisthus.

§ 2.18.7  It was in the reign of thisTisamenus that theHeracleidae returned to thePeloponnesus; they wereTemenus andCresphontes, the sons ofAristomachus, together with the sons of the third brother,Aristodemus, who had died. Their claim toArgos and to the throne ofArgos was, in my opinion, most just, becauseTisamenus was aPelopid, but theHeracleidae weredescendants of Perseus.Tyndareus himself, they made out, had been expelled byHippocoon, and they said thatHeracles, having killedHippocoon and his sons, had given the land in trust toTyndareus. They gave the same kind of account aboutMessenia also, that it had been given in trust toNestor byHeracles after he had takenPylus.

§ 2.18.8  So they expelledTisamenus fromLacedemon andArgos, and the descendants ofNestor fromMessenia, namelyAlcmaeon, son ofSillus, son ofThrasymedes,Peisistratus, son ofPeisistratus, and the sons ofPaeon, son ofAntilochus, and with themMelanthus, son ofAndropompus, son ofBorus, son ofPenthilus, son ofPericlymenus. SoTisamenus and his sons went with his army to the land that is nowAchaia.

§ 2.18.9  To what peoplePeisistratus retreated I do not know, but the rest of theNeleidae went toAthens, and the clans of thePaeonidae and of theAlcmaeonidae were named after them.Melanthus even came to the throne, having deposedThymoetes the son ofOxyntes; forThymoetes was the lastAthenian king descended fromTheseus.

§ 2.19.1  It is not to my purpose that I should set forth here the history ofCresphontes and of the sons ofAristodemus. ButTemenus openly employed, instead of his sons,Deiphontes, son ofAntimachus, son ofThrasyanor, son ofCtesippus, son ofHeracles, as general in war and as adviser on all occasions. Even before this he had made him his son-in-law, whileHyrnetho was his favorite daughter; he was accordingly suspected of intending to divert the throne to her andDelphontes. For this reason his sons plotted against him, andCeisus, the eldest of them, seized the kingdom.

§ 2.19.2  But from the earliest times theArgives have loved freedom and self-government, and they limited to the utmost the authority of their kings, so that toMedon, the son ofCeisus, and to his descendants was left a kingdom that was such only in name.Meltas, the son ofLacedas, the tenth descendant ofMedon, was condemned by the people and deposed altogether from the kingship.

§ 2.19.3  The most famous building in the city ofArgos is the sanctuary ofApolloLycius (Wolf-god). The modern image was made by theAthenianAttalus, but the original temple andxoanon (wooden image) were the offering ofDanaus. I am of opinion that in those days all images, especiallyEgyptian images, were made of wood. The reason whyDanaus founded a sanctuary ofApolloLycius was this. On coming toArgos he claimed the kingdom againstGelanor, the son ofSthenelas. Many plausible arguments were brought forward by both parties, and those ofSthenelas were considered as fair as those of his opponent; so the people, who were sitting in judgment, put off, they say, the decision to the following day.