by Pausanias
[21.9] The rest of the information about these athletes comes from the guides of the Eleans, who say that it was at the hundred and seventy-eighth Festival that Eudelus accepted a bribe from Philostratus, and that this Philostratus was a Rhodian. This account I found was at variance with the Elean record of Olympic victories. In this record it is stated that Strato of Alexandria at the hundred and seventy-eighth Festival won on the same day the victory in the pancratium and the victory at wrestling. Alexandria on the Canopic mouth of the Nile was founded by Alexander the son of Philip, but it is said that previously there was on the site a small Egyptian town called Racotis.
[10] Στράτωνος δὲ τούτου τρεῖς μὲν ἡλικίᾳ πρότερον, τοσοῦτοι δὲ ἄλλοι μετ᾽ αὐτόν εἰσι δῆλοι τὸν κότινον παγκρατίου τε ἆθλα εἰληφότες καὶ πάλης, Κάπρος μὲν ἐξ αὐτῆς Ἤλιδος, Ἑλλήνων δὲ τῶν πέραν Αἰγαίου Ῥόδιός τε Ἀριστομένης καὶ Μαγνήτων τῶν ἐπὶ Ληθαίῳ Πρωτοφάνης. οἱ δὲ ὕστερον τοῦ Στράτωνος Μαρίων τε πόλεως ἐκείνῳ τῆς αὐτῆς καὶ Στρατονικεὺς Ἀριστέας — τὰ δὲ παλαιότερα ἥ τε χώρα καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐκαλεῖτο Χρυσαορίς — , ἕβδομος δὲ Νικόστρατος ἐκ τῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ Κιλίκων, οὐδὲν τοῖς Κίλιξιν αὐτοῦ μετὸν εἰ μὴ ὅσα τῷ λόγῳ.
[21.10] Three Competitors before the time of this Strato, and three others after him, are known to have received the wild-olive for winning the pancratium and the wrestling: Caprus from Elis itself, and of the Greeks on the other side of the Aegean, Aristomenes of Rhodes and Protophanes of Magnesia on the Lethaeus, were earlier than Strato; after him came Marion his compatriot, Aristeas of Stratoniceia (anciently both land and city were called Chrysaoris), and the seventh was Nicostratus, from Gilicia on the coast, though he was in no way a Gilician except in name.
[11] τοῦτον τὸν Νικόστρατον νήπιον παῖδα ἔτι ἐκ Πρυμνησσοῦ λῃσταὶ τῆς Φρυγῶν ἥρπασαν, οἰκίας ὄντα οὐκ ἀφανοῦς: κομισθέντα δὲ αὐτὸν ἐς Αἰγέας ὠνήσατο ὅστις δή. χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ ὄνειρον γίνεται: λέοντος δὲ ἔδοξεν ὑπὸ τῷ σκίμποδι κατακεῖσθαι σκύμνον, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ ἐκάθευδεν ὁ Νικόστρατος. Νικοστράτῳ μὲν δή, ὡς ηὐξήθη, καὶ ἄλλαι νῖκαι καὶ Ὀλυμπίασιν ἐγένοντο παγκρατίου καὶ πάλης.
[21.11] This Nicostratus while still a baby was stolen from Prymnessus in Phrygia by robbers, being a child of a noble family. Conveyed to Aegeae he was bought by somebody or other, who some time afterwards dreamed a dream. He thought that a lion’s whelp lay beneath the pallet-bed on which Nicostratus was sleeping. Now Nicostratus, when he grew up, won other victories elsewhere, besides in the pancratium and wrestling at Olympia.
[12] χρήμασι δὲ ὑπὸ Ἠλείων ἕτεροί τε ὕστερον καὶ Ἀλεξανδρεὺς ἐζημιώθη πύκτης Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐπὶ ταῖς διακοσίαις ὀγδόῃ τε καὶ δεκάτῃ. ὄνομα μὲν τῷ ζημιωθέντι Ἀπολλώνιος, ἐπίκλησις δὲ ἦν Ῥάντης: καί πως καὶ ἐπιχώριον τὸ ἐς τὰς ἐπικλήσεις τοῖς Ἀλεξανδρεῦσίν ἐστιν. οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀδικεῖν ὑπὸ Ἠλείων κατεγνώσθη πρῶτος Αἰγυπτίων:
[21.12] Afterwards others were fined by the Eleans, among whom was an Alexandrian boxer at the two hundred and eighteenth Festival. The name of the man fined was Apollonius, with the surname of Rhantes – it is a sort of national characteristic for Alexandrians to have a surname. This man was the first Egyptian to be convicted by the Eleans of a misdemeanor.
[13] κατεγνώσθη δὲ οὐ δοῦναι χρήματα ἢ λαβεῖν αὐτός, ἀλλὰ τοιόνδε ἄλλο ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐξυβρίσαι. ἀφίκετο οὐκ ἐς τὸν εἰρημένον καιρόν, καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ Ἠλείων πειθομένων τῷ νόμῳ ἐλείπετο τοῦ ἀγῶνος εἴργεσθαι: τὴν γάρ οἱ πρόφασιν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς Κυκλάσι νήσοις ὑπὸ ἀνέμων κατείχετο ἐναντίων, Ἡρακλείδης γένος καὶ αὐτὸς Ἀλεξανδρεὺς ἤλεγχεν ἀπάτην οὖσαν: ὑστερῆσαι γὰρ χρήματα ἐκ τῶν ἀγώνων αὐτὸν ἐκλέγοντα τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ.
[21.13] It was not for giving or taking a bribe that he was condemned, but for the following outrageous conduct in connection with the games. He did not arrive by the prescribed time, and the Eleans, if they followed their rule, had no option but to exclude him from the games. For his excuse, that he had been kept back among the Cyclades islands by contrary winds, was proved to be an untruth by Heracleides, himself an Alexandrian by birth. He showed that Apollonius was late because he had been picking up some money at the Ionian games.
[14] οὕτω δὴ τόν τε Ἀπολλώνιον καὶ εἰ δή τις ἄλλος ἧκεν οὐ κατὰ προθεσμίαν τῶν πυκτῶν, τούτους μὲν οἱ Ἠλεῖοι τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἀπελαύνουσι, τῷ Ἡρακλείδῃ δὲ τὸν στέφανον παριᾶσιν ἀκονιτί: ἐνταῦθα ὁ Ἀπολλώνιος κατεσκευάσατό τε τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν ὡς ἐς μάχην καὶ ἐσδραμὼν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἡρακλείδην ἥπτετο ἐπικειμένου τε ἤδη τὸν κότινον καὶ καταπεφευγότος ἐς τοὺς Ἑλλανοδίκας. τούτῳ μὲν δὴ ἔμελλε τὸ κοῦφον τοῦ νοῦ βλάβος μέγα ἔσεσθαι, ἔστι δὲ καὶ
[21.14] In these circumstances the Eleans shut out from the games Apollonius with any other boxer who came after the prescribed time, and let the crown go to Heracleides without a contest. Whereupon Apollonius put on his gloves for a fight, rushed at Heracleides, and began to pummel him, though he had already put the wild-olive on his head and had taken refuge with the umpires. For this light-headed folly he was to pay dearly.
[15] ἄλλα δύο τέχνης τῆς ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν τὰ ἀγάλματα: ἕκτῃ γὰρ ἐπὶ ταῖς εἴκοσι καὶ διακοσίαις Ὀλυμπιάδι πύκτας ἄνδρας, ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς μαχομένους τῆς νίκης, ἐφώρασαν συνθεμένους ὑπὲρ λήμματος. ἀντὶ τούτων μὲν ἐγένετο ζημία: ποιηθέντων δὲ ἀγαλμάτων Διὸς τὸ μὲν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τῆς ἐς τὸ στάδιον ἐσόδου, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον αὐτῶν ἕστηκεν ἐν δεξιᾷ. τοῖς δὲ πύκταις τούτοις Δίδας τε ὄνομα ἦν καὶ τῷ τὰ χρήματα δόντι αὐτῶν Σαραπάμμων: νομοῦ δὲ ἦσαν τοῦ αὐτοῦ, νεωτάτου τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καλουμένου δὲ Ἀρσινοΐτου.
[21.15] There are also two other images of modern workmanship. For at the two hundred and twenty-sixth Festival they detected that two boxing men, in a fight for victory only, had agreed about the issue for a sum of money. For this misconduct a fine was inflicted, and of the images of Zeus that were made, one stands on the left of the entrance to the stadium and the other on the right. Of the boxers, the one bribed was called Didas, and the briber was Sarapammon. They were from the same district, the newest in Egypt, called Arsinoites.
[16] θαῦμα μὲν δὴ καὶ ἄλλως ἐν οὐδενὸς λόγῳ τὸν θεὸν θέσθαι τὸν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ καὶ δέξασθαί τινα ἢ δοῦναι δῶρα ἐ
πὶ τῷ ἀγῶνι: μείζονος δὲ ἔτι θαύματος, εἴ γε καὶ αὐτῶν ἐτόλμησεν ἤδη τις Ἠλείων. λέγεται δὲ ὡς Δαμόνικος τολμήσειεν Ἠλεῖος δευτέρᾳ πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατὸν καὶ ἐνενήκοντα Ὀλυμπιάδι: συνεστηκέναι μὲν γὰρ παλαίοντας ἐπὶ τῷ στεφάνῳ τόν τε τοῦ Δαμονίκου παῖδα Πολύκτορα καὶ Σώσανδρον γένος Σμυρναῖον, ὁμώνυμον τῷ πατρί: Δαμόνικον δέ, ἅτε περισσῶς ἐπιθυμοῦντα γενέσθαι τῷ παιδὶ τὴν νίκην, δοῦναι τοῦ Σωσάνδρου τῷ πατρὶ χρήματα.
[21.16] It is a wonder in any case if a man has so little respect for the god of Olympia as to take or give a bribe in the contests; it is an even greater wonder that one of the Eleans themselves has fallen so low. But it is said that the Elean Damonicus did so fall at the hundred and ninety second Festival. They say that collusion occurred between Polyctor the son of Damonicus and Sosander of Smyrna, of the same name as his father; these were competitors for the wrestling prize of wild-olive. Damonicus, it is alleged, being exceedingly ambitious that his son should win, bribed the father of Sosander.
[17] ὡς δὲ ἐγεγόνει τὰ πραχθέντα ἔκπυστα, ἐπιβάλλουσιν οἱ Ἑλλανοδίκαι ζημίαν, ἐπιβάλλουσι δὲ οὐ τοῖς παισίν, ἀλλὰ ἐς τοὺς πατέρας ἔτρεψαν τὴν ὀργήν: οὗτοι γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἠδίκουν. ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς ζημίας ἀγάλματα ἐποιήθη: καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐν τῷ Ἠλείων ἀνάκειται γυμνασίῳ, τὸ δὲ τῆς Ἄλτεως πρὸ τῆς Ποικίλης στοᾶς καλουμένης, ὅτι ἦσαν ἐπὶ τῶν τοίχων γραφαὶ τὸ ἀρχαῖον. εἰσὶ δ᾽ οἳ τὴν στοὰν ταύτην καὶ Ἠχοῦς ὀνομάζουσι: βοήσαντι δὲ ἀνδρὶ ἑπτάκις ὑπὸ τῆς ἠχοῦς ἡ φωνή, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον ἔτι ἀποδίδοται.
[21.17] When the transaction became known, the umpires imposed a fine, but instead of imposing it on the sons they directed their anger against the fathers, for that they were the real sinners. From this fine images were made. One is set up in the Elean gymnasium; the other is in the Altis in front of what is called the Painted Portico, because anciently there were pictures on the walls. Some call this Portico the Echo Portico, because when a man has shouted his voice is repeated by the echo seven or even more times.
[18] παγκρατιαστὴν δέ φασιν Ἀλεξανδρέα, ὄνομα δὲ εἶναί οἱ Σαραπίωνα, τοῦτον ἐν Ὀλυμπιάδι τῇ πρώτῃ μετὰ τὰς διακοσίας ἐς τοσοῦτο δεῖσαι τοὺς ἀνταγωνιστὰς ὥστε ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ πρότερον ἢ ἐσκληθήσεσθαι τὸ παγκράτιον ἔμελλεν ἀποδράντα οἴχεσθαι. τοῦτον ζημιωθέντα ἐπὶ δειλίᾳ μόνον τῶν τε ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων καὶ αὐτῶν μνημονεύουσιν Αἰγυπτίων.
ταῦτα μὲν τὰ κατειλεγμένα ἐπὶ αἰτίαις τοιαῖσδε ποιηθέντα εὕρισκον:
[21.18] They say that a pancratiast of Alexandria, by name Sarapion, at the two hundred and first Festival, was so afraid of his antagonists that on the day before the pancratium was to be called on he ran away. This is the only occasion on record when any man, not to say a man of Egypt, was fined for cowardice.
22. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀγάλματα Διὸς δημοσίᾳ τε καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνδρῶν ἀνατεθέντα ἰδιωτῶν. ἔστι δὲ βωμὸς ἐν τῇ Ἄλτει τῆς ἐσόδου πλησίον τῆς ἀγούσης ἐς τὸ στάδιον: ἐπὶ τούτου θεῶν μὲν οὐδενὶ θύουσιν Ἠλεῖοι, σαλπιγκταῖς δὲ ἐφεστηκόσιν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς κήρυξιν ἀγωνίζεσθαι καθέστηκε. παρὰ τοῦτον τὸν βωμὸν βάθρον τε πεποίηται χαλκοῦν καὶ ἄγαλμα ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ Διός, μέγεθος μὲν ὅσον ἓξ πήχεις, κεραυνὸν δὲ ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ χειρὶ ἔχει: ἀνέθεσαν δὲ αὐτὸ Κυναιθαεῖς. ὁ δὲ περικείμενός τε τὸν ὅρμον καὶ ἡλικίαν παῖς ἔτι ἀνάθημα ἀνδρός ἐστι Φλιασίου Κλεόλα.
[22.1] XXII. These were the causes for which I found that these images were made. There are also images of Zeus dedicated by States and by individuals. There is in the Altis an altar near the entrance leading to the stadium. On it the Eleans do not sacrifice to any of the gods, but it is customary for the trumpeters and heralds to stand upon it when they compete. By the side of this altar has been built a pedestal of bronze, and on it is an image of Zeus, about six cubits in height, with a thunderbolt in either hand. It was dedicated by the people of Cynaetha. The figure of Zeus as a boy wearing the necklace is the votive offering of Cleolas, a Phliasian.
[2] παρὰ δὲ τὸ Ἱπποδάμιον καλούμενον λίθου τε βάθρον ἐστὶ κύκλος ἥμισυς καὶ ἀγάλματα ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ Ζεὺς καὶ Θέτις τε καὶ Ἡμέρα τὸν Δία ὑπὲρ τῶν τέκνων ἱκετεύουσαι. ταῦτα ἐπὶ μέσῳ τῷ βάθρῳ: οἱ δὲ ἤδη σχῆμα ἀντιτεταγμένων ὅ τε Ἀχιλλεὺς παρέχεται καὶ ὁ Μέμνων ἐπὶ ἑκατέρῳ τοῦ βάθρου τῷ πέρατι ἑκάτερος. ἀνθεστήκασι δὲ καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλῳ κατὰ τὰ αὐτά, ἀνὴρ βάρβαρος ἀνδρὶ Ἕλληνι, Ὀδυσσεὺς μὲν Ἑλένῳ, ὅτι οὗτοι μάλιστα ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ δόξαν ἐν ἑκατέρῳ τῷ στρατεύματι εἰλήφεσαν, Μενελάῳ δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἔχθος τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ἀλέξανδρος, Διομήδει δὲ Αἰνείας καὶ τῷ Τελαμῶνος Αἴαντι Δηίφοβος.
[22.2] By the side of what is called the Hippodamium is a semicircular stone pedestal, and on it are Zeus, Thetis, and Day entreating Zeus on behalf of her children. These are on the middle of the pedestal. There are Achilles and Memnon, one at either edge of the pedestal, representing a pair of combatants in position. There are other pairs similarly opposed, foreigner against Greek: Odysseus opposed to Helenus, reputed to be the cleverest men in the respective armies; Alexander and Menelaus, in virtue of their ancient feud; Aeneas and Diomedes, and Deiphobus and Ajax son of Telamon.
[3] ταῦτά ἐστιν ἔργα μὲν Λυκίου τοῦ Μύρωνος, Ἀπολλωνιᾶται δὲ ἀνέθηκαν οἱ ἐν τῷ Ἰονίῳ: καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐλεγεῖον γράμμασίν ἐστιν ἀρχαίοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Διὸς τοῖς ποσί: “μνάματ᾽ Ἀπολλωνίας ἀνακείμεθα, τὰν ἐνὶ πόντῳ
Ἰονίῳ Φοῖβος ᾤκισ᾽ ἀκερσεκόμας:
οἳ γᾶς τέρμαθ᾽ ἑλόντες Ἀβαντίδος ἐνθάδε ταῦτα
ἔστασαν σὺν θεοῖς ἐκ Θρονίου δεκάταν.
“ἡ δὲ Ἀβαντὶς καλουμένη χώρα καὶ πόλισμα ἐν αὐτῇ Θρόνιον τῆς Θεσπρωτίδος ἦσαν ἠπείρου κατὰ ὄρη τὰ Κεραύνια.
[22.3] These are the work of Lycius, the son of Myron, and were dedicated by the people of Apollonia on the Ionian sea. There are also elegiac verses written in ancient characters under the feet of Zeus.
As memorials of Apollonia have we been dedicated, which on the Ionian sea
Phoebus founded, he of the unshorn locks.
The Apollonians, after taking the land of Abantis, set up here
These images with heaven’s help,
tithe from Thronium.
The land called Abantis and the town of Thronium in it were a part of the Thesprotian mainland over against the Ceraunian mountains.
[4] σκεδασθεισῶν γὰρ Ἕλλησιν, ὡς ἐκομίζοντο ἐξ Ἰλίου, τῶν νεῶν, Λοκροί τε ἐκ Θρονίου τῆς ἐπὶ Βοαγρίῳ ποταμῷ καὶ Ἄβαντες ἀπὸ Εὐβοίας ναυσὶν ὀκτὼ συναμφότεροι πρὸς τὰ ὄρη κατηνέχθησαν τὰ Κεραύνια. οἰκήσαντες δὲ ἐνταῦθα καὶ πόλιν οἰκίσαντες Θρόνιον, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἐνέμοντο Ἀβαντίδος ὄνομα ἀπὸ κοινοῦ λόγου θέμενοι, ἐκπίπτουσιν ὕστερον ὑπὸ Ἀπολλωνιατῶν ὁμόρων κρατηθέντες πολέμῳ. ἀποικισθῆναι δὲ ἐκ Κορκύρας τὴν Ἀπολλωνίαν, τὴν δὲ Κορινθίων εἶναί φασιν ἀποικίαν, οἱ δὲ Κορινθίοις αὐτοῖς μετεῖναι λαφύρων.
[22.4] When the Greek fleet was scattered on the voyage home from Troy, Locrians from Thronium, a city on the river Boagrius, and Abantes from Euboea, with eight ships altogether, were driven on the Ceraunian mountains. Settling here and founding the city of Thronium, by common agreement they gave the name of Abantis to the land as far as they occupied it. Afterwards, however, they were conquered in war and expelled by the people of Apollonia, their neighbors. Apollonia was a colony of Corcyra, they say, and Corcyra of Corinth, and the Corinthians had their share of the spoils.
[5] προελθόντι δὲ ὀλίγον Ζεύς ἐστι πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα τετραμμένος τὸν ἥλιον, ἀετὸν ἔχων τὸν ὄρνιθα καὶ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τῶν χειρῶν κεραυνόν: ἐπίκειται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ στέφανος, ἄνθη τὰ ἠρινά. Μεταποντίνων δέ ἐστιν ἀνάθημα, Αἰγινήτου δὲ ἔργον Ἀριστόνου: τοῦ δὲ Ἀριστόνου τούτου διδάσκαλον, ἢ καθ᾽ ὅντινα χρόνον ἐγένετο, οὐκ ἴσμεν.