by Pausanias
[6] Χίλωνι δὲ Ἀχαιῷ Πατρεῖ δύο μὲν Ὀλυμπικαὶ νῖκαι πάλης ἀνδρῶν, μία δὲ ἐγένετο ἐν Δελφοῖς, τέσσαρες δὲ ἐν Ἰσθμῷ καὶ Νεμείων τρεῖς: ἐτάφη δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, καί οἱ καὶ τοῦ βίου συνέπεσεν ἐν πολέμῳ τὴν τελευτὴν γενέσθαι. μαρτυρεῖ δέ μοι καὶ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ:”μουνοπάλης νικῶ δὶς Ὀλύμπια Πύθιά τ᾽ ἄνδρας,
τρὶς Νεμέᾳ, τετράκις δ᾽ Ἰσθμῷ ἐν ἀγχιάλῳ,
Χίλων Χίλωνος Πατρεύς, ὃν λαὸς Ἀχαιῶν
ἐν πολέμῳ φθίμενον θάψ᾽ ἀρετῆς ἕνεκεν.
“τὸ μὲν δὴ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο ἐδήλωσεν:
[4.6] Chilon, an Achaean of Patrae, won two prizes for men wrestlers at Olympia, one at Delphi, four at the Isthmus and three at the Nemean games. He was buried at the public expense by the Achaeans, and his fate it was to lose his life on the field of battle. My statement is borne out by the inscription at Olympia:–
In wrestling only I alone conquered twice the men at Olympia and at Pytho,
Thrice at Nemea, and four times at the Isthmus near the sea;
Chilon of Patrae, son of Chilon, whom the Achaean folk
Buried for my valour when I died in battle.
[7] εἰ δὲ Λυσίππου τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὴν εἰκόνα τεκμαιρόμενον τῇ ἡλικίᾳ συμβαλέσθαι δεῖ με τὸν πόλεμον ἔνθα ὁ Χίλων ἔπεσεν, ἤτοι ἐς Χαιρώνειαν Ἀχαιοῖς τοῖς πᾶσιν ὁμοῦ στρατεύσασθαι ἢ ἰδίᾳ κατ᾽ ἀρετήν τε καὶ τόλμαν Ἀχαιῶν μόνος Ἀντιπάτρου μοι καὶ Μακεδόνων ἐναντία ἀγωνίσασθαι περὶ Λάμιαν φαίνεται τὴν ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ.
[4.7] Thus much is plain from the inscription. But the date of Lysippus, who made the statue, leads me to infer about the war in which Chilon fell, that plainly either he marched to Chaeroneia with the whole of the Achaeans, or else his personal courage and daring led him alone of the Achaeans to fight against the Macedonians under Antipater at the battle of Lamia in Thessaly.
[8] ἐφεξῆς δὲ τοῦ Χίλωνος δύο ἀνάκεινται: τῷ μὲν Μολπίων ἐστὶν ὄνομα, στεφανωθῆναι δὲ τὸ ἐπίγραμμά φησιν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ Ἠλείων: τὸν δὲ ἕτερον, ὅτῳ μηδέν ἐστιν ἐπίγραμμα, μνημονεύουσιν ὡς Ἀριστοτέλης ἐστὶν ὁ ἐκ τῶν Θρᾳκίων Σταγείρων, καὶ αὐτὸν ἤτοι μαθητὴς ἢ καὶ στρατιωτικὸς ἀνέθηκεν ἀνὴρ ἅτε παρὰ Ἀντιπάτρῳ καὶ πρότερον ἰσχύσαντα παρὰ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ.
[4.8] Next to Chilon two statues have been set up. One is that of a man named Molpion, who, says the inscription, was crowned by the Eleans. The other statue bears no inscription, but tradition says that it represents Aristotle from Stageira in Thrace, and that it was set up either by a pupil or else by some soldier aware of Aristotle’s influence with Antipater and at an earlier date with Alexander. Sodamas from Assos in the Troad,
[9] Σωδάμας δὲ ἐξ Ἀσσοῦ τῆς ἐν τῇ Τρῳάδι, κειμένης δὲ ὑπὸ τῇ Ἴδῃ, πρῶτος Αἰολέων τῶν ταύτῃ στάδιον Ὀλυμπίασιν ἐνίκησεν ἐν παισίν. παρὰ δὲ Σωδάμαν Ἀρχίδαμος ἕστηκεν ὁ Ἀγησιλάου, Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεύς. πρὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἀρχιδάμου τούτου βασιλέως εἰκόνα οὐδενὸς ἔν γε τῇ ὑπερορίᾳ Λακεδαιμονίους ἀναθέντας εὕρισκον: Ἀρχιδάμου δὲ ἄλλων τε καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἕνεκα ἀνδριάντα ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν ἀπέστειλαν, ὅτι ἐν βαρβάρῳ τε ἐπέλαβεν αὐτὸν τὸ χρεὼν καὶ βασιλέων μόνος τῶν ἐν Σπάρτῃ δῆλός ἐστιν ἁμαρτὼν τάφου.
[4.9] a city at the foot of Ida, was the first of the Aeolians in this district to win at Olympia the foot-race for boys. By the side of Sodamas stands Archidamus, son of Agesilaus, king of the Lacedaemonians. Before this Archidamus no king, so far as I could learn, had his statue set up by the Lacedaemonians, at least outside the boundaries of the country. They sent the statue of Archidamus to Olympia chiefly, in my opinion, on account of his death, because he met his end in a foreign land, and is the only king in Sparta who is known to have missed burial.
[10] ταῦτα μὲν δὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Σπαρτιατικοῖς λόγοις ἐς πλέον ἡμῖν δεδήλωται: Εὐάνθει δὲ Κυζικηνῷ γεγόνασι πυγμῆς νῖκαι, μία μὲν ἐν ἀνδράσιν Ὀλυμπική, Νεμείων δὲ ἐν παισὶ καὶ Ἰσθμίων. πεποίηται δὲ παρὰ τὸν Εὐάνθην ἀνήρ τε ἱπποτρόφος καὶ τὸ ἅρμα, ἀναβεβηκυῖα δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἅρμα παῖς παρθένος: ὄνομα μὲν Λάμπος τῷ ἀνδρί, πατρὶς δὲ ἦν αὐτῷ νεωτάτη τῶν ἐν Μακεδονίᾳ πόλεων, καλουμένη δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἰκιστοῦ Φιλίππου τοῦ Ἀμύντου.
[4.10] I have spoken at greater length on this matter in my account of Sparta. Euanthes of Cyzicus won prizes for boxing, one among the men at Olympia, and also among the boys at the Nemean and at the Isthmian games. By the side of Euanthes is the statue of a horse-breeder and his chariot; mounted on the chariot is a young maid. The man’s name is Lampus, and his native city was the last to be founded in Macedonia, named after its founder Philip, son of Amyntas.
[11] Κυνίσκῳ δὲ τῷ ἐκ Μαντινείας πύκτῃ παιδὶ ἐποίησε Πολύκλειτος τὴν εἰκόνα. Ἐργοτέλης δὲ ὁ Φιλάνορος δολίχου δύο ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ νίκας, τοσαύτας δὲ ἄλλας Πυθοῖ καὶ ἐν Ἰσθμῷ τε καὶ Νεμείων ἀνῃρημένος, οὐχ Ἱμεραῖος εἶναι τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, καθάπερ γε τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ φησι, Κρὴς δὲ εἶναι λέγεται Κνώσσιος: ἐκπεσὼν δὲ ὑπὸ στασιωτῶν ἐκ Κνωσσοῦ καὶ ἐς Ἱμέραν ἀφικόμενος πολιτείας τ᾽ ἔτυχε καὶ πολλὰ εὕρετο ἄλλα ἐς τιμήν. ἔμελλεν οὖν ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς Ἱμεραῖος ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἀναγορευθήσεσθαι.
[4.11] The statue of Cyniscus, the boy boxer from Mantinea, was made by Polycleitus. Ergoteles, the son of Philanor, won two victories in the long foot-race at Olympia, and two at Pytho, the Isthmus and Nemea. The inscription on the statue states that he came originally from Himera; but it is said that this is incorrect, and that be was a Cretan from Cnossus. Expelled from Cnossus by a political party he came to Himera, was given citizenship and won many honors besides. It was accordingly natural for him to be proclaimed at the games as a native of Himera.
5. ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ τῷ ὑψηλᾷ Λυσίππου μέν ἐστιν ἔργον, μέγιστος δὲ ἁπάντων ἐγένετο ἀνθρώπων πλὴν τῶν ἡρώων καλουμένων καὶ εἰ δή τι ἄλλο ἦν πρὸ τῶν ἡρώων θνητὸν γένος: ἀνθρώπων δὲ τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μέγιστος Πουλυδάμας Νικίου.
[5.1] V. The statue on the high pedestal is the work of Lysippus, and it represents the tallest of all men except those called heroes and any other mortal race that may have existed before t
he heroes. But this man, Pulydamas the son of Nicias, is the tallest of our own era.
[2] Σκοτοῦσσα δὲ ἡ τοῦ Πουλυδάμαντας πατρὶς οὐκ ᾠκεῖτο ἔτι ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν: Ἀλέξανδρος γὰρ τὴν πόλιν ὁ Φεραίων τυραννήσας κατέλαβεν ἐν σπονδαῖς, καὶ Σκοτουσσαίων τούς τε ἐς τὸ θέατρον συνειλεγμένους — ἔτυχε γάρ σφισι καὶ ἐκκλησία τηνικαῦτα οὖσα — τούτους τε ἅπαντας κατηκόντισε, πελτασταῖς ἐν κύκλῳ περισχὼν καὶ τοξόταις, καὶ τὸ ἄλλο ὅσον ἐν ἡλικίᾳ κατεφόνευσε, γυναῖκας δὲ ἀπέδοτο καὶ παῖδας, μισθὸν εἶναι τὰ χρήματα τοῖς ξένοις.
[5.2] Scotussa, the native city of Pulydamas, has now no inhabitants, for Alexander the tyrant of Pherae seized it in time of truce. It happened that an assembly of the citizens was being held, and those who were assembled in the theater the tyrant surrounded with targeteers and archers, and shot them all down; all the other grown men he massacred, selling the women and children as slaves in order to pay his mercenaries.
[3] αὕτη Σκοτουσσαίοις ἡ συμφορὰ Φρασικλείδου μὲν Ἀθήνῃσιν ἐγένετο ἄρχοντος, δευτέρᾳ δὲ Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑκατόν, ἣν Δάμων Θούριος ἐνίκα τὸ δεύτερον, ταύτης ἔτει δευτέρῳ τῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος. καὶ ὀλίγον τε ἔμενε τὸ διαφυγὸν τῶν Σκοτουσσαίων καὶ αὖθις ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας ἐξέλιπον καὶ οὗτοι τὴν πόλιν, ὅτε καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἕλλησι προσπταῖσαι δεύτερα ἐν τῷ πρὸς Μακεδόνας πολέμῳ παρεσκεύασεν ὁ δαίμων.
[5.3] This disaster befell Scotussa when Phrasicleides was archon at Athens, in the hundred and second Olympiad, when Damon of Thurii was victor for the second time, and in the second year of this Olympiad. The people that escaped remained but for a while, for later they too were forced by their destitution to leave the city, when Heaven brought a second calamity in the war with Macedonia.
[4] παγκρατίου μὲν δὴ καὶ ἄλλοις ἤδη γεγόνασιν ἐπιφανεῖς νῖκαι: Πουλυδάμαντι δὲ τάδε ἀλλοῖα παρὰ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ παγκρατίῳ στεφάνους ὑπάρχοντά ἐστιν. ἡ ὀρεινὴ τῆς Θρᾴκης, ἡ ἔνδον Νέστου ποταμοῦ τοῦ ῥέοντος διὰ τῆς Ἀβδηριτῶν, καὶ ἄλλα θηρία, ἐν δὲ αὐτοῖς παρέχεται καὶ λέοντας, οἳ καὶ τῷ στρατῷ ποτε ἐπιθέμενοι τῷ Ξέρξου τὰς ἀγούσας καμήλους τὰ σιτία ἐλυμήναντο.
[5.4] Others have won glorious victories in the pancratium, but Pulydamas, besides his prizes for the pancratium, has to his credit the following exploits of a different kind. The mountainous part of Thrace, on this side the river Nestus, which runs through the land of Abdera, breeds among other wild beasts lions, which once attacked the army of Xerxes, and mauled the camels carrying his supplies.
[5] οὗτοι πολλάκις οἱ λέοντες καὶ ἐς τὴν περὶ τὸν
Ὄλυμπον πλανῶνται χώραν: τούτου δὲ τοῦ ὄρους ἡ μὲν ἐς Μακεδονίαν πλευρά, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ Θεσσαλοὺς καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τέτραπται τὸν Πηνειόν: ἐνταῦθα ὁ Πουλυδάμας λέοντα ἐν τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ, μέγα καὶ ἄλκιμον θηρίον, κατειργάσατο οὐδενὶ ἐσκευασμένος ὅπλῳ. προήχθη δὲ ἐς τὸ τόλμημα φιλοτιμίᾳ πρὸς τὰ Ἡρακλέους ἔργα, ὅτι καὶ Ἡρακλέα ἔχει λόγος κρατῆσαι τοῦ ἐν Νεμέᾳ λέοντος.
[5.5] These lions often roam right into the land around Mount Olympus, one side of which is turned towards Macedonia, and the other towards Thessaly and the river Peneius. Here on Mount Olympus Pulydamas slew a lion, a huge and powerful beast, without the help of any weapon. To this exploit he was impelled by an ambition to rival the labours of Heracles, because Heracles also, legend says, overthrew the lion at Nemea.
[6] ἕτερον δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ θαῦμα ὑπελίπετο ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐς μνήμην: ἐς ἀγέλην ἐσελθὼν βοῶν τὸν μέγιστον καὶ ἀγριώτατον ταῦρον λαβὼν τοῦ ἑτέρου τῶν ὄπισθεν ποδῶν τὰς χηλὰς κατεῖχεν ἄκρας, καὶ πηδῶντα καὶ ἐπειγόμενον οὐκ ἀνίει, πρίν γε δὴ ὁ ταῦρος ὀψέ ποτε καὶ ἐς ἅπαν ἀφικόμενος βίας ἀπέφυγεν ἀφεὶς ταύτῃ τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι τὰς χηλάς. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς ἄνδρα ἡνίοχον ἐλαύνοντα σπουδῇ τὸ ἅρμα ἐπέσχε τοῦ πρόσω: λαβόμενος γὰρ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τῶν χειρῶν ὄπισθε τοῦ ἅρματος, ὁμοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἵππους πεδήσας καὶ τὸν ἡνίοχον εἶχε.
[5.6] In addition to this, Pulydamas is remembered for another wonderful performance. He went among a herd of cattle and seized the biggest and fiercest bull by one of its hind feet, holding fast the hoof in spite of the bull’s leaps and struggles, until at last it put forth all its strength and escaped, leaving the hoof in the grasp of Pulydamas. It is also said of him that he stopped a charioteer who was driving his chariot onwards at a great speed. Seizing with one hand the back of the chariot he kept a tight hold on both horses and driver.
[7] Δαρεῖος δὲ Ἀρταξέρξου παῖς νόθος, ὃς ὁμοῦ τῷ Περσῶν καὶ δήμῳ Σόγδιον καταπαύσας παῖδα Ἀρταξέρξου γνήσιον ἔσχεν ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνου τὴν ἀρχήν, οὗτος ὡς ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ Δαρεῖος — ἐπυνθάνετο γὰρ τοῦ Πουλυδάμαντος τὰ ἔργα — , πέμπων ἀγγέλους ὑπισχνούμενος δῶρα ἀνέπεισεν αὐτὸν ἐς Σοῦσά τε καὶ ἐς ὄψιν ἀφικέσθαι τὴν αὑτοῦ. ἔνθα δὴ κατὰ πρόκλησιν Περσῶν ἄνδρας τῶν καλουμένων ἀθανάτων ἀριθμὸν τρεῖς ἀθρόους οἱ μονομαχήσαντας ἀπέκτεινεν. ἔργων δὲ τῶν κατειλεγμένων οἱ τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ τοῦ ἀνδριάντος ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ, τὰ δὲ καὶ δηλούμενά ἐστιν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπιγράμματος.
[5.7] Dareius, the bastard son of Artaxerxes, who with the support of the Persian common people put down Sogdius, the legitimate son of Artaxerxes, and ascended the throne in his stead, learning when he was king of the exploits of Pulydamas, sent messengers with the promise of gifts and persuaded him to come before his presence at Susa. There he challenged three of the Persians called Immortals to fight him – one against three – and killed them. Of his exploits enumerated, some are represented on the pedestal of the statue at Olympia, and others are set forth in the inscription.
[8] ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα τὸ ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου προθεσπισθὲν ἄλλους τε τῶν φρονησάντων ἐπὶ ἰσχύι καὶ Πουλυδάμαντα ἐπιλήψεσθαι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς αὑτοῦ ῥώμης ἔμελλεν ἀπολεῖσθαι καὶ οὗτος. ἐς σπήλαιον γὰρ οἵ τε ἄλλοι τῶν συμποτῶν καὶ ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐσῆλθεν ὥρᾳ θέρους, καί πως οὐ κατά τινα ἀγαθὸν δαίμονα ἡ κορυφὴ τηνικαῦτα τοῦ σπηλαίου κατερρήγνυτο, καὶ δῆλα ἦν ὡς αὐτίκα ἐμπεσεῖσθαι καὶ χρόνον �
�ὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺν ἔμελλεν ἀνθέξειν:
[5.8] But after all, the prophecy of Homer respecting those who glory in their strength was to be fulfilled also in the case of Pulydamas, and he too was fated to perish through his own might. For Pulydamas entered a cave with the rest of his boon companions. It was summer-time, and, as ill-luck would have it, the roof of the cave began to crack. It was obvious that it would quickly fall in, and could not hold out much longer.
[9] γενομένης δὲ αἰσθήσεως τοῦ ἐπιόντος κακοῦ καὶ τρεπομένων ἐς φυγὴν τῶν λοιπῶν παρέστη καταμεῖναι τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι, καὶ ἀνέσχε τὰς χεῖρας ὡς ἐπιπίπτοντι ἀνθέξων τῷ σπηλαίῳ καὶ οὐ βιασθησόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄρους.
[5.9] Realizing the disaster that was coming, the others turned and ran away; but Pulydamas resolved to remain, holding up his hands in the belief that he could prevent the falling in of the cave and would not be crushed by the mountain. Here Pulydamas met his end.
6. τούτῳ μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐγένετο ἡ τελευτή: ἐν δὲ Ὀλυμπίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ Πουλυδάμαντος τὸν ἀνδριάντα δύο τε ἐκ τῆς Ἀρκάδων καὶ Ἀττικὸς ὁ τρίτος ἕστηκεν ἀθλητής. τὸν μὲν δὴ Μαντινέα Πρωτόλαον Διαλκοῦς πυγμῇ παῖδας κρατήσαντα ὁ Ῥηγῖνος Πυθαγόρας, Ναρυκίδαν δὲ τὸν Δαμαρέτου παλαιστὴν ἄνδρα ἐκ Φιγαλίας Σικυώνιος Δαίδαλος, Καλλίᾳ δὲ Ἀθηναίῳ παγκρατιαστῇ τὸν ἀνδριάντα ἀνὴρ Ἀθηναῖος Μίκων ἐποίησεν ὁ ζωγράφος. Νικοδάμου δὲ ἔργον τοῦ Μαιναλίου παγκρατιαστής ἐστιν ἐκ Μαινάλου, δύο νίκας ἐν ἀνδράσιν ἀνελόμενος, Ἀνδροσθένης Λοχαίου.