Delphi Complete Works of Pausanias

by Pausanias

  [29.4] But when the old bed had dried up, an earthenware coffin more than eleven cubits long was found in it, and the corpse was proportionately large, and human in all parts of its body. This corpse the god in Clarus, when the Syrians came to his oracle there, declared to be Orontes, and that he was of Indian race. If it was by warming the earth of old when it was still wet and saturated with moisture that the sun made the first men, what other land is likely to have raised men either before India or of greater size, seeing that even to-day it still breeds beasts monstrous in their weird appearance and monstrous in size?

  BASILIS & THOCNIA

  [5] τοῦ δὲ χωρίου τοῦ ὀνομαζομένου Βάθους σταδίους ὡς δέκα ἀφέστηκεν ἡ καλουμένη Βασιλίς: ταύτης ἐγένετο οἰκιστὴς Κύψελος ὁ Κρεσφόντῃ τῷ Ἀριστομάχου τὴν θυγατέρα ἐκδούς: ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ δὲ ἐρείπια ἡ Βασιλὶς ἦν καὶ Δήμητρος ἱερὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐλείπετο Ἐλευσινίας. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ προϊὼν τὸν Ἀλφειὸν αὖθις διαβήσῃ καὶ ἐπὶ Θωκνίαν ἀφίξῃ, τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ Θώκνου τοῦ Λυκάονος ἔχουσαν, ἐς ἅπαν δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἔρημον: ἐλέγετο δὲ ὁ Θῶκνος ἐν τῷ λόφῳ κτίσαι τὴν πόλιν. ποταμὸς δὲ ὁ Ἀμίνιος ῥέων παρὰ τὸν λόφον ἐς τὸν Ἑλισσόντα ἐκδίδωσι, καὶ οὐ πολὺ ἄπωθεν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειὸν ὁ Ἑλισσών.

  [29.5] Some ten stades distant from the place named Depth is what is called Basilis. The founder of it was Cypselus, who gave his daughter in marriage to Cresphontes, the son of Aristomachus. To-day Basilis is in ruins, among which remains a sanctuary of Eleusinian Demeter. Going on from here you will cross the Alpheius again and reach Thocnia, which is named after Thocnus, the son of Lycaon, and to-day is altogether uninhabited. Thocnus was said to have built the city on the hill. The river Aminius, flowing by the hill, falls into the Helisson, and not far away the Helisson falls into the Alpheius.

  MEGALOPOLIS

  30. ὁ δὲ Ἑλισσὼν οὗτος ἀρχόμενος ἐκ κώμης ὁμωνύμου — καὶ γὰρ τῇ κώμῃ τὸ ὄνομα Ἑλισσών ἐστι — τήν τε Διπαιέων καὶ τὴν Λυκαιᾶτιν χώραν, τρίτα δὲ αὐτὴν διεξελθὼν Μεγάλην πόλιν, εἴκοσι σταδίοις ἀπωτέρω Μεγαλοπολιτῶν τοῦ ἄστεως κάτεισιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν. πλησίον δὲ ἤδη τῆς πόλεως Ποσειδῶνός ἐστιν Ἐπόπτου ναός: ἐλείπετο δὲ τοῦ ἀγάλματος ἡ κεφαλή.

  [30.1] XXX. This Helisson, beginning at a village of the same name – for the name of the village also is Helisson – passes through the lands of Dipaea and Iycaea, and then through Megalopolis itself, descending into the Alpheius twenty stades away from the city of Megalopolis. Near the city is a temple of Poseidon Overseer. I found the head of the image still remaining.

  [2] διαιροῦντος δὲ τὴν Μεγάλην πόλιν τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ Ἑλισσόντος, καθὰ δὴ καὶ Κνίδον καὶ Μιτυλήνην δίχα οἱ εὔριποι νέμουσιν, ἐν μέρει τῷ πρὸς ἄρκτους, δεξιῷ δὲ κατὰ τὸ μετέωρον τοῦ ποταμοῦ, πεποίηταί σφισιν ἀγορά. περίβολος δέ ἐστιν ἐν ταύτῃ λίθων καὶ ἱερὸν Λυκαίου Διός, ἔσοδος δὲ ἐς αὐτὸ οὐκ ἔστι: τὰ γὰρ ἐντός ἐστι δὴ σύνοπτα, βωμοί τέ εἰσι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τράπεζαι δύο καὶ ἀετοὶ ταῖς τραπέζαις ἴσοι καὶ ἄγαλμα Πανὸς λίθου πεποιημένον:

  [30.2] The river Helisson divides Megalopolis just as Cnidus and Mitylene are cut in two by their straits, and in the north section, on the right as one looks down the river, the townsfolk have made their market-place. In it is an enclosure of stones and a sanctuary of Lycaean Zeus, with no entrance into it. The things inside, however, can be seen – altars of the god, two tables, two eagles, and an image of Pan made of stone.

  [3] ἐπίκλησις δὲ Σινόεις ἐστὶν αὐτῷ, τήν τε ἐπίκλησιν γενέσθαι τῷ Πανὶ ἀπὸ νύμφης Σινόης λέγουσι, ταύτην δὲ σὺν ἄλλαις τῶν νυμφῶν καὶ ἰδίᾳ γενέσθαι τροφὸν τοῦ Πανός. ἔστι δὲ πρὸ τοῦ τεμένους τούτου χαλκοῦν ἄγαλμα Ἀπόλλωνος θέας ἄξιον, μέγεθος μὲν ἐς πόδας δώδεκα, ἐκομίσθη δὲ ἐκ τῆς Φιγαλέων συντέλεια ἐς κόσμον τῇ Μεγάλῃ πόλει.

  [30.3] His surname is Sinoeis, and they say that Pan was so surnamed after a nymph Sinoe, who with others of the nymphs nursed him on her own account. There is before this enclosure a bronze image of Apollo worth seeing, in height twelve feet, brought from Phigalia as a contribution to the adornment of Megalopolis.

  [4] τὸ δὲ χωρίον ἔνθα τὸ ἄγαλμα ἵδρυτο ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπὸ Φιγαλέων, ὀνομάζεται Βᾶσσαι: τῷ θεῷ δὲ ἡ ἐπίκλησις ἠκολούθηκε μὲν ἐκ τῆς Φιγαλέων, ἐφ᾽ ὅτῳ δὲ ὄνομα ἔσχεν Ἐπικούριος, δηλώσει μοι τὰ ἐς Φιγαλέας τοῦ λόγου. ἔστι δὲ ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἄγαλμα οὐ μέγα Μητρὸς θεῶν, τοῦ ναοῦ δέ, ὅτι μὴ οἱ κίονες, ἄλλο ὑπόλοιπον οὐδέν.

  [30.4] The place where the image was originally set up by the Phigalians is named Bassae. The surname of the god has followed him from Phigalia, but why he received the name of Helper will be set forth in my account of Phigalia. On the right of the Apollo is a small image of the Mother of the Gods, but of the temple there remains nothing save the pillars.

  [5] πρὸ δὲ τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς Μητρὸς ἀνδριὰς μὲν οὐδείς ἐστι, δῆλα δὲ ἦν τὰ βάθρα, ἐφ᾽ ὧν ἀνδριάντες ποτὲ ἑστήκεσαν. ἐλεγεῖον δὲ ἐπὶ ἑνὸς γεγραμμένον τῶν βάθρων Διοφάνους φησὶν εἶναι τὴν εἰκόνα, Διαίου μὲν υἱοῦ, συντάξαντος δὲ ἀνδρὸς πρώτου Πελοπόννησον τὴν πᾶσαν ἐς τὸν ὀνομασθέντα Ἀχαϊκὸν σύλλογον.

  [30.5] Before the temple of the Mother is no statue, but I found still to be seen the pedestals on which statues once stood. An inscription in elegiacs on one of the pedestals says that the statue was that of Diophanes, the son of Diaeus, the man who first united the whole Peloponnesus into what was named the Achaean League.

  [6] στοὰν δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ὀνομαζομένην Φιλίππειον οὐ Φίλιππος ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἀμύντου, χαριζόμενοι δέ οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν διδόασιν αὐτῷ τοῦ οἰκοδομήματος. Ἑρμοῦ δὲ Ἀκακησίου πρὸς αὐτῇ ναὸς κατεβέβλητο, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐλείπετο ὅτι μὴ χελώνη λίθου. ταύτης δὲ ἔχεται τῆς Φιλιππείου μέγεθος ἀποδέουσα ἑτέρα στοά, Μεγαλοπολίταις δὲ αὐτόθι ᾠκοδομημένα ἐστὶ τὰ ἀρχεῖα, ἀριθμὸν οἰκήματα ἕξ: ἐν ἑνὶ δέ ἐστιν αὐτῶν Ἐφεσίας ἄγαλμα Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ χαλκοῦς Πὰν πηχυαῖος ἐπίκλησιν Σκολείτας.

  [30.6] The portico of the marketplace, called the Philippeium, was not made by Philip, the son of Amyntas, but as a compliment to him the Megalopolitans gave his name to the building. Near it I found a temple of Hermes Acacesi
us in ruins, with nothing remaining except a tortoise of stone. Adjoining this Philippeium is another portico, smaller in size, where stand the government offices of Megalopolis, six rooms in number. In one of them is an image of Ephesian Artemis, and in another a bronze Pan, surnamed Scoleitas, one cubit high.

  [7] μετεκομίσθη δὲ ἀπὸ λόφου τοῦ Σκολείτα: καὶ ὁ λόφος οὗτος τοῦ τείχους ἐστὶν ἐντός, ἀπὸ δὲ αὐτοῦ κάτεισιν ὕδωρ ἐς τὸν Ἑλισσόντα ἐκ πηγῆς. τῶν ἀρχείων δὲ ὄπισθε ναὸς Τύχης καὶ ἄγαλμα λίθου πεποίηται ποδῶν πέντε οὐκ ἀποδέον. στοὰν δὲ ἥντινα καλοῦσι Μυρόπωλιν, ἔστι μὲν τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ᾠκοδομήθη δὲ ἀπὸ λαφύρων, ἡνίκα τὸ πταῖσμα ἐγένετο Ἀκροτάτῳ τῷ Κλεομένους καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων τοῖς συστρατεύσασι, μαχεσαμένοις πρὸς Ἀριστόδημον τυραννίδα ἐν Μεγάλῃ πόλει τότε ἔχοντα.

  [30.7] It was brought from the hill Scoleitas, which is within the walls, and from a spring on it a stream descends to the Helisson. Behind the government offices is a temple of Fortune with a stone image not less than five feet high. The portico called Myropolis, situated in the market-place, was built from the spoils taken when the Lacedaemonians fighting under Acrotatus, the son of Cleomenes, suffered the reverse sustained at the hands of Aristodemus, then tyrant of Megalopolis.

  [8] Μεγαλοπολίταις δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐστιν ὄπισθεν τοῦ περιβόλου τοῦ ἀνειμένου τῷ Λυκαίῳ Διὶ ἀνὴρ ἐπειργασμένος ἐπὶ στήλῃ, Πολύβιος Λυκόρτα: γέγραπται δὲ καὶ ἐλεγεῖα ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ λέγοντα ὡς ἐπὶ γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν πᾶσαν πλανηθείη, καὶ ὅτι σύμμαχος γένοιτο Ῥωμαίων καὶ παύσειεν αὐτοὺς ὀργῆς τῆς ἐς τὸ Ἑλληνικόν. συνέγραψε δὲ ὁ Πολύβιος οὗτος καὶ ἄλλα ἔργα Ῥωμαίων καὶ ὡς Καρχηδονίοις κατέστησαν ἐς πόλεμον, αἰτία τε ἥτις ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ καὶ ὡς ὀψὲ

  [30.8] In the marketplace of that city, behind the enclosure sacred to Lycaean Zeus, is the figure of a man carved in relief on a slab, Polybius, the son of Lycortas. Elegiac verses are inscribed upon it saying that he roamed over every land and every sea, and that he became the ally of the Itomans and stayed their wrath against the Greek nation. This Polybius wrote also a history of the Romans, including how they went to war with Carthage, what the cause of the war was, and how at last, not before great dangers had been run, Scipio . . . whom they name Carthaginian, because he put an end to the war and razed Carthage to the ground.

  [9] οὐκ ἄνευ κινδύνων μεγάλων Ῥωμαῖοι Σκιπίωνι *** ὅν τινα Καρχηδονιακὸν ὀνομάζουσι τέλος τε ἐπιθέντα τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ τὴν Καρχηδόνα καταβαλόντα ἐς ἔδαφος. ὅσα μὲν δὴ Πολυβίῳ παραινοῦντι ὁ Ῥωμαῖος ἐπείθετο, ἐς ὀρθὸν ἐχώρησεν αὐτῷ: ἃ δὲ οὐκ ἠκροᾶτο διδάσκοντος, γενέσθαι οἱ λέγουσιν ἁμαρτήματα. Ἑλλήνων δὲ ὁπόσαι πόλεις ἐς τὸ Ἀχαϊκὸν συνετέλουν, παρὰ Ῥωμαίων εὕραντο αὗται Πολύβιόν σφισι πολιτείας τε καταστήσασθαι καὶ νόμους θεῖναι. τῆς δ᾽ εἰκόνος τοῦ Πολυβίου τὸ βουλευτήριόν ἐστιν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ.

  [30.9] Whenever the Romans obeyed the advice of Polybius, things went well with them, but they say that whenever they would not listen to his instructions they made mistakes. All the Greek cities that were members of the Achaean League got permission from the Itomans that Polybius should draw up constitutions for them and frame laws. On the left of the portrait-statue of Polybius is the Council Chamber.

  [10] τοῦτο μὲν δή ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα, στοὰν δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς Ἀριστάνδρειον ἐπίκλησιν ἄνδρα τῶν ἀστῶν Ἀρίστανδρον οἰκοδομῆσαι λέγουσι. ταύτης τῆς στοᾶς ἐστιν ἐγγυτάτω ὡς πρὸς ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα ἱερὸν Σωτῆρος ἐπίκλησιν Διός: κεκόσμηται δὲ πέριξ κίοσι. καθεζομένῳ δὲ τῷ Διὶ ἐν θρόνῳ παρεστήκασι τῇ μὲν ἡ Μεγάλη πόλις, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ Ἀρτέμιδος Σωτείρας ἄγαλμα. ταῦτα μὲν λίθου τοῦ Πεντελησίου Ἀθηναῖοι Κηφισόδοτος καὶ Ξενοφῶν εἰργάσαντο:

  [30.10] Here then is the Chamber, but the portico called “Aristander’s” in the market-place was built, they say, by Aristander, one of their townsfolk. Quite near to this portico, on the east, is a sanctuary of Zeus, surnamed Saviour. It is adorned with pillars round it. Zeus is seated on a throne, and by his side stand Megalopolis on the right and an image of Artemis Saviour on the left. These are of Pentelic marble and were made by the Athenians Cephisodotus and Xenophon.

  31. τὸ δὲ ἕτερον πέρας τῆς στοᾶς παρέχεται τὸ πρὸς ἡλίου δυσμῶν περίβολον θεῶν ἱερὸν τῶν Μεγάλων. αἱ δέ εἰσιν αἱ Μεγάλαι θεαὶ Δημήτηρ καὶ Κόρη, καθότι ἐδήλωσα ἤδη καὶ ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ συγγραφῇ: τὴν Κόρην δὲ Σώτειραν καλοῦσιν οἱ Ἀρκάδες. ἐπειργασμένοι δὲ ἐπὶ τύπων πρὸ τῆς ἐσόδου τῇ μὲν Ἄρτεμις, τῇ δὲ Ἀσκληπιός ἐστι καὶ Ὑγεία.

  [31.1] XXXI. At the other end, the western, of the portico is an enclosure sacred to the Great Goddesses. The Great Goddesses are Demeter and the Maid, as I have already explained in my account of Messenia, and the Maid is called Saviour by the Arcadians. Carved in relief before the entrance are, on one side Artemis, on the other Asclepius and Health.

  [2] θεαὶ δὲ αἱ Μεγάλαι Δημήτηρ μὲν λίθου διὰ πάσης, ἡ δὲ Σώτειρα τὰ ἐσθῆτος ἐχόμενα ξύλου πεποίηται: μέγεθος δὲ ἑκατέρας πέντε που καὶ δέκα εἰσὶ πόδες. τά τε ἀγάλματα Δαμοφῶν καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν κόρας ἐποίησεν οὐ μεγάλας, ἐν χιτῶσί τε καθήκουσιν ἐς σφυρὰ καὶ ἀνθῶν ἀνάπλεων ἑκατέρα τάλαρον ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ φέρει: εἶναι δὲ θυγατέρες τοῦ Δαμοφῶντος λέγονται, τοῖς δὲ ἐπανάγουσιν ἐς τὸ θειότερον δοκεῖ σφᾶς Ἀθηνᾶν τε εἶναι καὶ Ἄρτεμιν τὰ ἄνθη μετὰ τῆς Περσεφόνης συλλεγούσας.

  [31.2] Of the Great Goddesses, Demeter is of stone throughout, but the Saviour has drapery of wood. The height of each is about fifteen feet. The images . . . and before them he made small maids in tunics reaching to the ankles, each of whom carries on her head a basket full of flowers. They are said to be daughters of Damophon, but those inclining to a more religious interpretation hold that they are Athena and Artemis gathering the flowers with Persephone.

  [3] ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ἡρακλῆς παρὰ τῇ Δήμητρι μέγεθος μάλιστα πῆχυν: τοῦτον τὸν Ἡρακλέα εἶναι τῶν Ἰδαίων καλουμένων Δακτύλων Ὀνομάκριτός φησιν ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι. κεῖται δὲ τράπεζα ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπειργασμέναι τε ἐπ᾽ αὐτῇ δύο τέ εἰσιν Ὧραι καὶ ἔχων Πὰν σύριγγα καὶ Ἀπόλλων κιθαρίζων: ἔστι
δὲ καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς εἶναι σφᾶς θεῶν τῶν πρώτων.

  [31.3] By the side of Demeter there is also a Heracles about a cubit high. This Heracles, says Onomacritus in his poem, is one of those called Idaean Dactyls. Before it stands a table, on which are carved in relief two seasons, Pan with pipes, and Apollo playing the harp. There is also an inscription by them saying that they are among the first gods.

  [4] πεποίηνται δὲ ἐπὶ τραπέζῃ καὶ Νύμφαι: Νέδα μὲν Δία φέρουσά ἐστι νήπιον παῖδα, Ἀνθρακία δὲ νύμφη τῶν Ἀρκαδικῶν καὶ αὕτη δᾷδα ἔχουσά ἐστιν, Ἁγνὼ δὲ τῇ μὲν ὑδρίαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ χειρὶ φιάλην: Ἀγχιρόης δὲ καὶ Μυρτωέσσης εἰσὶν ὑδρίαι τὰ φορήματα, καὶ ὕδωρ δῆθεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν κάτεισιν. τοῦ περιβόλου δέ ἐστιν ἐντὸς Φιλίου Διὸς ναός, Πολυκλείτου μὲν τοῦ Ἀργείου τὸ ἄγαλμα, Διονύσῳ δὲ ἐμφερές: κόθορνοί τε γὰρ τὰ ὑποδήματά ἐστιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔχει τῇ χειρὶ ἔκπωμα, τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ θύρσον, κάθηται δὲ ἀετὸς ἐπὶ τῷ θύρσῳ: καίτοι τοῖς γε ἐς Διόνυσον λεγομένοις τοῦτο οὐχ ὁμολογοῦν ἐστι.