by Pausanias
[7.2] My own view is that in building Thebes Cassander was mainly influenced by hatred of Alexander. He destroyed the whole house of Alexander to the bitter end. Olympias he threw to the exasperated Macedonians to be stoned to death; and the sons of Alexander, Heracles by Barsina and Alexander by Roxana, he killed by poison. But he himself was not to come to a good end. He was filled with dropsy, and from the dropsy came worms while he was yet alive.
[3] τῶν δέ οἱ παίδων Φίλιππον μὲν τὸν πρεσβύτατον, ὡς μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ παρέλαβε τὴν ἀρχήν, ἀπήγαγεν ὑπολαβοῦσα νόσος φθινώδης, Ἀντίπατρος δὲ ὁ μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνον Θεσσαλονίκην τὴν μητέρα ἀποκτίννυσι, Φιλίππου τε οὖσαν τοῦ Ἀμύντου καὶ Νικασιπόλιδος: ἀπέκτεινε δὲ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ νέμειν πλέον εὐνοίας αἰτιασάμενος. ὁ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος ἦν νεώτατος τῶν Κασσάνδρου παίδων: ἐπαγαγόμενος δὲ Δημήτριον τὸν Ἀντιγόνου καθεῖλε μὲν δι᾽ ἐκείνου καὶ ἐτιμωρήσατο τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἀντίπατρον, ἀνεφάνη μέντοι φονέα ἐξευρηκὼς ἑαυτῷ καὶ οὐ σύμμαχον.
[7.3] Philip, the eldest of his sons, shortly after coming to the throne was seized by a wasting disease which proved fatal. Antipater, the next son, murdered his mother Thessalonice, the daughter of Philip, son of Amyntas, and of Nicasipolis, charging her with being too fond of Alexander, who was the youngest of Cassander’s sons. Getting the support of Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, he deposed with his help and punished his brother Antipater. However, it appeared that in Demetrius he found a murderer and not an ally.
[4] Κασσάνδρῳ μὲν ὅστις δὴ θεῶν τὴν δίκην ἔμελλεν ἀποδώσειν: Θηβαίοις δὲ ἐπὶ μὲν Κασσάνδρου πᾶς ὁ ἀρχαῖος περίβολος ἀνῳκίσθη, ἔδει δὲ ἄρα καὶ ὕστερον κακῶν σφᾶς μεγάλων γεύσασθαι. Μιθριδάτῃ γὰρ καταστάντι ἐς τὸν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους πόλεμον προσεχώρησαν Θηβαῖοι κατ᾽ ἄλλο ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν οὐδέν, τοῦ δὲ Ἀθηναίων δήμου φιλίᾳ. Σύλλα δὲ ἐσβαλόντος ἐς τὴν Βοιωτίαν δεῖμα ἔσχε τοὺς Θηβαίους, καὶ ἐγνωσιμάχησάν τε αὐτίκα καὶ ἐτράποντο αὖθις ἐς τὴν Ῥωμαίων φιλίαν.
[7.4] So some god was to exact from Cassander a just requital. In the time of Cassander all the ancient circuit of the Theban walls was rebuilt, but fate after all willed that afterwards the Thebans were again to taste the cup of great misfortune. For when Mithridates had begun the war with the Romans, he was joined by the Thebans, for no other reason, in my opinion, except their friendship for the Athenian people. But when Sulla invaded Boeotia, terror seized the Thebans; they at once changed sides, and sought the friendship of the Romans.
[5] Σύλλας δὲ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἐχρῆτο ὅμως τῷ θυμῷ, καὶ ἄλλα τε ἐξεῦρεν ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῶν Θηβαίων καὶ τὴν ἡμίσειαν ἀπετέμετο αὐτῶν τῆς χώρας κατὰ πρόφασιν τοιαύτην. ἡνίκα ἤρχετο τοῦ πρὸς Μιθριδάτην πολέμου, χρημάτων ἐσπάνιζε: συνέλεξεν οὖν ἔκ τε Ὀλυμπίας ἀναθήματα καὶ τὰ ἐξ Ἐπιδαύρου καὶ τὰ ἐκ Δελφῶν, ὁπόσα ὑπελίποντο οἱ Φωκεῖς:
[7.5] Sulla nevertheless was angry with them, and among his plans to humble them was to cut away one half of their territory. His pretext was as follows. When he began the war against Mithridates, he was short of funds. So he collected offerings from Olympia, those at Epidaurus, and all those at Delphi that had been left by the Phocians.
[6] ταῦτα μὲν δὴ διένειμε τῇ στρατιᾷ, τοῖς θεοῖς δὲ ἀντέδωκεν ἀντὶ τῶν χρημάτων γῆς τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς Θηβαΐδος. τὴν μὲν δὴ ἀφαίρετον χώραν ὕστερον Ῥωμαίων χάριτι ἀνεσώσαντο οἱ Θηβαῖοι, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ἐς τὸ ἀσθενέστατον ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνου προήχθησαν: καί σφισιν ἡ μὲν κάτω πόλις πᾶσα ἔρημος ἦν ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ πλὴν τὰ ἱερά, τὴν δὲ ἀκρόπολιν οἰκοῦσι Θήβας καὶ οὐ Καδμείαν καλουμένην.
[7.6] These he divided among his soldiery, and repaid the gods with half of the Theban territory. Although by favour of the Romans the Thebans afterwards recovered the land of which they had been deprived, yet from this point they sank into the greatest depths of weakness. The lower city of Thebes is all deserted to-day, except the sanctuaries, and the people live on the citadel, which they call Thebes and not Cadmeia.
POTNIAE
8. διαβεβηκότι δὲ ἤδη τὸν Ἀσωπὸν καὶ τῆς πόλεως δέκα μάλιστα ἀφεστηκότι σταδίους Ποτνιῶν ἐστιν ἐρείπια καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἄλσος Δήμητρος καὶ Κόρης. τὰ δὲ ἀγάλματα ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ παρὰ τὰς Ποτνιὰς * * τὰς θεὰς ὀνομάζουσιν. ἐν χρόνῳ δὲ εἰρημένῳ δρῶσι καὶ ἄλλα ὁπόσα καθέστηκέ σφισι καὶ ἐς τὰ μέγαρα καλούμενα ἀφιᾶσιν ὗς τῶν νεογνῶν: τοὺς δὲ ὗς τούτους ἐς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν τοῦ ἔτους ὥραν ἐν Δωδώνῃ φασὶν ἐπὶ * * λόγῳ τῷδε ἄλλος πού τις πεισθήσεται.
[8.1] VIII. Across the Asopus, about ten stades distant from the city, are the ruins of Potniae, in which is a grove of Demeter and the Maid. The images at the river that flows past Potniae. . . they name the goddesses. At an appointed time they perform their accustomed ritual, one part of which is to let loose young pigs into what are called “the halls.” At the same time next year these pigs appear, they say, in Dodona. This story others can believe if they wish.
[2] ἐνταῦθα καὶ Διονύσον ναός ἐστιν Αἰγοβόλου. θύοντες γὰρ τῷ θεῷ προήχθησάν ποτε ὑπὸ μέθης ἐς ὕβριν, ὥστε καὶ τοῦ Διονύσου τὸν ἱερέα ἀποκτείνουσιν: ἀποκτείναντας δὲ αὐτίκα ἐπέλαβε νόσος λοιμώδης, καί σφισιν ἀφίκετο ἴαμα ἐκ Δελφῶν τῷ Διονύσῳ θύειν παῖδα ὡραῖον: ἔτεσι δὲ οὐ πολλοῖς ὕστερον τὸν θεόν φασιν αἶγα ἱερεῖον ὑπαλλάξαι σφίσιν ἀντὶ τοῦ παιδός. δείκνυται δὲ ἐν Ποτνιαῖς καὶ φρέαρ: τὰς δὲ ἵππους τὰς ἐπιχωρίους τοῦ ὕδατος πιούσας τούτου μανῆναι λέγουσιν.
[8.2] Here there is also a temple of Dionysus Goat-shooter. For once, when they were sacrificing to the god, they grew so violent with wine that they actually killed the priest of Dionysus. Immediately after the murder they were visited by a pestilence, and the Delphic oracle said that to cure it they must sacrifice a boy in the bloom of youth. A few years afterwards, so they say, the god substituted a goat as a victim in place of their boy. In Potniae is also shown a well. The mares of the country are said on drinking this water to become mad.
[3] ἐκ δὲ τῶν Ποτνιῶν ἰοῦσιν ἐς Θήβας ἔστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ περίβολος τῆς ὁδοῦ τε οὐ μέγας καὶ κίονες ἐν αὐτῷ: διαστῆναι δὲ Ἀμφιαράῳ τὴν γῆν ταύτῃ νομίζουσιν, ἐπιλέγοντες καὶ τάδε ἔτι, μήτε ὄρνιθας ἐπὶ τῶν κιόνων καθέζεσθαι τούτων μήτε πόαν τὴν �
�νταῦθα μήτε ἥμερον ζῷον μήτε τῶν ἀγρίων νέμεσθαι.
[8.3] On the way from Potniae to Thebes there is on the right of the road a small enclosure with pillars in it. Here they think the earth opened to receive Amphiaraus, and they add further that neither do birds sit upon these pillars, nor will a beast, tame or wild, graze on the grass that grows here.
THEBES
[4] Θηβαίοις δὲ ἐν τῷ περιβόλῳ τοῦ ἀρχαίου τείχους ἑπτὰ ἀριθμὸν ἦσαν πύλαι, μένουσι δὲ καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἔτι. τεθῆναι δὲ τὰ ὀνόματα ἐπυνθανόμην σφίσιν ἀπό τε Ἠλέκτρας ἀδελφῆς Κάδμου καὶ Προιτίσιν ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων: ἡλικίαν δὲ Προίτου καὶ τὸ ἀνωτέρω γένος χαλεπὰ ἦν εὑρεῖν. τὰς δὲ Νηίστας ὀνομασθῆναί φασιν ἐπὶ τῷδε. ἐν ταῖς χορδαῖς νήτην καλοῦσι τὴν ἐσχάτην: ταύτην οὖν τὴν χορδὴν Ἀμφίονα ἐπὶ ταῖς πύλαις ταύταις ἀνευρεῖν λέγουσιν. ἤδη δὲ ἤκουσα καὶ ὡς Ζήθου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ Ἀμφίονος τῷ παιδὶ ὄνομα Νῆις γένοιτο, ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ τοῦ Νήϊδος τὰς πύλας κληθῆναι ταύτας.
[8.4] In the circuit of the ancient wall of Thebes were gates seven in number, and these remain to-day. One got its name, I learned, from Electra, the sister of Cadmus, and another, the Proetidian, from a native of Thebes. He was Proetus, but I found it difficult to discover his date and lineage. The Neistan gate, they say, got its name for the following reason. The last of the harp’s strings they call nete, and Amphion invented it, they say, at this gate. I have also heard that the son of Zethus, the brother of Amphion, was named Neis, and that after him was this gate called.
[5] πύλας δὲ Κρηναίας, τὰς δὲ Ὑψίστας ἐπὶ λόγῳ τοιῷδε ὀνομάζουσι: * * * πρὸς δὲ ταῖς Ὑψίσταις Διὸς ἱερὸν ἐπίκλησίν ἐστιν Ὑψίστου. τὰς δὲ ἐπὶ ταύταις πύλας ὀνομάζουσιν Ὠγυγίας, τελευταῖαι δέ εἰσιν Ὁμολωίδες: ἐφαίνετο δὲ εἶναί μοι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα νεώτατον ταῖς πύλαις ταύταις, αἱ δὲ Ὠγύγιαι τὸ ἀρχαιότατον.
[8.5] The Crenaean gate and the Hypsistan they so name for the following reason. . . and by the Hypsistan is a sanctuary of Zeus surnamed Hypsistus (Most High). Next after these gates is the one called Ogygian, and lastly the Homoloid gate. It appeared to me too that the name of the last was the most recent, and that of the Ogygian the most ancient.
[6] τὰς δὲ Ὁμολωίδας κληθῆναί φασιν ἐπὶ τοιῷδε. ἡνίκα ὑπὸ Ἀργείων μάχῃ πρὸς Γλίσαντι ἐκρατήθησαν, τότε ὁμοῦ Λαοδάμαντι τῷ Ἐτεοκλέους ὑπεξίασιν οἱ πολλοί: τούτων οὖν μοῖρα τὴν μὲν ἐς τοὺς Ἰλλυριοὺς πορείαν ἀπώκνησε, τραπόμενοι δὲ ἐς Θεσσαλοὺς καταλαμβάνουσιν Ὁμόλην, ὀρῶν τῶν Θεσσαλικῶν καὶ εὔγεων μάλιστα καὶ ὕδασιν ἐπιρρεομένην.
[8.6] The name Homoloid is derived, they say, from the following circumstance. When the Thebans were beaten in battle by the Argives near Glisas, most of them withdrew along with Laodamas, the son of Eteocles. A portion of them shrank from the journey to Illyria, and turning aside to Thessaly they seized Homole, the most fertile and best-watered of the Thessalian mountains.
[7] Θερσάνδρου δὲ τοῦ Πολυνείκους ἀνακαλεσαμένου σφᾶς ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα, τὰς πύλας διὰ ὧν τὴν κάθοδον ἐποιοῦντο ἀπὸ τῆς Ὁμόλης ὀνομάζουσιν Ὁμολωίδας. ἐρχομένῳ δὲ ἐκ Πλαταίας ἔσοδος ἐς τὰς Θήβας κατὰ πύλας ἐστὶν Ἠλέκτρας, καὶ ταύτῃ Καπανέα τὸν Ἱππόνου βιαιοτέρας ποιούμενον πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος τὰς προσβολὰς βληθῆναι κεραυνῷ λέγουσι.
[8.7] When they were recalled to their homes by Thersander, the son of Polyneices, they called the gate, through which they passed on their return, the Homoloid gate after Homole. The entry into Thebes from Plataea is by the Electran gate. At this, so they say, Capaneus, the son of Hipponous, was struck by lightning as he was making a more furious attack upon the fortifications.
9. τὸν δὲ πόλεμον τοῦτον, ὃν ἐπολέμησαν Ἀργεῖοι, νομίζω πάντων, ὅσοι πρὸς Ἕλληνας ἐπὶ τῶν καλουμένων ἡρώων ἐπολεμήθησαν ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων, γενέσθαι λόγου μάλιστα ἄξιον. ὁ μέν γε Ἐλευσινίων πρὸς Ἀθηναίους τοὺς ἄλλους, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Θηβαίων πρὸς Μινύας, τήν τε ἔφοδον δι᾽ ὀλίγου τῶν ἐπιστρατευσαμένων καὶ ἐν μάχῃ παρέσχοντο μιᾷ τὴν κρίσιν, ἐς ὁμολογίας τε αὐτίκα ἐτράποντο καὶ σπονδάς:
[9.1] IX. This war between Argos and Thebes was, in my opinion, the most memorable of all those waged by Greeks against Greeks in what is called the heroic age. In the case of the war between the Eleusinians and the rest of the Athenians, and likewise in that between the Thebans and the Minyans, the attackers had but a short distance through which to pass to the fight, and one battle decided the war, immediately after which hostilities ceased and peace was made.
[2] ὁ δὲ Ἀργείων στρατὸς ἐς Βοιωτίαν τε μέσην ἀφίκετο ἐκ μέσης Πελοποννήσου καὶ ὁ Ἄδραστος ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας καὶ παρὰ Μεσσηνίων συμμαχικὰ ἤθροισεν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τοῖς Θηβαίοις μισθοφορικὰ ἦλθε παρὰ Φωκέων καὶ ἐκ τῆς Μινυάδος χώρας οἱ Φλεγύαι. γενομένης δὲ πρὸς τῷ Ἰσμηνίῳ μάχης ἐκρατήθησαν οἱ Θηβαῖοι τῇ συμβολῇ, καὶ ὡς ἐτράποντο, καταφεύγουσιν ἐς τὸ τεῖχος:
[9.2] But the Argive army marched from mid-Peloponnesus to mid-Boeotia, while Adrastus collected his allied forces out of Arcadia and from the Messenians, and likewise mercenaries came to the help of the Thebans from Phocis, and the Phlegyans from the Minyan country. When the battle took place at the Ismenian sanctuary, the Thebans were worsted in the encounter, and after the rout took refuge within their fortifications.
[3] ἅτε δὲ οὐκ ἐπισταμένων τῶν Πελοποννησίων μάχεσθαι πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος, ποιουμένων δὲ θυμῷ μᾶλλον ἢ σὺν ἐπιστήμῃ τὰς προσβολάς, πολλοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους βάλλοντες φονεύουσιν αὐτῶν οἱ Θηβαῖοι, κρατοῦσι δὲ ὕστερον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπεξελθόντες τεταραγμένοις, ὡς τὸ σύμπαν στράτευμα πλὴν Ἀδράστου φθαρῆναι. ἐγένετο δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς τὸ ἔργον οὐκ ἄνευ κακῶν μεγάλων, καὶ ἀπ᾽ ἐκείνου τὴν σὺν ὀλέθρῳ τῶν κρατησάντων Καδμείαν ὀνομάζουσι νίκην.
[9.3] As the Peloponnesians did not know how to assail the walls, and attacked with greater spirit than knowledge, many of them were killed by missiles hurled from the walls by the Thebans, who afterwards sallied forth and overcame the rest while they were in disorder, so that the whole army was destroyed with the exception of Adrastus. But the action was attended by severe losses to the Thebans, and from that time they term a Cadmean victory one that brings de
struction to the victors.
[4] ἔτεσι δὲ οὐ πολλοῖς ὕστερον ὁμοῦ Θερσάνδρῳ στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὰς Θήβας οὓς Ἐπιγόνους καλοῦσιν Ἕλληνες: δῆλοι δέ εἰσι καὶ τούτοις οὐ τὸ Ἀργολικὸν μόνον οὐδὲ οἱ Μεσσήνιοι καὶ Ἀρκάδες ἠκολουθηκότες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔτι ἐκ Κορίνθου καὶ Μεγαρέων ἐπικληθέντες ἐς τὴν συμμαχίαν: ἤμυναν δὲ καὶ Θηβαίοις οἱ πρόσοικοι, καὶ μάχη πρὸς Γλίσαντι ἀπὸ ἀμφοτέρων ἐγένετο ἰσχυρά.
[9.4] A few years afterwards Thebes was attacked by Thersander and those whom the Greeks call Epigoni (Born later). It is clear that they too were accompanied not only by the Argives, Messenians and Arcadians, but also by allies from Corinth and Megara invited to help them. Thebes too was defended by their neighbors, and a battle at Glisas was fiercely contested on both sides.
[5] τῶν δὲ Θηβαίων οἱ μὲν αὐτίκα ὡς ἡττήθησαν ὁμοῦ Λαοδάμαντι ἐκδιδράσκουσιν, οἱ δὲ ὑπολειφθέντες πολιορκίᾳ παρέστησαν. ἐποιήθη δὲ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον τοῦτον καὶ ἔπη Θηβαΐς: τὰ δὲ ἔπη ταῦτα Καλλῖνος ἀφικόμενος αὐτῶν ἐς μνήμην ἔφησεν Ὅμηρον τὸν ποιήσαντα εἶναι, Καλλίνῳ δὲ πολλοί τε καὶ ἄξιοι λόγου κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἔγνωσαν: ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν ποίησιν ταύτην μετά γε Ἰλιάδα καὶ τὰ ἔπη τὰ ἐς Ὀδυσσέα ἐπαινῶ μάλιστα.