by Pausanias
[21.1] XXI. I saw another Triton among the curiosities at Rome, less in size than the one at Tanagra. The Tritons have the following appearance. On their heads they grow hair like that of marsh frogs not only in color, but also in the impossibility of separating one hair from another. The rest of their body is rough with fine scales just as is the shark. Under their ears they have gills and a man’s nose; but the mouth is broader and the teeth are those of a beast. Their eyes seem to me blue, and they have hands, fingers, and nails like the shells of the murex. Under the breast and belly is a tail like a dolphin’s instead of feet.
ON FABULOUS ANIMALS
[2] εἶδον δὲ καὶ ταύρους τούς τε Αἰθιοπικούς, οὓς ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι ὀνομάζουσι ῥινόκερως, ὅτι σφίσιν ἐπ᾽ ἄκρᾳ τῇ ῥινὶ ἓν ἑκάστῳ κέρας καὶ ἄλλο ὑπὲρ αὐτὸ οὐ μέγα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς κεφαλῆς οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν κέρατά ἐστι, καὶ τοὺς ἐκ Παιόνων — οὗτοι δὲ οἱ ἐκ Παιόνων ἔς τε τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα δασεῖς καὶ ἀμφὶ τὸ στέρνον μάλιστά εἰσι καὶ τὴν γένυν — καμήλους τε Ἰνδικὰς χρῶμα εἰκασμένας παρδάλεσιν.
[21.2] I saw also the Ethiopian bulls, called rhinoceroses owing to the fact that each has one horn (ceras) at the end of the nose (rhis), over which is another but smaller one, but there is no trace of horns on their heads. I saw too the Paeonian bulls, which are shaggy all over, but especially about the chest and lower jaw. I saw also Indian camels with the color of leopards.
[3] ἔστι δὲ ἄλκη καλούμενον θηρίον, εἶδος μὲν ἐλάφου καὶ καμήλου μεταξύ, γίνεται δὲ ἐν τῇ Κελτῶν γῇ. θηρίων δὲ ὧν ἴσμεν μόνην ἀνιχνεῦσαι καὶ προϊδεῖν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπῳ, σταλεῖσι δὲ ἐς ἄγραν ἄλλων καὶ τήνδε ἐς χεῖρά ποτε δαίμων ἄγει: ὀσφρᾶται μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πολὺ ἔτι ἀπέχουσα, ὥς φασι, καταδύεται δὲ ἐς φάραγγας καὶ σπήλαια τὰ βαθύτατα. οἱ θηρεύοντες οὖν, ὁπότε ἐπὶ βραχύτατον, σταδίων τὴν πεδιάδα χιλίων ἢ καὶ ὄρος περιλαβόντες, τὸν κύκλον μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως διαλύσουσιν, ἐπισυνιόντες δὲ ἀεὶ τὰ ἐντὸς γινόμενα τοῦ κύκλου πάντα αἱροῦσι τά τε ἄλλα καὶ τὰς ἄλκας: εἰ δὲ μὴ τύχοι ταύτῃ φωλεύουσα, ἑτέρα γε ἄλκην ἑλεῖν ἐστιν οὐδεμία μηχανή.
[21.3] There is also a beast called the elk, in form between a deer and a camel, which breeds in the land of the Celts. Of all the beasts we know it alone cannot be tracked or seen at a distance by man; sometimes, however, when men are out hunting other game they fall in with an elk by luck. Now they say that it smells man even at a great distance, and dashes down into ravines or the deepest caverns. So the hunters surround the plain or mountain in a circuit of at least a thousand stades, and, taking care not to break the circle, they keep on narrowing the area enclosed, and so catch all the beasts inside, the elks included. But if there chance to be no lair within, there is no other way of catching the elk.
[4] θηρίον δὲ τὸ ἐν τῷ Κτησίου λόγῳ τῷ ἐς Ἰνδοὺς — μαρτιχόρα ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰνδῶν, ὑπὸ δὲ Ἑλλήνων φησὶν ἀνδροφάγον λελέχθαι — εἶναι πείθομαι τὸν τίγριν: ὀδόντας δὲ αὐτὸ τριστοίχους καθ᾽ ἑκατέραν τὴν γένυν καὶ κέντρα ἐπὶ ἄκρας ἔχειν τῆς οὐρᾶς, τούτοις δὲ τοῖς κέντροις ἐγγύθεν ἀμύνεσθαι καὶ ἀποπέμπειν ἐς τοὺς πορρωτέρω τοξότου ἀνδρὸς ὀιστῷ ἴσον, ταύτην οὐκ ἀληθῆ τὴν φήμην οἱ Ἰνδοὶ δέξασθαι δοκοῦσί μοι παρ᾽ ἀλλήλων ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν ἐς τὸ θηρίον δείματος.
[21.4] The beast described by Ctesias in his Indian history, which he says is called martichoras by the Indians and man-eater by the Greeks, I am inclined to think is the tiger. But that it has three rows of teeth along each jaw and spikes at the tip of its tail with which it defends itself at close quarters, while it hurls them like an archer’s arrows at more distant enemies; all this is, I think, a false story that the Indians pass on from one to another owing to their excessive dread of the beast.
[5] ἠπατήθησαν δὲ καὶ ἐς τὴν χρόαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁπότε κατὰ τοῦ ἡλίου φανείη σφίσιν ὁ τίγρις τὴν αὐγήν, ἐρυθρός τ᾽ ἐδόκει καὶ ὁμόχρους ἢ ὑπὸ τῆς ὠκύτητος ἢ — εἰ μὴ θέοι — διὰ τὸ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστροφαῖς συνεχές, ἄλλως τε καὶ οὐκ ἐγγύθεν γινομένης τῆς θέας. δοκῶ δέ, εἰ καὶ Λιβύης τις ἢ τῆς Ἰνδῶν ἢ Ἀράβων γῆς ἐπέρχοιτο τὰ ἔσχατα ἐθέλων θηρία ὁπόσα παρ᾽ Ἕλλησιν ἐξευρεῖν, τὰ μὲν οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν αὐτὸν εὑρήσειν, τὰ δὲ οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἔχειν φανεῖσθαί οἱ:
[21.5] They were also deceived about its color, and whenever the tiger showed itself in the light of the sun it appeared to be a homogeneous red, either because of its speed, or, if it were not running, because of its continual twists and turns, especially when it was not seen at close quarters. And I think that if one were to traverse the most remote parts of Libya, India or Arabia, in search of such beasts as are found in Greece, some he would not discover at all, and others would have a different appearance.
[6] οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἄνθρωπος μόνον ὁμοῦ τῷ ἀέρι καὶ τῇ γῇ διαφόροις οὖσι διάφορον κτᾶται καὶ τὸ εἶδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τὸ αὐτὸ ἂν πάσχοι τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ θηρία αἱ ἀσπίδες τοῦτο μὲν ἔχουσιν αἱ Λίβυσσαι παρὰ τὰς Αἰγυπτίας τὴν χρόαν, τοῦτο δὲ ἐν Αἰθιοπίᾳ μελαίνας τὰς ἀσπίδας οὐ μεῖον ἢ καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἡ γῆ τρέφει. οὕτω χρὴ πάντα τινὰ μήτε ἐπίδρομον τὴν γνώμην μήτε ἀπίστως ἔχειν ἐς τὰ σπανιώτερα, ἐπεί τοι καὶ ἐγὼ πτερωτοὺς ὄφεις οὐ θεασάμενος πείθομαι: πείθομαι δὲ ὅτι ἀνὴρ Φρὺξ ἤγαγεν ἐς Ἰωνίαν σκορπίον ταῖς ἀκρίσιν ὁμοιότατα πτερὰ ἔχοντα.
[21.6] For man is not the only creature that has a different appearance in different climates and in different countries; the others too obey the same rule. For instance, the Libyan asps have a different colors compared with the Egyptian, while in Ethiopia are bred asps quite as black as the men. So everyone should be neither over-hasty in one’s judgments, nor incredulous when considering rarities. For instance, though I have never seen winged snakes I believe that they exist, as I believe that a Phrygian brought to Ionia a scorpion with wings exactly like those of locusts.
22. ἐν Τανάγρᾳ δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Διονύσου Θέμιδός ἐστιν, ὁ δὲ Ἀφροδίτης, καὶ ὁ τρίτος τῶν ναῶν Ἀπόλλωνος, ὁμοῦ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Ἄρτεμίς τε καὶ Λητώ. ἐς δὲ τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ τὰ ἱερὰ τοῦ τε Κριοφόρου καὶ ὃν Πρόμαχον καλοῦσι, τοῦ μὲν ἐς τὴν ἐπίκλησιν λέγουσιν ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς σφισιν ἀποτρέψαι νόσον λοιμώδη περὶ τὸ τεῖχος κριὸν περ
ιενεγκών, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ Κάλαμις ἐποίησεν ἄγαλμα Ἑρμοῦ φέροντα κριὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων: ὃς δ᾽ ἂν εἶναι τῶν ἐφήβων προκριθῇ τὸ εἶδος κάλλιστος, οὗτος ἐν τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ τῇ ἑορτῇ περίεισιν ἐν κύκλῳ τὸ τεῖχος ἔχων ἄρνα ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων:
[22.1] XXII. Beside the sanctuary of Dionysus at Tanagra are three temples, one of Themis, another of Aphrodite, and the third of Apollo; with Apollo are joined Artemis and Leto. There are sanctuaries of Hermes Ram-bearer and of Hermes called Champion. They account for the former surname by a story that Hermes averted a pestilence from the city by carrying a ram round the walls; to commemorate this Calamis made an image of Hermes carrying a ram upon his shoulders. Whichever of the youths is judged to be the most handsome goes round the walls at the feast of Hermes, carrying a lamb on his shoulders.
[2] τὸν δὲ Ἑρμῆν λέγουσι τὸν Πρόμαχον Ἐρετριέων ναυσὶν ἐξ Εὐβοίας ἐς τὴν Ταναγραίαν σχόντων τούς τε ἐφήβους ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν μάχην καὶ αὐτὸν ὅτε ἔφηβον στλεγγίδι ἀμυνόμενον μάλιστα ἐργάσασθαι τῶν Εὐβοέων τροπήν. κεῖται δὲ ἐν τοῦ Προμάχου τῷ ἱερῷ τῆς τε ἀνδράχνου τὸ ὑπόλοιπον: τραφῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ τῷ δένδρῳ τὸν Ἑρμῆν τούτῳ νομίζουσιν. οὐ πόρρω δὲ θέατρόν τε καὶ πρὸς αὐτῷ στοὰ πεποίηται. εὖ δέ μοι Ταναγραῖοι νομίσαι τὰ ἐς τοὺς θεοὺς μάλιστα δοκοῦσιν Ἑλλήνων: χωρὶς μὲν γὰρ αἱ οἰκίαι σφίσι, χωρὶς δὲ τὰ ἱερὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτὰς ἐν καθαρῷ τέ ἐστι καὶ ἐκτὸς ἀνθρώπων.
[22.2] Hermes Champion is said, on the occasion when an Eretrian fleet put into Tanagra from Euboea, to have led out the youths to the battle; he himself, armed with a scraper like a youth, was chiefly responsible for the rout of the Euboeans. In the sanctuary of the Champion is kept all that is left of the wild strawberry-tree under which they believe that Hermes was nourished. Near by is a theater and by it a portico. I consider that the people of Tanagra have better arrangements for the worship of the gods than any other Greeks. For their houses are in one place, while the sanctuaries are apart beyond the houses in a clear space where no men live.
[3] Κορίννης δέ, ἣ μόνη δὴ ἐν Τανάγρᾳ ᾁσματα ἐποίησε, ταύτης ἔστι μὲν μνῆμα ἐν περιφανεῖ τῆς πόλεως, ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ γραφή, ταινίᾳ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἡ Κόριννα ἀναδουμένη τῆς νίκης ἕνεκα ἣν Πίνδαρον ᾁσματι ἐνίκησεν ἐν Θήβαις. φαίνεται δέ μοι νικῆσαι τῆς διαλέκτου τε ἕνεκα, ὅτι ᾖδεν οὐ τῇ φωνῇ τῇ Δωρίδι ὥσπερ ὁ Πίνδαρος ἀλλὰ ὁποίᾳ συνήσειν ἔμελλον Αἰολεῖς, καὶ ὅτι ἦν γυναικῶν τότε δὴ καλλίστη τὸ εἶδος, εἴ τι τῇ εἰκόνι δεῖ τεκμαίρεσθαι.
[22.3] Corinna, the only lyric poetess of Tanagra, has her tomb in a, conspicuous part of the city, and in the gymnasium is a painting of Corinna binding her head with a fillet for the victory she won over Pindar at Thebes with a lyric poem. I believe that her victory was partly due to the dialect she used, for she composed, not in Doric speech like Pindar, but in one Aeolians would understand, and partly to her being, if one may judge from the likeness, the most beautiful woman of her time.
[4] ἔστι δὲ καὶ γένη δύο ἐνταῦθα ἀλεκτρυόνων, οἵ τε μάχιμοι καὶ οἱ κόσσυφοι καλούμενοι. τούτων τῶν κοσσύφων μέγεθος μὲν κατὰ τοὺς Λυδούς ἐστιν ὄρνιθας, χρόα δὲ ἐμφερὴς κόρακι, κάλλαια δὲ καὶ ὁ λόφος κατὰ ἀνεμώνην μάλιστα: λευκὰ δὲ σημεῖα οὐ μεγάλα ἐπί τε ἄκρῳ τῷ ῥάμφει καὶ ἐπὶ ἄκρας ἔχουσι τῆς οὐρᾶς.
[22.4] Here there are two breeds of cocks, the fighters and the blackbirds, as they are called. The size of these blackbirds is the same as that of the Lydian birds, but in color they are like crows, while wattles and comb are very like the anemone. They have small, white markings on the end of the beak and at the end of the tail.
ANTHEDON
[5] οὗτοι μὲν τοιοῦτο παρέχονται τὸ εἶδος, τῆς δὲ Βοιωτίας τὰ ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τοῦ Εὐρίπου Μεσσάπιον ὄρος καλούμενον καὶ ὑπ᾽ αὐτῷ Βοιωτῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης πόλις ἐστὶν Ἀνθηδών: γενέσθαι δὲ τῇ πόλει τὸ ὄνομα οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ Ἀνθηδόνος νύμφης, οἱ δὲ Ἄνθαν δυναστεῦσαι λέγουσιν ἐνταῦθα, Ποσειδῶνός τε παῖδα καὶ Ἀλκυόνης τῆς Ἄτλαντος. Ἀνθηδονίοις δὲ μάλιστά που κατὰ μέσον τῆς πόλεως Καβείρων ἱερὸν καὶ ἄλσος περὶ αὐτό ἐστι, πλησίον δὲ Δήμητρος καὶ τῆς παιδὸς ναὸς καὶ ἀγάλματα λίθου λευκοῦ:
[22.5] Such is the appearance of the blackbirds. Within Boeotia to the left of the Euripus is Mount Messapius, at the foot of which on the coast is the Boeotian city of Anthedon. Some say that the city received its name from a nymph called Anthedon, while others say that one Anthas was despot here, a son of Poseidon by Alcyone, the daughter of Atlas. Just about the center of Anthedon is a sanctuary of the Cabeiri, with a grove around it, near which is a temple of Demeter and her daughter, with images of white marble.
[6] Διονύσου τε ἱερὸν πεποίηται καὶ ἄγαλμα πρὸ τῆς πόλεως κατὰ τὸ ἐς τὴν ἤπειρον. ἐνταῦθά εἰσι μὲν τάφοι τῶν Ἰφιμεδείας καὶ Ἀλωέως παίδων: γενέσθαι δέ σφισι τοῦ βίου τὴν τελευτὴν ὑπὸ Ἀπόλλωνος κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ Ὅμηρος πεποιήκασι καὶ Πίνδαρος, προστίθησι δὲ Πίνδαρος, ὡς ἐπιλάβοι τὸ χρεὼν αὐτοὺς ἐν Νάξῳ τῇ ὑπὲρ Πάρου κειμένῃ. τούτων τε δή ἐστι τῇ Ἀνθηδόνι μνήματα καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ καλούμενον Γλαύκου πήδημα:
[22.6] There are a sanctuary and an image of Dionysus in front of the city on the side towards the mainland. Here are the graves of the children of Iphimedeia and Aloeus. They met their end at the hands of Apollo according to both Homer and Pindar, the latter adding that their doom overtook them in Naxos, which lies off Paros. Their tombs then are in Anthedon, and by the sea is what is called the Leap of Glaucus.
[7] εἶναι δὲ αὐτὸν ἁλιέα, καὶ ἐπεὶ τῆς πόας ἔφαγε, δαίμονα ἐν θαλάσσῃ γενέσθαι καὶ ἀνθρώποις τὰ ἐσόμενα ἐς τόδε προλέγειν οἵ τε ἄλλοι πιστὰ ἥγηνται καὶ οἱ τὴν θάλασσαν πλέοντες πλεῖστα ἀνθρώπων ἐς τὴν Γλαύκου μαντικὴν κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον λέγουσι. Πινδάρῳ δὲ καὶ Αἰσχύλῳ πυνθανομένοις παρὰ Ἀνθηδονίων, τῷ μὲν οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐπῆλθεν ᾆσαι τὰ ἐς Γλαῦκον, Αἰσχύλῳ δὲ καὶ ἐς ποίησιν δράματος ἐξήρκεσε.
[22.7] That Glaucus was a fisherman, who, on eating of the grass, turned into a deity of the sea and ever since has foretold to men the future, is a belief generally accepted; in particular, seafaring men tell every year many a tale about the soothsaying of Glaucus. Pi
ndar and Aeschylus got a story about Glaucus from the people of Anthedon. Pindar has not thought fit to say much about him in his odes, but the story actually supplied Aeschylus with material for a play.
PROETIDIAN GATE OF THEBES
23. Θηβαίοις δὲ πρὸ τῶν πυλῶν ἐστι τῶν Προιτίδων καὶ τὸ Ἰολάου καλούμενον γυμνάσιον καὶ στάδιον κατὰ ταὐτὰ τῷ τε ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ καὶ τῷ Ἐπιδαυρίων γῆς χῶμα: ἐνταῦθα δείκνυται καὶ ἡρῷον Ἰολάου. τελευτῆσαι δὲ ἐν Σαρδοῖ τόν τε Ἰόλαον αὐτὸν καὶ Ἀθηναίων καὶ Θεσπιέων τοὺς συνδιαβάντας ὁμολογοῦσι καὶ οἱ Θηβαῖοι.
[23.1] XXIII. In front of the Proetidian gate at Thebes is the gymnasium called the Gymnasium of Iolaus and also a race-course, a bank of earth like those at Olympia and Epidaurus. Here there is also shown a hero-shrine of Iolaus. That Iolaus himself died at Sardis along with the Athenians and Thespians who made the crossing with him is admitted even by the Thebans themselves.