by Pausanias
[25.6] Beside Meges is also painted Lycomedes the son of Creon, who has a wound in the wrist; Lescheos says he was so wounded by Agenor. So it is plain that Polygnotus would not have represented them so wounded, if he had not read the poem of Lescheos. However, he has painted Lycomedes as wounded also in the ankle, and yet again in the head. Euryalus the son of Mecisteus has also received a wound in the head and another in the wrist.
[7] οὗτοι μὲν δὴ ἀνωτέρω τῆς Ἑλένης εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ: ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῇ Ἑλένῃ μήτηρ τε ἡ Θησέως ἐν χρῷ κεκαρμένη καὶ παίδων τῶν Θησέως Δημοφῶν ἐστι φροντίζων, ὅσα γε ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος, εἰ ἀνασώσασθαί οἱ τὴν Αἴθραν ἐνέσται. Ἀργεῖοι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς Σίνιδος θυγατρὸς γενέσθαι Θησεῖ Μελάνιππον λέγουσι, καὶ ὡς ἀνέλοιτο ὁ Μελάνιππος δρόμου νίκην, ὅτε οἱ
Ἐπίγονοι καλούμενοι Νέμεια δεύτεροι οὗτοι ἔθεσαν μετὰ Ἄδραστον.
[25.7] These are painted higher up than Helen in the picture. Next to Helen comes the mother of Theseus with her head shaved, and Demophon, one of the sons of Theseus, is considering, to judge from his attitude, whether it will be possible for him to rescue Aethra. The Argives say that Theseus had also a son Melanippus by the daughter of Sinis, and that Melanippus won a running-race when the Epigoni, as they are called, held the second celebration of the Nemean games, that of Adrastus being the first.
[8] Λέσχεως δὲ ἐς τὴν Αἴθραν ἐποίησεν, ἡνίκα ἡλίσκετο Ἴλιον, ὑπεξελθοῦσαν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον αὐτὴν ἀφικέσθαι τὸ Ἑλλήνων καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων γνωρισθῆναι τῶν Θησέως, καὶ ὡς παρ᾽ Ἀγαμέμνονος αἰτήσαι Δημοφῶν αὐτήν: ὁ δὲ ἐκείνῳ μὲν ἐθέλειν χαρίζεσθαι, ποιήσειν δὲ οὐ πρότερον ἔφη πρὶν Ἑλένην πεῖσαι: ἀποστείλαντι δὲ αὐτῷ κήρυκα ἔδωκεν Ἑλένη τὴν χάριν. ἔοικεν οὖν ὁ Εὐρυβάτης ὁ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἀφῖχθαί τε ὡς τὴν Ἑλένην τῆς Αἴθρας ἕνεκα καὶ τὰ ἐντεταλμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος ἀπαγγέλλειν.
[25.8] Lescheos says of Aethra that, when Troy was taken, she came stealthily to the Greek camp. She was recognized by the sons of Theseus, and Demophon asked for her from Agamemnon. He was ready to grant Demophon the favour, but said that Helen must first give her consent. He sent a herald, and Helen granted him the favour. So in the painting Eurybates appears to have come to Helen to ask about Aethra, and to be saying what he had been told to say by Agamemnon.
[9] γυναῖκες δὲ αἱ Τρῳάδες αἰχμαλώτοις τε ἤδη καὶ ὀδυρομέναις ἐοίκασι. γέγραπται μὲν Ἀνδρομάχη, καὶ ὁ παῖς οἱ προσέστηκεν ἑλόμενος τοῦ μαστοῦ — τούτῳ Λέσχεως ῥιφθέντι ἀπὸ τοῦ πύργου συμβῆναι λέγει τὴν τελευτήν: οὐ μὴν ὑπὸ δόγματός γε Ἑλλήνων, ἀλλ᾽ ἰδίᾳ Νεοπτόλεμον αὐτόχειρα ἐθελῆσαι γενέσθαι — , γέγραπται δὲ Μηδεσικάστη, θυγατέρων μὲν Πριάμου καὶ αὕτη τῶν νόθων, ἐξῳκίσθαι δὲ ἐς Πήδαιον πόλιν φησὶν αὐτὴν Ὅμηρος Ἰμβρίῳ Μέντορος παιδὶ ἀνδρὶ ἐς Πήδαιον συνοικοῦσαν.
[25.9] The Trojan women are represented as already captives and lamenting. Andromache is in the painting, and near stands her boy grasping her breast; this child Lescheos says was put to death by being flung from the tower, not that the Greeks had so decreed, but Neoptolemus, of his own accord, was minded to murder him. In the painting is also Medesicaste, another of Priam’s illegitimate daughters, who according to Homer left her home and went to the city of Pedaeum to be the wife of Imbrius, the son of Mentor.
[10] ἡ μὲν δὴ Ἀνδρομάχη καὶ ἡ Μηδεσικάστη καλύμματά εἰσιν ἐπικείμεναι, Πολυξένη δὲ κατὰ τὰ εἰθισμένα παρθένοις ἀναπέπλεκται τὰς ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τρίχας: ἀποθανεῖν δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀχιλλέως μνήματι ποιηταί τε ᾁδουσι καὶ γραφὰς ἔν τε Ἀθήναις καὶ Περγάμῳ τῇ ὑπὲρ Καΐκου θεασάμενος οἶδα ἐχούσας ἐς τῆς Πολυξένης τὰ παθήματα.
[25.10] Andromache and Medesicaste are wearing hoods, but the hair of Polyxena is braided after the custom of maidens. Poets sing of her death at the tomb of Achilles, and both at Athens and at Pergamus on the Calcus I have seen the tragedy of Polyxena depicted in paintings.
[11] γέγραφε δὲ καὶ Νέστορα τῇ κεφαλῇ τε ἐπικείμενον πῖλον καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ δόρυ ἔχοντα: καὶ ἵππος κονίεσθαι μέλλοντος παρέχεται σχῆμα: ἄχρι μὲν δὴ τοῦ ἵππου αἰγιαλός τε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ψηφῖδες ὑποφαίνονται, τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν οὐκέτι ἔοικεν εἶναι θάλασσα.
[25.11] The artist has painted Nestor with a cap on his head and a spear in his hand. There is also a horse, in the attitude of one about to roll in the dust. Right up to the horse there is a beach with what appear to be pebbles, but beyond the horse the sea-scene breaks off.
26. τῶν δὲ γυναικῶν τῶν μεταξὺ τῆς τε Αἴθρας καὶ Νέστορος, εἰσὶν ἄνωθεν τούτων αἰχμάλωτοι καὶ αὗται Κλυμένη τε καὶ Κρέουσα καὶ Ἀριστομάχη καὶ Ξενοδίκη. Κλυμένην μὲν οὖν Στησίχορος ἐν Ἰλίου πέρσιδι κατηρίθμηκεν ἐν ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις: ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Ἀριστομάχην ἐποίησεν ἐν Νόστοις θυγατέρα μὲν Πριάμου, Κριτολάου δὲ γυναῖκα εἶναι τοῦ Ἱκετάονος: Ξενοδίκης δὲ μνημονεύσαντα οὐκ οἶδα οὔτε ποιητὴν οὔτε ὅσοι λόγων συνθέται. ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ Κρεούσῃ λέγουσιν ὡς ἡ θεῶν μήτηρ καὶ Ἀφροδίτη δουλείας ἀπὸ Ἑλλήνων αὐτὴν ἐρρύσαντο, εἶναι γὰρ δὴ καὶ Αἰνείου τὴν Κρέουσαν γυναῖκα: Λέσχεως δὲ καὶ ἔπη τὰ Κύπρια διδόασιν Εὐρυδίκην γυναῖκα Αἰνείᾳ.
[26.1] XXVI. Above the women between Aethra and Nestor are other captive women, Clymene, Creusa, Aristomache and Xenodice. Now Stesichorus, in the Sack of Troy, includes Clymene in the number of the captives; and similarly, in the Returns, he speaks of Aristomache as the daughter of Priam and the wife of Critolaus, son of Hicetaon. But I know of no poet, and of no prose-writer, who makes mention of Xenodice. About Creusa the story is told that the mother of the gods and Aphrodite rescued her from slavery among the Greeks, as she was, of course, the wife of Aeneas. But Lescheos and the writer of the epic poem Cypria make Eurydice the wife of Aeneas.
[2] γεγραμμέναι δὲ ἐπὶ κλίνης ὑπὲρ ταύτας Δηινόμη τε καὶ Μητιόχη καὶ Πεῖσίς ἐστι καὶ Κλεοδίκη: τούτων ἐν Ἰλιάδι καλουμένῃ μικρᾷ μόνης ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς Δηινόμης, τῶν δ᾽ ἄλλων ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν συνέθηκε τὰ ὀνόματα ὁ Πολύγνωτος. γέγραπται δὲ καὶ Ἐπειὸς γυμνὸς καταβάλλων ἐς ἔδαφος τῶν Τρώων τὸ τεῖχος: ἀνέχει δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸ κεφαλὴ τοῦ ἵ�
�που μόνη τοῦ δουρείου. Πολυποίτης δὲ ὁ Πειρίθου δεδεμένος τὴν κεφαλὴν ταινίᾳ καὶ παρ᾽ αὐτὸν Ἀκάμας ἐστὶν ὁ Θησέως ἐπικείμενος τῇ κεφαλῇ κράνος:
[26.2] Beyond these are painted on a couch Deinome, Metioche, Peisis and Cleodice. Deinome is the only one of these names to occur in what is called the Little Iliad; Polygnotus, I think, invented the names of the others. Epeius is painted naked; he is razing to the ground the Trojan wall. Above the wall rises the head only of the Wooden Horse. There is Polypoetes, the son of Peirithous, his head bound with a fillet; by his side is Acamas, the son of Theseus, wearing on his head a helmet with a crest on it.
[3] λόφος δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ κράνει πεποίηται. καὶ Ὀδυσσεύς τέ ἐστι * * καὶ ἐνδέδυκε θώρακα Ὀδυσσεύς. Αἴας δὲ ὁ Οἰλέως ἔχων ἀσπίδα βωμῷ προσέστηκεν, ὀμνύμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐς Κασσάνδραν τολμήματος: ἡ δὲ κάθηταί τε ἡ Κασσάνδρα χαμαὶ καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα ἔχει τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς, εἴγε δὴ ἀνέτρεψεν ἐκ βάθρων τὸ ξόανον, ὅτε ἀπὸ τῆς ἱκεσίας αὐτὴν ὁ Αἴας ἀφεῖλκε. γεγραμμένοι δὲ καὶ οἱ παῖδές εἰσιν οἱ Ἀτρέως, ἐπικείμενοι καὶ οὗτοι κράνη, Μενελάῳ δὲ ἀσπίδα ἔχοντι δράκων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσπίδι ἐστὶν εἰργασμένος τοῦ ἐν Αὐλίδι φανέντος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἱερείοις τέρατος ἕνεκα. ὑπὸ τούτοις τοῖς τὸν Αἴαντα ἐξορκοῦσιν, κατ᾽ εὐθὺ δὲ τοῦ ἵππου τοῦ
[26.3] There is also Odysseus . . . and Odysseus has put on his corselet. Ajax, the son of Oileus, holding a shield, stands by an altar, taking an oath about the outrage on Cassandra. Cassandra is sitting on the ground, and holds the image of Athena, for she had knocked over the wooden image from its stand when Ajax was dragging her away from sanctuary. In the painting are also the sons of Atreus, wearing helmets like the others; Menelaus carries a shield, on which is wrought a serpent as a memorial of the prodigy that appeared on the victims at Aulis.
[4] παρὰ τῷ Νέστορι Νεοπτόλεμος ἀπεκτονώς ἐστιν Ἔλασον, ὅστις δὴ ὁ Ἔλασος. οὗτος μὲν δὴ ὀλίγον ἐμπνέοντι ἔτι εἴκασται: Ἀστύνοον δέ, οὗ δὴ ἐποιήσατο καὶ Λέσχεως μνήμην, πεπτωκότα ἐς γόνυ ὁ Νεοπτόλεμος ξίφει παίει. Νεοπτόλεμον δὲ μόνον τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ φονεύοντα ἔτι τοὺς Τρῶας ἐποίησεν ὁ Πολύγνωτος, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τοῦ Νεοπτολέμου τὸν τάφον ἡ γραφὴ πᾶσα ἔμελλεν αὐτῷ γενήσεσθαι. τοῦ δὲ Ἀχιλλέως τῷ παιδὶ Ὅμηρος μὲν Νεοπτόλεμον ὄνομα ἐν ἁπάσῃ οἱ τίθεται τῇ ποιήσει: τὰ δὲ Κύπρια ἔπη φησὶν ὑπὸ Λυκομήδους μὲν Πύρρον, Νεοπτόλεμον δὲ ὄνομα ὑπὸ Φοίνικος αὐτῷ τεθῆναι, ὅτι Ἀχιλλεὺς ἡλικίᾳ ἔτι νέος πολεμεῖν ἤρξατο.
[26.4] Under those who are administering the oath to Ajax, and in a line with the horse by Nestor, is Neoptolemus, who has killed Elasus, whoever Elasus may be. Elasus is represented as a man only just alive. Astynous, who is also mentioned by Lescheos, has fallen to his knees, and Neoptolemus is striking him with a sword. Neoptolemus is the only one of the Greek army represented by Polygnotus as still killing the Trojans, the reason being that he intended the whole painting to be placed over the grave of Neoptolemus. The son of Achilles is named Neoptolemus by Homer in all his poetry. The epic poem, however, called Cypria says that Lycomedes named him Pyrrhus, but Phoenix gave him the name of Neoptolemus (young soldier) because Achilles was but young when he first went to war.
[5] γέγραπται δὲ βωμός τε καὶ ὑπὸ δείματος παῖς μικρὸς ἐχόμενος τοῦ βωμοῦ: κεῖται δὲ καὶ θώραξ ἐπὶ τῷ βωμῷ χαλκοῦς. κατὰ δὴ ἐμὲ σπάνιον τῶν θωράκων τὸ σχῆμα ἦν τούτων, τὸ δὲ ἀρχαῖον ἔφερον αὐτούς. δύο ἦν χαλκᾶ ποιήματα, τὸ μὲν στέρνῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὴν γαστέρα ἁρμόζον, τὸ δὲ ὡς νώτου σκέπην εἶναι — γύαλα ἐκαλοῦντο — : τὸ μὲν ἔμπροσθεν τὸ δὲ ὄπισθεν προσῆγον, ἔπειτα περόναι συνῆπτον πρὸς ἄλληλα.
[26.5] In the picture is an altar, to which a small boy clings in terror. On the altar lies a bronze corselet. At the present day corselets of this form are rare, but they used to be worn in days of old. They were made of two bronze pieces, one fitting the chest and the parts about the belly, the other intended to protect the back. They were called gyala. One was put on in front, and the other behind; then they were fastened together by buckles.
[6] ἀσφάλειαν δὲ ἀποχρῶσαν ἐδόκει παρέχεσθαι καὶ ἀσπίδος χωρίς: ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ Ὅμηρος Φόρκυνα τὸν Φρύγα οὐκ ἔχοντα ἀσπίδα ἐποίησεν, ὅτι αὐτῷ γυαλοθώραξ ἦν. ἐγὼ δὲ γραφῇ μεμιμημένον τοῦτον ἐθεασάμην ὑπὸ τοῦ Πολυγνώτου, καὶ ἐν Ἀρτέμιδος τῆς Ἐφεσίας Καλλιφῶν ὁ Σάμιος Πατρόκλῳ τοῦ θώρακος τὰ γύαλα ἁρμοζούσας ἔγραψε γυναῖκας.
[26.6] They were thought to afford sufficient safety even without a shield. Wherefore Homer speaks of Phorcys the Phrygian as without a shield, because he wore a two-piece corselet. Not only have I seen this armour depicted by Polygnotus, but in the temple of Ephesian Artemis Calliphon of Samos has painted women fitting on the gyala of the corselet of Patroclus.
[7] τοῦ βωμοῦ δὲ ἐπέκεινα Λαοδίκην ἔγραψεν ἑστῶσαν. ταύτην οὔτε ὑπὸ ποιητοῦ κατειλεγμένην ἐν ταῖς αἰχμαλώτοις ταῖς Τρῳάσιν εὕρισκον οὔτε ἄλλως ἐφαίνετο ἔχειν μοι τὸ εἰκὸς ἢ ἀφεθῆναι τὴν Λαοδίκην ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων. Ὅμηρος μέν γε ἐδήλωσεν ἐν Ἰλιάδι Μενελάου καὶ Ὀδυσσέως ξενίαν παρὰ Ἀντήνορι καὶ ὡς Ἑλικάονι ἡ Λαοδίκη συνοικοίη τῷ Ἀντήνορος:
[26.7] Beyond the altar he has painted Laodice standing, whom I do not find among the Trojan captive women enumerated by any poet, so I think that the only probable conclusion is that she was set free by the Greeks. Homer in the Iliad speaks of the hospitality given to Menelaus and Odysseus by Antenor, and how Laodice was wife to Helicaon, Antenor’s son.
[8] Λέσχεως δὲ τετρωμένον τὸν Ἑλικάονα ἐν τῇ νυκτομαχίᾳ γνωρισθῆναί τε ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσέως καὶ ἐξαχθῆναι ζῶντα ἐκ τῆς μάχης φησίν. ἕποιτο ἂν οὖν τῇ Μενελάου καὶ Ὀδυσσέως κηδεμονίᾳ περὶ οἶκον τὸν Ἀντήνορος μηδὲ ἐς τοῦ Ἑλικάονος τὴν γυναῖκα ἔργον δυσμενὲς ὑπὸ Ἀγαμέμνονος καὶ Μενελάου γενέσθαι: Εὐφορίων δὲ ἀνὴρ Χαλκιδεὺς σὺν οὐδενὶ εἰκότι τὰ ἐς τὴν Λαοδίκην ἐποίησεν.
[26.8] Lescheos says that Helicaon, wounded in the night battle, was recognized by Odysseus and carried alive out of the fighting. So the tie binding Menelaus and Odysseus to the house of Antenor makes it unlikely that Agamemnon and Menelaus committed any spiteful act against the wife of Helicaon. The account of Laodice given by the Chalcidian p
oet Euphorion is entirely unlikely.
[9] ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῇ Λαοδίκῃ ὑποστάτης τε λίθου καὶ λουτήριόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὑποστάτῃ χαλκοῦν, Μέδουσα δὲ κατέχουσα ταῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις τὸ ὑπόστατον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους κάθηται: ἐν δὲ ταῖς Πριάμου θυγατράσιν ἀριθμήσαι τις ἂν καὶ ταύτην κατὰ τοῦ Ἱμεραίου τὴν ᾠδήν. παρὰ δὲ τὴν Μέδουσαν ἐν χρῷ κεκαρμένη πρεσβῦτις ἢ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν εὐνοῦχος, παιδίον δὲ ἐν τοῖς γόνασιν ἔχει γυμνόν: τὸ δὲ τὴν χεῖρα ὑπὸ δείματος ἐπίπροσθε τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πεποίηται.
[26.9] Next to Laodice is a stone stand with a bronze washing-basin upon it. Medusa is sitting on the ground, holding the stand in both hands. If we are to believe the ode of the poet of Himera, Medusa should be reckoned as one of the daughters of Priam. Beside Medusa is a shaved old woman or eunuch, holding on the knees a naked child. It is represented as holding its hand before its eyes in terror.
27. νεκροὶ δὲ ὁ μὲν γυμνὸς Πῆλις ὄνομα ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτόν ἐστιν ἐρριμμένος, ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν Πῆλιν Ἠιονεύς τε κεῖται καὶ Ἄδμητος ἐνδεδυκότες ἔτι τοὺς θώρακας: καὶ αὐτῶν Λέσχεως Ἠιονέα ὑπὸ Νεοπτολέμου, τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ Φιλοκτήτου φησὶν ἀποθανεῖν τὸν Ἄδμητον. ἄλλοι δὲ ἀνωτέρω τούτων ὑπὸ μὲν τὸ λουτήριον Λεώκριτός ἐστιν ὁ Πουλυδάμαντος τεθνεὼς ὑπὸ Ὀδυσσέως, ὑπὲρ δὲ Ἠιονέα τε καὶ Ἄδμητον Κόροιβος ὁ Μύγδονος: τούτου μνῆμά τε ἐπιφανὲς ἐν ὅροις πεποίηται Φρυγῶν Στεκτορηνῶν καὶ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ποιηταῖς Μύγδονας ὄνομα ἐπὶ τοῖς Φρυξὶ τίθεσθαι καθέστηκεν. ἀφίκετο μὲν δὴ ἐπὶ τὸν Κασσάνδρας ὁ Κόροιβος γάμον, ἀπέθανε δέ, ὡς μὲν ὁ πλείων λόγος, ὑπὸ Νεοπτολέμου, Λέσχεως δὲ ὑπὸ Διομήδους ἐποίησεν.