And the west end of the portico has precincts sacred to the Great
Goddesses. They are Demeter and Proserpine, as I have already set forth
in my account of Messenia, and Proserpine is called by the Arcadians
Preserver. And on figures in relief at the entrance are Artemis,
Æsculapius, and Hygiea. And of the Great Goddesses Demeter is in stone
throughout, Proserpine has the parts under her dress of wood, the
height of both statues is about 15 feet. The statues in front of 2
moderate-sized maidens, in tunics that come down to their ankles, are
they say the daughters of Damophon, each of them has a basket on her
head full of flowers. But those who think they are divinities take
them to be Athene and Artemis gathering flowers with Proserpine. There
is also a Hercules by Demeter about a cubit high, Onomacritus in his
verses says that this Hercules was one of the Idæan Dactyli. There is a
table in front of him, and on it are carved two Seasons, and Pan with
his reed-pipe, and Apollo with his lyre. There is also an inscription
stating that they were among the earliest gods. On the table are also
carved the following Nymphs, Neda carrying Zeus while still a baby, and
Anthracia one of the Arcadian Nymphs with a torch, and Hagno with a
water-pot in one hand and in the other a bowl, Archirhoe and Myrtoessa
also are carrying water-pots and water is trickling from them. And
inside the precincts is the temple of Friendly Zeus, the statue is like
Dionysus and is by the Argive Polycletus. The god has buskins on, and
a cup in one hand, and in the other a thyrsus, and an eagle perched
on the thyrsus. This last is the only thing which does not harmonize
with the legendary Dionysus. And behind this temple is a small grove of
trees surrounded by a wall, into which men may not enter. And before
it are statues of Demeter and Proserpine about 3 feet high. And inside
the precincts is a temple of the Great Goddesses and of Aphrodite.
Before the entrance are some old wooden statues of Hera and Apollo and
the Muses, brought they say from Trapezus. The statues in the temple
were made by Damophon, Hermes’ in wood, and Aphrodite’s in wood, except
her hands and head and toes, which are of stone. And they surname the
Goddess Inventive, most properly in my opinion, for most inventions
come from Aphrodite whether in word or deed. There are also in a room
some statues of Callignotus and Mentas and Sosigenes and Polus, who
are said to have first instituted at Megalopolis the worship of the
Great Goddesses, which is an imitation of the Eleusinian Mysteries.
And within the precincts are square figures of several gods, as Hermes
surnamed Agetor, and Apollo, and Athene, and Poseidon, and the Sun
surnamed Soter, and Hercules. A large temple has been built to them, in
which are celebrated the rites of the Great Goddesses.
And on the right of the temple of the Great Goddesses is the temple
of Proserpine; her statue is of stone about 8 feet high, and there
are fillets on the base throughout. Into this temple women have at
all times right of entrance, but men only once a year. And there is a
gymnasium in the market-place built facing west. And behind the portico
which they call after Macedonian Philip are two hills not very high;
and on one are ruins of a temple of Athene Polias, and on the other
ruins of a temple of full-grown Hera. Under this hill the spring called
Bathyllus swells the stream of the river Helisson. Such are the things
worthy of mention here.