CHAPTER LIV.

The boundary between the districts of the Lacedæmonians and Tegea is

the river Alpheus, which rises at Phylace, and not far from its source

another river flows into it formed from several unimportant streams,

and that is why the place is called the Meeting of the Waters. And the

Alpheus seems in the following particular to be contrary in its nature

to all other rivers, it is frequently lost in the ground and comes up

again. For starting from Phylace and the Meeting of the Waters it is

lost in the plain of Tegea, and reappears again at Asea, and after

mixing its stream with the Eurotas is a second time lost in the ground:

and emerging again at what the Arcadians call the Wells, and flowing

by the districts of Pisa and Olympia, it falls into the sea beyond

Cyllene, the arsenal of the people of Elis. Nor can the Adriatic,

though a big and stormy sea, bar its onward passage, for it reappears

at Ortygia in Syracuse, and mixes its waters with the Arethusa.

The straight road, leading to Thyrea and the villages in the Thyreatic

district, is memorable for containing the tomb of Orestes the son of

Agamemnon, the people of Tegea say that a Spartan removed his remains

from thence, but in our day there is no tomb within the walls. The

river Garates also flows by the road, when you have crossed it and gone

on ten stades you come to a temple of Pan, and near it an oak also

sacred to Pan.

The road from Tegea to Argos is very well adapted for carriages and

is in fact quite a high road. The first thing you come to on it is a

temple and statue of Æsculapius, and after turning to the left for

about a stade you come to a temple of Pythian Apollo quite fallen to

decay and in ruins. And on the high road are many oaks and a temple of

Demeter, called Demeter of Corythes, in a grove of oaks, and near it

is a temple to Mystic Dionysus. And next comes Mount Parthenium, on

which is shown an enclosure sacred to Telephus, where they say he was

exposed as a boy and brought up by a doe. And at a little distance is

the temple of Pan, where both the Athenians and people of Tegea say

that Pan appeared to Philippides and had an interview with him. Mount

Parthenium also has tortoises admirably adapted for making lyres of,

which the men who live on the mountain fear to take and will not allow

strangers to take, for they consider them sacred to Pan. When you have

crossed over the mountain top you come in what is now arable land to

the boundary between the districts of Tegea and Argos, _viz_. Hysiæ in

Argolis.

These are the divisions of the Peloponnese, and the towns in the

divisions, and the most notable things in each town.

BOOK IX.--BŒOTIA.

CHAPTER I.

Bœotia is contiguous to Attica, and Platæa to Eleutheræ. The Bœotians

got that name for all the race from Bœotus, who they say was the son

of Itonus the son of Amphictyon and the Nymph Melanippe. Their towns

are called sometimes after men but more frequently after women. The

Platæans were I think the original inhabitants of the land, and they

got their name from Platæa the daughter of the river-god Asopus.

That they were originally ruled over by kings is I think clear: for

in old times kingdoms were all over Greece, there were no democratic

governments. But the Platæans know of no other kings but Asopus and

still earlier Cithæron, one of whom gave his name to the mountain and

the other to the river. And I cannot but think that Platæa, who gave

her name to the town, was the daughter of the king Asopus and not of

the river-god.

The Platæans did nothing memorable before the battle which the

Athenians fought at Marathon, but they took part in that struggle

after the landing of Xerxes, and ventured to embark on ships with

the Athenians, and repelled on their own soil Mardonius, the son of

Gobryas, the General of Xerxes. And it twice happened to them to

be driven from their country and again restored to it. For in the

Peloponnesian war the Lacedæmonians besieged and took Platæa: and

when, after the peace which Antalcidas the Spartan negotiated between

the Greeks and the king of the Persians, it was reinhabited by the

Platæans who returned from Athens, a second misfortune was it seems

destined to come upon them. For war was not openly declared against

the Thebans, but the Platæans said that they were still at peace with

them, because when the Lacedæmonians occupied Cadmea, they had no

share either in suggesting it or in bringing it about. The Thebans on

the other hand said that it was the Lacedæmonians who had brought about

the peace, and who afterwards when they had violated it thought that

all had broken truce. The Platæans therefore, thinking the conduct

of the Thebans rather suspicious, occupied their town with a strong

garrison, and the farmers did not even go into the fields which were

at some distance from the town at every period of the day, but watched

for the times when the Thebans held their general meetings, and at such

times tilled their farms in quiet. But Neocles, who was at that time

Bœotarch at Thebes, and had noticed this cunning on the part of the

Platæans, told all the Thebans to go armed to the assembly, and led

them from Thebes not straight across the plain but in the direction of

Hysiæ and Eleutheræ and Attica, where no outposts had been placed by

the Platæans, and got to the walls about mid-day. For the Platæans,

thinking the Thebans were at their meeting, had shut the gates and

gone out to the fields. And the Thebans made conditions with those who

were in the town that they should leave the place before sunset, the

men with one dress and the women with two. At this time the fortune

of the Platæans was rather different from the former occasion when

the town was taken by the Lacedæmonians and Archidamus. For then the

Lacedæmonians blockaded them and shut them in by a double wall so that

they could not get out, whereas now the Thebans prevented their getting

into the town at all. This second capture of Platæa was the third year

after Leuctra, when Asteus was Archon at Athens. And the town was rased

to the ground by the Thebans entirely except the temples, but there

was no sack, and the Athenians took in the Platæans a second time. But

when Philip was victorious at Chæronea, he introduced a garrison into

Thebes, and among other things to destroy the Theban power, restored

the Platæans.

CHAPTER II.

If you turn off a little to the right from the high road in the

Platæan district near Mount Cithæron, you come to the ruins of Hysiæ

and Erythræ. They were formerly cities, and among the ruins of Hysiæ

there is still a temple of Apollo half-finished, and a Holy Well, of

which whoever drank in former days prophesied, if we may believe the

tradition of the Bœotians. And on your return to the high road on the

right is what is said to be the tomb of Mardonius. It is admitted

that the dead body of Mardonius was missing after the battle, but as

to who buried him there are different traditions. What is certain is

that Artontes the son of Mardonius gave many gifts to the Ephesian

Dionysophanes, and also to several Ionians, for not having neglected

his father’s burial. And this road leads from Eleutheræ to Platæa.

As you go from Megara there is a spring on the right hand, and a little

further a rock called the bed of Actæon, because they say he used to

sleep on that rock when tired with hunting, and in that spring they

say he saw Artemis bathing. And Stesichorus of Himera has represented

the goddess as dressing Actæon in a deerskin, so that his dogs should

devour him, that he should not be married to Semele. But I think that

madness came upon the dogs of Actæon without the intervention of

the goddess, and if they were mad and did not distinguish him they

would rend in pieces whoever they met. In what part of Mount Cithæron

Pentheus the son of Echion met with his fate, or where they exposed

Œdipus after his birth, no one knows, as we do know the cross-roads

on the way to Phocis where Œdipus slew his father. Mount Cithæron is

sacred to Zeus of Cithæron, but I shall enter into all that more fully

when I come to that part of my subject.

Near the entrance to Platæa is the tomb of those who fell fighting

against the Medes. The other Greeks have one common tomb. But the

Lacedæmonians and Athenians who fell have separate burial-grounds, and

some elegiac lines of Simonides as their epitaph. And not far from the

common tomb of the Greeks is the altar of Zeus Eleutherius. The tombs

are of brass, but the altar and statue of Zeus are of white stone. And

they celebrate still every fifth year the festival called Eleutheria,

in which the chief prizes are for running: they run in heavy armour in

front of the altar. And the Greeks set up a trophy about 15 stades from

the town for the battle at Platæa.

In the town of Platæa, as you go on from the altar and statue erected

to Zeus Eleutherius, is a hero-chapel to Platæa, I have already stated

the traditions about her and my own views. There is also a temple of

Hera, well worth seeing for its size and the beauty of the statues. As

you enter it Rhea is before you carrying to Cronos the stone wrapt up

in swaddling-clothes, pretending it was the child she had just given

birth to. And the Hera here they call Full-Grown, her statue is a

large one in a standing position. Both these statues are in Pentelican

marble by Praxiteles. There is also another statue of Hera in a sitting

position by Callimachus, they call this statue The Bride for the

following reason.

CHAPTER III.

They say Hera for some reason or other was displeased with Zeus and

went to Eubœa, and Zeus when he could not appease her went to Cithæron

(who ruled at Platæa), who was inferior to no one in ingenuity. He

recommended Zeus to make a wooden statue and dress it up and draw it in

a waggon with a yoke of oxen, and give out that he intended to marry

Platæa the daughter of Asopus. And he did as Cithæron instructed him.

And directly Hera heard of it she returned at once, and approached

the waggon and tore the clothes of the statue, and was delighted with

the trick when she found a wooden image instead of a young bride,

and was reconciled to Zeus. In memory of this reconciliation they

have a festival called Dædala, because statues were of old called

_dædala_. And they called them so I think before the times of Dædalus

the Athenian, the son of Palamaon, for he was called Dædalus I take

it from his statues, and not from his birth up. This festival is

celebrated by the Platæans every seventh year, according to what

my Antiquarian guide informed me, but really at less interval: the

exact time however between one festival and the next though I wished

I could not ascertain. The festival is celebrated as follows. There

is an oak-coppice not far from Alalcomenæ. Of all the oaks in Bœotia

the roots of these are the finest. When the Platæans come to this

oak-coppice, they place there portions of boiled meat. And they do not

much trouble themselves about other birds, but they watch crows very

carefully, for they frequent the place, and if one of them seizes a

piece of meat they watch what tree it sits upon. And on whatever tree

it perches, they carve their wooden image, called _dædalum_, from the

wood of this tree. This is the way the Platæans privately celebrate

their little festival Dædala: but the great festival of Dædala is a

festival for all Bœotia and celebrated every sixth year; for that

was the interval during which the festival was discontinued when the

Platæans were in exile. And 14 wooden statues are provided by them

every year for the little festival Dædala, which the following draw

lots for, the Platæans, the Coronæans, the Thespians, the Tanagræans,

the Chæroneans, the Orchomenians, the Lebadeans, and the Thebans: for

they thought fit to be reconciled with the Platæans, and to join their

gathering, and to send their sacrifice to the festival, when Cassander

the son of Antipater restored Thebes. And all the small towns which

are of lesser note contribute to the festival. They deck the statue

and take it to the Asopus on a waggon, and place a bride on it, and

draw lots for the order of the procession, and drive their waggons

from the river to the top of Cithæron, where an altar is prepared for

them constructed in the following manner. They get square pieces of

wood about the same size, and pile them up one upon one another as if

they were making a stone building, and raise it to a good height by

adding firewood. The chief magistrates of each town sacrifice a cow to

Hera and a bull to Zeus, and they burn on the altar all together the

victims (full of wine and incense) and the wooden images, and private

people offer their sacrifices as well as the rich, only they sacrifice

smaller animals as sheep, and all the sacrifices are burnt together.

And the fire consumes the altar as well as the sacrifices, the flame

is prodigious and visible for an immense distance. And about 15 stades

lower than the top of the mountain where they build this altar is

a cave of the Nymphs of Mount Cithæron, called Sphragidion, where

tradition says those Nymphs prophesied in ancient times.

CHAPTER IV.

The Platæans have also a temple to Arean Athene, which was built from

the spoil given to them by the Athenians after the battle of Marathon.

The statue of the goddess is wooden but gilt over: the head and fingers

and toes are of Pentelican marble. In size it is nearly as large as

the brazen one in the Acropolis, (which the Athenians dedicated as

the firstfruits of the battle at Marathon,) and is also the work of

Phidias. And there are paintings in the temple by Polygnotus, Odysseus

having just slain the suitors, and by Onatas the first expedition of

Adrastus and the Argives against Thebes. These paintings are on the

walls in the vestibule of the temple, and at the base of the statue of

the goddess is an effigy of Arimnestus, who commanded the Platæans in

the fight against Mardonius and still earlier at Marathon.

There is also at Platæa a temple of Eleusinian Demeter, and the tomb of

Leitus, the only leader of the Bœotians that returned home after the

Trojan war. And the fountain Gargaphia was fouled by Mardonius and the

Persian cavalry, because the Greek army opposed to them drank of it,

but the Platæans afterwards made the water pure again.

As you go from Platæa to Thebes you come to the river Oeroe, Oeroe was

they say the daughter of Asopus. And before crossing the Asopus, if

you turn aside and follow the stream of the Oeroe for about 40 stades,

you come to the ruins of Scolus, among which are a temple of Demeter

and Proserpine not complete, and half the statues of the goddesses.

The Asopus is still the boundary between the districts of Platæa and

Thebes.

CHAPTER V.

The district of Thebes was they say first inhabited by the Ectenes,

whose king was the Autochthon Ogygus, hence many of the poets have

called Thebes Ogygiæ. And the Ectenes they say died off with some

pestilence, and Thebes was repeopled by the Hyantes and Aones, Bœotian

races I imagine and not foreigners. And when Cadmus and his Phœnician

army invaded the land the Hyantes were defeated in battle and fled

the following night, but the Aones were submissive and were allowed

by Cadmus to remain in the land and mix with the Phœnicians. They

continued to live in their villages, but Cadmus built the town called

to this day Cadmea. And afterwards when the town grew, Cadmea was

the citadel for lower Thebes. Cadmus made a splendid marriage if,

according to the Greek tradition, he married the daughter of Aphrodite

and Ares, and his daughters were famous, Semele as the mother of a son

by Zeus, and Ino as one of the sea goddesses. Amongst the greatest

contemporaries of Cadmus were the Sparti, Chthonius and Hyperenor and

Pelorus and Udæus: and Echion was chosen by Cadmus as his son-in-law

for his conspicuous valour. About these men I could obtain no further

knowledge, so I follow the general tradition about the origin of the

name Sparti.[48] And when Cadmus migrated to the Illyrians and to

those of them who were called Enchelians, he was succeeded by his

son Polydorus. And Pentheus the son of Echion had great power both

from the lustre of his race and the friendship of the king, though he

was haughty and impious and justly punished by Dionysus. The son of

Polydorus was Labdacus. He on his death left a son quite a boy, whom as

well as the kingdom he entrusted to Nycteus. The sequel I have already

set forth in my account about Sicyonia, as the circumstances attending

the death of Nycteus, and how the guardianship of the boy and care

of the realm devolved upon Lycus the brother of Nycteus: and the boy

dying also not long after Lycus became guardian for Laius the son of

Labdacus.

It was during Lycus’ second guardianship that Amphion and Zethus

invaded the country with a band of men. And those who were anxious for

the continuance of Cadmus’ race withdrew Laius, and Lycus was defeated

in battle by the sons of Antiope. And during their reign they joined

the lower town to Cadmea, and called it Thebes from their relationship

to Thebe. And I am borne out by the lines of Homer in the Odyssey:[49]

“Who first gave its towers and seven gates to Thebes, for though they

were strong, they could not dwell in a spacious unfortified Thebes.”

As to the legend about Amphion’s singing and the walls being built as

he played on his harp, Homer has made no mention of it in his poems.

But Amphion was famous for music, and from his relationship to Tantalus

learnt the harmony of the Lydians, and added three strings to the lyre,

which had previously had only four. And the author of the poem about

Europa says that Amphion was the first who played on the lyre, and

that Hermes taught him how: and that by his strains he drew stones and

animals. And Myro, the Byzantian poetess who wrote epic and elegiac

verses, says that Amphion first erected an altar to Hermes and received

from him the lyre on it. It is said also that in Hades Amphion paid

the penalty for his railing against Leto and her sons. This punishment

of his is mentioned in the poem called the Minyad, and there are

references in it both to Amphion and the Thracian Thamyris. And when

the family of Amphion was destroyed by pestilence, and the son of

Zethus was slain by his mother for some fault or other, and Zethus also

died of grief, then the Thebans restored Laius to the kingdom.

When Laius was king and wedded to Jocasta, the oracle at Delphi told

him that he would die at the hands of his son, if Jocasta bare him one.

And that was why he exposed Œdipus, who was fated after all when he

grew up to kill his father. He also married his mother. But I do not

think he had any children by her. My authority for this view is Homer,

who in his Odyssey has the following lines.[50]

“I also saw the mother of Œdipus, beautiful Epicaste, who did a

horrible deed, unwittingly marrying her own son, for he married her

after slaying his father, but soon the gods made it publicly known.”

But how could they soon make it publicly known,[51] if Œdipus had

4 children by Jocasta? So they were the children of Euryganea the

daughter of Hyperphas, as is shown by the poet who wrote the poems

called the Œdipodia. Onatas also painted for the people of Platæa

Euryganea dejected at the quarrels of her sons. And it was in the

lifetime and during the reign of Œdipus that Polynices departed from

Thebes, fearing that the curses of his father would be fulfilled: and

he went to Argos and married the daughter of Adrastus, and returned to

Thebes after the death of Œdipus, being sent for by Eteocles. And on

his return he quarrelled with Eteocles, and went into exile a second

time. And having begged of Adrastus a force to restore him, he lost his

army and challenged Eteocles to single combat. And he and his brother

killed each other, and as the kingdom devolved upon Laodamas the son

of Eteocles, Creon the son of Menœceus ruled as guardian for the boy.

And when Laodamas grew up and took the reins of power, then a second

time the Argives led an army against Thebes. And the Thebans encamping

against them at Glisas, Laodamas slew in the action Ægialeus the son

of Adrastus, but the Argives gaining the victory Laodamas with those

Thebans that were willing to follow him withdrew the night following to

the Illyrians. And the Argives captured Thebes, and delivered it over

to Thersander the son of Polynices. And when some of those who were

going with Agamemnon to the siege of Troy sailed out of their course,

and met with a reverse at Mysia, then it was that Thersander, who was

the bravest of the Greeks in the battle, was slain by Telephus, and his

tomb is in stone as you drive over the plain of Caicus in the town of

Elæa, in the part of the market-place which is in the open air, and the

people of the country say that funeral rites are paid to him. And after

the death of Thersander, when a second fleet was got together against

Paris and Ilium, they chose Peneleos as their leader because Tisamenus

the son of Thersander was not yet old enough. But when Peneleos was

killed by Eurypylus the son of Telephus, they chose Tisamenus as their

king, the son of Thersander by Demonassa the daughter of Amphiaraus.

And Tisamenus suffered not from the wrath of the Furies of Laius and

Œdipus, but Autesion his son did, so that he migrated to the Dorians

at the bidding of the oracle. And on his departure they chose as king

Damasichthon, the son of Opheltes the son of Peneleos. His son was

Ptolemæus, and his Xanthus, who was slain by Andropompus in single

combat by treachery and not fairly. And thenceforward the Thebans

resolved to entrust their government to several magistrates, and not to

let everything depend on one man.

[48] Namely, that they were armed men who sprang up from the dragon’s

teeth sown by Cadmus.

[49] Odyssey, xi. 263-265.

[50] Odyssey, xi. 271-274.

[51] Perhaps Pausanias is hyper-critical here. Is he not answered by

the following line in the ὑπόθεσις to Œdipus Tyrannus, λοιμὸς δὲ Θήβας

εἶλε καὶ νόσος μακρά?

CHAPTER VI.

Of their successes and reverses in war I found the following to be the

most notable. They were beaten by the Athenians in battle, when the

Athenians fought on the side of the Platæans in the war about borders.

They were beaten a second time by the Athenians in the neighbourhood

of Platæa, when they seem to have preferred the interests of king

Xerxes to those of Greece. The popular party was not to blame for that,

for at that time Thebes was ruled by an oligarchy, and not by their

national form of government. And no doubt if the barbarian had come

to Greece in the days when Pisistratus and his sons ruled at Athens

the Athenians also would have been open to the charge of Medizing.

Afterwards however the Thebans were victorious over the Athenians

at Delium in the district of Tanagra, when Hippocrates, the son of

Ariphron, the Athenian General perished with most of his army. And

the Thebans were friendly with the Lacedæmonians directly after the

departure of the Medes till the war between the Peloponnesians and the

Athenians: but after the conclusion of that war, and the destruction

of the Athenian navy, the Thebans soon joined the Corinthians against

the Lacedæmonians. And after being beaten in battle at Corinth and

Coronea, they were victorious at the famous battle of Leuctra, the

most famous of all the battles between Greeks that we know of, and

they put down the decemvirates that the Lacedæmonians had established

in their towns, and ejected the Lacedæmonian Harmosts. And afterwards

they fought continuously for 10 years in the Phocian War, called by the

Greeks the Sacred War. I have already in my account of Attica spoken

about the reverse that befell all the Greeks at Chæronea, but it fell

most heavily on the Thebans, for a Macedonian garrison was put into

Thebes; but after the death of Philip and accession of Alexander the

Thebans took it into their head to eject this garrison: and when they

did so the god warned them of their coming ruin, and in the temple of

Demeter Thesmophorus the omens were just the reverse of what they were

before Leuctra: for then the spiders spun white webs near the doors of

the temple, but now at the approach of Alexander and the Macedonians

they spun black webs. There is also a tradition that it rained ashes

at Athens the year before Sulla began the war which was to cause the

Athenians so many woes.

CHAPTER VII.

And now the Thebans were expelled from Thebes by Alexander, and escaped

to Athens, and were restored by Cassander the son of Antipater. And the

Athenians were very friendly in this restoration to Thebes, and the

Messenians and Arcadians of Megalopolis also gave their help. And I

think Cassander restored Thebes chiefly out of hatred to Alexander: for

he endeavoured to destroy all the house of Alexander, for he ordered

the Macedonians (who were exceedingly angry with her) to stone to death

Olympias _Alexander’s mother_, and he poisoned the sons of Alexander,

Hercules his son by Barsine, and Alexander his son by Roxana. Nor did

he himself terminate his life happily, for he was swollen with the

dropsy, and eaten up by worms. And of his sons, Philip the eldest not

long after his accession was taken off by consumption, and Antipater

the next killed his mother Thessalonice, the daughter of Philip (the

son of Amyntas) and Nicasipolis. His motive for putting her to death

was that she was too partial to Alexander her youngest son. And

Alexander invited in Demetrius the son of Antigonus, and succeeded by

his help in deposing his brother Antipater, and punishing him for his

matricide, but seemed in Demetrius to find rather a murderer than ally.

Thus was Cassander punished by the gods. In his lifetime the Thebans

rebuilt all their old walls, but were destined it seemed to taste great

misfortunes still. For they joined Mithridates in his war against

Rome, I think only out of friendship to the Athenian people. But when

Sulla invaded Bœotia panic seized the Thebans, and they repented, and

tried to get again the friendship of the Romans. But Sulla was wroth

with them, and found out other means of injuring them, and took half

their territory on the following pretext. When he began the war with

Mithridates he was short of money, he collected therefore the votive

offerings from Olympia, and Epidaurus, and from Delphi all that the

Phocians had left. These he distributed among his troops, and gave the

gods in return half Thebais instead of money. The land thus taken away

the Thebans afterwards got back by the favour of the Romans, but in

other respects became thenceforwards weaker and weaker, and in my time

the lower part of the city was quite deserted except the temples, and

the citadel which they still inhabit is called Thebes and not Cadmea.

CHAPTER VIII.

And when you have crossed the Asopus, and gone about 10 stades from

Thebes, you come to the ruins of Potniæ, among which is a grove to

Demeter and Proserpine. And the statues by the river they call the

Potnian goddesses. And at a stated season they perform other customary

rites, and admit sucking pigs into what are called the Halls: and take

them at the same season the year following to Dodona, believe it who

likes. Here too is a temple of Dionysus Ægobolus (_Goat-killer_). For

in sacrificing to the god on one occasion the people of Potniæ were

so outrageous through drunkenness that they even killed the priest of

Dionysus: and straightway a pestilence came on them, and the oracle at

Delphi told them the only cure was to sacrifice to Dionysus a grown

boy, and not many years afterwards they say the god accepted a goat as

victim instead. They also shew a well at Potniæ, in which they say if

the horses of the district drink they go mad.

As you go from Potniæ to Thebes there is on the right of the road a

small enclosure and pillars in it: this it is thought is the place

where the earth opened and swallowed up Amphiaraus, and they add that

neither do birds sit on these pillars, nor do animals tame or wild feed

on the grass.

At Thebes within the circuit of the old walls were seven gates which

remain to this day, and all have their own names. The gate _Electris_

is called from Electra the sister of Cadmus, and _Prœtisis_ from

Prœtus, a native of Thebes whose date and genealogy it would be

difficult to ascertain. And the gate _Neiste_ got its name from the

following circumstance; one of the chords in the lyre is called _nete_,

and Amphion discovered this chord at this very gate. Another account is

that Zethus the brother of Amphion had a son called Neis, and that this

gate got its name from him. And there is the gate _Crenæa_, so called

from a fountain. And there is the gate called _Highest_, so called from

the temple of Highest Zeus. And the sixth gate is called _Ogygia_. And

the seventh gate is called _Homolois_, this is the most recently named

gate I think, (as _Ogygia_ is the oldest-named,) and got its name from

the following circumstance. When the Thebans were beaten in battle

by the Argives at Glisas, most of them fled with Laodamas the son of

Eteocles, but part of them shrank from a journey to the Illyrii, and

turned aside into Thessaly and occupied Homole, the most fertile and

well-watered of all the Thessalian mountains. And when Thersander the

son of Polynices restored them to Thebes, they called the gate by which

they entered Homolois in memory of Homole. As you go from Platæa to

Thebes you enter by the gate Electris, and it was here they say that

Capaneus the son of Hipponous, making a most violent attack on the

walls, was struck with lightning.[52]

CHAPTER IX.

I think this war which the Argives fought is the most memorable of all

the wars which were fought between Greeks in the days of the heroes.

For the war between the Eleusinians and the Athenians, as likewise that

between the Thebans and the Minyæ, was terminated by one engagement,

and they were soon friends again. But the Argive host came from the

middle of the Peloponnese to the middle of Bœotia, and Adrastus

got together allies from Arcadia and Messenia. And likewise some

mercenaries came to help the Thebans from Phocis, as also the Phlegyæ

from the district of the Minyæ. And in the battle that took place at

Ismenius the Thebans were beaten at the first onset, and when they were

routed fled to the city, and as the Peloponnesians did not know how to

fight against fortifications, but attacked them with more zeal than

judgment, the Thebans slew many of them from the walls, and afterwards

made a sally and attacked them as they were drawn up in order of battle

and killed the rest, so that the whole army was cut to pieces except

Adrastus. But the battle was not without heavy loss to the Thebans, and

ever since they call a victory with heavy loss to the victors a Cadmean

victory.[53] And not many years afterwards those whom the Greeks call

Epigoni marched against Thebes with Thersander. Their army was clearly

swelled not only from Argolis, but also from Messenia and Arcadia,

and from Corinth and Megara. And the Thebans were aided by their

neighbours, and a sharp fight took place at Glisas, well contested on

both sides. But the Thebans were beaten, and some of them fled with

Laodamas, and the rest were reduced after a blockade. The epic poem

called the Thebais has reference to this war. Callinus who mentions

that poem says that it was written by Homer, and his view is held by

several respectable authorities. But I think it is of a later date than

the Iliad and Odyssey. But let this account suffice for the war between

the Argives and the Thebans about the sons of Œdipus.

[52] See Æschylus, _Septem contra Thebas_, 423 _sq._

[53] See Erasmi _Adagia_.

CHAPTER X.

Not far from the gates is a large sepulchre to all those who fell in

battle against Alexander and the Macedonians. And at no great distance

they show the place where they say, believe it who will, that Cadmus

sowed the teeth of the dragon that he slew by the well, and that the

ground produced a crop of armed men from these teeth.

And there is a hill sacred to Apollo on the right of the gates, the

hill and the god and the river that flows by are all called Ismenius.

At the approach to the temple are statues of Athene and Hermes in

stone, called gods of the Vestibule, Hermes by Phidias and Athene by

Scopas, and next comes the temple itself. And the statue of Apollo in

it is in size and appearance very like the one at Branchidæ. Whoever

has seen one of these statues and learnt the statuary’s name will

not need much sagacity, if he sees the other, to know that it is by

Canachus. But they differ in one respect, the one at Branchidæ being

in bronze, the Ismenian in cedarwood. There is here also the stone on

which they say Manto the daughter of Tiresias sate. It is near the

entrance, and its name even to this day is Manto’s seat. And on the

right of the temple are two stone statues, one they say of Henioche

the other of Pyrrha, both daughters of Creon, who ruled as guardian

of Laodamas the son of Eteocles. And still at Thebes I know they

choose annually a lad of good family, good looking and strong, as

priest to Ismenian Apollo: his title is laurel-bearer, because these

lads wear crowns of laurel-leaves. I do not know whether all who wear

these laurel crowns must dedicate to the god a brazen tripod, and I

don’t think that can be the usage, for I did not see many tripods so

offered. But the wealthiest lads certainly do offer these tripods.

Especially notable for age and the celebrity of the person who gave it

is that given by Amphitryon, Hercules wearing the laurel crown.

Somewhat higher than the temple of Apollo Ismenius you will see the

spring which is they say sacred to Ares, who placed a dragon there

to guard it. Near it is the tomb of Caanthus, who was they say the

brother of Melia and the son of Oceanus, and was sent by his father to

seek for his sister who had been carried off. But when he found Apollo

with Melia he could not take her away, so he dared to set the grove of

Ismenian Apollo on fire, and the god transfixed him with an arrow, so

the Thebans say, and here is his tomb. And they say Melia bare Apollo

two sons Tenerus and Ismenius, to Tenerus Apollo gave the power of

divination, and Ismenius gave his name to the river. Not that it was

without a name before, if indeed it was called Ladon before the birth

of Apollo’s son Ismenius.

CHAPTER XI.

On the left of the gate called Electris are the ruins of the house

where they say Amphitryon dwelt, when he fled from Tiryns owing to the

death of Electryon. And among the ruins is to be seen the bridal-bed

of Alcmena, which was made they say for Amphitryon by Trophonius and

Agamedes, as the inscription states,

“When Amphitryon was going to marry Alcmena, he contrived this

bridal-bed for himself, and Anchasian Trophonius and Agamedes made it.”

This is the inscription which the Thebans say is written here: and

they also show the monument of the sons of Hercules by Megara, giving

a very similar account about their death to that which Stesichorus of

Himera and Panyasis have written in their poems. But the Thebans add

that Hercules in his madness wished also to kill Amphitryon, but sleep

came upon him in consequence of a blow from a stone, and they say

Athene threw the stone, which they call Composer. There too are some

statues of women on a figure, rather indistinct from age, the Thebans

call them Sorceresses, and say that they were sent by Hera to prevent

Alcmena from childbirth. Accordingly they tried to do so, but Historis

the daughter of Tiresias played a trick on them, she cried out in their

hearing, and they thought Alcmena had just given birth to a child, so

they went away deceived, and then they say Alcmena bare a boy.

Here too is a temple of Hercules called Champion, his statue is of

white stone by Xenocritus and Eubius, both Thebans: the old wooden

statue the Thebans think is by Dædalus and I think so too. He made it,

so the story goes, in return for an act of kindness. For when he fled

from Crete the boats he made were not large enough both for himself and

Icarus his son, and he also employed sails, an invention not known in

his day, that he might get the advantage of the boats of Minos (which

were only rowed) by availing himself of a favourable wind, and he

got off safe, but Icarus steering his boat rather awkwardly it upset

they say, and he was drowned, and his dead body carried by the waves

to an island beyond Samos which then had no name. And Hercules found

and recognised the corpse, and buried it, where now is a mound of no

great size, by the promontory that juts out into the Ægean Sea. And

the island and the sea near it got their names from Icarus. And on the

gables Praxiteles has carved most of the 12 Labours of Hercules, all

in short but the killing of the Stymphelian birds, and the cleansing

of the country of Elis, and instead of these is a representation of

the wrestling with Antæus. And when Thrasybulus the son of Lycus and

the Athenians with him put down the Thirty Tyrants, (they had started

from Thebes on their return from exile), they offered to this temple of

Hercules colossal statues of Athene and Hercules in Pentelican marble,

by Alcamenes.

Near the temple of Hercules are a gymnasium and racecourse both called

after the god. And beyond the stone Composer is an altar of Apollo

Spodius, made of the ashes of the victims. There is divination there by

omens, which kind of divination I know the people of Smyrna use more

than all the other Greeks, for they have outside their walls beyond the

city a Temple of Omens.

CHAPTER XII.

The Thebans used of old to sacrifice bulls to Apollo Spodius: but on

one occasion during the festival when the time for the sacrifice drew

nigh, and those who had been sent for the bull did not come with it,

they sacrificed to the god one of the oxen in a waggon that chanced

to be near, and since that time they have sacrificed oxen employed in

labour. They also tell this tradition, that Cadmus when travelling

from Delphi to Phocis was guided on his journey by a cow which he had

purchased from the herds of Pelagon, which had on each side a white

mark like the orb of the moon at the full. Cadmus and all the army

with him were according to the oracle to make their home where the cow

should lie down tired. This spot they show. There in the open air is an

altar and statue of Athene, erected they say by Cadmus. To those who

think that Cadmus came to Thebes from Egypt and not from Phœnicia this

name of Athene affords refutation: for she is called Onga which is a

Phœnician word, and not by the Egyptian name Sais. And the Thebans say

that the house of Cadmus was originally in that part of the citadel

where the market-place now is: and they shew the ruins of the bridal

chambers of Harmonia and Semele, this last they do not allow men to

enter even to this day. And those Greeks who believe that the Muses

sang at the marriage of Harmonia say that this spot in the market-place

is where they sang. There is also a tradition that together with the

lightning that struck the bridal-chamber of Semele fell a piece of wood

from heaven: and Polydorus they say adorned this piece of wood with

brass, and called it Dionysus Cadmus. And very near is the statue of

Dionysus, made by Onasimedes of brass throughout, the altar was made by

the sons of Praxiteles.

There is also the statue of Pronomus, a man most attractive as a

flute-player. For a long time flute-players had only three kinds of

flutes, for some played in the Dorian measure, and other flutes were

adapted to the Phrygian and Lydian measures. And Pronomus was the first

who saw that flutes were fit for every kind of measure, and was the

first to play different measures on the same flute. It is said also

that by the appearance of his features and the motion of all his body

he gave wonderful pleasure in the theatre, and a processional song of

his is extant for the dwellers at Chalcis near the Euripus who came

to Delos. To him and to Epaminondas the son of Polymnis the Thebans

erected statues here.

CHAPTER XIII.

Epaminondas was of illustrious descent, but his father was very poor

even for an average Theban, and he learnt very carefully the national

education, and when he was quite a stripling went to school to Lysis

the Tarentine, who had been a pupil of Pythagoras of Samos. And, when

the Lacedæmonians were at war with the Mantineans, Epaminondas is said

to have been sent amongst others from Thebes to aid the Lacedæmonians.

And when Pelopidas was wounded in the battle, he ran great risks to

bring him out of it safe. And afterwards when Epaminondas went on

an embassy to Sparta, when the Lacedæmonians agreed to ratify with

the Greeks the peace known as the peace of Antalcidas, and Agesilaus

asked him if the Thebans would allow the various towns in Bœotia to

subscribe to the peace separately, “Not,” he answered, “O Spartans,

until we see your neighbouring towns setting us the example.” And when

war at last broke out between the Lacedæmonians and the Thebans, and

the Lacedæmonians attacked the Thebans with their own forces and those

of their allies, Epaminondas with part of his army stationed himself

near the marsh Cephisis, as the Peloponnesians were going to make their

attack in that quarter, but Cleombrotus the king of the Lacedæmonians

turned aside to Ambrosus in Phocis, and after slaying Chæreas, who had

been ordered to guard the by-roads, and the men who were with him,

passed by and got to Leuctra in Bœotia. There Cleombrotus and the

Lacedæmonians generally had portents from the gods. The Spartan kings

when they went out to war used to be accompanied by flocks of sheep, to

sacrifice to the gods and to give them good omens before battles. These

flocks were led by a particular kind of goat that the shepherds called

_catoiades_. And on this occasion some wolves attacked the flocks but

did no harm to the sheep, only slew the goats. Vengeance is said to

have come upon the Lacedæmonians in consequence of the daughters of

Scedasus. Scedasus lived at Leuctra and had two daughters Molpia and

Hippo. They were very beautiful and two Lacedæmonians, Phrurarchidas

and Parthenius, iniquitously violated them, and they forthwith hung

themselves, for this outrage was more than they could bear: and

Scedasus, when he could get no reparation at Lacedæmon for this

outrage, returned to Leuctra and committed suicide. Then Epaminondas

offered funeral rites to Scedasus and his daughters, and vowed that a

battle should take place there, as much for their vengeance as for the

safety of Thebes. But the Bœotarchs were not all of the same view, but

differed in their opinions. Epaminondas and Malgis and Xenocrates were

for engaging the Lacedæmonians without delay, whereas Damoclidas and

Damophilus and Simangelus were against an engagement, and recommended

the withdrawal of the women and children into Attica, and that they

should themselves prepare for a siege. Thus the votes of the six were

equally divided, but the vote of the 7th Bœotarch on his return to

the camp, (he had been on the look-out at Cithæron, and his name was

Bacchylides), being given on the side of Epaminondas, it was agreed

to stake everything on a battle. Now Epaminondas had suspicions about

the fidelity of several of the Bœotians especially the Thespians,

fearing therefore that they would desert in the battle, he gave leave

to whoever would to go home, and the Thespians went off in full force,

and any other Bœotians who had ill-will to the Thebans. And when the

engagement came on, the allies of the Lacedæmonians, who had previously

not been overwell pleased with them, openly showed their hostility by

not standing their ground, but giving way wherever the enemy attacked.

But the battle between the Lacedæmonians and the Thebans was well

contested, the former relying on their long military experience and

ashamed to impair the old prestige of Sparta, while the latter saw

that the fate of their country their wives and children was staked on

the result of this fight. But after many Lacedæmonians of high rank

had fallen as also their king Cleombrotus, then the Spartans though

hard pressed felt obliged to continue the combat, for amongst the

Lacedæmonians it was considered most disgraceful to allow the dead body

of one of their kings to remain in the hands of the enemy.

This victory of the Thebans was the most notable of all victories won

by Greeks over Greeks: for the Lacedæmonians on the next day _instead

of renewing the battle_ purposed burying their dead, and sent a herald

to the Thebans to ask leave to do so. And Epaminondas knowing that it

was always the custom of the Lacedæmonians to conceal their losses,

said that their allies must first bury their dead, and afterwards he

would permit the Lacedæmonians to bury theirs. And as some of the

allies had none to bury, (as none of them were killed), and others had

lost only a few, the Lacedæmonians buried their dead, and thus it was

clear that most of the dead were Spartans. Of the Thebans and Bœotians

who remained to share in the battle there fell only 47 men, while the

Lacedæmonians lost more than 1,000.

CHAPTER XIV.

Directly after the battle Epaminondas allowed all the other

Peloponnesians to depart to their homes, but the Lacedæmonians he

kept shut up at Leuctra. But when he heard that the Spartans were

coming in full force to their relief, then he allowed them to depart

on conditions of war, for he said that it was better to fight on

Lacedæmonian than Bœotian ground. And the Thespians, looking with

regret at their past ill-will to the Thebans and with anxiety at their

present fortunes, thought it best to abandon their own city and flee

to Ceressus, a fortified place belonging to them, into which they had

formerly thrown themselves when the Thessalians invaded their country.

But the Thessalians on that occasion, as they seemed hardly likely

to capture Ceressus consulted the oracle at Delphi, and this was the

response they received. “Shady Leuctra and the Alesian soil are dear to

me, dear to me too are the unfortunate daughters of Scedasus. In the

future looms a lamentable battle there: but no one shall capture it

till the Dorians lose the flower of their young men, when its day of

fate shall have come. Then shall Ceressus be captured, but not before.”

And now when Epaminondas had captured Ceressus, and taken captive

the Thespians who had fled for refuge there, he forthwith turned his

attention to affairs in the Peloponnese, as the Arcadians eagerly

invited his co-operation. And when he went to the Peloponnese he made

the Argives his voluntary allies, and restored the Mantineans, who had

been dispersed in villages by Agesipolis, to Mantinea, and, as the

small towns of the Arcadians were insecure, he persuaded the Arcadians

to evacuate them, and established for them one large town still called

Megalopolis. By this time Epaminondas’ period of office as Bœotarch had

expired, and the penalty for continuing office longer was death. But

Epaminondas, considering the law an illtimed one, disregarded it and

continued Bœotarch: and marched with an army against Sparta and, as

Agesilaus declined a combat, turned his attention towards colonizing

Messene, as I have shewn in my account of Messenia. And meantime the

Theban allies overran Laconia and plundered it, scouring over the

whole country. This induced Epaminondas to take the Thebans back into

Bœotia. And when he got with his army as far as Lechæum, and was about

to pass through a narrow and difficult defile, Iphicrates the son of

Timotheus with a force of Athenians and some targeteers attacked him.

And Epaminondas routed them and pursued them as far as Athens, but

as Iphicrates would not allow the Athenians to go out and fight, he

returned to Thebes. And there he was acquitted for continuing Bœotarch

beyond the proper time: for it is said that none of the judges would

pass sentence upon him.

CHAPTER XV.

And after this when Alexander the ruler in Thessaly with a high hand

treacherously imprisoned Pelopidas, (who had come to his court as to

a ruler who was personally a friend of his and publicly a friend of

the Theban people), the Thebans immediately marched against Alexander,

putting at their head Cleomenes and Hypatus who were then Bœotarchs,

and Epaminondas happened to be one of the force. And when they were

near Pylæ, Alexander who lay in ambush attacked them in the pass. And

when they saw their condition was desperate, then the soldiers gave

the command to Epaminondas, and the Bœotarchs willingly conceded the

command. And Alexander lost his confidence in victory, when he saw

that Epaminondas had taken the command, and gave up Pelopidas. And

during the absence of Epaminondas the Thebans drove the Orchomenians

out of their country. Epaminondas looked on this as a misfortune, and

said the Thebans would never have committed this outrage had he been

at home. And as he was chosen Bœotarch again, he marched with an army

to the Peloponnese again, and beat the Lacedæmonians in battle at

Lechæum, and also the Achæans from Pellene and the Athenians who were

under the command of Chabrias. And it was the rule with the Thebans to

ransom all their prisoners, except Bœotian deserters, whom they put to

death. But Epaminondas after capturing a small town of the Sicyonians

called Phœbia, where were a good many Bœotian deserters, contented

himself with leaving a stigma upon them by calling them each by the

name of a different nationality. And when he got with his army as far

as Mantinea, he was killed in the moment of victory by an Athenian. The

Athenian who killed Epaminondas is represented in a painting at Athens

of the cavalry-skirmish to have been Gryllus, the son of that Xenophon

who took part in the expedition of Cyrus against king Artaxerxes, and

who led the Greeks back again to the sea.

On the statue of Epaminondas are four elegiac lines about him, that

tell how he restored Messene, and how the Greeks got their freedom

through him. These are the lines.

“Sparta cut off the glory from our councils, but in time sacred Messene

got back her children. Megalopolis was crowned by the arms of Thebes,

and all Greece became autonomous and free.”

Such were the glorious deeds of Epaminondas.

CHAPTER XVI.

And at no great distance from the statue of Epaminondas is the temple

of Ammon, the statue by Calamis and a votive offering from Pindar, who

also sent a Hymn in honour of Ammon to the Ammonians in Libya, which

Hymn is now inscribed on a triangular pillar near the altar which

Ptolemy the son of Lagus dedicated to Ammon. Next to the temple of

Ammon the Thebans have what is called Tiresias’ tower to observe the

omens, and near it is a temple of Fortune carrying in her arms Wealth

as a child. The Thebans say that Xenophon the Athenian made the hands

and face of the statue, and Callistonicus a native of Thebes all the

other parts. The idea is ingenious of putting Wealth in the hands of

Fortune as her mother or nurse, as is also the idea of Cephisodotus who

made for the Athenians a statue of Peace holding Wealth.

The Thebans have also some wooden statues of Aphrodite, so ancient

that they are said to be votive offerings of Harmonia, made out

of the wood of the gunwales of the ships of Cadmus. One they call

the Celestial Aphrodite, the other the Pandemian, and the third

the Heart-Turner. Harmonia meant by these titles of Aphrodite the

following. The Celestial is a pure love and has no connection with

bodily appetite, the Pandemian is the common vulgar sensual love,

and thirdly the goddess is called Heart-Turner because she turns the

heart of men away by lawless passion and unholy deeds. For Harmonia

knew that many bold deeds had been done in lawless passion both among

the Greeks and barbarians, such as were afterwards sung by poets, as

the legends about the mother of Adonis, and Phædra the daughter of

Minos, and the Thracian Tereus. And the temple of Law-giving Demeter

was they say formerly the house of Cadmus and his descendants. And the

statue of Demeter is only visible down to the chest. And there are some

brazen shields hung up here, which they say belonged to some of the

Lacedæmonian notables that fell at Leuctra.

At the gate called Prœtis is a theatre, and near it the temple of

Lysian Dionysus. The god was so called because, when some Thebans were

taken captive by the Thracians, and conducted to Haliartia, the god

freed them, and gave them an opportunity to kill the Thracians in their

sleep. One of the statues in the temple the Thebans say is Semele. Once

every year the temple is open on stated days. There are also the ruins

of the house of Lycus, and the sepulchre of Semele, it cannot be the

sepulchre of Alcmene, for when she died she became a stone. But the

Theban account about her differs from the Megarian: in fact the Greek

traditions mostly vary. The Thebans have here also monuments of the

sons and daughters of Amphion, the two sexes apart.

CHAPTER XVII.

And next is the temple of Artemis Euclea, the statue of the goddess is

by Scopas. They say the daughters of Antipœnus, Androclea and Alcis,

are buried in this temple. For when Hercules and the Thebans were going

to engage in battle with the Orchomenians, an oracle informed them

that, if any one of their most notable citizens in respect to birth

was willing to commit suicide, they would obtain victory in the war.

To Antipœnus, who was of most illustrious descent, it did not appear

agreeable to die for the people, but his daughters had no objection,

so they committed suicide and were honoured accordingly. In front of

the temple of Artemis Euclea is a lion in stone, which was it is said

a votive offering of Hercules, when he had vanquished in battle the

Orchomenians and their king Erginus the son of Clymenus. And near it is

a statue of Apollo Boedromius, and one of Hermes Agoræus, this last

the votive offering of Pindar. The funeral pile of the children of

Amphion is about half a stade from their tombs, the ashes still remain.

And near the statue of Amphitryon are they say two stone statues of

Athene Zosteria (_the Girder_), and they say Amphitryon armed himself

here, when he was on the point of engaging the Eubœans and Chalcodon.

The ancients called putting on one’s armour _girding oneself_: and they

say that when Homer represents Agamemnon as having a belt like Ares, he

refers to his armour.[54]

A mound of earth not very high is the sepulchre of Zethus and Amphion.

The inhabitants of Tithorea in Phocis like to carry away earth from

this mound when the Sun is in Taurus, for if they take of this soil

then, and put it on the tomb of Antiope, their land gains in fertility

while the Theban loses. So the Thebans guard the sepulchre at that time

of the year. And these two cities believe this in consequence of the

oracles of Bacis, in which the following lines occur.

“Whenever a native of Tithorea shall pour libations on the earth to

Amphion and Zethus, and offer prayers and propitiations when the Sun

is in Taurus, then be on your guard against a terrible misfortune

coming on your city: for the fruits of the earth will suffer a blight,

if they take of the earth and put it on the sepulchre of Phocus.”

Bacis calls it the sepulchre of Phocus for the following reason.

_Dirce_, the wife of Lycus, honoured Dionysus more than any of the

gods, and when she suffered according to the tradition a cruel

death[55] he was angry with Antiope: and the excessive wrath of the

gods is somehow fatal. They say Antiope went mad and wandered over all

Greece out of her mind, and that Phocus the son of Ornytion the son of

Sisyphus fell in with her and cured her, and made her his wife. And

certainly Antiope and Phocus are buried together. And the stones by

the tomb of Amphion, which lie about in no particular order, are they

say those which followed Amphion’s music. Similar legends are told of

Orpheus, how the animals followed his harping.

[54] See Iliad, ii. 478, 479.

[55] See the story in Propertius, iv. 15.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The road to Chalcis from Thebes is by the gate Prœtis. On the high road

is the tomb of Melanippus, one of the greatest warriors of the Thebans,

who, when the Argives besieged Thebes, slew Tydeus and Mecisteus one of

the brothers of Adrastus, and was himself slain they say by Amphiaraus.

And very near this tomb are three rude stones, the Theban antiquarians

say that Tydeus was buried here, and that he was interred by Mæon. And

they confirm their statement by the following line from the Iliad,

“Tydeus, who lies ’neath mound of earth at Thebes.”[56]

And next are the tombs of the children of Œdipus, I have not myself

seen the funeral rites performed to their memory, but I have received

trustworthy accounts. The Thebans say that they offer funeral

sacrifices to several heroes as well as to the children of Œdipus, and

that during these sacrifices the flame and smoke divide. I was induced

to credit this from the following thing which I have myself seen. In

Mysia above Caicus is a small city called Pioniæ, whose founder was

they say Pionis one of the descendants of Hercules, and when they are

celebrating his funeral sacrifices the smoke rises up from the tomb

spontaneously. I have myself seen this. The Thebans also show the tomb

of Tiresias, about 15 stades distant from the tomb of the children of

Œdipus: but they admit that Tiresias died in Haliartia, so that they

allow the tomb here to be a cenotaph.

The Thebans also shew the tomb of Hector the son of Priam near the Well

of Œdipus. They say that his remains were brought here from Ilium in

accordance with the following oracle.

“Ye Thebans, who inhabit the city of Cadmus, if ye wish your country

to enjoy abundant wealth, bring to your city from Asia Minor the bones

of Hector the son of Priam, and respect the hero at the suggestion of

Zeus.”

The Well is called Œdipus’ Well, because he washed off in it the blood

of his father’s murder. And near the Well is the tomb of Asphodicus,

who slew in the battle against the Argives Parthenopæus the son of

Talaus, (according to the tradition of the Thebans, for the verses

in the Thebais about the death of Parthenopæus say that Periclymenus

killed him).

[56] xiv. 114.

CHAPTER XIX.

On this high-road is a place called Teumessus, where they say Europa

was hidden by Zeus. And there is also a tradition about a fox of

Teumessus, that it was brought up to hurt the Thebans through the wrath

of Dionysus, and that, when it was about to be taken by the dog which

Artemis gave to Procris the daughter of Erechtheus, both dog and fox

were turned into stone. There is also at Teumessus a temple of Athene

Telchinia without a statue: as to her title Telchinia one may infer

that some of the Telchinians, who formerly dwelt at Cyprus and who

migrated into Bœotia, erected this temple to her under that title.

On the left of Teumessus about 7 stades further you come to the ruins

of Glisas, and before them on the right of the road is a small mound

shaded by a wild wood, and some trees have been planted there. It is

the tomb of those that went with Ægialeus the son of Adrastus on the

expedition against Thebes, and of several noble Argives, and among

them Promachus the son of Parthenopæus. The tomb of Ægialeus is at

Pagæ, as I have previously shown in my account about Megara. As you

go on the high road from Thebes to Glisas is a place, surrounded by

unhewn stones, which the Thebans call the head of the serpent. They

say this serpent lifted its head out of its hole, and Tiresias passing

by chopped its head off with his sword. That is how the place got its

name. And above Glisas is a mountain called Highest, and on it is

the temple and altar of Highest Zeus. And the torrent here they call

Thermodon. And as you turn towards Teumessus on the road to Chalcis

is the tomb of Chalcodon, who was slain by Amphitryon in the battle

fought by the Eubœans against the Thebans. And next come the ruins of

the towns of Harma and Mycalessus, the former was so called according

to the tradition of the people of Tanagra because the chariot of

Amphiaraus disappeared here, and not where the Thebans say it did. And

Mycalessus was so called they state because the cow that led Cadmus and

his army to Thebes lowed here.

I have described in my account of Attica how Mycalessus was

depopulated. In it near the sea is a temple of Mycalessian Demeter:

which they say is shut and opened again every night by Hercules, who

they say is one of the Idæan Dactyli. The following miracle takes place

here. At the feet of the statue of Demeter they put some of the fruits

of Autumn, and they remain fresh all the year.

At the place where the Euripus parts Eubœa from Bœotia, as you go

forward a little on the right of the temple of Mycalessian Demeter

you come to Aulis, so called they say from the daughter of Ogygus.

There is here a temple of Artemis and two stone statues of her, one

holding torches, and the other like an archer. They say that when the

Greeks in accordance with the oracle of Calchas were about to sacrifice

Iphigenia, the goddess caused a doe to be sacrificed instead. And

they keep in the temple the remains of the plane-tree which Homer has

mentioned in the Iliad.[57] It is also said that the wind at Aulis

was not favourable to the Greeks, but when at last a favourable wind

appeared then everyone sacrificed to Artemis what each had, male and

female victims, and since then it has been customary at Aulis to accept

all kinds of victims. There are shown here too the well near which the

plane-tree grows, and on a hill near the tent of Agamemnon a brazen

threshold. And some palm trees grow before the temple, the fruit of

which is not throughout good to eat as in Palestine, but they are

more mellow than the fruit of the palm-trees in Ionia. There are not

many inhabitants at Aulis, and all of them are potters. The people of

Tanagra inhabit this district, and all about Mycalessus and Harma.

[57] Iliad, ii. 307, 310.

CHAPTER XX.

In that part of the district of Tanagra near the sea is a place called

Delium, in which are statues of Artemis and Leto. And the people of

Tanagra say their founder was Pœmander, the son of Chæresilaus the son

of Iasius the son of Eleuther, who was the son of Apollo by Æthusa

the daughter of Poseidon. And Pœmander they say married Tanagra the

daughter of Æolus, though Corinna in her verses about her says that

she was the daughter of Asopus. As her life was prolonged to a very

advanced age they say that the people who lived round about called her

Graia, and in process of time called the city so too. And the name

remained so long that Homer speaks of the city by that name in his

Catalogue, in the line

“Thespea, and Graia, and spacious Mycalessus.”[58]

But in process of time it got its old name Tanagra back again.

At Tanagra is the tomb of Orion, and the mountain Cerycius, where they

say Hermes was reared. There is also the place called Polus, where they

say Atlas sits and meditates on things under the earth and things in

heaven, of whom Homer writes,

“Daughter of astute Atlas, who knows the depths of every sea, and who

by himself supports the lofty pillars, which keep apart earth and

heaven.”[59]

And in the temple of Dionysus the statue of the god by Calamis in

Parian stone is well worth looking at, but more wonderful still is a

statue of Triton. And a legend about Triton of hoar antiquity says that

the women of Tanagra before the orgies of Dionysus bathed in the sea

to purify themselves, and as they were swimming about Triton assailed

them, and they prayed Dionysus to come to their aid, and the god

hearkened to them and conquered Triton after a fight with him. Another

legend lacks the antiquity of this, but is more plausible. It relates

that, when the herds were driven to the sea, Triton lay in ambush and

carried some of them off. He also plundered small vessels, till the

people of Tanagra filled a bowl full of wine for him. And he came to it

attracted they say by its aroma, and drank of it and fell asleep and

tumbled down the rocks, and a man of Tanagra smote his head off with

an axe. And for this reason his statue has no head. And because he was

captured when drunk they think he was killed by Dionysus.

[58] Iliad, ii. 498.

[59] Odyssey, i. 52-54.

CHAPTER XXI.

I have also seen another Triton among the Curiosities at Rome, but not

so big as this one at Tanagra. This is the appearance of Tritons: the

hair on their head is like frog-wort in the marshes, and one hair is

not to be distinguished from another, the rest of their body is rough

with thin scales like the shark. Under their ears they have the gills

of a fish, and the nose of a man but a somewhat larger mouth and the

teeth of an animal. Their eyes are I think a greyish blue, and their

hands and fingers and nails are like the claws of shell-fish. And under

the breast and belly they have fins like dolphins instead of feet.

I have also seen the Ethiopian bulls, which they call rhinoceroses

because a horn projects from their nose and a little horn besides

under it, but they have no horns on their head. I have seen also the

Pæonian bulls, which are rough all over their bodies but especially in

the breast and chin. I have seen also the Indian camels which are like

leopards in colour. There is also a wild animal called the elk, which

is something between a stag and a camel, and is found among the Celts.

It is the only animal we know of that men cannot hunt or see at a

distance, but when they are engaged in hunting other animals sometimes

the deity drives the elk into their hands. But it scents men they say

at a great distance, and hides among the rocks and in the recesses of

caves. Hunters therefore, when they have drawn a large net completely

round a large district or even a mountain, so that nothing in that area

can escape, among other animals that they catch when they draw the net

tight capture occasionally the elk. But if it should not happen to be

in this area, there is no other device by which one could capture the

elk. As to the wild animal which Ctesias speaks of in his account of

the Indians, called by them _martiora_, but by the Greeks manslayer, I

am convinced this is the tiger. As to the Indian tradition, that it has

three rows of teeth in each of its jaws and stings at the end of its

tail, with which it defends itself and hurls them at a distance like

an archer his arrows, this report I cannot believe, and I think the

Indians only accept it from their excessive terror of this animal. They

are also deceived about its colour, for when it appears in the rays

of the Sun the tiger often looks red and all one colour, either from

its speed or if not running from its incessant motion, especially if

it is not seen near. I think indeed that if anyone were to travel into

the remote parts of Libya or India or Arabia, wishing to find the wild

animals that are to be found in Greece, he would not find them at all,

but he would find others different. For it is not only man that changes

his appearance in different climates and lands, but also everything

else is subject to the same conditions, for the Libyan asps have the

same colour as the Egyptian ones, while in Ethiopia the earth produces

them as black as the men. We ought therefore neither to receive any

account too hastily, nor to discredit the uncommon, for example I

myself have not seen winged serpents yet I believe there are such, for

a Phrygian brought into Ionia a scorpion that had wings like locusts.

CHAPTER XXII.

At Tanagra besides the temple of Dionysus there is one of Themis,

and another of Aphrodite, and a third of Apollo, near which are both

Artemis and Leto. With respect to the two temples of Hermes _the

Ram-carrier_ and Hermes _the Champion_, they say Hermes got the first

title because he allayed a pestilence by carrying a ram round the

walls, and that is why Calamis made a statue of Hermes carrying a ram

on his shoulders. And whoever is selected as the most handsome youth,

carries a ram on his shoulders round the walls during the festival of

Hermes. And Hermes they say was called Champion because, when the

Eretrians came with a fleet from Eubœa to Tanagra, he led the young men

out to battle, and himself (with a scraper like a young man) mainly

brought about the rout of the Eubœans. There is also some purslane

preserved in the temple of Hermes the Champion: for they fancy it was

under this tree that Hermes was reared. And at no great distance is a

theatre, and near it a portico. The people of Tanagra seem to honour

their gods most of all the Greeks, for they keep their houses and

temples apart, and their temples are in a pure place, and apart from

men. And Corinna, the only Poetess of Tanagra, has a tomb in the town

in a conspicuous place, and her painting is in the gymnasium, her head

is adorned with a fillet because of her victory over Pindar at Thebes.

And I think she conquered him because of her dialect, for she did not

compose in Doric like Pindar, but in Æolic which the Æolians would

understand, and she was also one of the handsomest of women as we can

see from her painting. They have also two kinds of cocks, game cocks

and those they call black cocks. The latter are in size like the Lydian

birds and in colour like a crow, and their gills and crest are like the

anemone, and they have small white marks on the end of their bill and

tail. Such is their appearance.

And in Bœotia on the left of the Euripus is the mountain Messapium,

and at the foot of it is the Bœotian city Anthedon on the sea, called

according to some after the Nymph Anthedon, but according to others

from Anthas who they say ruled here, the son of Poseidon by Alcyone

the daughter of Atlas. At Anthedon in about the middle of the city is

a temple and grove round it of the Cabiri, and near it is a temple

of Demeter and Proserpine and their statues in white stone. There is

also a temple of Dionysus and a statue of the god in front of the city

in the land direction. Here too are the tombs of Otus and Ephialtes

the sons of Iphimedea and Aloeus, who were slain by Apollo as both

Homer[60] and Pindar have represented. Fate carried them off in Naxos

beyond Paros, but their tombs are in Anthedon. And by the sea is a

place called the leap of Glaucus. He was a fisherman but after eating

a certain grass became a marine god and predicts the future, as is

believed by many and especially by seafaring men, who every year speak

of Glaucus’ powers of prophesy. Pindar and Æschylus have celebrated

Glaucus from these traditions of the people of Anthedon, Pindar not so

much, but Æschylus has made him the subject of one of his plays.

[60] Odyssey, xi. 318-320. Pindar, Pyth. iv. 156 _sq._

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Thebans in front of the gate Prœtis have what is called the

gymnasium of Iolaus, and a mound of earth constituting a race-course

like that at Olympia and Epidaurus. There is also shown there the

hero-chapel of Iolaus, who died in Sardinia, (as the Thebans admit),

with the Athenians and Thespians who crossed over with him. As you

leave the race-course on the right is the Hippodrome, and in it is the

tomb of Pindar. When he was quite a young man, going one day to Thespiæ

in the middle of a very hot day, he was tired and sleep came upon him.

And he lay down a little above the road, and some bees settled on him

as he slept and made their honey on his lips. This circumstance made

him first write poems. And when he was famous throughout all Greece,

the Pythian Priestess raised his fame still higher by proclaiming at

Delphi, that Pindar was to have an equal share with Apollo of the

firstfruits. It is said that he also had an appearance in a dream when

he was advanced in years. Proserpine stood by him as he slept, and told

him that she was the only one of the gods that was not celebrated by

him, but he would also celebrate her in an Ode when he came to her. And

he died before the close of the 10th day after this dream. And there

was at Thebes an old woman related to Pindar, who had been accustomed

to sing many of his Odes, to her Pindar appeared in a dream and recited

his Hymn to Proserpine. And she directly she awoke wrote it down just

as she had heard him reciting in her dream. In this Hymn Pluto has

several titles, among others the _Golden-reined_, dearly an allusion

to the Rape of Proserpine.

The road from the tomb of Pindar to Acræphnium is mostly level. They

say Acræphnium was originally a city in the district of Thebes, and I

heard that some Thebans fled for refuge there when Alexander destroyed

Thebes, for through weakness and old age they were not able to get safe

to Attica but dwelt there. This little city is situated on Mount Ptoum,

and the temple and statue of Dionysus there are well worth seeing.

About 15 stades further you come to the temple of Ptoan Apollo. Ptous

was the son of Athamas and Themisto, and from him both Apollo and the

Mountain got their name according to the poet Asius. And before the

invasion of Alexander and the Macedonians, and the destruction of

Thebes, there was an infallible oracle there. And on one occasion a

European whose name was Mys was sent by Mardonius to consult the oracle

in his own tongue, and the god gave his response not in Greek but in

the Carian dialect.[61]

When you have passed over the mountain Ptoum, you come to Larymna

a city of the Bœotians by the sea, so called from the daughter of

Cynus who was Larymna: her remote ancestors I shall relate when I

come to Locris. Formerly Larymna was reckoned in with Opus, but when

the Thebans became powerful the inhabitants voluntarily transferred

themselves to the Bœotians. There is here a temple of Dionysus, and a

statue of the god in a standing posture. And there is a deep harbour

close to the shore, and the mountains above the town afford excellent

wild boar hunting.

[61] See Herodotus, viii. 135.

CHAPTER XXIV.

As you go from Acræphnium straight for the lake Cephisis, which is

called by some Copais, is the plain called Athamantium, where they

say Athamas lived. The river Cephisus has its outlet into this lake,

which river has its rise at Lilæa in Phocis, and when you have sailed

through the lake you come to Copæ a small town on its banks, which

Homer has mentioned in his Catalogue of the ships.[62] Demeter and

Dionysus and Serapis have temples there. The Bœotians say that formerly

there were several small towns, as Athenæ and Eleusis, inhabited near

this lake, which were swept away one winter by a flood. The fish

generally in Lake Cephisis are very like other lake fish, but the eels

are especially fine and good eating.

On the left of Copæ about 12 stades further you come to Olmones, about

seven stades distant from which is Hyettus, villages both of them now

as always, and I think formerly they as well as the plain Athamantium

belonged to Orchomenus. The traditions I have heard about Hyettus the

Argive, and Olmus the son of Sisyphus, I shall relate when I come to

Orchomenus. There is nothing remarkable to be seen at Olmones, but at

Hyettus there is a temple of Hercules, where those who are sick can

obtain healing from him. The statue of the god is not artistic, but

made of rude stone as in old times.

And about 20 stades from Hyettus is the small town Cyrtones: the

ancient name was Cyrtone. It is built on a high hill, and contains a

temple and grove of Apollo, and statues of both Apollo and Artemis in a

standing picture. There is also some cold water there that flows from

the rock, and near this spring a temple of the Nymphs and small grove,

in which all kinds of trees that are planted grow.

Next to Cyrtones, after you have passed over the mountain, you come to

the little town of Corsea, and below it is a grove of wild trees mostly

holm-oaks. There is a small statue of Hermes in the grove in the open

air, about half a stade from Corsea. As you descend to the level plain

the river Platanius has its outlet into the sea, and on the right of

this river the Bœotians on the borders inhabit the town of Halæ by the

sea, which parts Locris from Eubœa.

[62] Iliad, ii. 502.

CHAPTER XXV.

At Thebes near the gate Neistis is the tomb of Menœceus the son of

Creon, who voluntarily slew himself in accordance with the oracle at

Delphi, when Polynices and his army came from Argos. A pomegranate

tree grows near this tomb, when its fruit is ripe if you break the

rind the kernel is like blood. This tree is always in bloom. And the

Thebans say the vine first grew at Thebes, but they have no proof of

what they assert. And not far from the tomb of Menœceus they say the

sons of Œdipus had a single combat and killed one another. As a record

of this combat there is a pillar, and a stone shield upon it. A place

also is shown where the Thebans say that Hera suckled Hercules when a

baby through some deceit on the part of Zeus. And the whole place is

called Antigone’s Dragging-ground: for as she could not easily lift up

with all her zeal the corpse of Polynices, her next idea was to drag it

along, which she did till she was able to throw it on the funeral pile

of Eteocles which was blazing.

When you have crossed the river called Dirce from the wife of Lycus,

(about this Dirce there is a tradition that she defamed Antiope and

was consequently killed by the sons of Antiope), there are ruins of

Pindar’s house, and a temple of the Dindymene Mother, the votive

offering of Pindar, the statue of the goddess is by the Thebans

Aristomedes and Socrates. They are wont to open this temple one day in

each year and no more. I happened to be present on that day, and I saw

the statue which is of Pentelican marble as well as the throne.

On the road from the gate Neistis is the temple of Themis and the

statue of the goddess in white stone, and next come temples of the

Fates and of Zeus Agoræus, the latter has a stone statue, but the Fates

have no statues. And at a little distance is a statue of Hercules in

the open air called _Nose-cutter-off_, because (say the Thebans) he cut

off the noses of the envoys who came from Orchomenus to demand tribute.

About 25 stades further you come to the grove of Cabirian Demeter and

Proserpine, which none may enter but the initiated. About seven stades

from this grove is the temple of the Cabiri. Who they were and what

are their rites or those of Demeter I must be pardoned by the curious

for passing over in silence. But nothing prevents my publishing to

everybody the origin of these rites according to the Theban traditions.

They say there was formerly a town here, the inhabitants of which were

called Cabiri, and that Demeter getting acquainted with Prometheus (one

of the Cabiri), and Prometheus’ son Ætnæus, put something into their

hands. What this deposit was, and the circumstances relating to it, it

is not lawful for me to disclose. But the mysteries of Demeter were a

gift to the Cabiri. But when the Epigoni led an army against Thebes and

captured it, the Cabiri were driven out by the Argives, and for some

time the mysteries were not celebrated. Afterwards however they are

said to have been reestablished by Pelarge, the daughter of Potneus,

and her husband Isthmiades, who taught them to the person whose name

was Alexiarous. And because Pelarge celebrated the mysteries beyond the

ancient boundaries, Telondes and all of the Cabiri who had left Cabiræa

returned. Pelarge in consequence of an oracle from Dodona was treated

with various honours, and a victim big with young was ordered for her

sacrifice. The wrath of the Cabiri is implacable as has frequently been

manifested. For example when some private persons at Naupactus imitated

the mysteries at Thebes, vengeance soon came upon them. And those of

Xerxes’ army who were with Mardonius and left in Bœotia, when they

entered the temple of the Cabiri (partly from the hope of finding great

wealth there, but more I think to insult the divinity), went mad and

perished by throwing themselves into the sea from the rocks. And when

Alexander after his victory put Thebes and all Thebais on fire, the

Macedonians who went into the temple of the Cabiri with hostile intent

were killed by lightning and thunderbolts. So holy was this temple from

the first.

CHAPTER XXVI.

On the right of the temple of the Cabiri is a plain called the plain

of Tenerus from Tenerus the seer, who they think was the son of Apollo

and Melia, and a large temple to Hercules surnamed Hippodetes, because

they say the Orchomenians came here with an army, and Hercules by

night took their horses and tied them to their chariots. And a little

further you come to the mountain where they say the Sphinx made her

headquarters, reciting a riddle for the ruin of those she captured.

Others say that with a naval force she used to sail the seas as a

pirate, and made her port Anthedon, and occupied this mountain for her

robberies, till Œdipus slew her after vanquishing her with a superior

force, which he brought from Corinth. It is also said that she was the

illegitimate daughter of Laius, and that her father out of good will to

her told her the oracle that was given to Cadmus at Delphi, an oracle

which no one knew but the kings of Thebes. Whenever then any one of her

brothers came to consult her about the kingdom, (for Laius had sons by

mistresses, and the oracle at Delphi only referred to his wife Epicaste

and male children by her), she used subtlety to her brothers, saying

that if they were the sons of Laius they would know the oracle given

to Cadmus, and if they could not give it she condemned them to death,

as being doubtful claimants of the blood royal. And Œdipus learnt this

oracle in a dream.

About 15 stades from this mountain are the ruins of Onchestus, where

they say Onchestus the son of Poseidon dwelt, and in my time there

was a statue of Onchestian Poseidon, and the grove which Homer has

mentioned.[63] And as you turn to the left from the temple of the

Cabiri in about 50 stades you will come to Thespia built under Mount

Helicon. The town got its name they say from Thespia the daughter

of Asopus. Others say that Thespius the son of Erechtheus came from

Athens, and gave his name to it. At Thespia is a brazen statue of

Zeus Soter: they say that, when a dragon once infested the town, Zeus

ordered one of the lads chosen by lot every year to be given to the

monster. The names of his other victims they do not record, but for

Cleostratus the last victim they say his lover Menestratus invented

the following contrivance. He made for him a brazen breastplate with

a hook on each of its plates bent in, and Cleostratus armed with this

cheerfully gave himself up to the dragon, for he knew that though

he would perish himself he would also kill the monster. From this

circumstance Zeus was called the Saviour. They have also statues of

Dionysus and Fortune, and Hygiea, and Athene the Worker, and near her

Plutus.

[63] Iliad, ii. 506.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Of the gods the Thespians have always honoured Eros most, of whom they

have a very old statue in rude stone. But who instituted the worship

of Eros at Thespia I do not know. This god is worshipped not a whit

less by the Pariani who live near the Hellespont, who were originally

from Ionia and migrated from Erythræ, and are now included amongst

the Romans. Most men think Eros the latest of the gods, and the son

of Aphrodite. But the Lycian Olen, who wrote the most ancient Hymns

of the Greeks, says in his Hymn to Ilithyia that she was the mother

of Eros. And after Olen Pamphus and Orpheus wrote verses to Eros for

the Lycomidæ to sing at the mysteries, and I have read them thanks to

a torch-bearer at the mysteries. But of these I shall make no further

mention. And Hesiod, (or whoever wrote the Theogony and foisted it

on Hesiod), wrote I know that Chaos came first, and then Earth, and

Tartarus, and Eros. And the Lesbian Sappho has sung many things about

Eros which do not harmonize with one another. Lysippus afterwards

made a brazen statue of Eros for the Thespians, and still earlier

Praxiteles made one in Pentelican marble. I have told elsewhere all

about Phryne’s ingenious trick on Praxiteles. This statue of Eros was

removed first by the Roman Emperor Gaius, and, though it was restored

by Claudius to Thespia, Nero removed it to Rome once more. And there

it was burnt by fire. But of those who acted thus impiously to the

god Gaius, always giving the same obscene word to a soldier, made him

so angry that at last he killed him for it,[64] and Nero, besides his

dealings to his mother and wedded wives, showed himself an abominable

fellow and one that had no true affinity with Eros. The statue of

Eros in Thespia in our day is by the Athenian Menodorus, who made an

imitation of the statue of Praxiteles. There are also statues in stone

by Praxiteles of Aphrodite and Phryne. And in another part of the town

is a temple of Black Aphrodite, and a theatre and market-place well

worth seeing: there is also a brazen statue of Hesiod. And not far from

the market-place is a brazen Victory, and a small temple of the Muses,

and some small stone statues in it.

There is also a temple of Hercules at Thespia, the priestess is a

perpetual virgin. The reason of this is as follows. They say that

Hercules in one night had connection with all the fifty daughters of

Thestius but one: her he spared and made her his priestess on condition

that she remained a virgin all her life. I have indeed heard another

tradition, that Hercules in the same night had connection with all the

daughters of Thestius, and that they all bare him sons, and the eldest

and youngest twins. But I cannot believe this credible that Hercules

should have been so angry with the daughter of his friend. Besides he

who, while he was among men, punished insolent persons and especially

those who showed impiety to the gods, would not have been likely to

have built a temple and appointed a priestess to himself as if he had

been a god. And indeed this temple seems to me too ancient for Hercules

the son of Amphitryon, and was perhaps erected by the Hercules who was

one of the Idæan Dactyli, temples of whom I have found among the people

of Erythræ in Ionia, and among the people of Tyre. Nor are the Bœotians

ignorant of this Hercules, for they say that the temple of Mycalessian

Demeter was entrusted to Idæan Hercules.

[64] See Sueton. _Calig._ 56, 58. The word was the word for the day

given to soldiers.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Of all the mountains of Greece Helicon is the most fertile and full

of trees planted there: and the purslane bushes afford everywhere

excellent food for goats. And those who live at Helicon say that the

grass and roots on the mountain are by no means injurious to man.

Moreover the pastures make the venom of snakes less potent, so that

those that are bitten here mostly escape with their life, if they meet

with a Libyan of the race of the Psylli, or with some antidote from

some other source. And yet the venom of wild snakes is generally deadly

both to men and animals, and the condition of the pastures contributes

greatly to the strength of the venom, for I have heard from a Phœnician

that in the mountainous part of Phœnicia the roots make the vipers

more formidable. He said also that he had seen a man flee from the

attack of a viper and run to a tree, and the viper followed after and

blew its venom against the tree, and that killed the man. Such was

what he told me. And I also know that the following happens in Arabia

in the case of vipers that live near balsam trees. The balsam tree is

about the same size as a myrtle bush, and its leaves are like those of

the herb marjoram. And the vipers in Arabia more or less lodge under

these balsam trees, for the sap from them is the food most agreeable

to them, and moreover they rejoice in the shade of the trees. Whenever

then the proper season comes for the Arabians to gather the sap of the

balsam tree, they take with them two poles and knock them together and

so frighten off the vipers, for they don’t like to kill them as they

look upon them as sacred. But if anyone happens to be bitten by these

vipers, the wound is similar to that from steel, and there is no fear

of venom: for inasmuch as these vipers feed on the most sweet-scented

ointment, the venom changes its deadly properties for something milder.

Such is the case there.

CHAPTER XXIX.

They say that Ephialtes and Otus first sacrificed to the Muses on

Helicon, and called the mountain sacred to the Muses, and built Ascra,

of which Hegesinous speaks as follows in his poem about Attica.

“By Ascra lay the earth-shaking Poseidon, and she as time rolled on

bare him a son Œoclus, who first built Ascra with the sons of Aloeus,

Ascra at the foot of many-fountained Helicon.”

This poem of Hegesinous I have not read, for it was not extant in my

time, but Callippus the Corinthian in his account of Orchomenus cites

some of the lines to corroborate his account, and similarly I myself

have cited some of them from Callippus. There is a tower at Ascra in

my time, but nothing else remains. And the sons of Aloeus thought the

Muses were three in number, and called them Melete and Mneme and Aoide.

But afterwards they say the Macedonian Pierus, who gave his name to the

mountain in Macedonia, came to Thespia and made 9 Muses, and changed

their names to the ones they now have. And this Pierus did either

because it seemed wiser, or in obedience to an oracle, or so taught

by some Thracian, for the Thracians seem in old times to have been in

other respects more clever than the Macedonians, and not so neglectful

of religion. There are some who say that Pierus had 9 daughters,

and that they had the same names as the Muses, and that those who

were called by the Greeks the sons of the Muses were called the

grandchildren of Pierus. But Mimnermus, in the Elegiac verses which he

composed about the battle of the people of Smyrna against Gyges and the

Lydians, says in his prelude that the older Muses were the daughters of

Uranus, and the younger ones the daughters of Zeus. And at Helicon, on

the left as you go to the grove of the Muses, is the fountain Aganippe.

Aganippe was they say the daughter of Termesus, the river which flows

round Helicon, and, if you go straight for the grove, you will come to

an image of Eupheme carved in stone. She is said to have been the nurse

of the Muses. And next to her is a statue of Linus, on a small rock

carved like a cavern, to whom every year they perform funeral rites

before they sacrifice to the Muses. It is said that Linus was the son

of Urania by Amphiaraus the son of Poseidon, and that he had greater

fame for musical skill than either his contemporaries or predecessors,

and that Apollo slew him because he boasted himself as equal to the

god. And on the death of Linus sorrow for him spread even to foreign

lands, so that even the Egyptians have a Lament called Linus, but in

their own dialect Maneros.[65] And the Greek poets have represented the

sorrows of Linus as a Greek legend, as Homer who in his account of the

shield of Achilles says that Hephæstus among other things represented a

harper boy singing the song of Linus.

“And in the midst a boy on the clear lyre

Harped charmingly, and sang of handsome Linus.”[66]

And Pamphus, who composed the most ancient Hymns for the Athenians, as

the sorrow for Linus grew to such a pitch, called him Œtolinus, (_sad

Linus_). And the Lesbian Sappho, having learnt from Pamphus this name

of Œtolinus, sings of Adonis and Œtolinus together. And the Thebans say

that Linus was buried at Thebes, and that after the fatal defeat of the

Greeks at Chæronea Philip the son of Amyntas, according to a vision he

had in a dream, removed the remains of Linus to Macedonia, and that

afterwards in consequence of another dream he sent them back to Thebes,

but they say that all the coverings of the tomb and other distinctive

marks are obliterated through lapse of time. Another tradition of the

Thebans says that there was another Linus besides this one, called

the son of Ismenius, and that Hercules when quite a boy slew him: he

was Hercules’ music-master. But neither of these Linuses composed any

poems: or if they did they have not come down to posterity.

[65] See Herodotus, ii. 79.

[66] Iliad, xviii. 569, 570.

CHAPTER XXX.

The earliest statues of the Muses here were all by Cephisodotus, and

if you advance a little you will find three of his Muses, and three by

Strongylion who was especially famous as a statuary of cows and horses,

and three by Olympiosthenes. At Helicon are also a brazen Apollo and

Hermes contending about a lyre, and a Dionysus by Lysippus, and an

upright statue of Dionysus, the votive offering of Sulla, by Myro, the

next best work to his Erechtheus at Athens. But Sulla did not offer it

of his own possessions, but took it from the Orchomenian Minyæ. This is

what is called by the Greeks worshipping the deity with other people’s

incense.[67]

Here too they have erected statues of poets and others notable

for music, as blind Thamyris handling a broken lyre, and Arion of

Methymna on the dolphin’s back. But he who made the statue of Sacadas

the Argive, not understanding Pindar’s prelude about him, has made

the piper no bigger in his body than his pipes. There too is Hesiod

sitting with a harp on his knees, not his usual appearance, for it

is plain from his poems that he used to sing with a laurel wand.

As to the period of Hesiod and Homer, though I made most diligent

research, it is not agreeable to me to venture an opinion, as I know

the disputatiousness of people, and not least of those who in my day

have discussed poetical subjects. There is also a statue of Thracian

Orpheus with Telete beside him, and there are round him representations

in stone and brass of the animals listening to his singing. The Greeks

believe many things which are not true, and among others that Orpheus

was the son of the Muse Calliope and not of the daughter of Pierus, and

that animals were led by his melody, and that he went down alive to

Hades to get back his wife Eurydice from the gods of the lower world.

But Orpheus, as it seems to me, really did excel all his predecessors

in the arrangement of his poems, and attained to great influence

as being thought to have invented the mysteries of the gods, and

purifications from unholy deeds, and cures for diseases, and means of

turning away the wrath of the gods. And they say the Thracian women

laid plots against his life, because he persuaded their husbands to

accompany him in his wanderings, but from fear of their husbands did

not carry them out at first: but afterwards when they had primed

themselves with wine carried out the atrocious deed, and since that

time it has been customary for the men to go drunk into battle. But

some say that Orpheus died from being struck with lightning by the

god because he taught men in the mysteries things they had not before

heard of. Others have recorded that, his wife Eurydice having died

before him, he went to Aornus in Thesprotia, to consult an oracle of

the dead about her, and he thought that her soul would follow him,

but losing her because he turned back to look at her he slew himself

from grief. And the Thracians say that the nightingales that build

their nests on the tomb of Orpheus sing pleasanter and louder than

other nightingales. But the Macedonians who inhabit the district of

Pieria, under the mountain and the city Dium, say that Orpheus was

slain there by the women. And as you go from Dium to the mountain and

about 20 stades further is a pillar on the right hand and on the pillar

a stone urn: this urn has the remains of Orpheus as the people of the

district say. The river Helicon flows through this district, after

a course of 75 stades it loses itself in the ground, and 22 stades

further it reappears, when it is called Baphyra instead of Helicon,

becomes a navigable stream, and finally discharges itself into the sea.

The people of Dium say that the river flowed above ground originally

throughout its course, but when the women who slew Orpheus desired to

wash off his blood in it, it went underground that it might not give

them cleansing from their blood-guiltiness. I have also heard another

account at Larissa, that a city on Olympus was once inhabited called

Libethra, where the mountain looks to Macedonia, and that the tomb of

Orpheus is not far from this city, and that there came an oracle to the

people of Libethra from Dionysus in Thrace, that when the Sun should

see the bones of Orpheus their city would be destroyed by _Sus_. But

they paid no great attention to the oracle, thinking no wild animal

would be large or strong enough to destroy their city, while as to the

boar (_Sus_) it had more boldness than power. However when the god

thought fit, then the following happened. A shepherd about mid-day

laid himself down by the tomb of Orpheus and fell asleep, and in his

sleep sang some verses of Orpheus aloud in a sweet voice. Then the

shepherds and husbandmen who were near left their respective work, and

crowded together to hear this shepherd sing in his sleep, and pushing

one another about in striving to get near the shepherd overturned the

pillar, and the urn fell off it and was broken, and the Sun did see the

remains of Orpheus. And on the following night it rained very heavily,

and the river _Sus_, which is one of the mountain streams on Olympus,

swept away the walls of Libethra, and the temples of the gods and the

houses of the inhabitants, and drowned all the human beings in the

place and all the animals. As the Libethrians therefore all perished,

the Macedonians in Dium, according to the account I received from my

host at Larissa, removed the remains of Orpheus to their city. Whoever

has investigated the subject knows that the Hymns of Orpheus are very

short, and do not altogether amount to a great number. The Lycomidæ are

acquainted with them and chant them at the Mysteries. In composition

they are second only to the Hymns of Homer, and are more valued for

their religious spirit.

[67] Compare the Homeric ἀλλοτρίων χαρίσασθαι. Od. xvii. 452. Our

_Robbing Peter to pay Paul_.

CHAPTER XXXI.

There is also at Helicon a statue of Arsinoe, whom Ptolemy married

though he was her brother. A brazen ostrich supports it. Ostriches

have wings like other birds, but from their weight and size their

wings do not enable them to fly. There is also a doe suckling Telephus

the son of Hercules, and a cow, and a statue of Priapus well worth

seeing. Priapus is honoured especially where there are flocks of sheep

or goats, or swarms of bees. And the people of Lampsacus honour him

more than all the gods, and say that he is the son of Dionysus and

Aphrodite.[68]

At Helicon there are also several tripods, the most ancient is the one

they say Hesiod received at Chalcis by the Euripus for a victory in

song. And men live round the grove, and the Thespians hold a festival

there and have games to the Muses, and also to Eros, in which they give

prizes not only for music but to athletes also. And after ascending

from this grove 20 stades you come to Hippocrene, a spring formed they

say by the horse of Bellerophon striking the earth with its hoof. And

the Bœotians that dwell about Helicon have a tradition that Hesiod

wrote nothing but _The Works and Days_, and from this they take away

the address to the Muses, and make the poem commence at the part

about Strife.[69] And they showed me some lead near Hippocrene almost

entirely rotten with age, on which _The Works and Days_ was written. A

very contrary view to this is that Hesiod has written several poems, as

that _On Women_, and _The Great Eœœ_, and _The Theogony_ and _The Poem

on Melampus_, and _The Descent of Theseus and Pirithous to Hades_, and

_The Exhortation of Chiron for the Instruction of Achilles_, and all

_The Works and Days_. The same people tell us also that Hesiod learnt

his divination from the Acarnanians, and there are some verses of his

_On Divination_ which I have read, and a _Narrative of Prodigies_.

There are also different accounts about his death. For though it is

universally agreed that Ctimenus and Antiphus, the sons of Ganyctor,

fled to Molycria from Naupactus because of the murder of Hesiod, and

were sentenced there because of their impiety to Poseidon, yet some say

that the charge against Hesiod of having violated their sister was not

true, others say he was really guilty. Such are the different accounts

about Hesiod and his Works.

On the top of Mount Helicon is a small river called the Lamus. And

in the district of Thespia is a place called Donacon, (_Reed-bed_),

where is the fountain of Narcissus, who they say looked into this

water, and not observing that it was his own shadow which he saw was

secretly enamoured of himself, and died of love near the fountain.

This is altogether silly that any grown person should be so possessed

by love as not to know the difference between a human being and a

shadow. There is another tradition about him, not so well known as the

other, _viz._ that he had a twin-sister, and that the two were almost

facsimiles in appearance and hair and dress, and used to go out hunting

together, and that Narcissus was in love with this sister, and when she

died he used to frequent this fountain and knew that it was his own

shadow which he saw, yet though he knew this it gratified his love to

think that it was not his own shadow but the image of his sister that

he was looking at. But the earth produced I think the flower narcissus

earlier than this, if one may credit the verses of Pamphus: for

though he was much earlier than the Thespian Narcissus, he says that

Proserpine the daughter of Demeter was playing and gathering flowers

when she was carried off, and that she was deceived not by violets but

by narcissuses.[70]

[68] So Tibullus calls Priapus “Bacchi rustica proles,” i. 4. 7.

[69] _viz._, at line 11.

[70] See Homer’s Hymn to Demeter, lines 8-10.

CHAPTER XXXII.

The inhabitants of Creusis, a haven of the Thespians, have no public

monuments, but in the house of a private individual is a statue of

Dionysus made of plaster and adorned by a painting. The sea-voyage from

the Peloponnese to Creusis is circuitous and rough, the promontories so

jut out into the sea that one cannot sail straight across, and at the

same time strong winds blow down from the mountains.

And as you sail from Creusis, not well out to sea but coasting along

Bœotia, you will see on the right the city Thisbe. First there is

a mountain near the sea, and when you have passed that there is a

plain and then another mountain, and at the bottom of this mountain

is Thisbe. And there is a temple of Hercules and stone statue there

in a standing posture, and they keep a festival to him. And nothing

would prevent the plain between the mountains being a lake, (so much

water is there), but that they have a strong embankment in the middle

of the plain, and annually divert the water beyond the embankment and

cultivate the dry parts of the plain. And Thisbe, from whom the city

got its name, was they say a local Nymph.

As you sail on thence you will come to a small town called Tipha near

the sea. There is a temple of Hercules there, and they have a festival

to him annually. The inhabitants say that from of old they were the

most clever mariners of all the Bœotians, and they record that Tiphys,

who was chosen the pilot of the Argo, was a townsman of theirs: they

also shew a place before their town where they say the Argo was moored

on its return from Colchi.

As you go inland from Thespia towards the mainland you will arrive at

Haliartus. But I must not separate the founder of Haliartus and Coronea

from my account of Orchomenus. On the invasion of the Medes, as the

people of Haliartus espoused the side of the Greeks, part of the army

of Xerxes set out to burn the town and district. At Haliartus is the

tomb of Lysander the Lacedæmonian, for when he attacked the city, the

forces from Thebes and Athens inside the city sallied forth, and in the

battle that ensued he fell. In some respects one may praise Lysander

very much, in others one must bitterly censure him. He exhibited

great sagacity when he was in command of the Peloponnesian fleet.

Watching when Alcibiades was absent from the fleet, he enticed his

pilot Antiochus to think he could cope with the Lacedæmonian fleet,

and when he sailed out against them boldly and confidently, defeated

him not far from the city of the Colophonians. And when Lysander

joined the fleet from Sparta the second time, he so conciliated Cyrus,

that whatever money he asked for the fleet Cyrus gave him freely at

once. And when 100 Athenian ships were anchored at Ægos-potamoi he

captured them, watching when the crews had gone on shore for fresh

water and provisions. He also exhibited his justice in the following

circumstance. Autolycus the pancratiast (whose effigy I have seen in

the Pyrtaneum at Athens) had a dispute with Eteonicus a Spartan about

some property. And when Eteonicus was convicted of pleading unfairly,

(it was when the Thirty Tyrants were in power at Athens, and Lysander

was present), he was moved to strike Autolycus, and when he struck back

he brought him to Lysander, expecting that he would decide the affair

in his favour. But Lysander condemned Eteonicus of injustice, and sent

him away with reproaches. This was creditable to Lysander, but the

following were discreditable. He put to death Philocles, the Athenian

Admiral at Ægos-potamoi, and 4000 Athenian captives, and would not

allow them burial, though the Athenians granted burial to the Medes at

Marathon, and King Xerxes to the Lacedæmonians that fell at Thermopylæ.

And Lysander brought still greater disgrace upon the Lacedæmonians by

establishing Decemvirates in the cities besides the Laconian Harmosts.

And when the Lacedæmonians did not think of making money because of

the oracle, which said that love of money alone would ruin Sparta, he

inspired in them a strong desire for money. I therefore, following the

opinion of the Persians and judging according to their law, think that

Lysander did more harm than good to the Lacedæmonians.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

At Haliartus is Lysander’s tomb, and a hero-chapel to Cecrops the son

of Pandion. And the mountain Tilphusium and the fountain Tilphusa are

about 50 stades from Haliartus. It is a tradition of the Greeks that

the Argives, who in conjunction with the sons of Polynices captured

Thebes, were taking Tiresias and the spoil to Apollo at Delphi, when

Tiresias who was thirsty drank of the fountain Tilphusa and gave up

the ghost, and was buried on the spot. They say also that Manto the

daughter of Tiresias was offered to Apollo by the Argives, but that, in

consequence of the orders of the god, she sailed to what is now Ionia,

and to that part of it called Colophonia. And there she married the

Cretan Rhacius. All the other legends about Tiresias, as the number of

years which he is recorded to have lived, and how he was changed from a

woman into a man, and how Homer in his Odyssey has represented him as

the only person of understanding in Hades,[71] all this everyone has

heard and knows. Near Haliartus too there is in the open air a temple

of the goddesses that they call Praxidicæ. In this temple they swear

no hasty oaths. This temple is near the mountain Tilphusium. There are

also temples at Haliartus, with no statues in them for there is no

roof: to whom they were erected I could not ascertain.

The river Lophis flows through the district of Haliartus. The tradition

is that the ground was dry there originally and had no water in it, and

that one of the rulers went to Delphi to inquire of the god how they

might obtain water in the district: and the Pythian Priestess enjoined

him to slay the first person he should meet on his return: and it was

his son Lophis who met him on his return, and without delay he ran

his sword through him, and Lophis yet alive ran round and round, and

wherever his blood flowed the water gushed up, and it was called Lophis

after him.

The village Alalcomenæ is not large, and lies at the foot of a mountain

not very high. It got its name from Alalcomeneus an Autochthon who they

say reared Athene: others say from Alalcomenia one of the daughters

of Ogygus. Some distance from the village in the plain is a temple

of Athene, and there was an old ivory statue of the goddess, which

was taken away by Sulla, who was also very cruel to the Athenians,

and whose manners were very unlike those of the Romans, and who acted

similarly to the Thebans and Orchomenians. He, after his furious onsets

against the Greek cities and the gods of the Greeks, was himself seized

by the most unpleasant of all diseases, for he was covered with lice,

and this was the end of all his glory. And the temple of Athene at

Alalcomenæ was neglected after the statue of the goddess was removed.

Another circumstance in my time tended to the breaking up of the

temple: some ivy, which had got a firm hold on the building, loosened

and detached the stones from their positions. The river that flows here

is a small torrent, they call it Triton because they say Athene was

brought up near the river Triton, as if it were this Triton, and not

the Triton in Libya which has its outlet from the Lake Tritonis into

the Libyan sea.

[71] Odyssey, x. 492-495.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Before you get to Coronea from Alalcomenæ, you will come to the temple

of Itonian Athene, called so from Itonus the son of Amphictyon. Here

the Bœotians hold their general meeting. In this temple are brazen

statues of Itonian Athene and Zeus, designed by Agoracritus, a pupil

and lover of Phidias. They also erected in my time some statues of the

Graces. The following tradition is told that Iodama the priestess of

Athene went to the temple by night, and Athene appeared to her with the

head of the Gorgon Medusa on her tunic, and Iodama when she saw it was

turned into stone. In consequence of this a woman puts fire every day

on the altar of Iodama, and calls out thrice in the Bœotian dialect,

“Iodama is alive and asks for fire.”

Coronea is remarkable for its altar of Hermes Epimelius in the

market-place, and its altar of the Winds. And a little lower down is

a temple and ancient statue of Hera by Pythodorus the Theban. She has

some Sirens in her hand. For they say that they, the daughters of

Achelous, were persuaded by Hera to vie with the Muses in singing, and

that the Muses being victorious plucked off their wings and made crowns

of them. About 40 stades from Coronea is the mountain Libethrium,

where are statues of the Muses and Nymphs called Libethrides, and two

fountains (one called Libethrias, and the other Petra) like women’s

breasts, and water like milk comes up from them.

It is about 20 stades from Coronea to the mountain Laphystium, and to

the sacred enclosure of Laphystian Zeus. There is a stone statue of the

god here: and this is the spot they say where, when Athamas was going

to sacrifice Phrixus and Helle, a ram with golden wool was sent them

by Zeus, on whose back the children escaped. A little higher up is a

statue of Hercules Charops, the Bœotians say Hercules came up here from

the lower world with Cerberus. And as you descend from Laphystium to

the temple of Itonian Athene is the river Phalarus, which discharges

itself into the lake Cephisis.

Beyond the mountain Laphystium is Orchomenus, as famous and renowned

as any Greek city, which, after having risen to the very acme of

prosperity, was destined to come to a similar end as Mycenæ and Delos.

This is what they record of its ancient history. They say Andreus first

dwelt here, the son of the river Peneus, and the country was called

Andreis after him. And when Athamas came to him, he distributed to him

his land in the neighbourhood of the mountain Laphystium, and what

are now called Coronea and Haliartia. And Athamas thinking he had no

male children left, (for he had laid violent hands on Learchus and

Melicerta, and Leucon had died of some illness, and as to Phrixus he

did not know whether he was alive or had left any descendant), adopted

accordingly Haliartus and Coronus, the sons of Thersander, the son

of Sisyphus, who was brother of Athamas. But afterwards when Phrixus

returned from Colchi according to some, according to others Presbon,

Phrixus’ son by the daughter of Æetes, then the sons of Thersander

conceded the kingdom of Athamas to him and his posterity, so they

dwelt at Haliartus and Coronea which Athamas had given to them. And

before this Andreus had married Euippe the daughter of Leucon at the

instigation of Athamas, and had by her a son Eteocles, who according

to the poets was the son of the river Cephisus, so that some of them

called him Cephisiades in their poems. When Eteocles became king he

allowed the country to keep its name Andreis, but established two

tribes, one of which he called Cephisias, and the other from his own

name Eteoclea. When Almus the son of Sisyphus came to him, he granted

him a small village to dwell in, which got called after him Almones,

but eventually got changed to Olmones.

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Bœotians say that Eteocles was the first who sacrificed to the

Graces. And they are sure that he established the worship of three

Graces, though they do not remember the names he gave them. For the

Lacedæmonians say that only two Graces were appointed by Lacedæmon

the son of Taygete, and that their names were Cleta and Phaenna.

These names suit the Graces, and they have suitable names also among

the Athenians, for the Athenians honour of old the Graces Auxo and

Hegemone. As to Carpo it is not the name of a Grace but a Season.

And another Season the Athenians honour equally with Pandrosus, the

Goddess they call Thallo. But having learnt so to do from Eteocles of

Orchomenus we are accustomed now to pray to three Graces: and Angelion

and Tectæus who made a statue of Apollo at Delos have placed three

Graces in his hand; and at Athens at the entrance to the Acropolis

there are also three Graces, and near them they celebrate the mysteries

which are kept secret from the multitude. Pamphus is the first we know

of that sang the praises of the Graces, but he has neither mentioned

their number nor their names. And Homer, who has also mentioned the

Graces, says that one of them whom he calls Charis was the wife of

Hephæstus.[72] And he says that Sleep was the lover of the Grace

Pasithea. For in his account of Sleep he has written the lines,

“That he would give me one of the younger Graces,

Pasithea, whom I long for day and night.”[73]

Hence has arisen the idea that Homer knew of other older Graces. And

Hesiod in the Theogony (if indeed Hesiod wrote the Theogony) says that

these Graces are the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, and that their

names are Euphrosyne and Aglaia and Thalia. Onomacritus gives the same

account of them in his verses. But Antimachus neither gives the number

of the Graces nor their names, but says they were the daughters of

Ægle and the Sun. And Hermesianax in his Elegies has written something

rather different from the opinion of those before him, _viz._ that

Peitho was one of the Graces. But whoever first represented the Graces

naked (whether in a statue or painting) I could not ascertain, for

in more ancient times the statuaries and painters represented them

dressed, as at Smyrna in the temple of the Nemeses, where above the

other statues are some golden Graces by Bupalus. In the Odeum also is

a figure of a Grace painted by Apelles. The people of Pergamus have

also, in the bed-chamber of Attalus, the Graces by Bupalus. And in

what is called the Pythium there are Graces painted by the Parian

Pythagoras. And Socrates the son of Sophroniscus at the entrance to

the Acropolis made statues of the Graces for the Athenians. And all

these are draped: but artists afterwards, I know not why, changed this

presentation of them: and in my day both sculptured them and painted

them as naked.

[72] Iliad, xviii. 382, 383.

[73] Iliad, xiv. 275, 276.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

On the death of Eteocles the succession devolved upon the posterity of

Almus. Almus had two daughters Chrysogenia and Chryse: and the story

goes that Chryse had a son by Ares called Phlegyas, who succeeded

to the kingdom when Eteocles died without any male progeny. So they

changed the name of the whole country from Andreis to Phlegyantis, and

to the city Andreis, which was very early inhabited, the king gave his

own name Phlegyas, and gathered into it the most warlike of the Greeks.

And the people of Phlegyas in their folly and audacity stood aloof as

time went on from the other Orchomenians, and attracted to themselves

the neighbouring people: and eventually led an army against Delphi to

plunder the temple, and when Philammon with some picked Argives came

against them he and they were slain in the battle that ensued. That the

people of Phlegyas more than the other Greeks delighted in war is shewn

by the lines in the Iliad about Ares and Panic the son of Ares,

“They two armed themselves for battle with the Ephyri and the warriors

of Phlegyas.”[74]

By the Ephyri here Homer means I think those of Thesprotia in Epirus.

But the inhabitants of Phlegyas were entirely overthrown by frequent

lightning and violent earthquakes: and the residue were carried off by

an epidemic, all but a few who escaped to Phocis.

And as Phlegyas died childless, Chryses the son of Chrysogenia (the

daughter of Almus) by Poseidon succeeded him. And he had a son Minyas,

from whom his subjects the Minyæ took the name they still keep. So

great were his revenues that he excelled all his predecessors in

wealth, and he was the first we know of that built a Treasury for the

reception of his money. The Greeks are it seems more apt to admire

things out of their own country than things in it, since several of

their notable historians have described in great detail the Pyramids

of Egypt, but have not mentioned at all the Treasury of Minyas and the

walls at Tiryns, though they are no less remarkable. The son of Minyas

was Orchomenus, and in his reign the town was called Orchomenus and

its inhabitants Orchomenians: but none the less they also continued to

be called Minyæ to distinguish them from the Orchomenians in Arcadia.

It was during the reign of this Orchomenus that Hyettus came from

Argos, fleeing after his slaying Molurus (the son of Arisbas) whom he

had caught with his wife, and Orchomenus gave him all the land now

round the village of Hyettus and the neighbouring district. Hyettus is

mentioned by the author of the Poem which the Greeks call the Great EϾ.

“Hyettus having slain Molurus (the dear son of Arisbas) in the

chamber of his wedded wife, left his house and fled from Argos

fertile-in-horses, and went to the court of Orchomenus of Minyæ, and

the hero received him, and gave him part of his possessions in a noble

spirit.”

This Hyettus seems clearly the first that took vengeance on adultery.

And in after times Draco the Athenian legislator in the beginning of

his laws assigned a severe penalty for adultery, though he condoned

some offences. And the fame of the Minyæ reached such a height,

that Neleus, the son of Cretheus, who was king at Pylos married the

Orchomenian Chloris the daughter of Amphion the son of Iasius.

[74] Iliad, xiii. 301, 302. The reading in the former line is however a

little different.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

But the posterity of Almus was fated to come to an end, for Orchomenus

had no child, and so the kingdom devolved upon Clymenus, the son

of Presbon, the son of Phrixus. And Erginus was the eldest son of

Clymenus, and next came Stratius and Arrho and Pyleus, and the youngest

Azeus. Clymenus was slain by some Thebans at the festival of Onchestian

Poseidon, who were inflamed to anger about some trifling matter, and

was succeeded by his eldest son Erginus. And forthwith he and his

brothers collected an army and marched against Thebes, and defeated

the Thebans in an engagement, and from that time the Thebans agreed to

pay a yearly tax for the murder of Clymenus. But when Hercules grew up

at Thebes, then the Thebans had this tax remitted, and the Minyæ met

with great reverses in the war. And Erginus seeing that the citizens

were reduced to extremities made peace with Hercules, and seeking to

regain his former wealth and prosperity neglected everything else

altogether, and continued unmarried and childless till old age stole

on him unawares. But when he had amassed much money then he desired

posterity, and he went to Delphi and consulted the oracle and the

Pythian Priestess gave him the following response,

“Erginus grandson of Presbon and son of Clymenus, you come rather late

to inquire after offspring, but lose no time in putting a new top on

the old plough.”

So he married a young wife according to the oracle, and became father

of Trophonius and Agamedes. Trophonius is said indeed to have been the

son of Apollo and not of Erginus, as I myself believe, and so will

everyone who consults the oracle of Trophonius. When they grew up

they say these sons of Erginus became skilful in building temples for

the gods and palaces for men: for they built the temple of Apollo at

Delphi, and the treasury for Hyrieus. In this last they contrived one

stone so that they could remove it as they liked from outside, and

they were ever filching from the treasures: and Hyrieus was astonished

when he saw keys and seals untampered with, and yet his wealth ever

diminishing. So he laid traps near the coffers in which his silver

and gold were, so that whoever entered and touched the money would be

caught. And as Agamedes entered he was trapped, and Trophonius cut off

his brother’s head, that when daylight came he might not if detected

inform against him too as privy to the robbery. Thereupon the earth

gaped and swallowed up Trophonius in the grove of Lebadea, where is a

cavity called after Agamedes, and a pillar erected near it. And the

rulers over the Orchomenians were Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, who were

reputed to be the sons of Ares by Astyoche, (the daughter of Azeus the

son of Clymenus), and who led the Minyæ to Troy.[75] The Orchomenians

also went on the expedition to Ionia with the sons of Codrus, and

after being driven from their country by the Thebans were restored to

Orchomenus by Philip the son of Amyntas. But the deity seemed ever to

reduce their power more and more.

[75] See Iliad, ii. 511-516.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

At Orchomenus there is a temple of Dionysus, and a very ancient one of

the Graces. They worship especially some meteoric stones which they

say fell from heaven upon Eteocles, and some handsome stone statues

were offered in my time. They have also a well well worth seeing, which

they go down to to draw water. And the treasury of Minyas, a marvel

inferior to nothing in Greece or elsewhere, is constructed as follows.

It is a circular building made of stone with a top not very pointed:

the highest stone they say holds together the whole building. There

are also there the tombs of Minyas and Hesiod: they say Hesiod’s bones

were got in the following way. When a pestilence once destroyed men and

cattle they sent messengers to Delphi, and the Pythian Priestess bade

them bring the bones of Hesiod from Naupactus to Orchomenus, and that

would be a remedy. They then inquired again in what part of Naupactus

they would find those bones, and the Pythian Priestess told them that

a crow would show them. As they proceeded on their journey they saw a

stone not far from the road and a crow sitting on it, and they found

the bones of Hesiod in the hollow of the stone, and these elegiac

verses were inscribed upon it,

“The fertile Ascra was his fatherland, but after his death the land of

the horse-taming Minyæ got Hesiod’s remains, whose fame is greatest in

Greece among men judged by the test of wisdom.”

As to Actæon there is a tradition at Orchomenus, that a spectre which

sat on a stone injured their land. And when they consulted the oracle

at Delphi, the god bade them bury in the ground whatever remains they

could find of Actæon: he also bade them to make a brazen copy of the

spectre and fasten it with iron to the stone. This I have myself seen,

and they annually offer funeral rites to Actæon.

About 7 stades from Orchomenus is a temple and small statue of

Hercules. Here is the source of the river Melas, which has its outlet

into the lake Cephisis. The lake covers a large part of the Orchomenian

district, and in winter time, when the South Wind generally prevails,

the water spreads over most of the country. The Thebans say that the

river Cephisus was diverted by Hercules into the Orchomenian plain,

and that it had its outlet to the sea under the mountain till Hercules

dammed that passage up. Homer indeed knows of the lake Cephisis, but

not as made by Hercules, and speaks of it in the line

“Overhanging the lake Cephisis.”[76]

But it is improbable that the Orchomenians did not discover that

passage, and give to the Cephisus its old outlet by undoing the work

of Hercules, for they were not without money even as far back as

the Trojan War. Homer bears me out in the answer of Achilles to the

messengers of Agamemnon,

“Not all the wealth that to Orchomenus comes,”[77]

plainly therefore at that period much wealth came to Orchomenus.

They say Aspledon lost its inhabitants from deficiency of water, and

that it got its name from Aspledon, the son of Poseidon by the Nymph

Midea. This account is confirmed by the verses which Chersias the

Orchomenian wrote,

“Aspledon was the son of Poseidon and illustrious Midea and born in

the large city.”

None of the verses of Chersias are now extant, but Callippus has cited

these in his speech about the Orchomenians. The Orchomenians also say

that the epitaph on Hesiod was composed by this Chersias.

[76] Iliad, v. 709.

[77] Iliad, ix. 381.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

In the mountainous parts the Phocians are nearest to the Orchomenians,

but in the plain Lebadea is nearest. Lebadea was originally built on

high ground, and called Midea from the mother of Aspledon, but when

Lebadus came from Athens and settled here the inhabitants descended to

the plain, and the town was called Lebadea after him. Who the father

of Lebadus was, and why he came there, they do not know, they only

know that his wife’s name was Laonice. The town is adorned in every

respect like the most famous Greek towns. The grove of Trophonius is

at some distance from it. They say that Hercyna was playing there with

Proserpine the daughter of Demeter, and unwittingly let a goose drop

out of her hands, which flew into a hollow cave and hid under a stone,

till Proserpine entered the cave and took it from under the stone: and

water they say burst forth where Proserpine took up the stone, and

the river was called for that reason Hercyna. And on the banks of the

river is a temple of Hercyna, and in it the effigy of a maiden with

a goose in her hands: and in the cave are the sources of the river,

and some statues in a standing posture, and there are some dragons

twined round their sceptres. One might conjecture that the statues

are Æsculapius and Hygiea, or they may be Trophonius and Hercyna,

for dragons are quite as sacred to Trophonius as to Æsculapius. And

near the river is the tomb of Arcesilaus: they say Leitus brought his

remains home from Troy. And the most notable things in the grove are a

temple of Trophonius, and statue like Æsculapius. It is by Praxiteles.

There is also a temple of Demeter called Europa, and in the open air

a statue of Zeus Hyetius. And as you ascend to the oracle, and pass

on in front of the mountain, is Proserpine’s Chase, and a temple of

Zeus the King. This temple either owing to its size or continual wars

is left unfinished; and in another temple are statues of Cronos and

Hera and Zeus. There is also a temple of Apollo. As to the oracle the

following is the process. When any one desires to descend to the cave

of Trophonius, he must first take up his residence for certain days in

the temple of the Good Deity and Good Fortune. While he stays here he

purifies himself in all other respects, and abstains from warm baths,

and bathes in the river Hercyna, and has plenty of animal food from

the various victims: for he must sacrifice to Trophonius and the sons

of Trophonius, and also to Apollo and Cronos, and to Zeus the King,

and to Hera the Chariot-driver, and to Demeter whom they call Europa,

and who they say was the nurse of Trophonius. And at each of the

sacrifices the seer comes forward and inspects the victim’s entrails,

and having done so declares whether or not Trophonius will receive with

favour the person who consults his oracle. The entrails of the other

victims however do not show the mind of Trophonius so much as those of

the ram, which each person who descends into his cave sacrifices on

the night he descends in a ditch, invoking Agamedes. And though the

former sacrifices have seemed propitious they take no account of them,

unless the entrails of this ram are favourable too, but if these are

so, then each person descends with good hope. This is the process.

The first thing they do is to bring the person who wishes to consult

the oracle by night to the river Hercyna, and to anoint him with oil,

and two citizen lads of the age of 13 whom they call Hermæ wash him,

and minister to him in all other respects. The priests do not after

that lead him immediately to the oracle, but to the sources of the

river which are very near each other. And here he must drink of the

water called Lethe, that he may forget all his former thoughts, and

afterwards he must drink of the water of Memory, and then he remembers

what he will see on his descent. And when he has beheld the statue

which they say was made by Dædalus, and which is never shown by the

priests to any but those who are going to descend to Trophonius, after

worship and prayer he goes to the oracle, clad in a linen tunic bound

with fillets, and having on his feet the shoes of the country. And the

oracle is above the grove on the mountain. And there is round it a

circular wall of stone, the circumference of which is very small, and

height rather less than two cubits. And there are some brazen pillars

and girders that connect them, and through them are doors. And inside

is a cavity in the earth, not natural, but artificial, and built with

great skill. And the shape of this cavity resembles that of an oven:

the breadth of which (measured diametrically) may be considered to be

about 4 cubits, and the depth not more than 8 cubits. There are no

steps to the bottom: but when any one descends to Trophonius, they

furnish him with a narrow and light ladder. On the descent between top

and bottom is an opening two spans broad and one high. He that descends

lies flat at the bottom of the cavity, and, having in his hands cakes

kneaded with honey, introduces into the opening first his feet and then

his knees: and then all his body is sucked in, like a rapid and large

river swallows up anyone who is sucked into its vortex. And when within

the sanctuary the future is not communicated always in the same way,

but some obtain knowledge of the future by their eyes, others by their

ears. And they return by the place where they entered feet foremost.

And they say none who descended ever died, except one of Demetrius’

body-guard, who would perform none of the accustomed routine, and who

descended not to consult the oracle, but in the hope of abstracting

some of the gold and silver from the sanctuary. They also say that his

corpse was not ejected by the usual outlet. There are indeed several

other traditions about him: I mention only the most remarkable. And on

emerging from the cavity of Trophonius, the priests take and seat the

person who has consulted the oracle on the Seat of Memory, not far from

the sanctuary, and when he is seated there they ask him what he has

seen or heard, and, when they have been informed, they hand him over

to the fit persons, who bring him back to the temple of Good Fortune

and the Good Deity, still in a state of terror and hardly knowing where

he is. Afterwards however he will think no more of it, and even laugh.

I write no mere hearsay, but from what I have seen happen to others,

and having myself consulted the oracle of Trophonius. And all on their

return from the oracle of Trophonius must write down on a tablet what

they have seen or heard. There is also still there the shield of

Aristomenes: the particulars about which I have already narrated.

CHAPTER XL.

The Bœotians became acquainted with this oracle in the following way,

knowing nothing of it before. As there had been no rain on one occasion

for two years, they sent messengers from every city to consult the

oracle at Delphi. The Pythian Priestess returned these messengers

answer that they must go to Trophonius at Lebadea, and obtain from

him a cure for this drought. But when they went to Lebadea they could

not find the oracle, when one Saon from Acræphnium, the oldest of the

messengers, saw a swarm of bees, and determined to follow them wherever

they went. He very soon saw that these bees went into the ground here,

and so he discovered the oracle. This Saon they say was also instructed

by Trophonius in all the ritual and routine of the oracle.

Of the works of Dædalus there are these two in Bœotia, the Hercules

at Thebes, and the Trophonius at Lebadea, and there are two wooden

statues in Crete, the Britomartis at Olus, and the Athene at Gnossus:

and with the Cretans also is the dancing-ground of Ariadne, mentioned

by Homer in the Iliad,[78] represented in white stone. And at Delos

there is also a wooden statue of Aphrodite not very large, injured in

the right hand from lapse of time, and instead of feet ending in a

square shape. I believe Ariadne received this from Dædalus, and when

she accompanied Theseus took the statue off with her. And the Delians

say that Theseus, when he was deprived of Ariadne by Dionysus, gave

Apollo at Delos this statue of the goddess, that he might not by taking

it home be constantly reminded of his lost love, Ariadne, and so ever

find the old wound bleed anew. Except these I know of none of the works

of Dædalus still extant: for time has effaced those works of his which

were offered by the Argives in the temple of Hera, as also those that

were brought to Gela in Sicily from Omphace.

Next to Lebadea comes Chæronea, which was in ancient times called Arne;

they say Arne was the daughter of Æolus, and another town in Thessaly

was also called after her, and it got its name Chæronea from Chæron,

who they say was the son of Apollo by Thero the daughter of Phylas. The

author of the Great EϾ confirms me in this, in the following lines.

“Phylas married Lipephile the daughter of the famous Iolaus, who

resembled in appearance the goddesses of Olympus. She bare Hippotes in

her bower, and lovely Thero bright as the stars, who falling into the

arms of Apollo bare mighty Chæron tamer of horses.”

I think Homer knew the names Chæronea and Lebadea, but preferred to

call those towns by their ancient names, as he calls the Nile[79] by

the name Ægyptus.

There are two trophies erected at Chæronea by Sulla and the Romans,

for the victories over Taxilus and the army of Mithridates. Philip

the son of Amyntas erected no trophy either here or elsewhere for

victories whether over Greeks or barbarians, for it was not the

custom of the Macedonians to erect trophies. They have a tradition

that the Macedonian King Caranus defeated in battle Cisseus who was a

neighbouring king, and erected a trophy for his victory in imitation

of the Argives, and they say a lion came from Olympus and overturned

the trophy. Then Caranus was conscious that he had not acted wisely

in erecting a trophy, which had only a tendency to bring about an

irreconcilable enmity with his neighbours, and that neither he nor

any of his successors in the kingdom of Macedonia ought to erect

trophies after victories, if they wished to earn the goodwill of their

neighbours. I am confirmed in what I say by the fact that Alexander

erected no trophies either over Darius or for his Indian victories.

As you approach Chæronea is a common sepulchre of the Thebans that fell

in the battle against Philip. There is no inscription over them but

there is a device of a lion, which may indicate their bravery. I think

there is no inscription because, owing to the deity, their courage was

followed by no adequate success. Of all their objects of worship the

people of Chæronea venerate most the sceptre which Homer says Hephæstus

made for Zeus, which Hermes received from Zeus and gave to Pelops, and

Pelops left to Atreus, and Atreus to Thyestes, from whom Agamemnon had

it.[80] This sceptre they worship and call _the spear_. And that it

has some divine properties is shown not least by the brightness that

emanates from it. They say it was found on the borders of the Panopeans

in Phocis, and that the Phocians found gold with it; but preferred

this sceptre to the gold. I think it was taken to Phocis by Electra

the daughter of Agamemnon. It has no public temple erected for it, but

every year the priest puts it in a certain building, and there are

sacrifices to it daily, and a table is spread for it furnished with all

kinds of meats and pastry.

[78] Iliad, xviii. 590 _sq._

[79] _e.g._ Odyssey, iv. 581, xiv. 257.

[80] Iliad, ii. 100-108. Lest anybody should be surprised at a sceptre

being called _a spear_ let him remember the following words of Justin,

xliii. 5. “Per ea adhuc tempora reges hastas pro diademate

habebant, quas Græci sceptra dixere. Nam et ab origine rerum pro diis

immortalibus veteres hastas coluere, ob cujus religionis memoriam adhuc

deorum simulacris hastæ adduntur.”

CHAPTER XLI.

Of all the works indeed of Hephæstus, that poets sing of and that have

been famous among men, there is none but this sceptre of Agamemnon

certainly his. The Lycians indeed show at Patara in the temple of

Apollo a brazen bowl (which they say was by Hephæstus), the votive

offering of Telephus, but they are probably ignorant that the Samians

Theodorus and Rhœcus were the first brass-founders. And the Achæans

of Patræ say that the chest which Eurypylus brought from Troy was made

by Hephæstus, but they do not allow it to be seen. In Cyprus is the

city Amathus, where is an ancient temple of Adonis and Aphrodite, and

here they say is the necklace which was originally given to Harmonia,

but is called the necklace of Eriphyle, because she received it as a

gift from her husband, and the sons of Phegeus dedicated it at Delphi.

How they got it I have already related in my account of Arcadia. But

it was carried off by the Phocian tyrants. I do not however think that

the necklace in the temple of Adonis at Amathus is Eriphyle’s, for that

is emeralds set in gold, but the necklace given to Eriphyle is said by

Homer in the Odyssey to have been entirely gold, as in the line,

“Who sold for gold her husband dear.”[81]

And Homer knew very well that there are different kinds of necklaces,

for in the conversation between Eumæus and Odysseus, before Telemachus

returned from Pylos and visited the swineherd’s cottage, are the

following lines,

“Came to my father’s house a knowing man,

With golden necklace, which was set in amber.”[82]

And among the gifts which Penelope received from the suitors he has

represented Eurymachus giving her a necklace.

“Eurymachus brought her a splendid necklace,

Golden and set in amber, like a sun.”[83]

But he does not speak of Eriphyle’s necklace as adorned with gold and

precious stones. So it is probable that this sceptre is the only work

of Hephæstus still extant.

Above Chæronea is a crag called Petrachos. They say that it was here

that Cronos was deceived by Rhea with a stone instead of Zeus, and

there is a small statue of Zeus on the summit of the mountain. At

Chæronea they make unguents by boiling down together lilies and roses

narcissuses and irises. These unguents relieve pain. Indeed if you

anoint wooden statues with unguent made from roses, it preserves them

from rottenness. The iris grows in marshy, places, and is in size about

as big as the lily, but is not white, and not so strong-scented as the

lily.

[81] Odyssey, xi. 327.

[82] Odyssey, xv. 459, 460.

[83] Odyssey, xviii. 295, 296.

BOOK X.--PHOCIS.

CHAPTER I.

That part of Phocis which is in the neighbourhood of Tithorea and

Delphi took its name in very ancient times from the Corinthian Phocus,

the son of Ornytion. But not many years afterwards all the country now

called Phocis got that name, after the Æginetans and Phocus the son

of Æacus crossed over there in their ships. Phocis is opposite the

Peloponnese and near Bœotia and on the sea, and has ports at Cirrha

(near Delphi) and Anticyra: the Epicnemidian Locrians prevent their

being on the sea at the Lamiac Gulf, for they dwell in that part of

Phocis, as the Scarpheans north of Elatea, and north of Hyampolis and

Abæ the people of Opus, whose harbour is Cynus.