by Pausanias
[19.3] They say that Tartessus is a river in the land of the Iberians, running down into the sea by two mouths, and that between these two mouths lies a city of the same name. The river, which is the largest in Iberia, and tidal, those of a later day called Baetis, and there are some who think that Tartessus was the ancient name of Carpia, a city of the Iberians.
[4] ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ δὲ ἐπιγράμματα ἐπὶ τῷ ἐλάσσονί ἐστι τῶν θαλάμων, ἐς μὲν τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸν σταθμόν, ὅτι πεντακόσια εἴη τάλαντα, ἐς δὲ τοὺς ἀναθέντας, Μύρωνα εἶναι καὶ τὸν Σικυωνίων δῆμον. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ θησαυρῷ δίσκοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀνάκεινται τρεῖς, ὅσους ἐς τοῦ πεντάθλου τὸ ἀγώνισμα ἐσκομίζουσι: καὶ ἀσπίς ἐστιν ἐπίχαλκος γραφῇ τὰ ἐντὸς πεποικιλμένη καὶ κράνος τε καὶ κνημῖδες ὁμοῦ τῇ ἀσπίδι: ἐπίγραμμα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἀκροθίνιον τῷ Διὶ ὑπὸ Μυάνων ἀνατεθῆναι. οἵτινες δὲ οὗτοι ἦσαν, οὐ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ παρίστατο ἅπασιν εἰκάζειν:
[19.4] On the smaller of the chambers at Olympia are inscriptions, which inform us that the weight of the bronze is five hundred talents, and that the dedicators were Myron and the Sicyonian people. In this chamber are kept three quoits, being used for the contest of the pentathlum. There is also a bronze-plated shield, adorned with paintings on the inner side, and along with the shield are a helmet and greaves. An inscription on the armour says that they were dedicated by the Myanians as first-fruits to Zeus. Various conjectures have been made as to who these Myanians were.
[5] ἐμὲ δὲ ἐσῆλθεν ἀνάμνησις ὡς Θουκυδίδης ποιήσειεν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις Λοκρῶν τῶν πρὸς τῇ Φωκίδι καὶ ἄλλας πόλεις, ἐν δὲ αὐταῖς εἶναι καὶ Μυονέας. οἱ Μυᾶνες οὖν οἱ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσπίδι κατά γε ἡμετέραν γνώμην ἄνθρωποι μέν εἰσιν οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ Μυονεῖς οἱ ἐν τῇ Λοκρίδι ἠπείρῳ: τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσπίδι γράμματα παρῆκται μὲν ἐπὶ βραχύ, πέπονθε δὲ αὐτὸ διὰ τοῦ ἀναθήματος τὸ ἀρχαῖον.
[19.5] I happened to remember that Thucydides in his history mentions various cities of the Locrians near Phocis, and among them the Myonians. So the Myanians on the shield are in my opinion the same folk as the Myonians on the Locrian mainland. The letters on the shield are a little distorted, a fault due to the antiquity of the votive offering.
[6] κεῖνται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἐνταῦθα ἄξια ἐπιμνησθῆναι, μάχαιρα ἡ Πέλοπος χρυσοῦ τὴν λαβὴν πεποιημένη, καὶ εἰργασμένον ἐλέφαντος κέρας τὸ Ἀμαλθείας, ἀνάθημα Μιλτιάδου τοῦ Κίμωνος, ὃς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν ἐν χερρονήσῳ τῇ Θρᾳκίᾳ πρῶτος τῆς οἰκίας ταύτης: καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπὶ τῷ κέρατί ἐστιν ἀρχαίοις Ἀττικοῖς γράμμασι, “Ζηνί μ᾽ ἄγαλμ᾽ ἀνέθηκαν Ὀλυμπίῳ ἐκ χερονήσου
τεῖχος ἑλόντες Ἀράτου: ἐπῆρχε δὲ Μιλτιάδης σφίν.
“κεῖται δὲ καὶ ἄγαλμα πύξινον Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπιχρύσου τὴν κεφαλήν: ἀνατεθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ Λοκρῶν φησι τῶν πρὸς Ζεφυρίῳ τῇ ἄκρᾳ, Πατροκλέα δὲ εἶναι Κατίλλου Κροτωνιάτην τὸν εἰργασμένον.
[19.6] There are placed here other offerings worthy to be recorded, the sword of Pelops with its hilt of gold, and the ivory horn of Amaltheia, an offering of Miltiades the son of Cimon, who was the first of his house to rule in the Thracian Chersonesus. On the horn is an inscription in old Attic characters:–
To Olympian Zeus was I dedicated by the men of Chersonesus
After they had taken the fortress of Aratus.
Their leader was Miltiades.
There stands also a box-wood image of Apollo with its head plated with gold. The inscription says that it was dedicated by the Locrians who live near the Western Cape, and that the artist was Patrocles of Crotona, the son of Catillus.
[7] ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῷ Σικυωνίων ἐστὶν ὁ Καρχηδονίων θησαυρός, Ποθαίου τέχνη καὶ Ἀντιφίλου τε καὶ Μεγακλέους: ἀναθήματα δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ Ζεὺς μεγέθει μέγας καὶ θώρακες λινοῖ τρεῖς ἀριθμόν, Γέλωνος δὲ ἀνάθημα καὶ Συρακοσίων Φοίνικας ἤτοι τριήρεσιν ἢ καὶ πεζῇ μάχῃ κρατησάντων.
[19.7] Next to the treasury of the Sicyonians is the treasury of the Carthaginians, the work of Pothaeus, Antiphilus and Megacles. In it are votive offerings – a huge image of Zeus and three linen breast-plates, dedicated by Gelo and the Syracusans after overcoming the Phoenicians in either a naval or a land battle.
[8] ὁ δὲ τρίτος τῶν θησαυρῶν καὶ ὁ τέταρτος ἀνάθημά ἐστιν Ἐπιδαμνίων * * * ἔχει μὲν πόλον ἀνεχόμενον ὑπὸ Ἄτλαντος, ἔχει δὲ Ἡρακλέα καὶ δένδρον τὸ παρὰ Ἑσπερίσι, τὴν μηλέαν, καὶ περιελειλιγμένον τῇ μηλέᾳ τὸν δράκοντα, κέδρου μὲν καὶ ταῦτα, Θεοκλέους δὲ ἔργα τοῦ Ἡγύλου: ποιῆσαι δὲ αὐτὸν ὁμοῦ τῷ παιδί φησι τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ πόλου γράμματα. αἱ δὲ Ἑσπερίδες — μετεκινήθησαν γὰρ ὑπὸ Ἠλείων — αὗται μὲν ἔτι καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἦσαν ἐν τῷ Ἡραίῳ: τὸν δὲ θησαυρὸν τοῖς Ἐπιδαμνίοις Πύρρος καὶ οἱ παῖδες Λακράτης τε καὶ Ἕρμων ἐποίησαν.
[19.8] The third of the treasuries, and the fourth as well, were dedicated by the Epidamnians . . . It shows the heavens upheld by Atlas, and also Heracles and the apple-tree of the Hesperides, with the snake coiled round the apple-tree. These too are of cedar-wood, and are works of Theocles, son of Hegylus. The inscription on the heavens says that his son helped him to make it. The Hesperides (they were removed by the Eleans) were even in my time in the Heraeum; the treasury was made for the Epidamnians by Pyrrhus and his sons Lacrates and Hermon.
[9] ᾠκοδόμησαν δὲ καὶ Συβαρῖται θησαυρὸν ἐχόμενον τοῦ Βυζαντίων: ὁπόσοι δὲ περὶ Ἰταλίας καὶ πόλεων ἐπολυπραγμόνησαν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, Λουπίας φασὶ κειμένην Βρεντεσίου τε μεταξὺ καὶ Ὑδροῦντος μεταβεβληκέναι τὸ ὄνομα, Σύβαριν οὖσαν τὸ ἀρχαῖον: ὁ δὲ ὅρμος ταῖς ναυσὶ χειροποίητος καὶ Ἀδριανοῦ βασιλέως ἐστὶν ἔργον.
[19.9] The Sybarites too built a treasury adjoining that of the Byzantines. Those who have studied the history of Italy and of the Italian cities say that Lupiae, situated between Brundusium and Hydrus, has changed its name, and was Sybaris in ancient times. The harbor is artificial, being a work of the emperor Hadrian.
[10] πρὸς δὲ τῷ Συβαριτῶν Λιβύων ἐστὶ τῶν ἐν Κυρήνῃ θησαυρός: κεῖνται δὲ βασιλεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ Ῥωμαίων. Σικελιώτας δὲ Σελινουντίους ἀνέστησαν μὲν Καρχηδόνιοι πολέμῳ: πρὶν δὲ ἢ τὴν συμφορὰν γενέσθαι σφίσι, θησαυρὸν τῷ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ Διὶ ἐποίησαν. Διόνυσο�
� δέ ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα πρόσωπον καὶ ἄκρους πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐλέφαντος εἰργασμένος.
[19.10] Near the treasury of the Sybarites is the treasury of the Libyans of Cyrene. In it stand statues of Roman emperors. Selinus in Sicily was destroyed by the Carthaginians in a war, but before the disaster befell them the citizens made a treasury dedicated to Zeus of Olympia. There stands in it an image of Dionysus with face, feet and hands of ivory.
[11] ἐν δὲ τῷ Μεταποντίνων θησαυρῷ — προσεχὴς γὰρ τῷ Σελινουντίων ἐστὶν οὗτος — ἐν τούτῳ πεποιημένος ἐστὶν Ἐνδυμίων: πλὴν δὲ ἐσθῆτός ἐστι τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ τῷ Ἐνδυμίωνι ἐλέφαντος. Μεταποντίνους δὲ ἥτις μὲν ἐπέλαβεν ἀπολέσθαι πρόφασις, οὐκ οἶδα: ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ δὲ ὅτι μὴ θέατρον καὶ περίβολοι τείχους ἄλλο ἐλείπετο οὐδὲν Μεταποντίου.
[19.11] In the treasury of the Metapontines, which adjoins that of the Selinuntians, stands an Endymion; it too is of ivory except the drapery. How it came about that the Metapontines were destroyed I do not know, but to-day nothing is left of Metapontum but the theater and the circuit of the walls.
[12] Μεγαρεῖς δὲ οἱ πρὸς τῇ Ἀττικῇ θησαυρόν τε ᾠκοδομήσαντο καὶ ἀναθήματα ἀνέθεσαν ἐς τὸν θησαυρὸν κέδρου ζῴδια χρυσῷ διηνθισμένα, τὴν πρὸς Ἀχελῷον Ἡρακλέους μάχην: Ζεὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἡ Δηιάνειρα καὶ Ἀχελῷος καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ἐστιν, Ἄρης τε τῷ Ἀχελῴῳ βοηθῶν. εἱστήκει δὲ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα ἅτε οὖσα τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ σύμμαχος: αὕτη παρὰ τὰς Ἑσπερίδας ἀνάκειται νῦν τὰς ἐν τῷ Ἡραίῳ.
[19.12] The Megarians who are neighbors of Attica built a treasury and dedicated in it offerings, small cedar-wood figures inlaid with gold, representing the fight of Heracles with Achelous. The figures include Zeus, Deianeira, Achelous, Heracles, and Ares helping Achelous. There once stood here an image of Athena, as being an ally of Heracles, but it now stands by the Hesperides in the Heraeum.
[13] τοῦ θησαυροῦ δὲ ἐπείργασται τῷ ἀετῷ ὁ γιγάντων καὶ θεῶν πόλεμος: ἀνάκειται δὲ καὶ ἀσπὶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀετοῦ, τοὺς Μεγαρέας ἀπὸ Κορινθίων ἀναθεῖναι τὸν θησαυρὸν λέγουσα. ταύτην Μεγαρεῦσιν ἡγοῦμαι τὴν νίκην Ἀθήνῃσιν ἄρχοντος γενέσθαι Φόρβαντος, ἄρχοντος δὲ διὰ τοῦ αὑτοῦ βίου παντός: ἐνιαύσιαι γὰρ οὐκ ἦσάν πω τότε Ἀθηναίοις αἱ ἀρχαί, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ὑπὸ Ἠλείων ἀνεγράφοντό πω τηνικαῦτα αἱ Ὀλυμπιάδες.
[19.13] On the pediment of the treasury is carved the war of the giants and the gods, and above the pediment is dedicated a shield, the inscription declaring that the Megarians dedicated the treasury from spoils taken from the Corinthians. I think that the Megarians won this victory when Phorbas, who held a life office, was archon at Athens. At this time Athenian offices were not yet annual, nor had the Eleans begun to record the Olympiads.
[14] λέγονται δὲ καὶ Ἀργεῖοι μετασχεῖν πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους Μεγαρεῦσι τοῦ ἔργου. τὸν δὲ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ θησαυρὸν ἔτεσιν ὕστερον τῆς μάχης ἐποίησαν οἱ Μεγαρεῖς: τὰ δὲ ἀναθήματα ἐκ παλαιοῦ σφᾶς ἔχειν εἰκός, ἅ γε ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος †Δόντας Διποίνου καὶ Σκύλλιδος μαθητὴς ἐποίησε.
[19.14] The Argives are said to have helped the Megarians in the engagement with the Corinthians. The treasury at Olympia was made by the Megarians years after the battle, but it is to be supposed that they had the offerings from of old, seeing that they were made by the Lacedaemonian Dontas, a pupil of Dipoenus and Scyllis.
[15] τελευταῖος δὲ τῶν θησαυρῶν πρὸς αὐτῷ μέν ἐστιν ἤδη τῷ σταδίῳ, Γελῴων δὲ ἀνάθημα τόν τε θησαυρὸν καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα εἶναι τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ λέγει τὸ ἐπίγραμμα: οὐ μέντοι ἀνακείμενά γε ἔτι ἀγάλματά ἐστιν.
[19.15] The last of the treasuries is right by the stadium, the inscription stating that the treasury, and the images in it,were dedicated by the people of Gela. The images, however, are no longer there.
OTHER SHRINES AT OLYMPIA
20. τὸ δὲ ὄρος τὸ Κρόνιον κατὰ τὰ ἤδη λελεγμένα μοι παρὰ τὴν κρηπῖδα καὶ τοὺς ἐπ᾽ αὐτῇ παρήκει θησαυρούς. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ὄρους τῇ κορυφῇ θύουσιν οἱ Βασίλαι καλούμενοι τῷ Κρόνῳ κατὰ ἰσημερίαν τὴν ἐν τῷ ἦρι, Ἐλαφίῳ μηνὶ παρὰ Ἠλείοις.
[20.1] XX. Mount Cronius, as I have already said, extends parallel to the terrace with the treasuries on it. On the summit of the mountain the Basilae, as they are called, sacrifice to Cronus at the spring equinox, in the month called Elaphius among the Eleans.
[2] ἐν δὲ τοῖς πέρασι τοῦ Κρονίου κατὰ τὸ πρὸς τὴν ἄρκτον ἔστιν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν θησαυρῶν καὶ τοῦ ὄρους ἱερὸν Εἰλειθυίας, ἐν δὲ αὐτῷ Σωσίπολις Ἠλείοις ἐπιχώριος δαίμων ἔχει τιμάς. τὴν μὲν δὴ Εἰλείθυιαν ἐπονομάζοντες Ὀλυμπίαν, ἱερασομένην αἱροῦνται τῇ θεῷ κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον: ἡ δὲ πρεσβῦτις ἡ θεραπεύουσα τὸν Σωσίπολιν νόμῳ τε ἁγιστεύει τῷ Ἠλείων καὶ αὐτὴ λουτρά τε ἐσφέρει τῷ θεῷ καὶ μάζας κατατίθησιν αὐτῷ μεμαγμένας μέλιτι.
[20.2] At the foot of Mount Cronius, on the north . . . , between the treasuries and the mountain, is a sanctuary of Eileithyia, and in it Sosipolis, a native Elean deity, is worshipped. Now they surname Eileithyia Olympian, and choose a priestess for the goddess every year. The old woman who tends Sosipolis herself too by an Elean custom lives in chastity, bringing water for the god’s bath and setting before him barley cakes kneaded with honey.
[3] ἐν μὲν δὴ τῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ναοῦ — διπλοῦς γὰρ δὴ πεποίηται — τῆς τε Εἰλειθυίας βωμὸς καὶ ἔσοδος ἐς αὐτό ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις: ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐντὸς ὁ Σωσίπολις ἔχει τιμάς, καὶ ἐς αὐτὸ ἔσοδος οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν τῇ θεραπευούσῃ τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον ἐφειλκυσμένῃ ὕφος λευκόν: παρθένοι δὲ ἐν τῷ τῆς Εἰλειθυίας ὑπομένουσαι καὶ γυναῖκες ὕμνον ᾁδουσι, καθαγίζουσαι δὲ καὶ θυμιάματα παντοῖα αὐτῷ ἐπισπένδειν οὐ νομίζουσιν οἶνον. καὶ ὅρκος παρὰ τῷ Σωσιπόλιδι ἐπὶ μεγίστοις καθέστηκεν.
[20.3] In the front part of the temple, for it is built in two parts, is an altar of Eileithyia and an entrance for the public; in the inner Part Sosipolis is worshipped, and no one may enter it except the woman who tends the god, and she must wrap her head and face in a white veil. Maidens and matrons wait in the sanctuary of Eileithyia chanting a hymn; they burn all manner of incense to the god, but it is not the custom to pour libations of wine. An oath is t
aken by Sosipolis on the most important occasions.
[4] λέγεται δὲ καὶ Ἀρκάδων ἐς τὴν Ἠλείαν ἐσβεβληκότων στρατιᾷ καὶ τῶν Ἠλείων σφίσιν ἀντικαθημένων γυναῖκα ἀφικομένην παρὰ τῶν Ἠλείων τοὺς στρατηγούς, νήπιον παῖδα ἔχουσαν ἐπὶ τῷ μαστῷ, λέγειν ὡς τέκοι μὲν αὐτὴ τὸν παῖδα, διδοίη δὲ ἐξ ὀνειράτων συμμαχήσοντα Ἠλείοις. οἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς — πιστὰ γὰρ τὴν ἄνθρωπον ἡγοῦντο εἰρηκέναι — τιθέασι τὸ παιδίον πρὸ τοῦ στρατεύματος γυμνόν.
[20.4] The story is that when the Arcadians had invaded the land of Elis, and the Eleans were set in array against them, a woman came to the Elean generals, holding a baby to her breast, who said that she was the mother of the child but that she gave him, because of dreams, to fight for the Eleans. The Elean officers believed that the woman was to be trusted, and placed the child before the army naked.
[5] ἐπῄεσάν τε δὴ οἱ Ἀρκάδες καὶ τὸ παιδίον ἐνταῦθα ἤδη δράκων ἦν: ταραχθεῖσι δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ θεάματι τοῖς Ἀρκάσι καὶ ἐνδοῦσιν ἐς φυγὴν ἐπέκειντο οἱ Ἠλεῖοι, καὶ νίκην τε ἐπιφανεστάτην ἀνείλοντο καὶ ὄνομα τῷ θεῷ τίθενται Σωσίπολιν. ἔνθα δέ σφισιν ὁ δράκων ἔδοξεν ἐσδῦναι μετὰ τὴν μάχην, τὸ ἱερὸν ἐποίησαν ἐνταῦθα: σὺν δὲ αὐτῷ σέβεσθαι καὶ τὴν Εἰλείθυιαν ἐνόμισαν, ὅτι τὸν παῖδά σφισιν ἡ θεὸς αὕτη προήγαγεν ἐς ἀνθρώπους.
