Delphi Complete Works of Pausanias

by Pausanias

  [19.7] But there are two other accounts of it. One is that this chest was left by Aeneas when he fled; the other that it was thrown away by Cassandra to be a curse to the Greek who found it. Be this as it may, Eurypylus opened the chest, saw the image, and forthwith on seeing it went mad. He continued to be insane for the greater part of the time, with rare lucid intervals. Being in this condition he did not proceed on his voyage to Thessaly, but made for the town and gulf of Cirrha. Going up to Delphi he inquired of the oracle about his illness.

  [8] καὶ αὐτῷ γενέσθαι λέγουσι μάντευμα, ἔνθα ἂν ἐπιτύχῃ θύουσιν ἀνθρώποις θυσίαν ξένην, ἐνταῦθα ἱδρύσασθαί τε τὴν λάρνακα καὶ αὐτὸν οἰκῆσαι. ὁ μὲν δὴ ἄνεμος τὰς ναῦς τοῦ Εὐρυπύλου κατήνεγκεν ἐπὶ τὴν πρὸς τῇ Ἀρόῃ θάλασσαν: ἐκβὰς δὲ ἐς τὴν γῆν καταλαμβάνει παῖδα καὶ παρθένον ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν τῆς Τρικλαρίας ἠγμένους. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἔμελλεν οὐ χαλεπῶς συνήσειν τὰ ἐς τὴν θυσίαν: ἀφίκοντο δὲ ἐς μνήμην καὶ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι τοῦ χρησμοῦ, βασιλέα τε ἰδόντες ὃν οὔπω πρότερον ἑωράκεσαν καὶ ἐς τὴν λάρνακα ὑπενόησαν ὡς εἴη τις ἐν αὐτῇ θεός.

  [19.8] They say that the oracle given him was to the effect that where he should come across a people offering a strange sacrifice, there he was to set down the chest and make his home. Now the ships of Eurypylus were carried down by the wind to the sea off Aroe. On landing he came across a youth and a maiden who had been brought to the altar of Triclaria. So Eurypylus found it easy to understand about the sacrifice, while the people of the place remembered their oracle seeing a king whom they had never seen before, they also suspected that the chest had some god inside it.

  [9] καὶ οὕτω τῷ Εὐρυπύλῳ τε ἡ νόσος καὶ τοῖς ἐνταῦθα ἀνθρώποις τὰ ἐς τὴν θυσίαν ἐπαύσθη, τό τε ὄνομα ἐτέθη τὸ νῦν τῷ ποταμῷ Μείλιχος. ἔγραψαν δὲ ἤδη τινὲς οὐ τῷ Θεσσαλῷ συμβάντα Εὐρυπύλῳ τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀλλὰ Εὐρύπυλον Δεξαμενοῦ παῖδα τοῦ ἐν Ὠλένῳ βασιλεύσαντος ἐθέλουσιν ἅμα Ἡρακλεῖ στρατεύσαντα ἐς Ἴλιον λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους τὴν λάρνακα: τὰ δὲ ἄλλα κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ εἰρήκασι καὶ οὗτοι.

  [19.9] And so the malady of Eurypylus and the sacrifice of these people came to an end, and the river was given its present name Meilichus. Certain writers have said that the events I have related happened not to the Thessalian Eurypylus, but to Eurypylus the son of Dexamenus who was king in Olenus, holding that this man joined Heracles in his campaign against Troy and received the chest from Heracles. The rest of their story is the same as mine.

  [10] ἐγὼ δὲ οὔτε Ἡρακλέα ἀγνοῆσαι τὰ ἐς τὴν λάρνακα εἰ δὴ τοιαῦτα ἦν πείθομαι οὔτε τὰ ἐς αὐτὴν ἐπιστάμενος δοκεῖ μοί ποτε ἂν δοῦναι δῶρον συμμαχήσαντι ἀνδρί: οὔτε μὴν οἱ Πατρεῖς ἄλλον τινὰ ἢ τὸν Εὐαίμονος ἔχουσιν Εὐρύπυλον ἐν μνήμῃ, καί οἱ καὶ ἐναγίζουσιν ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος, ἐπειδὰν τῷ Διονύσῳ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἄγωσι.

  [19.10] But I cannot bring myself to believe that Heracles did not know the facts about the chest, if they were as described, nor, if he were aware of them, do I think that he would ever have given it to an ally as a gift. Further, the people of Patrae have no tradition of a Eurypylus save the son of Euaemon, and to him every year they sacrifice as to a hero, when they celebrate the festival in honor of Dionysus.

  20. τῷ θεῷ δὲ τῷ ἐντὸς τῆς λάρνακος ἐπίκλησις μέν ἐστιν Αἰσυμνήτης, οἱ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα θεραπεύοντες ἐννέα τέ εἰσιν ἄνδρες, οὓς ἂν ἐκ πάντων ὁ δῆμος προέληται κατ᾽ ἀξίωμα, καὶ ἴσαι γυναῖκες τοῖς ἀνδράσι. μιᾷ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ νυκτὶ ἐς τὸ ἐκτὸς φέρει τὴν λάρνακα ὁ ἱερεύς. αὕτη μὲν δὴ ἡ νὺξ γέρας τοῦτο εἴληφε, καταβαίνουσι δὲ καὶ ὁπόσοι δὴ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων παῖδες ἐπὶ τὸν Μείλιχον ἀστάχυσιν ἐστεφανωμένοι τὰς κεφαλάς: ἐκόσμουν δὲ οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἀρχαῖον οὓς ἄγοιεν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι θύσοντες.

  [20.1] XX. The surname of the god inside the chest is Aesymnetes (Dictator), and his chief attendants are nine men, elected by the people from all the citizens for their reputation, and women equal in number to the men. On one night of the festival the priest carries the chest outside. Now this is a privilege that this night has received, and there go down to the river Meilichus a certain number of the native children, wearing on their heads garlands of corn-ears. It was in this way that they used to array of old those whom they led to be sacrificed to Artemis.

  [2] τὰ δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν στεφάνους μὲν τῶν ἀσταχύων ἀποτίθενται παρὰ τῇ θεῷ, λουσάμενοι δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ καὶ αὖθις στεφάνους ἐπιθέμενοι κισσοῦ πρὸς τὸ ἱερὸν ἴασι τοῦ Αἰσυμνήτου. ταῦτα μέν σφισιν οὕτω δρᾶν καθέστηκε, τοῦ περιβόλου δέ ἐστιν ἐντὸς τῆς Λαφρίας καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ναὸς ἐπίκλησιν Παναχαΐδος: ἐλέφαντος τὸ ἄγαλμα καὶ χρυσοῦ.

  [20.2] But at the present day they lay aside the garlands of corn-ears by the goddess, and after bathing in the river and putting on fresh garlands, this time made of ivy, they go to the sanctuary of the Dictator.

  PATRAE CONT.

  This then is their established ritual, and within the precincts of Laphria is a temple of Athena surnamed Panachaean. The image is of ivory and gold.

  [3] ἐρχομένῳ δὲ ἐς τὴν κάτω πόλιν Μητρὸς Δινδυμήνης ἐστὶν ἱερόν, ἐν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Ἄττης ἔχει τιμάς. τούτου μὲν δὴ τὸ ἄγαλμα οὐδὲν ἀποφαίνουσι: τὸ δὲ τῆς Μητρὸς λίθου πεποίηται. ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ Διὸς ναὸς Ὀλυμπίου, αὐτός τε ἐπὶ θρόνου καὶ ἑστῶσα Ἀθηνᾶ παρὰ τὸν θρόνον, τῆς τε Ἥρας ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου πέραν ἱερόν τε Ἀπόλλωνος πεποίηται καὶ Ἀπόλλων χαλκοῦς, γυμνὸς ἐσθῆτος: ὑποδήματα δὲ ὑπὸ τοῖς ποσίν ἐστιν αὐτῷ, καὶ τῷ ἑτέρῳ ποδὶ ἐπὶ κρανίου βέβηκε βοός.

  [20.3] On the way to the lower city there is a sanctuary of the Dindymenian Mother, and in it Attis too is worshipped. Of him they have no image to show; that of the Mother is of stone. In the marketplace is a temple of Olympian Zeus; the god himself is on a throne with Athena standing by it. Beyond the Olympian is an image of Hera and a sanctuary of Apollo. The god is of bronze, and naked. On his feet are sandals, and one foot stands upon the skull of an ox.

  [4] βουσὶ γὰρ χαίρειν μάλιστα Ἀπόλλωνα Ἀλκαῖός τε ἐδήλωσεν ἐν ὕμνῳ τῷ ἐς Ἑρμῆν, γράψας ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς βοῦς ὑφέλοιτο τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, καὶ ἔτι πρότερον ἢ Ἀλκαῖον γενέσθαι πεποιημένα ἦν Ὁμήρῳ βοῦς Ἀπόλλωνα Λαομέδοντος ἐπὶ μισθῷ νέμειν:
Ποσειδῶνι περιέθηκεν ἐν Ἰλιάδι τὰ ἔπη,

  [20.4] That Apollo takes great pleasure in oxen is shown by Alcaeus in his hymn to Hermes, who writes how Hermes stole cows of Apollo, and even before Alcaeus was born Homer made Apollo tend cows of Laomedon for a wage. In the Iliad he puts these verses in the mouth of Poseidon: —

  [5] “ἤτοι ἐγὼ Τρώεσσι πόλιν πέρι τεῖχος ἔδειμα,

  εὐρύ τε καὶ μάλα καλόν, ἵν᾽ ἄρρηκτος πόλις εἴη:

  Φοῖβε, σὺ δ᾽ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς βουκολέεσκες.

  “Hom. Il 21.446-448τὰ μὲν δὴ ἐς τὸ κρανίον τοῦ βοὸς ἐπὶ τοιῷδε ἄν τις εἰκάσειε πεποιῆσθαι: ἔστι δὲ ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἄγαλμά τε Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ Πατρέως τάφος.

  [20.5]

  Verily I built a wall for the Trojans about their city,

  A wide wall and very beautiful, that the city might be impregnable;

  And thou, Phoebus, didst tend the shambling cows with crumpled horns.

  Hom. Il. 21.446-448

  This, it may be conjectured, is the reason for the ox skull. On the market-place, in the open, is an image of Athena with the grave of Patreus in front of it.

  [6] ἔχεται δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς τὸ Ὠιδεῖον, καὶ Ἀπόλλων ἐνταῦθα ἀνάκειται θέας ἄξιος: ἐποιήθη δὲ ἀπὸ λαφύρων, ἡνίκα ἐπὶ τὸν στρατὸν τῶν Γαλατῶν οἱ Πατρεῖς ἤμυναν Αἰτωλοῖς Ἀχαιῶν μόνοι. κεκόσμηται δὲ καὶ ἐς ἄλλα τὸ Ὠιδεῖον ἀξιολογώτατα τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησι, πλήν γε δὴ τοῦ Ἀθήνῃσι: τοῦτο γὰρ μεγέθει τε καὶ ἐς τὴν πᾶσαν ὑπερῆρκε κατασκευήν, ἀνὴρ δὲ Ἀθηναῖος ἐποίησεν Ἡρώδης ἐς μνήμην ἀποθανούσης γυναικός. ἐμοὶ δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀτθίδι συγγραφῇ τὸ ἐς τοῦτο παρείθη τὸ Ὠιδεῖον, ὅτι πρότερον ἔτι ἐξείργαστό μοι τὰ ἐς Ἀθηναίους ἢ ὑπῆρκτο Ἡρώδης τοῦ οἰκοδομήματος.

  [20.6] Next to the market-place is the Music Hall, where has been dedicated an Apollo well worth seeing. It was made from the spoils taken when alone of the Achaeans the people of Patrae helped the Aetolians against the army of the Gauls. The Music Hall is in every way the finest in Greece, except, of course, the one at Athens. This is unrivalled in size and magnificence, and was built by Herodes, an Athenian,in memory of his dead wife. The reason why I omitted to mention this Music Hall in my history of Attica is that my account of the Athenians was finished before Herodes began the building.

  [7] ἐν Πάτραις δὲ ἰόντι ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ᾗ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, πύλη κατὰ τὴν ἔξοδόν ἐστι ταύτην, καὶ ἐπιθήματα ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης ἀνδριάντες εἰσὶν ἐπίχρυσοι, Πατρεύς τε καὶ Πρευγένης καὶ Ἀθερίων, οἳ Πατρέως ἡλικίαν παιδὸς ἔχοντος καὶ αὐτοὶ παῖδές εἰσι. τῆς δὲ ἀγορᾶς ἄντικρυς κατὰ ταύτην τὴν διέξοδον τέμενός ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ ναὸς Λιμνάτιδος.

  [20.7] As you leave the market-place of Patrae, where the sanctuary of Apollo is, at this exit is a gate, upon which stand gilt statues, Patreus, Preugenes, and Atherion; the two latter are represented as boys, because Patreus is a boy in age. Opposite the marketplace by this exit is a precinct and temple of Artemis, the Lady of the Lake.

  [8] ἐχόντων δὲ ἤδη Λακεδαίμονα καὶ Ἄργος Δωριέων, ὑφελέσθαι Πρευγένην τῆς Λιμνάτιδος τὸ ἄγαλμα κατὰ ὄψιν ὀνείρατος λέγουσιν ἐκ Σπάρτης, κοινωνῆσαι δὲ αὐτῷ τοῦ ἐγχειρήματος τῶν δούλων τὸν εὐνούστατον. τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τὸ ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος τὸν μὲν ἄλλον χρόνον ἔχουσιν ἐν Μεσόᾳ, ὅτι καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πρευγένους ἐς τοῦτο ἐκομίσθη τὸ χωρίον: ἐπειδὰν δὲ τῇ Λιμνάτιδι τὴν ἑορτὴν ἄγωσι, τῆς θεοῦ τις τῶν οἰκετῶν ἐκ Μεσόας ἔρχεται τὸ ξόανον κομίζων τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐς τὸ τέμενος τὸ ἐν τῇ πόλει.

  [20.8] When the Dorians were now in possession of Lacedaemon and Argos, it is said that Preugenes, in obedience to a dream, stole from Sparta the image of our Lady of the Lake, and that he had as partner in his exploit the most devoted of his slaves. The image from Lacedaemon is usually kept at Mesoa, because it was to this place that it was originally brought by Preugenes. But when the festival of our Lady is being held, one of the slaves of the goddess comes from Mesoa bringing the ancient wooden image to the precinct in the city.

  [9] τούτου δὲ τοῦ τεμένους ἐστὶ καὶ ἄλλα τοῖς Πατρεῦσιν ἱερά: πεποίηται δὲ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ, ἀλλὰ ἔσοδος ἐς αὐτὰ διὰ τῶν στοῶν ἐστι. τὸ μὲν δὴ ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ, πλὴν ἐσθῆτος, λίθου τὰ ἄλλα: Ἀθηνᾶ δὲ ἐλέφαντος εἴργασται καὶ χρυσοῦ. πρὸ δὲ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς τοῦ ἱεροῦ Πρευγένους μνῆμά ἐστιν: ἐναγίζουσι δὲ καὶ τῷ Πρευγένει κατὰ ἔτος, ὡσαύτω; δὲ καὶ Πατρεῖ, τὴν ἑορτὴν τῇ Λιμνάτιδι ἄγοντες. τοῦ θεάτρου δὲ οὐ πόρρω Νεμέσεως ναὸς καὶ ἕτερός ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτης: μεγέθει μεγάλα λίθου λευκοῦ τὰ ἀγάλματα.

  [20.9] Near this precinct the people of Patrae have other sanctuaries. These are not in the open, but there is an entrance to them through the porticoes. The image of Asclepius, save for the drapery, is of stone; Athena is made of ivory and gold. Before the sanctuary of Athena is the tomb of Preugenes. Every year they sacrifice to Preugenes as to a hero, and likewise to Patreus also, when the festival of our Lady is being held. Not far from the theater is a temple of Nemesis, and another of Aphrodite. The images are colossal and of white marble.

  CULT OF DIONYSUS CALYDONIUS

  21. καὶ Διονύσου κατὰ τοῦτο τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν ἱερὸν ἐπίκλησιν Καλυδωνίου: μετεκομίσθη γὰρ καὶ τοῦ Διονύσου τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐκ Καλυδῶνος. ὅτε δὲ ᾠκεῖτο ἔτι Καλυδών, ἄλλοι τε Καλυδωνίων ἐγένοντο ἱερεῖς τῷ θεῷ καὶ δὴ καὶ Κόρεσος, ὃν ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα ἐπέλαβεν ἄδικα ἐξ ἔρωτος παθεῖν. ἤρα μὲν Καλλιρόης παρθένου: ὁπόσον δὲ ἐς Καλλιρόην ἔρωτος Κορέσῳ μετῆν, τοσοῦτο εἶχεν ἀπεχθείας ἐς αὐτὸν ἡ παρθένος.

  [21.1] XXI. In this part of the city is also a sanctuary of Dionysus surnamed Calydonian, for the image of Dionysus too was brought from Calydon. When Calydon was still inhabited, among the Calydonians who became priests of the god was Coresus, who more than any other man suffered cruel wrongs because of love. He was in love with Callirhoe, a maiden. But the love of Coresus for Callirhoe was equalled by the maiden’s hatred of him.

  [2] ὡς δὲ τοῦ Κορέσου δεήσεις τε ποιουμένου πάσας καὶ δώρων ὑποσχέσεις παντοίας οὐκ ἐνετρέπετο ἡ γνώμη τῆς παρθένου, ἐκομίζετο ἱκέτης ἤδη παρὰ τοῦ Διονύσου τὸ ἄγαλμα. ὁ δὲ
ἤκουσέ τε εὐχομένου τοῦ ἱερέως καὶ οἱ Καλυδώνιοι τὸ παραυτίκα ὥσπερ ὑπὸ μέθης ἐγίνοντο ἔκφρονες καὶ ἡ τελευτὴ σφᾶς παραπλῆγας ἐπελάμβανε. καταφεύγουσιν οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστήριον τὸ ἐν Δωδώνῃ: τοῖς γὰρ τὴν ἤπειρον ταύτην οἰκοῦσι, τοῖς τε Αἰτωλοῖς καὶ τοῖς προσχώροις αὐτῶν Ἀκαρνᾶσι καὶ Ἠπειρώταις, αἱ πέλειαι καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς δρυὸς μαντεύματα μετέχειν μάλιστα ἐφαίνετο ἀληθείας.

  [21.2] When the maiden refused to change her mind, in spite of the many prayers and promises of Coresus, he then went as a suppliant to the image of Dionysus. The god listened to the prayer of his priest, and the Calydonians at once became raving as though through drink, and they were still out of their minds when death overtook them. So they appealed to the oracle at Dodona. For the inhabitants of this part of the mainland, the Aetolians and their Acarnanian and Epeirot neighbors, considered that the truest oracles were the doves and the responses from the oak.

  [3] τότε δὲ τὰ χρησθέντα ἐκ Δωδώνης Διονύσου μὲν ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸ μήνιμα, ἔσεσθαι δὲ οὐ πρότερον λύσιν πρὶν ἢ θύσῃ τῷ Διονύσῳ Κόρεσος ἢ αὐτὴν Καλλιρόην ἢ τὸν ἀποθανεῖν ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνης τολμήσαντα. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν ἐς σωτηρίαν εὑρίσκετο ἡ παρθένος, δεύτερα ἐπὶ τοὺς θρεψαμένους καταφεύγει: ἁμαρτάνουσα δὲ καὶ τούτων, ἐλείπετο οὐδὲν ἔτι ἢ αὐτὴν φονεύεσθαι.