Delphi Complete Works of Pausanias

by Pausanias

  [2.2] The Olympic games I leave out of the present account, because they are traced back to a time earlier than the human race, the story being that Cronus and Zeus wrestled there, and that the Curetes were the first to race at Olympia. My view is that Lycaon was contemporary with Cecrops, the king of Athens, but that they were not equally wise in matters of religion.

  [3] ὁ μὲν γὰρ Δία τε ὠνόμασεν Ὕπατον πρῶτος, καὶ ὁπόσα ἔχει ψυχήν, τούτων μὲν ἠξίωσεν οὐδὲν θῦσαι, πέμματα δὲ ἐπιχώρια ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ καθήγισεν, ἃ πελάνους καλοῦσιν ἔτι καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς Ἀθηναῖοι: Λυκάων δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Λυκαίου Διὸς βρέφος ἤνεγκεν ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἔθυσε τὸ βρέφος καὶ ἔσπεισεν ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ τὸ αἷμα, καὶ αὐτὸν αὐτίκα ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ γενέσθαι λύκον φασὶν ἀντὶ ἀνθρώπου.

  [2.3] For Cecrops was the first to name Zeus the Supreme god, and refused to sacrifice anything that had life in it, but burnt instead on the altar the national cakes which the Athenians still call pelanoi. But Lycaon brought a human baby to the altar of Lycaean Zeus, and sacrificed it, pouring out its blood upon the altar, and according to the legend immediately after the sacrifice he was changed from a man to a wolf (Lycos).

  [4] καὶ ἐμέ γε ὁ λόγος οὗτος πείθει, λέγεται δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀρκάδων ἐκ παλαιοῦ, καὶ τὸ εἰκὸς αὐτῷ πρόσεστιν. οἱ γὰρ δὴ τότε ἄνθρωποι ξένοι καὶ ὁμοτράπεζοι θεοῖς ἦσαν ὑπὸ δικαιοσύνης καὶ εὐσεβείας, καί σφισιν ἐναργῶς ἀπήντα παρὰ τῶν θεῶν τιμή τε οὖσιν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἀδικήσασιν ὡσαύτως ἡ ὀργή, ἐπεί τοι καὶ θεοὶ τότε ἐγίνοντο ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, οἳ γέρα καὶ ἐς τόδε ἔτι ἔχουσιν ὡς Ἀρισταῖος καὶ Βριτόμαρτις ἡ Κρητικὴ καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ὁ Ἀλκμήνης καὶ Ἀμφιάραος ὁ Ὀικλέους, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς Πολυδεύκης τε καὶ Κάστωρ.

  [2.4] I for my part believe this story; it has been a legend among the Arcadians from of old, and it has the additional merit of probability. For the men of those days, because of their righteousness and piety, were guests of the gods, eating at the same board; the good were openly honored by the gods, and sinners were openly visited with their wrath. Nay, in those days men were changed to gods, who down to the present day have honors paid to them – Aristaeus, Britomartis of Crete, Heracles the son of Alcmena, Amphiaraus the son of Oicles, and besides these Polydeuces and Castor.

  [5] οὕτω πείθοιτο ἄν τις καὶ Λυκάονα θηρίον καὶ τὴν Ταντάλου Νιόβην γενέσθαι λίθον. ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ δὲ — κακία γὰρ δὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ηὔξετο καὶ γῆν τε ἐπενέμετο πᾶσαν καὶ πόλεις πάσας — οὔτε θεὸς ἐγίνετο οὐδεὶς ἔτι ἐξ ἀνθρώπου, πλὴν ὅσον λόγῳ καὶ κολακείᾳ πρὸς τὸ ὑπερέχον, καὶ ἀδίκοις τὸ μήνιμα τὸ ἐκ τῶν θεῶν ὀψέ τε καὶ ἀπελθοῦσιν ἐνθένδε ἀπόκειται.

  [2.5] So one might believe that Lycaon was turned into a beast, and Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus, into a stone. But at the present time, when sin has grown to such a height and has been spreading over every land and every city, no longer do men turn into gods, except in the flattering words addressed to despots, and the wrath of the gods is reserved until the sinners have departed to the next world.

  [6] ἐν δὲ τῷ παντὶ αἰῶνι πολλὰ μὲν πάλαι συμβάντα, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἔτι γινόμενα ἄπιστα εἶναι πεποιήκασιν ἐς τοὺς πολλοὺς οἱ τοῖς ἀληθέσιν ἐποικοδομοῦντες ἐψευσμένα. λέγουσι γὰρ δὴ ὡς Λυκάονος ὕστερον ἀεί τις ἐξ ἀνθρώπου λύκος γίνοιτο ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ τοῦ Λυκαίου Διός, γίνοιτο δὲ οὐκ ἐς ἅπαντα τὸν βίον: ὁπότε δὲ εἴη λύκος, εἰ μὲν κρεῶν ἀπόσχοιτο ἀνθρωπίνων, ὕστερον ἔτει δεκάτῳ φασὶν αὐτὸν αὖθις ἄνθρωπον ἐκ λύκου γίνεσθαι, γευσάμενον δὲ ἐς ἀεὶ μένειν θηρίον.

  [2.6] All through the ages, many events that have occurred in the past, and even some that occur to-day, have been generally discredited because of the lies built up on a foundation of fact. It is said, for instance, that ever since the time of Lycaon a man has changed into a wolf at the sacrifice to Lycaean Zeus, but that the change is not for life; if, when he is a wolf, he abstains from human flesh, after nine years he becomes a man again, but if he tastes human flesh he remains a beast for ever.

  [7] ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Νιόβην λέγουσιν ἐν Σιπύλῳ τῷ ὄρει θέρους ὥρᾳ κλαίειν. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἤκουσα, τοῖς γρυψὶ στίγματα ὁποῖα καὶ ταῖς παρδάλεσιν εἶναι, καὶ ὡς οἱ Τρίτωνες ἀνθρώπου φωνῇ φθέγγοιντο: οἱ δὲ καὶ φυσᾶν διὰ κόχλου τετρυπημένης φασὶν αὐτούς. ὁπόσοι δὲ μυθολογήμασιν ἀκούοντες ἥδονται, πεφύκασι καὶ αὐτοί τι ἐπιτερατεύεσθαι: καὶ οὕτω τοῖς ἀληθέσιν ἐλυμήναντο, συγκεραννύντες αὐτὰ ἐψευσμένοις.

  [2.7] Similarly too it is said that Niobe on Mount Sipylus sheds tears in the season of summer. I have also heard that the griffins have spots like the leopard, and that the Tritons speak with human voice, though others say that they blow through a shell that has been bored. Those who like to listen to the miraculous are themselves apt to add to the marvel, and so they ruin truth by mixing it with falsehood.

  3. τρίτῃ δὲ ὕστερον γενεᾷ μετὰ Πελασγὸν ἔς τε πόλεων καὶ ἐς ἀνθρώπων πλῆθος ἐπέδωκεν ἡ χώρα. Νύκτιμος μὲν γὰρ πρεσβύτατός τε ἦν καὶ εἶχε τὸ πᾶν κράτος: οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι παῖδες τοῦ Λυκάονος πόλεις ἐνταῦθα ἔκτιζον ἔνθα ἑκάστῳ μάλιστα ἦν κατὰ γνώμην. Πάλλας μὲν καὶ Ὀρεσθεὺς καὶ Φίγαλος Παλλάντιον, Ὀρεσθεὺς δὲ Ὀρεσθάσιον, Φιγαλίαν δὲ οἰκίζει Φίγαλος.

  [3.1] III. In the third generation after Pelasgus the land increased in the number both of its cities and of its population. For Nyctimus, who was the eldest son of Lycaon, possessed all the power, while the other sons founded cities on the sites they considered best. Thus Pallantium was founded by Pallas, Oresthasium by Orestheus and Phigalia by Phigalus.

  [2] Παλλαντίου μὲν δὴ καὶ Στησίχορος ὁ Ἱμεραῖος ἐν Γηρυονηίδι ἐποιήσατο μνήμην: Φιγαλία δὲ καὶ Ὀρεσθάσιον ἐν χρόνῳ μεταβάλλουσι τὰ ὀνόματα, Ὀρέστειόν τε ἀπὸ Ὀρέστου κληθεῖσα τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος καὶ Φιαλία ἀπὸ τοῦ Βουκολίωνος παιδὸς Φιάλου. Τραπεζεὺς δὲ καὶ Δασεάτας καὶ Μακαρεὺς καὶ Ἑλισσὼν καὶ Ἄκακός τε καὶ Θῶκνος Θωκνίαν πόλιν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκακήσιον ἔκτισεν: ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ τοῦ Ἀκάκου καὶ Ὅμηρος λόγῳ τῷ Ἀρκάδων ἐς Ἑρμῆν ἐποίησεν ἐπίκλησιν:

  [3.2] Pallantium is mentioned by Stesichorus of Himera in his Geryoneid. Phigalia and Oresthasium in course of time cha
nged their names, Oresthasium to Oresteium after Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, Phigalia to Phialia after Phialus, the son of Bucolion. Cities were founded by Trapezeus also, and by Daseatas, Macareus, Helisson, Acacus and Thocnus. The last founded Thocnia, and Acacus Acacesium. It was after this Acacus, according to the Arcadian account, that Homer made a surname for Hermes.

  [3] ἀπὸ δὲ Ἑλισσόντος ἥ τε πόλις καὶ ὁ ποταμὸς Ἑλισσὼν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐσχήκασιν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ Μακαρία τε καὶ Δασέα καὶ Τραπεζοῦς ἀπὸ τῶν Λυκάονος ἐκλήθησαν καὶ αὗται παίδων. Ὀρχομενὸς δὲ ἐγένετο οἰκιστὴς Μεθυδρίου τε καλουμένης καὶ Ὀρχομενίων, οὓς ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι πολυμήλους ὠνόμασεν Ὅμηρος. ὑπὸ δὲ Ὑψοῦντος καὶ * * Μελαινεαί τε ἐκτίσθησαν καὶ Ὑψοῦς, ἔτι δὲ Θυραῖόν τε καὶ Αἱμονιαί: δόξῃ δὲ τῇ Ἀρκάδων καὶ ἡ Θυρέα ἡ ἐν τῇ Ἀργολίδι γῇ καὶ ὁ Θυρεάτης καλούμενος κόλπος ἀπὸ τοῦ Θυραίου τούτου τὰ ὀνόματα ἐσχήκασι.

  [3.3] Helisson has given a name to both the town and the river so called, and similarly Macaria, Dasea, and Trapezus were named after the sons of Lycaon. Orchomenus became founder of both the town called Methydrium and of Orchomenus, styled by Homer “rich in sheep.” Hypsus and . . . founded Melaeneae and Hypsus, and also Thyraeum and Haemoniae. The Arcadians are of opinion that both the Thyrea in Argolis and also the Thyrean gulf were named after this Thyraeus.

  [4] Μαντινεὺς δὲ καὶ Τεγεάτης καὶ Μαίναλος, ὁ μὲν τῶν ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ πόλεων ὀνομαστοτάτην τὸ ἀρχαῖον Μαίναλον, Τεγεάτης δὲ καὶ Μαντινεὺς Τεγέαν κτίζουσι καὶ Μαντίνειαν. ὠνομάσθησαν δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ Κρώμου Κρῶμοι, καὶ Χαρισία Χαρίσιον ἔχουσα οἰκιστήν, Τρικόλωνοι δὲ ἀπὸ Τρικολώνου, καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν Περαίθου Περαιθεῖς, Ἀσέα δὲ ἀπὸ Ἀσεάτα καὶ ἀπὸ Λυκέως Λυκόα καὶ Σουματία ἀπὸ Σουματέως: Ἀλίφηρος δὲ καὶ Ἡραιεὺς ἐπώνυμοι καὶ οὗτοι πόλεσίν εἰσιν ἀμφότεροι.

  [3.4] Maenalus founded Maenalus, which was in ancient times the most famous of the cities of Arcadia, Tegeates founded Tegea and Mantineus Mantineia. Cromi was named after Cromus, Charisia after Charisius, its founder, Tricoloni after Tricolonus, Peraethenses after Peraethus, Asea after Aseatas, Lycoa after . . . and Sumatia after Sumateus. Alipherus also and Heraeus both gave their names to cities.

  [5] Οἴνωτρος δὲ ὁ τῶν παίδων νεώτατος Λυκάονι ἀρσένων Νύκτιμον τὸν ἀδελφὸν χρήματα καὶ ἄνδρας αἰτήσας ἐπεραιώθη ναυσὶν ἐς Ἰταλίαν, καὶ ἡ Οἰνωτρία χώρα τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχεν ἀπὸ Οἰνώτρου βασιλεύοντος. οὗτος ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐς ἀποικίαν στόλος πρῶτος ἐστάλη: ἀναριθμουμένῳ δὲ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν βαρβάρων οὐδένες πρότερον ἢ Οἴνωτρος ἀφίκοντο ἐς τὴν ἀλλοδαπήν.

  [3.5] But Oenotrus, the youngest of the sons of Lycaon, asked his brother Nyctimus for money and men and crossed by sea to Italy; the land of Oenotria received its name from Oenotrus who was its king. This was the first expedition despatched from Greece to found a colony, and if a man makes the most careful calculation possible he will discover that no foreigners either emigrated to another land before Oenotrus. In addition to all this male issue, Lycaon had a daughter Callisto. This Callisto (I repeat the current Greek legend) was loved by Zeus and mated with him. When Hera detected the intrigue she turned Callisto into a bear, and Artemis to please Hera shot the bear. Zeus sent Hermes with orders to save the child that Callisto bore in her womb,

  [6] ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ γένει παντὶ τῷ ἄρσενι θυγάτηρ Λυκάονι ἐγένετο Καλλιστώ. ταύτῃ τῇ Καλλιστοῖ — λέγω δὲ τὰ λεγόμενα ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων — συνεγένετο ἐρασθεὶς Ζεύς: Ἥρα δὲ ὡς ἐφώρασεν, ἐποίησεν ἄρκτον τὴν Καλλιστώ, Ἄρτεμις δὲ ἐς χάριν τῆς Ἥρας κατετόξευσεν αὐτήν. καὶ ὁ Ζεὺς Ἑρμῆν πέμπει σῶσαι τὸν παῖδά οἱ προστάξας, ὃν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ εἶχεν ἡ Καλλιστώ:

  [3.6] and Callisto herself he turned into the constellation known as the Great Bear, which is mentioned by Homer in the return voyage of Odysseus from Calypso:–

  Gazing at the Pleiades and late-setting Bootes,

  [7] Καλλιστὼ δὲ αὐτὴν ἐποίησεν ἀστέρας καλουμένην ἄρκτον μεγάλην, ἧς καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐν Ὀδυσσέως ἀνάπλῳ παρὰ Καλυψοῦς μνήμην ἔσχε: “Πληιάδας τ᾽ ἐσορῶντα καὶ ὀψὲ δύοντα Βοώτην

  ἄρκτον θ᾽, ἣν καὶ ἅμαξαν ἐπίκλησιν καλέουσιν.

  “Hom. Od 5.272 ἔχοιεν δ᾽ ἂν καὶ ἄλλως τὸ ὄνομα οἱ ἀστέρες ἐπὶ τιμῇ τῇ Καλλιστοῦς, ἐπεὶ τάφον γε αὐτῆς ἀποφαίνουσιν οἱ Ἀρκάδες.

  [3.7] And the Bear, which they also call the Wain. Hom. Od. 5.272

  But it may be that the constellation is merely named in honor of Callisto, since her grave is pointed out by the Arcadians.

  4. μετὰ δὲ Νύκτιμον ἀποθανόντα Ἀρκὰς ἐξεδέξατο ὁ Καλλιστοῦς τὴν ἀρχήν: καὶ τόν τε ἥμερον καρπὸν ἐσηγάγετο οὗτος παρὰ Τριπτολέμου καὶ τὴν ποίησιν ἐδίδαξε τοῦ ἄρτου καὶ ἐσθῆτα ὑφαίνεσθαι καὶ ἄλλα, τὰ ἐς ταλασίαν μαθὼν παρὰ Δρίστα. ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ βασιλεύσαντος Ἀρκαδία τε ἀντὶ Πελασγίας ἡ χώρα καὶ ἀντὶ Πελασγῶν Ἀρκάδες ἐκλήθησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι.

  [4.1] IV. After the death of Nyctimus, Arcas the son of Callisto came to the throne. He introduced the cultivation of crops, which he learned from Triptolemus, and taught men to make bread, to weave clothes, and other things besides, having learned the art of spinning from Adristas. After this king the land was called Arcadia instead of Pelasgia and its inhabitants Arcadians instead of Pelasgians.

  [2] συνοικῆσαι δὲ οὐ θνητῇ γυναικὶ αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ νύμφῃ Δρυάδι ἔλεγον: Δρυάδας γὰρ δὴ καὶ Ἐπιμηλιάδας, τὰς δὲ αὐτῶν ἐκάλουν Ναΐδας, καὶ Ὁμήρῳ γε ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι Ναΐδων νυμφῶν μάλιστά ἐστι μνήμη. τὴν δὲ νύμφην ταύτην καλοῦσιν Ἐρατώ, καὶ ἐκ ταύτης φασὶν Ἀρκάδι Ἀζᾶνα καὶ Ἀφείδαντα γενέσθαι καὶ Ἔλατον:

  [4.2] His wife, according to the legend, was no mortal woman but a Dryad nymph. For they used to call some nymphs Dryads, others Epimeliads, and others Naiads, and Homer in his poetry talks mostly of Naiad nymphs. This nymph they call Erato, and by her they say that Arcas had Azan, Apheidas and Elatus. Previously he had had Autolaus, an illegitimate son.

  [3] ἐγεγόνει δὲ αὐτῷ πρότερον ἔτι Αὐτόλαος νόθος. τοῖς δὲ παισίν, ὡς ηὐξήθησαν, διένειμεν Ἀρκὰς τριχῇ τὴν χώραν, καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν Ἀζᾶνος ἡ Ἀζανία μοῖρα ὠνομάσθη: παρὰ τούτων δὲ ἀποικισθῆναι λέγο
υσιν, ὅσοι περὶ τὸ ἄντρον ἐν Φρυγίᾳ τὸ καλούμενον Στεῦνος καὶ Πέγκαλαν ποταμὸν οἰκοῦσιν. Ἀφείδας δὲ Τεγέαν καὶ τὴν προσεχῆ ταύτης ἔλαχεν: ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ καὶ ποιηταὶ καλοῦσιν Ἀφειδάντειον κλῆρον τὴν Τεγέαν.

  [4.3] When his sons grew up, Arcas divided the land between them into three parts, and one district was named Azania after Azan; from Azania, it is said, settled the colonists who dwell about the cave in Phrygia called Steunos and the river Pencalas. To Apheidas fell Tegea and the land adjoining, and for this reason poets too call Tegea “the lot of Apheidas.”

  [4] Ἔλατος δὲ ἔσχε τὸ ὄρος τὴν Κυλλήνην, ἔτι τότε οὖσαν ἀνώνυμον: χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον μετῴκησεν ὁ Ἔλατος ἐς τὴν νῦν καλουμένην Φωκίδα, καὶ τοῖς τε Φωκεῦσιν ἤμυνεν ὑπὸ Φλεγυῶν πολέμῳ πιεζομένοις καὶ Ἐλατείας πόλεως ἐγένετο οἰκιστής. παῖδα δὲ Ἀζᾶνι μὲν Κλείτορα, Ἀφείδαντι δὲ Ἄλεον, Ἐλάτῳ δέ φασιν εἶναι πέντε, Αἴπυτον Περέα Κυλλῆνα Ἴσχυν Στύμφηλον.

  [4.4] Elatus got Mount Cyllene, which down to that time had received no name. Afterwards Elatus migrated to what is now called Phocis, helped the Phocians when hard pressed in war by the Phlegyans, and became the founder of the city Elateia. It is said that Azan had a son Cleitor, Apheidas a son Aleus, and that Elatus had five sons, Aepytus, Pereus, Cyllen, Ischys, and Stymphalus.