Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 5.1

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Section

← Previous Next →

[1]
ὅσοι δὲ Ἑλλήνων Πελοποννήσου πέντε εἶναι μοίρας καὶ οὐ πλείονάς φασιν, ἀνάγκη σφᾶς ὁμολογεῖν ὡς ἐν τῇ Ἀρκάδων οἰκοῦσιν Ἠλεῖοι καὶ Ἀρκάδες, δευτέρα δὲ Ἀχαιῶν, τρεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ ταύταις αἱ Δωριέων. γένη δὲ οἰκεῖ Πελοπόννησον Ἀρκάδες μὲν αὐτόχθονες καὶ Ἀχαιοί· καὶ οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ Δωριέων ἐκ τῆς σφετέρας ἀνέστησαν, οὐ μέντοι Πελοποννήσου γε ἐξεχώρησαν, ἀλλὰ ἐκβαλόντες Ἴωνας νέμονται τὸν Αἰγιαλὸν τὸ ἀρχαῖον, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν τούτων καλούμενον·

[2] οἱ δὲ Ἀρκάδες διατελοῦσιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐς τόδε τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἔχοντες. τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἐπηλύδων ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπων. Κορίνθιοι μὲν γὰρ οἱ νῦν νεώτατοι Πελοποννησίων εἰσί, καί σφισιν, ἀφʼ οὗ τὴν γῆν παρὰ βασιλέως ἔχουσιν, εἴκοσιν ἔτη καὶ διακόσια τριῶν δέοντα ἦν ἐς ἐμέ· Δρύοπες δὲ καὶ Δωριεῖς, οἱ μὲν ἐκ Παρνασσοῦ, Δωριεῖς δὲ ἐκ τῆς Οἴτης ἐς Πελοπόννησόν εἰσιν ἀφιγμένοι.

[3]
τοὺς Ἠλείους ἴσμεν ἐκ Καλυδῶνος διαβεβηκότας καὶ Αἰτωλίας τῆς ἄλλης· τὰ δὲ ἔτι παλαιότερα ἐς 0 αὐτοὺς τοιάδε εὕρισκον. βασιλεῦσαι πρῶτον ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ λέγουσιν Ἀέθλιον, παῖδα δὲ αὐτὸν Διός τε εἶναι καὶ Πρωτογενείας τῆς Δευκαλίωνος, Ἀεθλίου δὲ Ἐνδυμίωνα γενέσθαι·

[4] τούτου τοῦ Ἐνδυμίωνος Σελήνην φασὶν ἐρασθῆναι, καὶ ὡς θυγατέρες αὐτῷ γένοιντο ἐκ τῆς θεοῦ πεντήκοντα. οἱ δὲ δὴ μᾶλλόν τι εἰκότα λέγοντες Ἐνδυμίωνι λαβόντι Ἀστεροδίαν γυναῖκα—οἱ δὲ τὴν Ἰτώνου τοῦ Ἀμφικτύονος Χρομίαν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ὑπερίππην τὴν Ἀρκάδος—, γενέσθαι δʼ οὖν φασιν αὐτῷ Παίονα καὶ Ἐπειόν τε καὶ Αἰτωλὸν καὶ θυγατέρα ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς Εὐρυκύδαν. ἔθηκε δὲ καὶ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ δρόμου τοῖς παισὶν ἀγῶνα Ἐνδυμίων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐνίκησε καὶ ἔσχε τὴν βασιλείαν Ἐπειός· καὶ Ἐπειοὶ πρῶτον τότε ὧν ἦρχεν ὠνομάσθησαν.

[5] τῶν δὲ ἀδελφῶν οἱ τὸν μὲν καταμεῖναί φασιν αὐτοῦ, Παίονα δὲ ἀχθόμενον τῇ ἥσσῃ φυγεῖν ὡς πορρωτάτω, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ Ἀξιοῦ ποταμοῦ χώραν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ Παιονίαν ὀνομασθῆναι. τὰ δὲ ἐς τὴν Ἐνδυμίωνος τελευτὴν οὐ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ Ἡρακλεῶταί τε οἱ πρὸς Μιλήτῳ καὶ Ἠλεῖοι λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ Ἠλεῖοι μὲν ἀποφαίνουσιν Ἐνδυμίωνος μνῆμα, Ἡρακλεῶται δὲ ἐς Λάτμον τὸ ὄρος ἀποχωρῆσαί φασιν αὐτὸν καὶ τιμὴν αὐτῷ νέμουσι, καὶ ἄδυτον Ἐνδυμίωνός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Λάτμῳ.

[6] Ἐπειῷ δὲ γήμαντι Ἀναξιρόην τὴν Κορώνου θυγάτηρ μὲν Ὑρμίνα, ἄρσεν δὲ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ γένος· καὶ τάδε ἄλλα συνέβη κατʼ Ἐπειὸν βασιλεύοντα. Οἰνόμαος ὁ Ἀλξίωνος, Ἄρεως δὲ καθὰ ποιηταί τε ἐπεφήμισαν καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἐστιν ἐς αὐτὸν λόγος, οὗτος δυναστεύων περὶ τὴν Πισαίαν 0 καλουμένην ὁ Οἰνόμαος ἐπαύθη τῆς ἀρχῆς διαβάντος Πέλοπος τοῦ Λυδοῦ ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας.

[7] Πέλοψ δὲ ἀποθανόντος Οἰνομάου τήν τε Πισαίαν ἔσχε καὶ Ὀλυμπίαν, ἀποτεμόμενος τῆς Ἐπειοῦ χώρας ὅμορον οὖσαν τῇ Πισαίᾳ· Ἑρμοῦ τε ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ναὸν ἱδρύσασθαι καὶ θῦσαι τῷ θεῷ Πέλοπα ἔλεγον οἱ Ἠλεῖοι πρῶτον, ἀποτρεπόμενον τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ Μυρτίλου θανάτῳ μήνιμα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ.

[8]
Αἰτωλῷ δὲ μετὰ Ἐπειὸν βασιλεύσαντι συνέπεσεν ἐκ Πελοποννήσου φυγεῖν, ὅτι αὐτὸν οἱ Ἄπιδος παῖδες ἐφʼ αἵματι ἀκουσίῳ δίκην εἷλον· Ἆπιν γὰρ τὸν Ἰάσονος ἐκ Παλλαντίου τοῦ Ἀρκάδων ἀπέκτεινεν Αἰτωλὸς ἐπελάσας τὸ ἅρμα τεθέντων ἐπὶ Ἀζᾶνι ἄθλων. ἀπὸ μὲν Αἰτωλοῦ τοῦ Ἐνδυμίωνος οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀχελῷον οἰκοῦντες ἐκλήθησαν φυγόντος ἐς ταύτην τὴν ἤπειρον, τὴν δὲ Ἐπειῶν ἔσχεν ἀρχὴν Ἠλεῖος, Εὐρυκύδας τε τῆς Ἐνδυμίωνος καὶ—ὅτῳ πιστὰ—πατρὸς ὢν Ποσειδῶνος· καὶ τὸ ὄνομα οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸ νῦν ἀντὶ Ἐπειῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἠλείου μεταβεβλήκασιν.

[9]
Ἠλείου δὲ ἦν Αὐγέας· οἱ δὲ ἀποσεμνύνοντες τὰ ἐς αὐτόν, παρατρέψαντες τοῦ Ἠλείου τὸ ὄνομα, Ἡλίου φασὶν Αὐγέαν παῖδα εἶναι. τούτῳ βοῦς τῷ Αὐγέᾳ καὶ αἰπόλια τοσαῦτα ἐγένετο ὡς καὶ τῆς χώρας αὐτῷ τὰ πολλὰ ἤδη διατελεῖν ἀργὰ ὄντα ὑπὸ τῶν βοσκημάτων τῆς κόπρου· Ἡρακλέα οὖν εἴτε ἐπὶ μοίρᾳ τῆς Ἠλείας εἴτε ἐφʼ ὅτῳ δὴ καὶ ἄλλῳ μισθῷ πείθει οἱ καθῆραι τῆς κόπρου τὴν γῆν.

[10] καὶ ὁ μὲν καὶ τοῦτο ἐξειργάσατο ἐκτρέψας τοῦ Μηνίου τὸ ῥεῦμα ἐς τὴν 0 κόπρον· Αὐγέας δέ, ὅτι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ σοφίᾳ πλέον καὶ οὐ σὺν πόνῳ τὸ ἔργον ἤνυστο, αὐτός τε ἀποδοῦναί οἱ τὸν μισθὸν ἀπηξίου καὶ τῶν παίδων τῶν ἀρσένων τὸν πρεσβύτερον Φυλέα ἐξέβαλεν ἀντειπόντα ὡς οὐ δίκαια ποιοῖτο πρὸς ἄνδρα εὐεργέτην. αὐτὸς δὲ τά τε ἄλλα παρεσκευάζετο ὡς τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἀμυνούμενος, ἢν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἦλιν στρατεύηται, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς Ἄκτορος καὶ Ἀμαρυγκέα ἐπηγάγετο ἐς φιλίαν·

[11] ἦν δὲ ὁ Ἀμαρυγκεὺς ἄλλως μὲν ἀγαθὸς τὰ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον, ὁ δέ οἱ πατὴρ Πυττίος Θεσσαλὸς τὰ ἄνωθεν ἦν καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἠλείαν ἀφίκετο ἐκ Θεσσαλίας. Ἀμαρυγκεῖ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἀρχῆς ἐν Ἠλείᾳ μετέδωκεν ὁ Αὐγέας, Ἄκτορι δὲ καὶ τοῖς παισὶ γένος τε ἦν ἐπιχώριον βασιλείας τε μετῆν σφισιν· Ἄκτωρ γὰρ πατρὸς μὲν Φόρβαντος ἦν τοῦ Λαπίθου, μητρὸς δὲ Ὑρμίνης τῆς Ἐπειοῦ, καὶ ᾤκισεν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Ἄκτωρ πόλιν Ὑρμίναν ἐν τῇ Ἠλείᾳ.

Description of Greece. Pausanias. ed. Friedrich Spiro. Leipzig. 1903.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑλλάδος Περιηγήσεως (Greek) (Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.)

Translations (2)

Description of Greece Perseus (Pausanias. Pausanias Description of Greece, Volumes 1-4. Jones, W.H.S. (William Henry Samuel), translator; Ormerod, Henry Arderne, translator. London, New York: W. Heinemann, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1918-1935.) — 5.1 focus

[1]
The Greeks who say that the Peloponnesus has five, and only five, divisions must agree that Arcadia contains both Arcadians and Eleans, that the second division belongs to the Achaeans, and the remaining three to the Dorians. Of the races dwelling in Peloponnesus the Arcadians and Achaeans are aborigines. When the Achaeans were driven from their land by the Dorians, they did not retire from Peloponnesus , but they cast out the Ionians and occupied the land called of old Aegialus, but now called Achaea from these Achaeans. The Arcadians, on the other hand, have from the beginning to to the present time continued in possession of their own country.

[2] The rest of Peloponnesus belongs to immigrants. The modern Corinthians are the latest inhabitants of Peloponnesus , and from my time¹ to the time when they received their land from the Roman Emperor² is two hundred and seventeen years. The Dryopians reached the Peloponnesus from Parnassus , the Dorians from Oeta.

[3]
The Eleans we know crossed over from Calydon and Aetolia generally. Their earlier history I found to be as follows. The first to rule in this land, they say, was Aethlius, who was the son of Zeus and of Protogeneia, the daughter of Deucalion, and the father of Endymion.

[4] The Moon, they say, fell in love with this Endymion and bore him fifty daughters. Others with greater probability say that Endymion took a wife Asterodia—others say she was Cromia, the daughter of Itonus, the son of Amphictyon; others again, Hyperippe, the daughter of Arcas—but all agree that Endymion begat Paeon, Epeius, Aetolus, and also a daughter Eurycyda. Endymion set his sons to run a race at Olympia for the throne; Epeius won, and obtained the kingdom, and his subjects were then named Epeans for the first time.

[5] Of his brothers they say that Aetolus remained at home, while Paeon, vexed at his defeat, went into the farthest exile possible, and that the region beyond the river Axius was named after him Paeonia. As to the death of Endymion, the people of Heracleia near Miletus do not agree with the Eleans for while the Eleans show a tomb of Endymion, the folk of Heracleia say that he retired to Mount Latmus and give him honor, there being a shrine of Endymion on Latmus.

[6] Epeius married Anaxiroe, the daughter of Coronus, and begat a daughter Hyrmina, but no male issue. In the reign of Epeius the following events also occurred. Oenomaus was the son of Alxion (though poets proclaimed his father to be Ares, and the common report agrees with them), but while lord of the land of Pisa he was put down by Pelops the Lydian, who crossed over from Asia .

[7] On the death of Oenomaus, Pelops took possession of the land of Pisa and its bordering country Olympia , separating it from the land of Epeius. The Eleans said that Pelops was the first to found a temple of' Hermes in Peloponnesus and to sacrifice to the god, his purpose being to avert the wrath of the god for the death of Myrtilus.

[8]
Aetolus, who came to the throne after Epeius, was made to flee from Peloponnesus , because the children of Apis tried and convicted him of unintentional homicide. For Apis, the son of Jason, from Pallantium in Arcadia , was run over and killed by the chariot of Aetolus at the games held in honor of Azan. Aetolus, son of Endymion, gave to the dwellers around the Achelous their name, when he fled to this part of the mainland. But the kingdom of the Epeans fell to Eleius, the son of Eurycyda, daughter of Endymion and, believe the tale who will, of Poseidon. It was Eleius who gave the inhabitants their present name of Eleans in place of Epeans.

[9]
Eleius had a son Augeas. Those who exaggerate his glory give a turn to the name Eleius and make Helius³ to be the father of Augeas. This Augeas had so many cattle and flocks of goats that actually most of his land remained untilled because of the dung of the animals. Now he persuaded Heracles to cleanse for him the land from dung, either in return for a part of Elis or possibly for some other reward.

[10] Heracles accomplished this feat too, turning aside the stream of the Menius into the dung. But, because Heracles had accomplished his task by cunning, without toil, Augeas refused to give him his reward, and banished Phyleus, the elder of his two sons, for objecting that he was wronging a man who had been his benefactor. He made preparations himself to resist Heracles, should he attack Elis ; more particularly he made friends with the sons of Actor and with Amarynceus. Amarynceus, besides being a good soldier,

[11] had a father, Pyttius, of Thessalian descent, who came from Thessaly to Elis . To Amarynceus, therefore, Augeas also gave a share in the government of Elis ; Actor and his sons had a share in the kingdom and were natives of the country. For the father of Actor was Phorbas, son of Lapithus, and his mother was Hyrmina, daughter of Epeius. Actor named after her the city of Hyrmina, which he founded in Elis .

English (Jones and Ormerod; retranslated Gregory Nagy, CHS, 2018) (OCR draft) Experimental (CHS Pausanias Reader retranslation by Gregory Nagy, based on Jones and Ormerod, with marked Greek terms, notes, quotations, and bibliographic attributions preserved.) — 5.1 focus

[1] The Greeks who say that the Peloponnesus has five, and only five, divisions must agree that Arcadia contains both Arcadians and Eleians, that the second division belongs to the Achaeans, and the remaining three to the Dorians. Of the people dwelling in Peloponnesus the Arcadians and Achaeans are aborigines. When the Achaeans were driven from their land by the Dorians, they did not retire from Peloponnesus, but they cast out the Ionians and occupied the land called of old Aigialos, but now called Achaea from these Achaeans. The Arcadians, on the other hand, have from the beginning to the present time continued in possession of their own country.

[2] The rest of Peloponnesus belongs to immigrants. The modern Corinthians are the latest inhabitants of Peloponnesus, and in the era from my time to the time when they received their land from the Roman Emperor is two hundred and seventeen years. The Dryopians reached the Peloponnesus from Parnassus, the Dorians from Oitē.

[3] The Eleians we know crossed over from Calydon and Aetolia generally. Their earlier history I found to be as follows. The first to rule in this land, they say, was Aethlios, who was the son of Zeus and of Protogeneia, the daughter of Deukalion, and the father of Endymion.

[4] The Moon, they say, fell in love with this Endymion and bore him fifty daughters. Others with greater probability say that Endymion took a wife Asterodia—others say she was Kromia, the daughter of Itonos, the son of Amphiktyon; others again, Hyperippe, the daughter of Arkas—but all agree that Endymion begot Paion, Epeios, Aitolos, and also a daughter Eurukuda. Endymion set his sons to run a race at Olympia for the throne; Epeios won, and obtained the kingdom, and his subjects were then named Epeians for the first time.

[5] Of his brothers they say that Aitolos remained at home, while Paion, vexed at his defeat, went into the farthest exile possible and that the region beyond the river Axios was named after him Paionia. As to the death of Endymion, the people of Herakleia near Miletus do not agree with the Eleians for while the Eleians show a tomb of Endymion, the folk of Herakleia say that he retired to Mount Latmos and give him honor, there being a shrine of Endymion on Latmos.

[6] Epeios married Anaxirhoe, the daughter of Koronos, and begot a daughter Hyrmina, but no male issue. In the reign of Epeios the following events also occurred. Oinomaos was the son of Alxion (though poets proclaimed his father to be Ares, and the common report agrees with them), but while lord of the land of Pisa, he was put down by Pelops the Lydian, who crossed over from Asia.

[7] On the death of Oinomaos, Pelops took possession of the land of Pisa and its bordering country Olympia, separating it from the land of Epeios. The Eleians said that Pelops was the first to found a temple of Hermes in Peloponnesus and to sacrifice to the god, his purpose being to avert the wrath of the god for the death of Myrtilos.

[8] Aitolos, who came to the throne after Epeios, was made to flee from Peloponnesus, because the children of Apis tried and convicted him of unintentional homicide. For Apis, the son of Jason, from Pallantion in Arcadia, was run over and killed by the chariot of Aitolos at the Games held in honor of Azan. Aitolos, son of Endymion, gave to the dwellers around the Akhelōos their name, when he fled to this part of the mainland. But the kingdom of the Epeians fell to Eleios, the son of Eurukuda, daughter of Endymion and, believe the tale who will, of Poseidon. It was Eleios who gave the inhabitants their present name of Eleians in place of Epeians.

[9] Eleios had a son Augeias. Those who exaggerate his glory give a turn to the name Eleios and make Hēlios to be the father of Augeias. This Augeias had so many cattle and flocks of goats that actually most of his land remained uncultivated because of the manure produced by the animals. Now he persuaded Hēraklēs to purify for him the land from dung, either in return for a part of Elis or possibly for some other reward.

[10] Hēraklēs accomplished this feat too, turning aside the stream of the Menios into the manure. But because Hēraklēs had accomplished his task by cunning, without toil, Augeias refused to give him his reward and banished Phyleus, the elder of his two sons, for objecting that he was wronging a man who had been his benefactor. He made preparations himself to resist Hēraklēs, should he attack Elis; more particularly, he made friends with the sons of Aktor and with Amarynkeus. Amarynkeus, besides being a good soldier,

[11] had a father, Pyttios, of Thessalian descent, who came from Thessaly to Elis. To Amarynkeus, therefore, Augeias also gave a share in the government of Elis; Aktor and his sons had a share in the kingdom and were natives of the country. For the father of Aktor was Phorbas, son of Lapithos, and his mother was Hyrmina, daughter of Epeios. Aktor named after her the city of Hyrmina, which he founded in Elis.

New Alexandria Commentaries

Gregory Nagy, Editors: Angelia Hanhardt and Keith DeStone, Web producer: Noel Spencer, Consultant for images: Jill Curry Robbins, \[\[Noel gives this a separate URN\]\]

Pausanias Description of Greece 5.1

ed. Friedrich Spiro

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

New Alexandria Commentaries

Stable identifiers