Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 5.27

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[1]
τούτων δὲ ἀντικρὺ τῶν κατειλεγμένων ἔστιν ἄλλα ἀναθήματα ἐπὶ στοίχου, τετραμμένα μὲν πρὸς μεσημβρίαν, τοῦ τεμένους δὲ ἐγγύτατα ὃ τῷ Πέλοπι ἀνεῖται. ἐν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ ἀνατεθέντα ἐστὶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Μαιναλίου Φόρμιδος, ὃς ἐκ Μαινάλου διαβὰς ἐς Σικελίαν παρὰ Γέλωνα τὸν Δεινομένους καὶ ἐκείνῳ τε αὐτῷ καὶ Ἱέρωνι ὕστερον ἀδελφῷ τοῦ Γέλωνος ἐς τὰς στρατείας ἀποδεικνύμενος λαμπρὰ ἔργα ἐς τοσοῦτο προῆλθεν εὐδαιμονίας, ὡς ἀναθεῖναι μὲν ταῦτα ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν, ἀναθεῖναι δὲ καὶ τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι δὲ ἄλλα ἐς Δελφούς.

[2] τὰ δὲ ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν δύο τέ εἰσιν ἵπποι καὶ ἡνίοχοι δύο, 0 ἑκατέρῳ τῶν ἵππων παρεστὼς ἀνὴρ ἡνίοχος· ὁ μὲν δὴ πρότερος τῶν ἵππων καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ Διονυσίου τοῦ Ἀργείου, τὰ δεύτερα δὲ ἔργα ἐστὶν Αἰγινήτου Σίμωνος. τῷ προτέρῳ δὲ τῶν ἵππων ἐπίγραμμα ἔπεστιν ἐπὶ τῇ πλευρᾷ, τὰ πρῶτα οὐ σὺν μέτρῳ· λέγει γὰρ δὴ οὕτω·

Φόρμις ἀνέθηκεν

Ἀρκὰς Μαινάλιος, νῦν δὲ Συρακόσιος.

[3] οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἵππος ὅτῳ καὶ τὸ ἱππομανὲς λόγῳ τῷ Ἠλείων ἔγκειται· δῆλα δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ἐστὶν ἀνδρὸς μάγου σοφίᾳ γενέσθαι τὰ συμβαίνοντα τῷ ἵππῳ. μέγεθος μὲν ἢ εἶδος ἵππων ἀποδεῖ πολλῷ, ὅσοι τῆς Ἄλτεως ἐντὸς ἑστήκασι, πρὸς δὲ ἀποκέκοπταί τε τὴν οὐρὰν καὶ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῷ τοιῷδε ἔτι αἰσχίων· οἱ δὲ ἵπποι οἱ ἄρσενες οὔτι που τοῦ ἦρος μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὀργῶσιν ἡμέραν.

[4] καὶ γὰρ ἐσθέουσιν ἐς τὴν Ἄλτιν ἀπορρηγνύοντες τὰ δεσμὰ ἢ καὶ ἐκφεύγοντες τοὺς ἄγοντας καὶ ἐπιπηδῶσιν αὐτῷ πολλῷ δή τι ἐμμανέστερον ἢ ἐπὶ τὴν καλλίστην ἵππον ζῶσάν τε καὶ ἠθάδα ἀναβαίνεσθαι· ἀπολισθάνουσί τε δὴ αὐτοῖς αἱ ὁπλαὶ καὶ ὅμως οὐκ ἀπαγορεύουσι χρεμετίζοντές τε μᾶλλον καὶ ἐπιπηδῶντες μετὰ βιαιοτέρας τῆς ὁρμῆς, πρὶν ἂν ὑπὸ μαστίγων καὶ ἀνάγκης ἰσχυρᾶς ἀφελκυσθῶσι· πρότερον δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπαλλαγή σφισιν οὐδεμία ἀπὸ τοῦ χαλκοῦ.

[5] καὶ ἄλλο ἐν Λυδίᾳ θεασάμενος οἶδα διάφορον μὲν θαῦμα ἢ κατὰ τὸν ἵππον τὸν Φόρμιδος, μάγων μέντοι σοφίας οὐδὲ αὐτὸ ἀπηλλαγμένον. ἔστι γὰρ Λυδοῖς ἐπίκλησιν Περσικοῖς ἱερὰ ἔν τε
Ἱεροκαισαρείᾳ καλουμένῃ πόλει καὶ ἐν Ὑπαίποις, ἐν ἑκατέρῳ δὲ τῶν ἱερῶν οἴκημά τε καὶ ἐν τῷ οἰκήματί ἐστιν ἐπὶ βωμοῦ τέφρα· χρόα δὲ οὐ κατὰ τέφραν ἐστὶν αὐτῇ τὴν ἄλλην.

[6] ἐσελθὼν δὲ ἐς τὸ οἴκημα ἀνὴρ μάγος καὶ ξύλα ἐπιφορήσας αὖα ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν πρῶτα μὲν τιάραν ἐπέθετο ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ, δεύτερα δὲ ἐπίκλησιν ὅτου δὴ θεῶν ἐπᾴδει βάρβαρα καὶ οὐδαμῶς συνετὰ Ἕλλησιν· ἐπᾴδει δὲ ἐπιλεγόμενος ἐκ βιβλίου· ἄνευ τε δὴ πυρὸς ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ἁφθῆναι τὰ ξύλα καὶ περιφανῆ φλόγα ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκλάμψαι.

[7]
τάδε μὲν ἐς τοσοῦτο ἡμῖν δεδηλώσθω· ἔστι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀναθήμασι τούτοις καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Φόρμις ἀνδρὶ ἀνθεστηκὼς πολεμίῳ, καὶ ἐφεξῆς ἑτέρῳ καὶ τρίτῳ γε αὖθις μάχεται. γέγραπται δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις τὸν στρατιώτην μὲν τὸν μαχόμενον Φόρμιν εἶναι τὸν Μαινάλιον, τὸν δὲ ἀναθέντα Συρακόσιον Λυκόρταν· δῆλα δὲ ὡς οὗτος ὁ Λυκόρτας κατὰ φιλίαν ἀναθείη τοῦ Φόρμιδος. τὰ δὲ ἀναθήματα τοῦ Λυκόρτα καλεῖται Φόρμιδος καὶ ταῦτα ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων.

[8] ὁ δὲ Ἑρμῆς ὁ τὸν κριὸν φέρων ὑπὸ τῇ μασχάλῃ καὶ ἐπικείμενος τῇ κεφαλῇ κυνῆν καὶ χιτῶνά τε καὶ χλαμύδα ἐνδεδυκὼς οὐ τῶν Φόρμιδος ἔτι ἀναθημάτων ἐστίν, ὑπὸ δὲ Ἀρκάδων τῶν ἐκ Φενεοῦ δέδοται τῷ θεῷ· Ὀνάταν δὲ τὸν Αἰγινήτην, σὺν δὲ αὐτῷ Καλλιτέλην ἐργάσασθαι λέγει τὸ ἐπίγραμμα, δοκεῖν δέ μοι τοῦ Ὀνάτα μαθητὴς ἢ παῖς ὁ Καλλιτέλης ἦν. οὐ πόρρω δὲ τοῦ Φενεατῶν ἀναθήματος ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἄγαλμα, κηρυκεῖον Ἑρμῆς 0 ἔχων· ἐπίγραμμα δὲ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ Γλαυκίαν ἀναθεῖναι γένος Ῥηγῖνον, ποιῆσαι δὲ Κάλλωνα Ἠλεῖον.

[9] βοῶν δὲ τῶν χαλκῶν ὁ μὲν Κορκυραίων, ὁ δὲ ἀνάθημα Ἐρετριέων, τέχνη δὲ Ἐρετριέως ἐστὶ Φιλησίου· καὶ ἀνθʼ ὅτου μὲν οἱ Κορκυραῖοι τόν τε ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ καὶ ἕτερον βοῦν ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀνέθεσαν, δηλώσει μοι τὰ ἐς Φωκέας τοῦ λόγου, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ Ὀλυμπίασιν αὐτῶν ἀναθήματι συμβῆναι τοιόνδε ἤκουσα.

[10] παῖς μικρὸς ὑπὸ τούτῳ καθήμενος τῷ βοῒ ἐς τὸ κάτω νενευκὼς ἔπαιζεν· ἀνασχὼν δὲ ἐξαίφνης τὴν κεφαλὴν κατεάγη τε αὐτὴν πρὸς τὸν χαλκὸν καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος ἡμέραις ὕστερον ἀπέθανεν οὐ πολλαῖς. Ἠλεῖοι μὲν δὴ τὸν βοῦν ἅτε αἵματι ἔνοχον ἐβουλεύοντο ἐκκομίσαι τῆς Ἄλτεως· ὁ δὲ σφᾶς ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐν Δελφοῖς κατὰ χώραν ἐᾶν τὸ ἀνάθημα καθάρσια ἔχρα ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ποιησαμένους, ὁπόσα Ἕλληνες ἐπὶ ἀκουσίῳ φόνῳ νομίζουσιν.

[11]
ἔστι δὲ ὑπὸ ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἄλτει πλατάνοις κατὰ μέσον μάλιστά που τὸν περίβολον τρόπαιον χαλκοῦν καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπὶ τοῦ τροπαίου τῇ ἀσπίδι, Ἠλείους ἀπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων ἀναστῆσαι. ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ μάχῃ καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐπέλαβεν ἐκεῖνον ἀφεῖναι τὴν ψυχήν, ὃς τοῦ Ἡραίου τῆς ὀροφῆς κατʼ ἐμὲ ἀνασκευαζομένης ἐνταῦθα ὁμοῦ τοῖς ὅπλοις εὑρέθη κείμενος.

[12] τῶν δὲ ἐν Θρᾴκῃ Μενδαίων τὸ ἀνάθημα ἐγγύτατα ἀφίκετο ἀπατῆσαί με ὡς ἀνδρὸς εἰκὼν εἴη πεντάθλου· καὶ κεῖται μὲν παρὰ τὸν Ἠλεῖον Ἀναυχίδαν, ἔχει δὲ ἁλτῆρας ἀρχαίους. ἐλεγεῖον δὲ ἐπʼ αὐτὸ γεγραμμένον ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τοῦ μηροῦ· 0

Ζηνὶ θεῶν βασιλεῖ μʼ ἀκροθίνιον ἐνθάδʼ ἔθηκαν

Μενδαῖοι, Σίπτην χερσὶ βιασσάμενοι.

τὸ μὲν δὴ Θρᾴκιόν τι εἶναι τεῖχος καὶ πόλις ἔοικεν, ἡ Σίπτη· Μενδαίοις δὲ αὐτοῖς γένος τε Ἑλληνικὸν καὶ ἀπὸ Ἰωνίας ἐστίν, οἰκοῦσι δὲ ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἄνω τῆς πρὸς Αἴνῳ πόλει.

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

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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.) — 5.27 focus

[1]
Opposite the offerings I have enumerated are others in a row; they face towards the south, and are very near to that part of the precinct which is sacred to Pelops. Among them are those dedicated by the Maenalian Phormis. He crossed to Sicily from Maenalus to serve Gelon the son of Deinomenes. Distinguishing himself in the campaigns of Gelon and afterwards of his brother Hieron, he reached such a pitch of prosperity that he dedicated not only these offerings at Olympia , but also others dedicated to Apollo at Delphi .

[2] The offerings at Olympia are two horses and two charioteers, a charioteer standing by the side of each of the horses. The first horse and man are by Dionysius of Argos , the second are the work of Simon of Aegina .¹ On the side of the first of the horses is an inscription, the first part of which is not metrical. It runs thus:—

Phormis dedicated me,

An Arcadian of Maenalus, now of Syracuse .

[3] This is the horse in which is, say the Eleans, the hippomanes (what maddens horses). It is plain to all that the quality of the horse is the result of magic skill. It is much inferior in size and beauty to all the horses standing within the Altis. Moreover, its tail has been cut off which makes the figure uglier still. But male horses, not only in spring but on any day, are at heat towards it.

[4] In fact they rush into the Altis, breaking their tethers or escaping from their grooms, and they leap upon it much more madly than upon a living brood mare, even the most beautiful of them. Their hoofs slip off, but nevertheless they keep on neighing more and more, and leap with a yet more violent passion, until they are driven away by whips and sheer force. In no other way can they be separated from the bronze horse.

[5] There is another marvel I know of, having seen it in Lydia ; it is different from the horse of Phormis, but like it not innocent of the magic art. The Lydians surnamed Persian have sanctuaries in the city named Hierocaesareia and at Hypaepa. In each sanctuary is a chamber, and in the chamber are ashes upon an altar. But the color of these ashes is not the usual color of ashes.

[6] Entering the chamber a magician piles dry wood upon the altar; he first places a tiara upon his head and then sings to some god or other an invocation in a foreign tongue unintelligible to Greeks, reciting the invocation from a book. So it is without fire that the wood must catch, and bright flames dart from it.

[7]
So much for this subject. Among these offerings is Phormis himself opposed to an enemy, and next are figures of him fighting a second and again a third. On them it is written that the soldier fighting is Phormis of Maenalus, and that he who dedicated the offerings was Lycortas of Syracuse . Clearly this Lycortas dedicated them out of friendship for Phormis. These offerings of Lycortas are also called by the Greeks offerings of Phormis.

[8] The Hermes carrying the ram under his arm, with a helmet on his head, and clad in tunic and cloak, is not one of the offerings of Phormis, but has been given to the god by the Arcadians of Pheneus. The inscription says that the artist was Onatas of Aegina helped by Calliteles, who I think was a pupil or son of Onatas. Not far from the offering of the Pheneatians is another image, Hermes with a herald's wand. An inscription on it says that Glaucias, a Rhegian by descent, dedicated it, and Gallon of Elis made it.

[9] Of the bronze oxen one was dedicated by the Corcyraeans and the other by the Eretrians. Philesius of Eretria was the artist. Why the Corcyraeans dedicated the ox at Olympia and another at Delphi will be explained in my account of Phocis .² bout the offering at Olympia I heard the following story.

[10] Sitting under this ox a little boy was playing with his head bent towards the ground. Suddenly lifting his head he broke it against the bronze, and died a few days later from the wound. So the Eleans were purposing to remove the ox from out the Altis as being guilty of bloodshed. But the god at Delphi gave an oracle that they were to let the offering stay where it was, after performing upon it the purificatory rites that are customary among the Greeks for unintentional shedding of blood.

[11]
Under the plane trees in the Altis, just about in the center of the enclosure, there is a bronze trophy, with an inscription upon the shield of the trophy, to the effect that the Eleans raised it as a sign that they had beaten the Lacedaemonians. It was in this battle that the warrior lost his life who was found lying in his armour when the roof of the Heraeum was being repaired in my time.

[12] The offering of the Mendeans in Thrace came very near to beguiling me into the belief that it was a representation of a competitor in the pentathlum. It stands by the side of Anauchidas of Elis , and it holds ancient jumping-weights. An elegiac couplet is written on its thigh:—

To Zeus, king of the gods, as first-fruits was I placed here

By the Mendeans, who reduced Sipte by might of hand.

Sipte seems to be a Thracian fortress and city. The Mendeans themselves are of Greek descent, coming from Ionia , and they live inland at some distance from the sea that is by the city of Aenus .

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.) — 5.27 focus

[1] Opposite the offerings I have enumerated are others in a row; they face towards the south, and are very near to that part of the precinct which is sacred to Pelops. Among them are those dedicated by the Maenalian Phormis. He crossed to Sicily from Mainalos to serve Gelon the son of Deinomenes. Distinguishing himself in the campaigns of Gelon and afterwards of his brother Hieron, he reached such a pitch of prosperity that he dedicated not only these offerings at Olympia, but also others dedicated to Apollo at Delphi.

[2] The offerings at Olympia are two horses and two charioteers, a charioteer standing by the side of each of the horses. The first horse and man are by Dionysius of Argos, the second are the work of Simon of Aegina. On the side of the first of the horses is an inscription, the first part of which is not metrical. It runs thus:

Phormis dedicated me,
An Arcadian of Mainalos, now of Syracuse.

[3] This is the horse in which is, say the Eleians, the hippomanes (what maddens horses). It is plain to all that the quality of the horse is the result of magic skill. It is much inferior in size and beauty to all the horses standing within the Altis. Moreover, its tail has been cut off which makes the figure uglier still. But male horses, not only in spring but on any day, are at heat towards it.

[4] In fact, they rush into the Altis, breaking their tethers or escaping from their grooms, and they leap upon it much more madly than upon a living brood mare, even the most beautiful of them. Their hoofs slip off, but nevertheless they keep on neighing more and more and leap with a yet more violent passion, until they are driven away by whips and sheer force. In no other way can they be separated from the bronze horse.

[5] There is another marvel I know of, having seen it in Lydia; it is different from the horse of Phormis, but like it not innocent of the magic art. The Lydians with the surname [ epiklēsis] of Persian [ Persikoi] have sanctuaries in the city named Hierocaesareia and at Hypaepa. In each sanctuary is a chamber, and in the chamber are ashes upon an altar. But the color of these ashes is not the usual color of ashes.

[6] Entering the chamber, a magician piles dry wood upon the altar; he first places a tiara upon his head and then sings to some god or other an invocation in a barbarian tongue unintelligible to Greeks, reciting the invocation from a book. So it is without fire that the wood must catch, and bright flames dart from it.

[7] So much for this subject. Among these offerings is Phormis himself opposed to an enemy, and next are figures of him fighting a second and again a third. On them it is written that the soldier fighting is Phormis of Mainalos, and that he who dedicated the offerings was Lykortas of Syracuse. Clearly, this Lykortas dedicated them out of friendship for Phormis. These offerings of Lykortas are also called by the Greeks offerings of Phormis.

[8] The Hermes carrying the ram under his arm, with a helmet on his head, and clad in tunic and cloak, is not one of the offerings of Phormis, but has been given to the god by the Arcadians of Pheneus. The inscription says that the artist was Onatas of Aegina helped by Kalliteles, who I think was a pupil or son of Onatas. Not far from the offering of the Pheneatians is another image, Hermes with a herald’s wand. An inscription on it says that Glaukias, a Rhegian by descent, dedicated it, and Gallon of Elis made it.

[9] Of the bronze oxen one was dedicated by the Corcyraeans and the other by the Eretrians. Philesios of Eretria was the artist. Why the Corcyraeans dedicated the ox at Olympia and another at Delphi will be explained in my account of Phokis. About the offering at Olympia, I heard the following story.

[10] Sitting under this ox a little boy was playing with his head bent towards the ground. Suddenly lifting his head, he broke it against the bronze and died a few days later from the wound. So the Eleians were purposing to remove the ox from out the Altis as being guilty of bloodshed. But the god at Delphi gave an oracle that they were to let the offering stay where it was, after performing upon it the purificatory rites that are customary among the Greeks for unintentional shedding of blood.

[11] Under the plane trees in the Altis, just about in the center of the enclosure, there is a bronze trophy, with an inscription upon the shield of the trophy, to the effect that the Eleians raised it as a sign that they had beaten the Lacedaemonians. It was in this battle that the warrior lost his life who was found lying in his armor when the roof of the Hēraion was being repaired in my time.

[12] The offering of the Mendeans in Thrace came very near to beguiling me into the belief that it was a representation of a competitor in the pentathlon. It stands by the side of Anauchidas of Elis, and it holds ancient jumping-weights. An elegiac couplet is written on its thigh:

To Zeus, king of the gods, as first fruits was I placed here by the Mendeans, who reduced Sipte by might of hand.

Sipte seems to be a Thracian fortress and city. The Mendeans themselves are of Greek descent, coming from Ionia, and they live inland at some distance from the sea that is by the city of Ainos.

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 5.27

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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