Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 5.8

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[1]
τούτων δὲ ὕστερον Κλύμενον τὸν Κάρδυος, πεντηκοστῷ μάλιστα ἔτει μετὰ τὴν συμβᾶσαν ἐπὶ Δευκαλίωνος ἐν Ἕλλησιν ἐπομβρίαν ἐλθόντα ἐκ Κρήτης, γένος ἀπὸ Ἡρακλέους ὄντα τοῦ Ἰδαίου, τόν τε ἀγῶνα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ θεῖναι καὶ Κούρησι τοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ προγόνῳ λέγουσιν ἱδρύσασθαι βωμόν, Παραστάτην ἐπωνυμίαν τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ θέμενον. Ἐνδυμίων δὲ ὁ Ἀεθλίου Κλύμενόν τε ἔπαυσε τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ δρόμου 0 τοῖς υἱοῖς ἆθλα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τὴν βασιλείαν ἔθηκε.

[2] Πέλοψ δὲ ὕστερον γενεᾷ μάλιστα μετὰ Ἐνδυμίωνα τὸν ἀγῶνα τῷ Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ ἐποίησεν ἀξιολογώτατα ἀνθρώπων τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ. Πέλοπος δὲ τῶν παίδων σκεδασθέντων ἐξ Ἤλιδος ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄλλην Πελοπόννησον, Ἀμυθάων ὁ Κρηθέως Ἐνδυμίωνι ἀνεψιὸς πρὸς πατρός—εἶναι γάρ φασι καὶ Ἀέθλιον Αἰόλου, Διὸς δὲ ἐπίκλησιν—, ἔθηκεν ὁ Ἀμυθάων τὰ Ὀλύμπια, μετὰ δὲ αὐτὸν Πελίας τε καὶ Νηλεὺς ἐν κοινῷ.

[3] ἔθηκε δὲ καὶ Αὐγέας καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ὁ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἑλὼν Ἦλιν· ὁπόσους δὲ ἐστεφάνωσεν οὗτος νικῶντας, ἔστιν Ἰόλαος ταῖς Ἡρακλέους δραμὼν ἵπποις. ἦν δὲ ἄρα ἐκ παλαιοῦ καθεστηκὸς ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ ἀλλοτρίαις ἵπποις· Ὅμηρος γοῦν ἐν ἄθλοις τεθεῖσιν ἐπὶ Πατρόκλῳ πεποίηκεν ὡς Μενέλαος Αἴθῃ τῇ Ἀγαμέμνονος, τῷ δὲ ἑτέρῳ χρήσαιτο τῶν ἵππων οἰκείῳ.

[4] ἡνιόχει δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ὁ Ἰόλαος Ἡρακλεῖ τὰς ἵππους· αὐτός τε οὖν ἅρματι καὶ Ἰάσιος ἀνὴρ Ἀρκὰς κέλητος ἐνίκησεν ἵππου δρόμῳ, Τυνδάρεω δὲ οἱ παῖδες ὁ μὲν δρόμῳ, Πολυδεύκης δὲ πυκτεύων. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἐς αὐτὸν Ἡρακλέα ὡς πάλης τε ἀνέλοιτο καὶ παγκρατίου νίκας.

[5]
μετὰ δὲ Ὄξυλον—διέθηκε γὰρ τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ Ὄξυλος—, μετὰ τοῦτον βασιλεύσαντα ἐξέλιπεν ἄχρι Ἰφίτου τὰ Ὀλύμπια. Ἰφίτου δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀνανεωσαμένου κατὰ τὰ ἤδη μοι λελεγμένα, τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἔτι ὑπῆρχε τῶν ἀρχαίων λήθη· καὶ κατʼ ὀλίγον ἐς ὑπόμνησιν ἤρχοντο αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁπότε τι ἀναμνησθεῖεν, ἐποιοῦντο τῷ ἀγῶνι προσθήκην.

[6] δῆλον δέ· ἐξ οὗ γὰρ 0 τὸ συνεχὲς ταῖς μνήμαις ἐπὶ ταῖς Ὀλυμπιάσιν ἐστί, δρόμου μὲν ἆθλα ἐτέθη πρῶτον, καὶ Ἠλεῖος Κόροιβος ἐνίκα· εἰκὼν μὲν δὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τοῦ Κοροίβου, τάφος δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς πέρασι τῆς Ἠλείας. Ὀλυμπιάδι δὲ ὕστερον τετάρτῃ καὶ δεκάτῃ προσετέθη σφίσι δίαυλος· Ὕπηνος δὲ ἀνὴρ Πισαῖος ἀνείλετο ἐπὶ τῷ διαύλῳ τὸν κότινον, τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς ἐπὶ τῷ δολίχῳ Ἄκανθος Λακεδαιμόνιος.

[7] ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ὀγδόης καὶ δεκάτης Ὀλυμπιάδος πεντάθλου καὶ πάλης ἀφίκοντο ἐς μνήμην· καὶ τοῦ μὲν Λάμπιδι ὑπῆρξεν, Εὐρυβάτῳ δὲ ἡ νίκη τῆς πάλης, Λακεδαιμονίοις καὶ τούτοις. τρίτῃ δὲ Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ εἰκοστῇ πυγμῆς ἆθλα ἀπέδοσαν· Ὀνόμαστος δὲ ἐνίκησεν ἐκ Σμύρνης συντελούσης ἤδη τηνικαῦτα ἐς Ἴωνας. πέμπτῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς εἴκοσι κατεδέξαντο ἵππων τελείων δρόμον, καὶ ἀνηγορεύθη Θηβαῖος Παγώνδας κρατῶν ἅρματι.

[8] ὀγδόῃ δὲ ἀπὸ ταύτης Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐδέξαντο παγκρατιαστήν τε ἄνδρα καὶ ἵππον κέλητα· ἵππος μὲν δὴ Κραννωνίου Κραυξίδα παρέφθη, τοὺς δὲ ἐσελθόντας ἐπὶ τὸ παγκράτιον ὁ Λύγδαμις κατειργάσατο Συρακούσιος. τούτῳ πρὸς ταῖς λιθοτομίαις ἐστὶν ἐν Συρακούσαις μνῆμα· εἰ δὲ καὶ Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ Θηβαίῳ μέγεθος παρισοῦτο ὁ Λύγδαμις, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα, λεγόμενον δὲ ὑπὸ Συρακουσίων ἐστί.

[9] τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἐς μὲν τῶν παλαιοτέρων οὐδεμίαν ἥκει μνήμην, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀρέσαν σφίσι κατεστήσαντο Ἠλεῖοι. δρόμου μὲν δὴ καὶ πάλης ἐτέθη παισὶν ἆθλα ἐπὶ τῆς ἑβδόμης καὶ τριακοστῆς
Ὀλυμπιάδος, καὶ Ἱπποσθένης Λακεδαιμόνιος πάλην, Πολυνείκης δὲ τὸν δρόμον ἐνίκησεν Ἠλεῖος. πρώτῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς τεσσαράκοντα Ὀλυμπιάδι πύκτας ἐσεκάλεσαν παῖδας, καὶ περιῆν τῶν ἐσελθόντων Συβαρίτης Φιλύτας.

[10] τῶν δὲ ὁπλιτῶν ὁ δρόμος ἐδοκιμάσθη μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς πέμπτης Ὀλυμπιάδος καὶ ἑξηκοστῆς, μελέτης ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἕνεκα τῆς ἐς τὰ πολεμικά· τοὺς δὲ δραμόντας ἀσπίσιν ὁμοῦ πρῶτος Δαμάρετος ἐκράτησεν Ἡραιεύς. δρόμος δὲ δύο ἵππων τελείων συνωρὶς κληθεῖσα τρίτῃ μὲν Ὀλυμπιάδι ἐτέθη πρὸς ταῖς ἐνενήκοντα, Εὐαγόρας δὲ ἐνίκησεν Ἠλεῖος. ἐνάτῃ δὲ ἤρεσεν Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ ἐνενηκοστῇ καὶ πώλων ἅρμασιν ἀγωνίζεσθαι· Λακεδαιμόνιος δὲ Συβαριάδης τὸν στέφανον τῶν πώλων ἔσχε τοῦ ἅρματος.

[11] προσέθεσαν δὲ ὕστερον καὶ συνωρίδα πώλων καὶ πῶλον κέλητα· ἐπὶ μὲν δὴ τῇ συνωρίδι Βελιστίχην ἐκ Μακεδονίας τῆς ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ γυναῖκα, Τληπόλεμον δὲ Λύκιον ἀναγορευθῆναι λέγουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ κέλητι, τοῦτον μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης καὶ τριακοστῆς τε καὶ ἑκατοστῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος, τῆς δὲ Βελιστίχης τὴν συνωρίδα Ὀλυμπιάδι πρὸ ταύτης τρίτῃ. πέμπτῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἆθλα ἐτέθη παγκρατίου παισί, καὶ ἐνίκα Φαίδιμος Αἰολεὺς ἐκ πόλεως Τρῳάδος.

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

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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.) — 5.8 focus

[1]
Later on there came (they say) from Crete Clymenus, the son of Cardys, about fifty years after the flood came upon the Greeks in the time of Deucalion. He was descended from Heracles of Ida; he held the games at Olympia and set up an altar in honor of Heracles, his ancestor, and the other Curetes, giving to Heracles the surname of Parastates (Assistant). And Endymion, the son of Aethlius, deposed Clymenus, and set his sons a race in Olympia with the kingdom as the prize.

[2] And about a generation later than Endymion, Pelops held the games in honor of Olympian Zeus in a more splendid manner than any of his predecessors. When the sons of Pelops were scattered from Elis over all the rest of Peloponnesus , Amythaon, the son of Cretheus, and cousin of Endymion on his father's side (for they say that Aethlius too was the son of Aeolus, though supposed to be a son of Zeus), held the Olympian games, and after him Pelias and Neleus in common.

[3] Augeas too held them, and likewise Heracles, the son of Amphitryon, after the conquest of Elis . The victors crowned by Heracles include Iolaus, who won with the mares of Heracles. So of old a competitor was permitted to compete with mares which were not his own. Homer,¹ at any rate, in the games held in honor of Patroclus, has told how Menelaus drove a pair of which one was Aetha, a mare of Agamemnon, while the other was his own horse.

[4] Moreover, Iolaus used to be charioteer to Heracles. So Iolaus won the chariot-race, and Iasius, an Arcadian, the horse-race; while of the sons of Tyndareus one won the foot-race and Polydeuces the boxing-match. Of Heracles himself it is said that he won victories at wrestling and the pancratium.

[5]
After the reign of Oxylus, who also celebrated the games, the Olympic festival was discontinued until the reign of Iphitus. When Iphitus, as I have already related,² renewed the games, men had by this time forgotten the ancient tradition, the memory of which revived bit by bit, and as it revived they made additions to the games.

[6] This I can prove; for when the unbroken tradition of the Olympiads began there was first the foot-race, and Coroebus an Elean was victor. There is no statue of Coroebus at Olympia , but his grave is on the borders of Elis . Afterwards, at the fourteenth Festival,³ the double foot-race was added: Hypenus of Pisa won the prize of wild olive in the double race, and at the next Festival Acanthus of Lacedaemon won in the long course.

[7] At the eighteenth Festival they remembered the pentathlum and wrestling. Lampis won the first and Eurybatus the second, these also being Lacedaemonians. At the twenty-third Festival they restored the prizes for boxing, and the victor was Onomastus of Smyrna , which already was a part of Ionia . At the twenty-fifth they recognized the race of full-grown horses, and Pagondas of Thebes was proclaimed “victor in the chariot-race.”

[8] At the eighth Festival after this they admitted the pancratium for men and the horse-race. The horse-race was won by Crauxidas of Crannon, and Lygdamis of Syracuse overcame all who entered for the pancratium. Lygdamis has his tomb near the quarries at Syracuse , and according to the Syracusans he was as big as Heracles of Thebes , though I cannot vouch for the statement.

[9] The contests for boys have no authority in old tradition, but were established by the Eleans themselves because they approved of them. The prizes for running and wrestling open to boys were instituted at the thirty-seventh Festival; Hipposthenes of Lacedaemon won the prize for wrestling, and that for running was won by Polyneices of Elis . At the forty-first Festival they introduced boxing for boys, and the winner out of those who entered for it was Philytas of Sybaris .

[10] The race for men in armour was approved at the sixty-fifth Festival, to provide, I suppose, military training; the first winner of the race with shields was Damaretus of Heraea . The race for two full-grown horses, called synoris (chariot and pair), was instituted at the ninety-third Festival, and the winner was Evagoras of Elis . At the ninety-ninth Festival they resolved to hold contests for chariots drawn by foals, and Sybariades of Lacedaemon won the garland with his chariot and foals.

[11] Afterwards they added races for chariots and pairs of foals, and for single foals with rider. It is said that the victors proclaimed were: for the chariot and pair, Belistiche, a woman from the seaboard of Macedonia ; for the ridden race, Tlepolemus of Lycia . Tlepolemus, they say, won at the hundred and thirty-first Festival, and Belistiche at the third before this. At the hundred and forty-fifth Festival prizes were offered for boys in the pancratium, the victory falling to Phaedimus, an Aeolian from the city Troas .

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.) — 5.8 focus

[1] Later on there came (they say) from Crete Klymenos, the son of Kardys, about fifty years after the flood came upon the Greeks in the time of Deukalion. He was descended from Hēraklēs of Ida; he held the Games at Olympia and set up an altar in honor of Hēraklēs, his ancestor, and the other Kouretes, giving to Hēraklēs the surname of Parastates [‘the one who stands by’]. And Endymion, the son of Aethlios, deposed Klymenos and set his sons a race in Olympia with the kingdom as the prize.

[2] And about a generation later than Endymion, Pelops held the Games in honor of Olympian Zeus in a more splendid manner than any of his predecessors. When the sons of Pelops were scattered from Elis over all the rest of Peloponnesus, Amythaon, the son of Kretheus and cousin of Endymion on his father’s side (for they say that Aethlios too was the son of Aeolus, though he was supposed to be a son of Zeus), held the Olympian Games, and after him, Pelias and Neleus in common.

[3] Augeias too held them, and likewise Hēraklēs, the son of Amphitryon, after the conquest of Elis. The victors garlanded by Hēraklēs include Iolaos, who won with the mares of Hēraklēs. So of old a competitor was permitted to compete with mares which were not his own. Homer, at any rate, in the Games held in honor of Patroklos, has told how Menelaos drove a pair, of which one was Aithra, a mare of Agamemnon, while the other was his own horse.

[4] Moreover, Iolaos used to be charioteer to Hēraklēs. So Iolaos won the chariot-race, and Iasios, an Arcadian, the horse race; while one of the sons of Tyndareus won the foot race and Polydeukes the boxing match. Of Hēraklēs himself, it is said that he won victories at wrestling and the pankration.

[5] After the reign of Oxylos, who also celebrated the Games, the Olympic festival was discontinued until the reign of Iphitos. When Iphitos, as I have already related, renewed the Games, men had by this time forgotten the ancient tradition, the memory of which revived bit by bit, and as it revived, they made additions to the Games.

[6] This I can prove; for when the unbroken tradition of the Olympiads began there was first the foot-race, and Koroibos, an Eleian, was victor. There is no statue of Koroibos at Olympia, but his tomb is on the borders of Elis. Afterwards, at the fourteenth Festival, the double foot-race was added: Hypenus of Pisa won the prize of wild olive in the double race, and at the next Festival, Acanthus of Lacedaemon won in the long course.

[7] At the eighteenth Festival, they remembered the pentathlon and wrestling. Lampis won the first and Eurybatos the second, these also being Lacedaemonians. At the twenty-third Festival, they restored the prizes for boxing, and the victor was Onomastos of Smyrna, which already was a part of Ionia. At the twenty-fifth, they recognized the race of full grown horses, and Pagondas of Thebes was proclaimed “victor in the chariot race.”

[8] At the eighth Festival after this, they admitted the pankration for men and the horse race. The horse race was won by Krauxidas of Crannon, and Lygdamis of Syracuse overcame all who entered for the pankration. Lygdamis has his tomb near the quarries at Syracuse, and according to the Syracusans, he was as big as Hēraklēs of Thebes, though I cannot vouch for the statement.

[9] The contests for boys have no authority in old tradition but were established by the Eleians themselves because they approved of them. The prizes for running and wrestling open to boys were instituted at the thirty-seventh Festival; Hipposthenes of Lacedaemon won the prize for wrestling, and that for running was won by Polyneikes of Elis. At the forty-first Festival they introduced boxing for boys, and the winner out of those who entered was Philytas of Sybaris.

[10] The race for men in armor was approved at the sixty-fifth Festival, to provide, I suppose, military training; the first winner of the race with shields was Damaretos of Heraia. The race for two full grown horses, called synoris (chariot and pair), was instituted at the ninety-third Festival, and the winner was Euagoras of Elis. At the ninety-ninth Festival, they resolved to hold contests for chariots drawn by foals, and Sybariades of Lacedaemon won the garland with his chariot and foals.

[11] Afterwards, they added races for chariots and pairs of foals and for single foals with rider. It is said that the victors proclaimed were: for the chariot and pair, Belistikhe, a woman from the seaboard of Macedonia; for the ridden race, Tlepolemos of Lycia. Tlepolemos, they say, won at the hundred and thirty-first Festival, and Belistiche at the third before this. At the hundred and forty-fifth Festival, prizes were offered for boys in the pankration, the victory falling to Phaedimus, an Aeolian from the city Troas.

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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 5.8

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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