Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 6.8

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[1]
Σωκράτους δὲ Πελληνέως δρόμου νίκην ἐν παισὶν εἰληφότος καὶ Ἠλείου Ἀμέρτου καταπαλαίσαντος ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ παῖδας, καταπαλαίσαντος δὲ καὶ Πυθοῖ τοὺς ἐλθόντας τῶν ἀνδρῶν, τοῦ μὲν τὸν ποιήσαντα τὴν εἰκόνα οὐ λέγουσι, τὴν δὲ τοῦ Ἀμέρτου Φράδμων ἐποίησεν Ἀργεῖος. Εὐανορίδᾳ δὲ Ἠλείῳ πάλης ἐν παισὶν ὑπῆρξεν ἔν τε Ὀλυμπίᾳ καὶ Νεμείων νίκη· γενόμενος δὲ Ἑλλανοδίκης ἔγραψε καὶ οὗτος τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τῶν νενικηκότων.

[2]
ἐς δὲ πύκτην ἄνδρα, γένος μὲν Ἀρκάδα ἐκ Παρρασίων, Δάμαρχον δὲ ὄνομα, οὔ μοι πιστὰ ἦν πέρα γε τῆς ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ νίκης ὁπόσα ἄλλα ἀνδρῶν ἀλαζόνων ἐστὶν εἰρημένα, ὡς ἐξ ἀνθρώπου μεταβάλοι τὸ εἶδος ἐς λύκον ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ τοῦ Λυκαίου Διός, καὶ ὡς ὕστερον τούτων ἔτει δεκάτῳ γένοιτο αὖθις ἄνθρωπος. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀρκάδων λέγεσθαί μοι τοῦτο 0 ἐφαίνετο ἐς αὐτόν, ἐλέγετο γὰρ ἂν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπιγράμματος τοῦ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ· ἔχει γὰρ δὴ οὕτως·

υἱὸς Δινύτα Δάμαρχος τάνδʼ ἀνέθηκεν

εἰκόνʼ ἀπʼ Ἀρκαδίας Παρράσιος γενεάν.

τοῦτο μὲν δὴ ἐς τοσοῦτο πεποίηται·

[3] Εὐβώτας δὲ ὁ Κυρηναῖος, ἅτε τὴν ἐσομένην οἱ δρόμου νίκην ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ παρὰ τοῦ μαντείου τοῦ ἐν Λιβύῃ προπεπυσμένος, τήν τε εἰκόνα ἐπεποίητο πρότερον καὶ ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τῆς αὐτῆς ἀνηγορεύθη τε νικήσας καὶ ἀνέθηκε τὴν εἰκόνα. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς κρατήσειε καὶ ἅρματι ἐπὶ Ὀλυμπιάδος ταύτης ἣ λόγῳ τῷ Ἠλείων ἐστὶ κίβδηλος τῶν ἀγωνοθετησάντων Ἀρκάδων ἕνεκα.

[4]
Κλεωναίῳ δὲ Τιμάνθει παγκρατίου λαβόντι ἐν ἀνδράσι στέφανον καὶ Τροιζηνίῳ Βαύκιδι παλαιστὰς καταβαλόντι ἄνδρας, τῷ μὲν τοῦ Ἀθηναίου Μύρωνος, Βαύκιδι δὲ Ναυκύδους ἐστὶν ὁ ἀνδριὰς ἔργον. τῷ δὲ Τιμάνθει τὸ τέλος τοῦ βίου συμβῆναί φασιν ἐπὶ αἰτίᾳ τοιᾷδε. πεπαῦσθαι μὲν ἀθλοῦντα, ἀποπειρᾶσθαι δὲ ὅμως αὐτὸν ἔτι τῆς ἰσχύος, τόξον μέγα ἐπὶ ἑκάστης τείνοντα τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀποδημῆσαί τε δὴ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ τόξῳ τηνικαῦτα ἐκλειφθῆναί οἱ τὴν μελέτην· ὡς δὲ ἐπανήκων οὐχ οἷός τε ἔτι τεῖναι τὸ τόξον ἐγίνετο, πῦρ ἀνακαύσας ἀφίησι ζῶντα ἐς τὴν πυρὰν αὑτόν. ὁπόσα δὲ ἤδη τοιαῦτα ἐγένετο ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἢ καὶ ὕστερόν ποτε ἔσται, μανία μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνδρία νομίζοιτο ἂν κατά γε ἐμὴν γνώμην.

[5]
μετὰ δὲ τὸν Βαύκιδά εἰσιν ἀθλητῶν Ἀρκάδων
εἰκόνες, Εὐθυμένης τε ἐξ αὐτῆς Μαινάλου, νίκας τὴν μὲν ἀνδρῶν πάλης, τὴν δʼ ἔτι πρότερον ἐν παισὶν εἰληφώς, καὶ Ἀζὰν ἐκ Πελλάνας Φίλιππος κρατήσας πυγμῇ παῖδας, καὶ Κριτόδαμος ἐκ Κλείτορος, ἐπὶ πυγμῇ καὶ οὗτος ἀναγορευθεὶς παίδων· τὰς δέ σφισιν εἰκόνας, τὴν μὲν ἐν παισὶ τοῦ Εὐθυμένους Ἄλυπος, τὴν δὲ τοῦ Δαμοκρίτου Κλέων, Φιλίππου δὲ τοῦ Ἀζᾶνος Μύρων τὴν εἰκόνα ἐποίησε. τὰ δὲ ἐς Πρόμαχον τὸν Δρύωνος παγκρατιαστὴν Πελληνέα προσέσται μοι καὶ ταῦτα τῷ ἐς Ἀχαιοὺς λόγῳ.

[6] Προμάχου δὲ οὐ πόρρω Τιμασίθεος ἀνάκειται γένος Δελφός, Ἀγελάδα μὲν ἔργον τοῦ Ἀργείου, παγκρατίου δὲ δύο μὲν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ νίκας, τρεῖς δὲ ἀνῃρημένος Πυθοῖ. καὶ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν πολέμοις ἐστὶν ἔργα τῇ τε τόλμῃ λαμπρὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀποδέοντα τῇ εὐτυχίᾳ, πλήν γε δὴ τοῦ τελευταίου· τοῦτο δὲ αὐτῷ θάνατον τὸ ἐγχείρημα ἤνεγκεν. Ἰσαγόρᾳ γὰρ τῷ Ἀθηναίῳ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τὴν Ἀθηναίων καταλαβόντι ἐπὶ τυραννίδι μετασχὼν τοῦ ἔργου καὶ ὁ Τιμασίθεος—ἐγένετο γὰρ τῶν ἐγκαταληφθέντων ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει—θάνατον ζημίαν εὕρετο εὕρετο δὲ τοῦ ἀδικήματος παρὰ Ἀθηναίων.

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.) — 6.8 focus

[1]
Socrates of Pellene won the boys' race, and Amertes of Elis the wrestlers' match for boys at Olympia , besides beating all competitors in the men's wrestling match at Pytho . It is not said who made the statue of Socrates, but that of Amertes is from the band of Phradmon of Argos . Euanoridas of Elis won the boys' wrestling-match both at Olympia and at Nemea . When he was made an umpire he joined the ranks of those who have recorded at Olympia the names of the victors.

[2]
As to the boxer, by name Damarchus, an Arcadian of Parrhasia , I cannot believe (except, of course, his Olympic victory) what romancers say about him, how he changed his shape into that of a wolf at the sacrifice of Lycaean (Wolf) Zeus, and how nine years after he became a man again. Nor do I think that the Arcadians either record this of him, otherwise it would have been recorded as well in the inscription at Olympia , which runs:—

This statue was dedicated by Damarchus, son of Dinytas,

Parrhasian by birth from Arcadia.

[3] Here the inscription ends. Eubotas of Cyrene , when the Libyan oracle foretold to him his coming Olympic victory for running, had his portrait statue made beforehand, and so was proclaimed victor and dedicated the statue on the same day. He is also said to have won the chariot-race at that Festival which, according to the account of the Eleans, was not genuine because the Arcadians presided at it.

[4]
The statue of Timanthes of Cleonae, who won the crown in the pancratium for men, was made by Myron of Athens , but Naucydes made that of Baucis of Troezen, who overthrew the men wrestlers. Timanthes, they say, met his end through the following cause. On retiring from athletics he continued to test his strength by drawing a great bow every day. His practice with the bow was interrupted during a period when he was away from home. On his return, finding that he was no longer able to bend the bow, he lit a fire and threw himself alive on to it. In my view all such deeds, whether they have already occurred among men or will take place hereafter, ought to be regarded as acts of madness rather than of courage.

[5]
After Baucis are statues of Arcadian athletes: Euthymenes from Maenalus itself, who won the men's and previously the boys' wrestling-match; Philip, an Azanian from Pellana, who beat the boys at boxing, and Critodamus from Cleitor, who like Philip was proclaimed victor in the boys' boxing match. The statue of Euthymenes for his victory over the boys was made by Alypus; the statue of Damocritus was made by Cleon, and that of Philip the Azanian by Myron. The story of Promachus, son of Dryon, a pancratiast of Pellene , will be included in my account of the Achaeans.¹

[6] Not far from Promachus is set up the statue of Timasitheus, a Delphian by birth, the work of Ageladas of Argos . This athlete won in the pancratium two victories at Olympia and three at Pytho . His achievements in war too are distinguished by their daring and by the good luck which attended all but the last, which caused his death. For when Isagoras the Athenian captured the Acropolis of the Athenians with a view to setting up a tyranny, Timasitheus took part in the affair, and, on being taken prisoner on the Acropolis, was put to death by the Athenians for his sin against them.

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.) — 6.8 focus

[1] Socrates of Pellene won the boys’ race, and Amertes of Elis the wrestlers’ match for boys at Olympia, besides beating all competitors in the men’s wrestling match at Pythō. It is not said who made the statue of Socrates, but that of Amertes is from the band of Phradmon of Argos. Euanoridas of Elis won the boys’ wrestling match both at Olympia and at Nemeā. When he was made an umpire, he joined the ranks of those who have recorded at Olympia the names of the victors.

[2] As to the boxer, by name Damarkhos, an Arcadian of Parrhasia, I cannot believe (except, of course, his Olympic victory) what romancers say about him, how he changed his shape into that of a wolf at the sacrifice of Lycaean [Wolf] Zeus, and how nine years after he became a man again. Nor do I think that the Arcadians either record this of him, otherwise it would have been recorded as well in the inscription at Olympia, which runs:

“This statue was dedicated by Damarkhos, son of Dinytas,
Parrhasian by birth from Arcadia.”

[3] Here the inscription ends. Eubotas of Cyrene, when the Libyan oracle foretold to him his coming Olympic victory for running, had his portrait statue made beforehand, and so was proclaimed victor and dedicated the statue on the same day. He is also said to have won the chariot-race at that Festival which, according to the account of the Eleians, was not genuine because the Arcadians presided at it.

[4] The statue of Timanthes of Kleonai, who won the garland in the pankration for men, was made by Myron of Athens, but Naukydes made that of Baukis of Troizen, who overthrew the men wrestlers. Timanthes, they say, met his end through the following cause. On retiring from athletics, he continued to test his strength by drawing a great bow every day. His practice with the bow was interrupted during a period when he was away from home. On his return, finding that he was no longer able to bend the bow, he lit a fire and threw himself alive on to it. In my view all such deeds, whether they have already occurred among men or will take place hereafter, ought to be regarded as acts of madness rather than of courage.

[5] After Baukis are statues of Arcadian athletes: Euthymenes from Mainalos itself, who won the men’s and previously the boys’ wrestling match; Philip, an Azanian from Pellana, who beat the boys at boxing, and Kritodamos from Kleitor, who like Philip was proclaimed victor in the boys’ boxing match. The statue of Euthymenes for his victory over the boys was made by Alypos; the statue of Damokritos was made by Kleon, and that of Philip the Azanian by Myron. The story of a competitor in the pankration who was named Promakhos, son of Dryon, from Pellene, will be included in my account of the Achaeans.

[6] Not far from Promakhos is set up the statue of Timasitheos, a Delphian by birth, the work of Ageladas of Argos. This athlete won in the pankration two victories at Olympia and three at Pythō. His achievements in war too are distinguished by their daring and by the good luck which attended all but the last, which caused his death. For when Isagoras the Athenian captured the Acropolis of the Athenians with a view of setting up a tyranny, Timasitheus took part in the affair, and, on being taken prisoner on the Acropolis, was put to death by the Athenians for his sin against them.

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 6.8

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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