Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 7.23

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[1]
μετὰ δὲ τὸν Χάραδρον ἐρείπια οὐκ ἐπιφανῆ πόλεώς ἐστιν Ἀργυρᾶς, καὶ πηγή τε Ἀργυρᾶ ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς λεωφόρου καὶ Σέλεμνος ποταμὸς κατιὼν ἐς θάλασσαν. λόγος δὲ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐς αὐτόν ἐστι, Σέλεμνον μειράκιον ὡραῖον ποιμαίνειν ἐνταῦθα, Ἀργυρᾶν δὲ εἶναι μὲν τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ νυμφῶν, ἐρασθεῖσαν δὲ αὐτὴν Σελέμνου φοιτᾶν τε ὡς αὐτόν φασιν ἐκ θαλάσσης ἀνιοῦσαν, καὶ καθεύδειν παρʼ αὐτῷ·

[2] μετὰ δὲ οὐ πολὺν χρόνον οὔτε ὡραῖος ἔτι ἐφαίνετο Σέλεμνος οὔτε ὡς αὐτὸν φοιτήσειν ἔμελλεν ἡ νύμφη, Σέλεμνον δὲ μονωθέντα Ἀργυρᾶς καὶ τελευτήσαντα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἔρωτος ἐποίησεν Ἀφροδίτη ποταμόν. λέγω δὲ τὰ ὑπὸ Πατρέων λεγόμενα. καὶ—ἤρα γὰρ καὶ ὕδωρ γενόμενος Ἀργυρᾶς, καθότι ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀλφειῷ λόγος Ἀρεθούσης ἔτι ἐρᾶν αὐτόν—δωρεῖται καὶ τῷδε Ἀφροδίτη Σέλεμνον·

[3] ἐς λήθην ἄγει τὸν ποταμὸν Ἀργυρᾶς. ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλον ἐπʼ αὐτῷ λόγον, τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ Σελέμνου σύμφορον καὶ ἀνδράσιν εἶναι καὶ γυναιξὶν ἐς ἔρωτος 0 ἴαμα, λουομένοις ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ λήθην ἔρωτος γίνεσθαι. εἰ δὲ μέτεστιν ἀληθείας τῷ λόγῳ, τιμιώτερον χρημάτων πολλῶν ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ Σελέμνου.

[4]
ἀπωτέρω δὲ Ἀργυρᾶς ποταμός ἐστιν ὀνομαζόμενος Βολιναῖος, καὶ πόλις ποτὲ ᾠκεῖτο πρὸς αὐτῷ Βολίνα. παρθένου δὲ ἐρασθῆναι Βολίνης Ἀπόλλωνα, τὴν δὲ φεύγουσαν ἐς τὴν ταύτῃ φασὶν ἀφεῖναι θάλασσαν αὑτήν, καὶ ἀθάνατον γενέσθαι χάριτι τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος. ἐφεξῆς δὲ ἄκρα τε ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν ἔχει, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ λέγεται λόγος ὡς Κρόνος τῆς θαλάσσης ἐνταῦθα ἔρριψε τὸ δρέπανον, ᾧ τὸν πατέρα Οὐρανὸν ἐλυμήνατο· ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἄκραν Δρέπανον ὀνομάζουσιν. ὀλίγον δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν λεωφόρον Ῥυπῶν ἐστι τὰ ἐρείπια· σταδίους δὲ Αἴγιον περὶ τοὺς τριάκοντα ἀπέχει Ῥυπῶν.

[5]
Αἰγίου δὲ τὴν χώραν διέξεισι μὲν ποταμὸς Φοῖνιξ, διέξεισι δὲ καὶ ἕτερος Μειγανίτας, ἐς θάλασσαν ῥέοντες. στοὰ δὲ τῆς πόλεως πλησίον ἐποιήθη Στράτωνι ἀθλητῇ, Ὀλυμπίασιν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τῆς αὐτῆς παγκρατίου καὶ πάλης ἀνελομένῳ νίκας. αὕτη μὲν ἐγγυμνάζεσθαι τούτῳ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἐποιήθη· Αἰγιεῦσι δὲ Εἰλειθυίας ἱερόν ἐστιν ἀρχαῖον, καὶ ἡ Εἰλείθυια ἐς ἄκρους ἐκ κεφαλῆς τοὺς πόδας ὑφάσματι κεκάλυπται λεπτῷ, ξόανον πλὴν προσώπου τε καὶ χειρῶν ἄκρων καὶ ποδῶν, ταῦτα δὲ τοῦ

[6] Πεντελησίου λίθου πεποίηται· καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ τῇ μὲν ἐς εὐθὺ ἐκτέταται, τῇ δὲ ἀνέχει δᾷδα. Εἰλειθυίᾳ δὲ εἰκάσαι τις ἂν εἶναι δᾷδας, ὅτι γυναιξὶν ἐν ἴσῳ καὶ πῦρ εἰσιν αἱ ὠδῖνες· ἔχοιεν δʼ ἂν λόγον καὶ ἐπὶ τοιῷδε 0 αἱ δᾷδες, ὅτι Εἰλείθυιά ἐστιν ἡ ἐς φῶς ἄγουσα τοὺς παῖδας. ἔργον δὲ τοῦ Μεσσηνίου Δαμοφῶντός ἐστι τὸ ἄγαλμα.

[7]
τῆς δὲ Εἰλειθυίας οὐ μακρὰν Ἀσκληπιοῦ τέ ἐστι τέμενος καὶ ἀγάλματα Ὑγείας καὶ Ἀσκληπιοῦ· ἰαμβεῖον δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ τὸν Μεσσήνιον Δαμοφῶντα εἶναι τὸν εἰργασμένον φησίν. ἐν τούτῳ τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τῷ ἱερῷ ἐς ἀντιλογίαν ἀφίκετο ἀνήρ μοι Σιδόνιος, ὃς ἐγνωκέναι τὰ ἐς τὸ θεῖον ἔφασκε Φοίνικας καὶ τά τε ἄλλα Ἑλλήνων βέλτιον καὶ δὴ καὶ Ἀσκληπιῷ πατέρα μὲν σφᾶς Ἀπόλλωνα ἐπιφημίζειν, θνητὴν δὲ γυναῖκα οὐδεμίαν μητέρα·

[8] Ἀσκληπιὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀέρα γένει τε ἀνθρώπων εἶναι καὶ πᾶσιν ὁμοίως ζῴοις ἐπιτήδειον πρὸς ὑγίειαν, Ἀπόλλωνα δὲ ἥλιον, καὶ αὐτὸν ὀρθότατα Ἀσκληπιῷ πατέρα ἐπονομάζεσθαι, ὅτι ἐς τὸ ἁρμόζον ταῖς ὥραις ποιούμενος ὁ ἥλιος τὸν δρόμον μεταδίδωσι καὶ τῷ ἀέρι ὑγιείας. ἐγὼ δὲ ἀποδέχεσθαι μὲν τὰ εἰρημένα, οὐδὲν δέ τι Φοινίκων μᾶλλον ἢ καὶ Ἑλλήνων ἔφην τὸν λόγον, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν Τιτάνῃ τῆς Σικυωνίων τὸ αὐτὸ ἄγαλμα Ὑγείαν τε ὀνομάζεσθαι καὶ †παιδὶ ἦν δῆλα ὡς τὸν ἡλιακὸν δρόμον ἐπὶ γῆς ὑγίειαν ποιοῦντα ἀνθρώποις.

[9]
Αἰγιεῦσι δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς τε ναὸς καὶ Ἥρας ἐστὶν ἄλσος. Ἀθηνᾶς μὲν δὴ δύο ἀγάλματα λευκοῦ λίθου· τῆς δὲ Ἥρας τὸ ἄγαλμα ὅτι μὴ γυναιξίν, ἣ ἂν τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἔχῃ, ἄλλῳ γε δὴ οὐδενὶ ἔστι θεάσασθαι. Διονύσου δὲ πρὸς τῷ θεάτρῳ πεποίηταί σφισιν ἱερὸν καὶ ἄγαλμα, 0 οὐκ ἔχων πω γένεια. ἔστι δὲ καὶ Διὸς ἐπίκλησιν Σωτῆρος ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ τέμενος καὶ ἀγάλματα ἐσελθόντων ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, χαλκοῦ μὲν ἀμφότερα, τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἔχον πω γένεια ἐφαίνετο ἀρχαιότερον εἶναί μοι.

[10] ἐν δὲ οἰκήματι κατευθὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ, χαλκοῦ καὶ ταῦτα, ἔστι μὲν Ποσειδῶν καὶ Ἡρακλῆς, ἐστι δὲ Ζεύς τε καὶ Ἀθηνᾶ· θεοὺς δὲ σφᾶς καλοῦσιν ἐξ Ἄργους, ὡς μὲν ὁ Ἀργείων ἔχει λόγος, ὅτι ἐποιήθησαν ἐν τῇ πόλει τῇ Ἀργείων, ὡς δὲ αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν οἱ Αἰγιεῖς, παρακαταθήκη σφίσιν ὑπὸ Ἀργείων ἐδόθη τὰ ἀγάλματα.

[11] καὶ αὐτοῖς καὶ τάδε ἔτι προσταχθῆναί φασιν, ἑκάστῃ τοῖς ἀγάλμασιν ἡμέρᾳ θύειν· αὐτοὶ δὲ σόφισμα εὑρόντες θύειν μὲν πλεῖστα ὅσα, κατευωχουμένοις δὲ τὰ ἱερεῖα ἐν κοινῷ ἀνάλωμα οὐδὲν ἐς αὐτὰ γίνεσθαι· τέλος δὲ ἀπαιτεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀργείων καὶ αὐτοὺς τὰ ἐς τὰς θυσίας ἀναλούμενα ἀπαιτεῖν· τοὺς δὲ—οὐ γὰρ ἔχειν ἐκτῖσαι—καταλιπεῖν σφισιν αὐτοὺς τὰ ἀγάλματα.

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.) — 7.23 focus

[1]
After the Charadrus you come to some ruins, not at all remarkable, of the city Argyra , to the spring Argyra , on the right of the high road, and to the river Selemnus going down to the sea. The local legend about Selemnus is that he was a handsome lad who used to feed his flocks here. Argyra , they say, was a sea-nymph, who fell in love with Selemnus and used to come up out of the sea to visit him, sleeping by his side.

[2] After no long while Selemnus no longer seemed so handsome, and the nymph would not visit him. So Selemnus, deserted by Argyra , died of love, and Aphrodite turned him into a river. This is what the people of Patrae say. As Selemnus continued to love Argyra even when he was turned into water, just as Alpheius in the legend continued to love Arethusa, Aphrodite bestowed on him a further gift, by blotting out the memory of Argyra .

[3] I heard too another tale about the water, how that it is a useful remedy for both men and women when in love; if they wash in the river they forget their passion. If there is any truth in the story the water of the Selemnus is of more value to mankind than great wealth.

[4]
At some distance from Argyra is a river named Bolinaeus, and by it once stood a city Bolina. Apollo, says a legend, fell in love with a maiden called Bolina, who fleeing to the sea here threw herself into it, and by the favour of Apollo became an immortal. Next to it a cape juts out into the sea, and of it is told a story how Cronus threw into the sea here the sickle with which he mutilated his father Uranus. For this reason they call the cape Drepanum .¹ Beyond the high road are the ruins of Rhypes. Aegium is about thirty stades distant from Rhypes.

[5]
The territory of Aegium is crossed by a river Phoenix, and by another called Meiganitas, both of which flow into the sea. A portico near the city was made for Straton, an athlete who won at Olympia on the same day victories in the pancratium and in wrestling. The portico was built that this man might exercise himself in it. At Aegium is an ancient sanctuary of Eileithyia, and her image is covered from head to foot with finely-woven drapery; it is of wood except the face, hands and feet,

[6] which are made of Pentelic marble. One hand is stretched out straight; the other holds up a torch. One might conjecture that torches are an attribute of Eileithyia because the pangs of women are just like fire. The torches might also be explained by the fact that it is Eileithyia who brings children to the light. The image is a work of Damophon the Messenian.

[7]
Not far from Eileithyia is a precinct of Asclepius, with images of him and of Health. An iambic line on the pedestal says that the artist was Damophon the Messenian. In this sanctuary of Asclepius a man of Sidon entered upon an argument with me. He declared that the Phoenicians had better notions about the gods than the Greeks, giving as an instance that to Asclepius they assign Apollo as father, but no mortal woman as his mother.

[8] Asclepius, he went on, is air, bringing health to mankind and to all animals likewise; Apollo is the sun, and most rightly is he named the father of Asclepius, because the sun, by adapting his course to the seasons, imparts to the air its healthfulness. I replied that I accepted his statements, but that the argument was as much Greek as Phoenician for at Titane in Sicyonia the same image is called both Health and . . .² thus clearly showing that it is the course of the sun that brings health to mankind.

[9]
At Aegium you find a temple of Athena and a grove of Hera. Of Athena there are two images of white marble; the image of Hera may be seen by nobody except the woman who happens to hold the office of priestess to the goddess. Near the theater they have a sanctuary of Dionysus with an image of the god as a beardless youth. There is also in the market-place a precinct of Zeus surnamed Saviour, with two images, both of bronze, on the left as you go in; the one without a beard seemed to me the more ancient.

[10] In a building right in front of the entrance are images, of bronze like the others, representing Poseidon, Heracles, Zeus and Athena. They are called gods from Argos . The Argives say it is because they were made in Argos ; the people of Aegium themselves say that the images were deposited by the Argives with them on trust.

[11] They say further that they were ordered to sacrifice each day to the images. But bethinking themselves of a trick they sacrificed a vast number of animals, but the victims they ate up at public feasts, so that they were not put to any expense. At last the Argives asked for the images to be returned, whereupon the people of Aegium asked for the cost of the sacrifices. As the Argives had not the means to pay, they left the images at Aegium.

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.) — 7.23 focus

[1] After the Kharadros you come to some ruins, not at all remarkable, of the city Argyra, to the spring Argyra, on the right of the high road, and to the river Selemnus going down to the sea. There is a tale [ logos] told by the locals [ epikhōrioi] about Selemnus—how he was a handsome boy who used to feed his flocks here. Argyra, they say, was a sea-nymph, who fell in love with Selemnus and used to come up out of the sea to visit him, sleeping by his side.

[2] After no long while Selemnus no longer seemed so handsome, and the nymph would not visit him. So Selemnus, deserted by Argyra, died of love, and Aphrodite turned him into a river. I am saying here what the people of Patrai say. Selemnus continued to love Argyra even when he was turned into water, just as Alpheios, the story [ logos] has it, continued to love Arethousa. Aphrodite bestowed on him [Selemnus] a further gift, by blotting out the memory of Argyra.

[3] I heard too another tale about the water, how it is a useful remedy for both men and women when in love; if they wash in the river they forget their passion. If there is any truth in the story the water of the Selemnus is of more value to mankind than great wealth.

[4] At some distance from Argyra is a river named Bolinaios, and by it once stood a city Bolina. Apollo, it is said, fell in love with a maiden called Bolina, who fleeing to the sea here threw herself into it, and by the favor of Apollo became an immortal. Next to it a cape juts out into the sea, and of it is told a story how Kronos threw into the sea here the sickle with which he mutilated his father Uranus. For this reason they call the cape Drepanum. Beyond the high road are the ruins of Rhypes. Aigion is about thirty stadium-lengths distant from Rhypes.

[5] The territory of Aigion is crossed by a river Phoenix, and by another called Meiganitas, both of which flow into the sea. A portico near the city was made for Straton, an athlete who won at Olympia on the same day victories in the pankration and in wrestling. The portico was built that this man might exercise himself in it. At Aigion is an ancient sanctuary of Eileithuia, and her image is covered from head to foot with finely-woven drapery; it is of wood except the face, hands and feet,

[6] which are made of Pentelic marble. One hand is stretched out straight; the other holds up a torch. One might conjecture that torches are an attribute of Eileithuia because the pangs of women are just like fire. The torches might also be explained by the fact that it is Eileithuia who brings children to the light. The image is a work of Damophon the Messenian.

[7] Not far from Eileithuia is a precinct of Asklepios, with images of him and of Hygieia. An iambic line on the pedestal says that the artist was Damophon the Messenian. In this sanctuary of Asklepios a man of Sidon entered upon an argument with me. He declared that the Phoenicians had better notions about the gods than the Greeks, giving as an instance that to Asklepios they assign Apollo as father, but no mortal woman as his mother.

[8] Asklepios, he went on, is air, bringing health to mankind and to all animals likewise; Apollo is the sun, and most rightly is he named the father of Asklepios, because the sun, by adapting his course to the seasons, imparts to the air its healthfulness. I replied that I accepted his statements, but that the argument was as much Greek as Phoenician for at Titane in Sikyonia the same image is called both Hygieia and … thus clearly showing that it is the course of the sun that brings health to mankind.

[9] At Aigion you find a temple of Athena and a grove of Hērā. Of Athena there are two images of white marble; the image of Hērā may be seen by nobody except the woman who happens to hold the office of priestess to the goddess. Near the theater they have a sanctuary of Dionysus with an image of the god as a beardless youth. There is also in the marketplace a precinct of Zeus surnamed Savior, with two images, both of bronze, on the left as you go in; the one without a beard seemed to me the more ancient.

[10] In a building right in front of the entrance are images, of bronze like the others, representing Poseidon, Hēraklēs, Zeus and Athena. They are called gods from Argos. The Argives say it is because they were made in Argos; the people of Aigion themselves say that the images were deposited by the Argives with them on trust.

[11] They say further that they were ordered to sacrifice each day to the images. But bethinking themselves of a trick they sacrificed a vast number of animals, but the victims they ate up at public feasts, so that they were not put to any expense. At last the Argives asked for the images to be returned, whereupon the people of Aigion asked for the cost of the sacrifices. As the Argives had not the means to pay, they left the images at Aigion.

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 7.23

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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