Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 8.14

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[1]
Φενεατῶν δὲ τὸ πεδίον κεῖται μὲν ὑπὸ ταῖς Καρυαῖς, 0 πλεονάσαντος δέ ποτε αὐτῷ τοῦ ὕδατος κατακλυσθῆναί φασι τὴν ἀρχαίαν Φενεόν, ὥστε καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν σημεῖα ἐλείπετο ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρῶν ἐς ἃ ἐπαναβῆναι τὸ ὕδωρ λέγουσι. Καρυῶν δὲ στάδια πέντε ἀφέστηκεν ἥ τε Ὄρυξις καλουμένη καὶ ἕτερον ὄρος Σκίαθις· ὑφʼ ἑκατέρῳ δέ ἐστι τῷ ὄρει βάραθρον τὸ ὕδωρ καταδεχόμενον τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πεδίου.

[2] τὰ δὲ βάραθρα οἱ Φενεᾶται ταῦτά φασιν εἶναι χειροποίητα, ποιῆσαι δὲ αὐτὰ Ἡρακλέα τηνικαῦτα ἐν Φενεῷ παρὰ Λαονόμῃ τῇ Ἀμφιτρύωνος μητρὶ οἰκοῦντα· γενέσθαι γὰρ Ἀμφιτρύωνα ἐκ Λαονόμης Ἀλκαίῳ τῆς Γούνεω, γυναικὸς Φενεάτιδος, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ τῆς Πέλοπος Λυσιδίκης. εἰ δὲ Ἡρακλῆς ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ παρὰ τοὺς Φενεάτας μετῴκησε, πείθοιτο ἄν τις διωχθέντα ἐκ Τίρυνθος ὑπὸ Εὐρυσθέως αὐτὸν οὐκ αὐτίκα ἐς Θήβας, πρότερον δὲ ἐς Φενεὸν ἀφικέσθαι.

[3] διὰ μέσου δὲ ὤρυξεν Ἡρακλῆς τοῦ Φενεατῶν πεδίου ἔλυτρον, ῥεῦμα εἶναι τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ Ὀλβίῳ, ὅν τινα Ἀροάνιον Ἀρκάδων καλοῦσιν ἕτεροι καὶ οὐκ Ὄλβιον· μῆκος μὲν τοῦ ὀρύγματος στάδιοι πεντήκοντά εἰσι, βάθος δέ, ὅσον μὴ πεπτωκός ἐστιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐς τριάκοντα καθήκει πόδας. οὐ μὴν ταύτῃ γε ἔτι κάτεισιν ὁ ποταμός, ἀλλὰ ἐς τὸ ῥεῦμα ἀπεχώρησεν αὖθις τὸ ἀρχαῖον, καταλιπὼν ἔλυτρον τοῦ Ἡρακλέους τὸ ἔργον.

[4]
τῶν βαράθρων δὲ τῶν ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις πεποιημένων ὄρεσιν ἀπωτέρω πεντήκοντά που σταδίοις ἐστὶν ἡ πόλις· οἰκιστὴν δὲ οἱ Φενεᾶται λέγουσιν ἄνδρα αὐτόχθονα εἶναι Φενεόν. ἔστι δέ σφισιν ἀκρόπολις ἀπότομος πανταχόθεν, τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ἔχουσα οὕτως, 0 ὀλίγα δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ ὠχυρώσαντο ὑπὲρ ἀσφαλείας. ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει ναός ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς ἐπίκλησιν Τριτωνίας, ἐρείπια δὲ ἐλείπετο αὐτοῦ μόνα·

[5] καὶ Ποσειδῶν χαλκοῦς ἕστηκεν ἐπωνυμίαν Ἵππιος, ἀναθεῖναι δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος Ὀδυσσέα ἔφασαν· ἀπολέσθαι γὰρ ἵππους τῷ Ὀδυσσεῖ, καὶ αὐτὸν γῆν τὴν Ἑλλάδα κατὰ ζήτησιν ἐπιόντα τῶν ἵππων ἱδρύσασθαι μὲν ἱερὸν ἐνταῦθα Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Εὑρίππαν ὀνομάσαι τὴν θεόν, ἔνθα τῆς Φενεατικῆς χώρας εὗρε τὰς ἵππους, ἀναθεῖναι δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος τὸ ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ἱππίου.

[6] τῷ δὲ Ὀδυσσεῖ λέγουσιν εὑρόντι τὰς ἵππους γενέσθαι οἱ κατὰ γνώμην ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Φενεατῶν ἔχειν ἵππους, καθάπερ γε καὶ τὰς βοῦς ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ τῆς Ἰθάκης ἀπαντικρὺ τρέφειν αὐτόν· καί μοι καὶ γράμματα οἱ Φενεᾶται παρείχοντο ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀγάλματος γεγραμμένα τῷ βάθρῳ, τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως δή τι πρόσταγμα τοῖς ποιμαίνουσι τὰς ἵππους.

[7] τὰ μὲν δὴ ἄλλα ἑπομένοις ἡμῖν τῷ Φενεατῶν λόγῳ εἰκὸς προσέσται, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα Ὀδυσσέα ἀναθεῖναι τὸ χαλκοῦν οὐκ ἔχω πείθεσθαί σφισιν· οὐ γάρ πω τότε τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὰ ἀγάλματα διὰ παντὸς ἠπίσταντο ἐργάσασθαι καθάπερ ἐσθῆτα ἐξυφαίνοντες. τρόπον δὲ ὅστις ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὰ χαλκᾶ ἐργασίας, ἔδειξεν ἤδη μοι τοῦ ἐς Σπαρτιάτας λόγου τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀγάλματος τοῦ Ὑπάτου Διός.

[8] διέχεαν δὲ χαλκὸν πρῶτοι καὶ ἀγάλματα ἐχωνεύσαντο Ῥοῖκός τε Φιλαίου καὶ Θεόδωρος Τηλεκλέους Σάμιοι. Θεοδώρου δὲ ἔργον ἦν καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ λίθου τῆς σμαράγδου σφραγίς, ἣν Πολυκράτης ὁ Σάμου τυραννήσας ἐφόρει τε τὰ μάλιστα καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ περισσῶς δή τι ἠγάλλετο. 0

[9]
Φενεατῶν δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως καταβαίνοντι ἔστι μὲν στάδιον, ἔστι δὲ ἐπὶ λόφου μνῆμα Ἰφικλέους ἀδελφοῦ τε Ἡρακλέους καὶ Ἰολάου πατρός. Ἰόλαον μὲν δὴ τὰ πολλὰ Ἡρακλεῖ συγκάμνειν λέγουσιν Ἕλληνες· Ἰφικλῆς δὲ ὁ Ἰολάου πατήρ, ἡνίκα ἐμαχέσατο Ἡρακλῆς πρὸς Ἠλείους τε καὶ Αὐγέαν τὴν προτέραν μάχην, τότε ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων ἐτρώθη τῶν Ἄκτορος, καλουμένων δὲ ἀπὸ Μολίνης τῆς μητρός. καὶ ἤδη κάμνοντα κομίζουσιν οἱ προσήκοντες ἐς Φενεόν· ἐνταῦθα ἀνὴρ Φενεάτης αὐτὸν Βουφάγος καὶ ἡ τοῦ Βουφάγου γυνὴ Πρώμνη περιεῖπόν τε εὖ καὶ ἀποθανόντα ἐκ τοῦ τραύματος ἔθαψαν.

[10] Ἰφικλεῖ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἐς τόδε ἔτι ἐναγίζουσιν ὡς ἥρωι, θεῶν δὲ τιμῶσιν Ἑρμῆν Φενεᾶται μάλιστα καὶ ἀγῶνα ἄγουσιν Ἕρμαια, καὶ ναός ἐστιν Ἑρμοῦ σφισι καὶ ἄγαλμα λίθου· τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ἀνὴρ Ἀθηναῖος Εὔχειρ Εὐβουλίδου. ὄπισθεν δέ ἐστι τοῦ ναοῦ τάφος Μυρτίλου. τοῦτον Ἑρμοῦ παῖδα εἶναι τὸν Μυρτίλον λέγουσιν Ἕλληνες, ἡνιοχεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν Οἰνομάῳ· καὶ ὁπότε ἀφίκοιτό τις μνώμενος τοῦ Οἰνομάου τὴν θυγατέρα, ὁ μὲν ἠπείγετο ὁ Μυρτίλος σὺν τέχνῃ τοῦ Οἰνομάου τὰς ἵππους, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ δρόμῳ τὸν μνηστῆρα, ὁπότε ἐγγὺς γένοιτο, κατηκόντιζεν.

[11] Ἱπποδαμείας δὲ ἤρα μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Μυρτίλος, ἐς δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀτόλμως ἔχων ὑπεῖκε καὶ ἡνιόχει τῷ Οἰνομάῳ. τέλος δὲ καὶ ἀναφανῆναι τοῦ Οἰνομάου προδότην φασὶν αὐτὸν ὑπαχθέντα ὅρκοις, ὥς οἱ νύκτα ὁ Πέλοψ μίαν Ἱπποδαμείᾳ συγγενέσθαι παρήσει. ἀναμιμνήσκοντα οὖν τῶν ὅρκων ὁ Πέλοψ ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τῆς νεώς· Φενεᾶται δὲ τοῦ Μυρτίλου τὸν νεκρὸν
ἐκβληθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ κλύδωνος λέγουσιν ἀνελόμενοι θάψαι, καὶ νύκτωρ κατὰ ἔτος ἐναγίζουσιν αὐτῷ.

[12] ἔστι δὲ ὁ Πέλοψ δῆλος οὐ πολλήν τινα παραπλεύσας θάλασσαν, ἀλλὰ ὅσον ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ τῶν ἐκβολῶν ἐς τὸ ἐπίνειον τὸ Ἠλείων. οὐκ ἂν οὖν τό γε πέλαγος τὸ Μυρτῷον ἀπὸ Μυρτίλου τοῦ Ἑρμοῦ φαίνοιτο κεκλημένον, ἀρχόμενόν τε ἀπὸ Εὐβοίας καὶ παρʼ Ἑλένην ἔρημον νῆσον καθῆκον ἐς τὸ Αἰγαῖον· ἀλλά μοι δοκοῦσιν Εὐβοέων οἱ τὰ ἀρχαῖα μνημονεύοντες εἰκότα εἰρηκέναι, λέγοντες ἀπὸ γυναικὸς Μυρτοῦς τῷ πελάγει γεγονέναι τὸ ὄνομα τῷ Μυρτῴῳ.

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.) — 8.14 focus

[1]
The plain of Pheneus lies below Caryae, and they say that once the water rose on it and flooded the ancient city of Pheneus, so that even to-day there remain on the mountains marks up to which, it is said, the water rose. Five stades distant from Caryae is a mountain called Oryxis, and another, Mount Sciathis. Under each mountain is a chasm that receives the water from the plain.

[2] These chasms according to the people of Pheneus are artificial, being made by Heracles when he lived in Pheneus with Laonome, the mother of Amphitryo, who was, it is said, the son of Alcaeus by Laonome, the daughter of Guneus, a woman of Pheneus, and not by Lysidice, the daughter of Pelops. Now if Heracles really migrated to Pheneus, one might believe that when expelled by Eurystheus from Tiryns he did not go at once to Thebes , but went first to Pheneus.

[3] Heracles dug a channel through the middle of the plain of Pheneus for the river Olbius, which some Arcadians call, not Olbius but Aroanius. The length of the cutting is fifty stades, its depth, where it has not fallen in, is as much as thirty feet. The river, however, no longer flows along it, but it has gone back to its old bed, having left the work of Heracles.

[4]
About fifty stades from the chasms made in the mountains I have mentioned is the city, founded, say the Pheneatians, by Pheneus, an aboriginal. Their acropolis is precipitous on all sides, mostly so naturally, but a few parts have been artificially strengthened, to make it more secure. On the acropolis here is a temple of Athena surnamed Tritonia, but of it I found ruins only remaining.

[5] There stands also a bronze Poseidon, surnamed Horse, whose image, it is said, was dedicated by Odysseus. The legend is that Odysseus lost his mares, traversed Greece in search of them, and on the site in the land of Pheneus where he found his mares founded a sanctuary of Artemis, calling the goddess Horse-finder, and also dedicated the image of Horse Poseidon.

[6] When Odysseus found his mares he was minded, it is said, to keep horses in the land of Pheneus, just as he reared his cows, they say, on the mainland opposite Ithaca . On the base of the image the people of Pheneus pointed out to me writing, purporting to be instructions of Odysseus to those tending his mares.

[7] The rest of the account of the people of Pheneus it will be reasonable to accept, but I cannot believe their statement that Odysseus dedicated the bronze image. For men had not yet learned how to make bronze images in one piece, after the manner of those weaving a garment. Their method of working bronze statues I have already described when speaking of the image of Zeus Most High in my history of the Spartans.¹

[8] The first men to melt bronze and to cast images were the Samians Rhoecus the son of Philaeus and Theodorus the son of Telecles. Theodorus also made the emerald signet, which Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos , constantly wore, being exceedingly proud of it.

[9]
As you go down from the acropolis of Pheneus you come to a stadium, and on a hill stands a tomb of Iphicles, the brother of Heracles and the father of Iolaus. Iolaus, according to the Greek account, shared most of the labours of Heracles, but his father Iphicles, in the first battle fought by Heracles against the Eleans and Augeas, was wounded by the sons of Actor, who were called after their mother Moline. In a fainting condition he was carried by his relatives to Pheneus, where he was carefully nursed by Buphagus, a citizen of Pheneus, and by his wife Promne, who also buried him when he died of his wound.

[10] They still sacrifice to Iphicles as to a hero, and of the gods the people of Pheneus worship most Hermes, in whose honor they celebrate the games called Hermaea; they have also a temple of Hermes, and a stone image, made by an Athenian, Eucheir the son of Eubulides. Behind the temple is the grave of Myrtilus. The Greeks say that he was the son of Hermes, and that he served as charioteer to Oenomaus. Whenever a man arrived to woo the daughter of Oenomaus, Myrtilus craftily drove on the mares, while Oenomaus on the course shot down the wooer when he came near.

[11] Myrtilus himself, too, was in love with Hippodameia, but his courage failing him he shrank from the competition and served Oenomaus as his charioteer. At last, it is said, he proved a traitor to Oenomaus, being induced thereto by an oath sworn by Pelops that he would let him be with Hippodameia for one night. So when reminded of his oath Pelops threw him out of the ship. The people of Pheneus say that the body of Myrtilus was cast ashore by the tide, that they took it up and buried it, and that every year they sacrifice to him by night as to a hero.

[12] It is plain that Pelops did not make a long coasting voyage, but only sailed from the mouth of the Alpheius to the harbor of Elis . So the Sea of Myrto is obviously not named after Myrtilus, the son of Hermes, as it begins at Euboea and reaches the Aegaean by way of the uninhabited island of Helene. I think that a probable account is given by the antiquarians of Euboea, who say that the sea is named after a woman called Myrto.

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.) — 8.14 focus

[1] The plain of Pheneus lies below Caryae, and they say that once the water rose on it and flooded the ancient city of Pheneus, so that even today there remain on the mountains marks up to which, it is said, the water rose. Five stadium-lengths distant from Caryae is a mountain called Oryxis, and another, Mount Sciathis. Under each mountain is a chasm that receives the water from the plain.

[2] These chasms according to the people of Pheneus are artificial, being made by Hēraklēs when he lived in Pheneus with Laonome, the mother of Amphitryo, who was, it is said, the son of Alkaios by Laonome, the daughter of Guneus, a woman of Pheneus, and not by Lysidice, the daughter of Pelops. Now if Hēraklēs really migrated to Pheneus, one might believe that when expelled by Eurystheus from Tiryns he did not go at once to Thebes, but went first to Pheneus.

[3] Hēraklēs dug a channel through the middle of the plain of Pheneus for the river Olbios, which some Arcadians call, not Olbios but Aroanios. The length of the cutting is fifty stadium-lengths, its depth, where it has not fallen in, is as much as thirty feet. The river, however, no longer flows along it, but it has gone back to its old bed, having left the work of Hēraklēs.

[4] About fifty stadium-lengths from the chasms made in the mountains I have mentioned is the city, founded, say the Pheneatians, by Pheneus, an aboriginal. Their acropolis is precipitous on all sides, mostly so naturally, but a few parts have been artificially strengthened, to make it more secure. On the acropolis here is a temple of Athena surnamed Tritonia, but of it I found ruins only remaining.

[5] There stands also a bronze Poseidon, surnamed Horse, whose image, it is said, was dedicated by Odysseus. It was said that Odysseus lost his mares, traversed Greece in search of them, and on the site in the land of Pheneus where he found his mares founded a sanctuary of Artemis, calling the goddess Horse-finder, and also dedicated the image of Horse Poseidon.

[6] When Odysseus found his mares he was minded, it is said, to keep horses in the land of Pheneus, just as he reared his cows, they say, on the mainland opposite Ithaca. On the base of the image the people of Pheneus pointed out to me writing, purporting to be instructions of Odysseus to those tending his mares.

[8] The first men to melt bronze and to cast images were the Samians Rhoecus the son of Philaios and Theodoros the son of Telekles. Theodoros also made the emerald signet, which Polykrates, the tyrant of Samos, constantly wore, being exceedingly proud of it.

[9] As you go down from the acropolis of Pheneus you come to a stadium, and on a hill stands a tomb of Iphikles, the brother of Hēraklēs and the father of Iolaos. Iolaos, according to the Greek account, shared most of the labors of Hēraklēs, but his father Iphikles, in the first battle fought by Hēraklēs against the Eleians and Augeias, was wounded by the sons of Aktor, who were called after their mother Moline. In a fainting condition he was carried by his relatives to Pheneus, where he was carefully nursed by Bouphagos, a citizen of Pheneus, and by his wife Promne, who also buried him when he died of his wound.

[10] They still sacrifice to Iphikles as to a hero, and of the gods the people of Pheneus worship most Hermes, in whose honor they celebrate the games called Hermaea; they have also a temple of Hermes, and a stone image, made by an Athenian, Eucheir the son of Eubulides. Behind the temple is the tomb of Myrtilos. The Greeks say that he was the son of Hermes, and that he served as charioteer to Oinomaos. Whenever a man arrived to woo the daughter of Oinomaos, Myrtilos craftily drove on the mares, while Oinomaos on the course shot down the wooer when he came near.

[11] Myrtilos himself, too, was in love with Hippodameia, but his courage failing him he shrank from the competition and served Oinomaos as his charioteer. At last, it is said, he proved a traitor to Oinomaos, being induced thereto by an oath sworn by Pelops that he would let him be with Hippodameia for one night. So when reminded of his oath Pelops threw him out of the ship. The people of Pheneus say that the body of Myrtilos was cast ashore by the tide, that they took it up and buried it, and that every year they sacrifice to him by night as to a hero.

[12] It is plain that Pelops did not make a long coasting voyage, but only sailed from the mouth of the Alpheios to the harbor of Elis. So the Sea of Myrto is obviously not named after Myrtilos, the son of Hermes, as it begins at Euboea and reaches the Aegaean by way of the uninhabited island of Helene. I think that a probable account is given by the antiquarians of Euboea, who say that the sea is named after a woman called Myrto.

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 8.14

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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