Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 8.24

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[1]
Ψωφῖδος δὲ οἱ μέν φασιν οἰκιστὴν γενέσθαι Ψώφιδα τὸν Ἄρρωνος τοῦ Ἐρυμάνθου τοῦ Ἀρίστα τοῦ Παρθάονος τοῦ Περιφήτου τοῦ Νυκτίμου· τοῖς δέ ἐστιν εἰρημένα θυγατέρα Ψωφῖδα εἶναι Ξάνθου τοῦ Ἐρυμάνθου τοῦ Ἀρκάδος. τάδε μὲν οὖν οὕτω κατὰ τὴν Ἀρκάδων ἐς τοὺς βασιλέας ἔχει μνήμην·

[2] ὁ δὲ ἀληθέστατος τῶν λόγων ἐστὶν Ἔρυκος τοῦ ἐν Σικανίᾳ δυναστεύσαντος παῖδα εἶναι τὴν Ψωφῖδα, ᾗ συγγενόμενος Ἡρακλῆς ἀγαγέσθαι μὲν αὐτὴν ἐς τὸν οἶκον οὐκ ἠξίου, καταλείπει δὲ ἔχουσαν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ παρὰ Λυκόρτᾳ, ξένῳ μὲν ὄντι αὐτοῦ, παροικοῦντι δὲ ἐν πόλει Φηγίᾳ, πρὸ δὲ τοῦ Φηγέως τῆς βασιλείας Ἐρυμάνθῳ καλουμένῃ· ἐπιτραφέντες δὲ αὐτόθι Ἐχέφρων καὶ Πρόμαχος Ἡρακλέους τε ὄντες καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς Σικανῆς μετέθεντο τῇ Φηγίᾳ τὸ ὄνομα Ψωφῖδα ἀπὸ τῆς μητρός.

[3] ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ζακυνθίων τῇ 0 ἀκροπόλει Ψωφὶς ὄνομα, ὅτι ναυσὶν ἐς τὴν νῆσον ἐπεραιώθη πρῶτος καὶ ἐγένετο οἰκιστὴς ἀνὴρ Ψωφίδιος, Ζάκυνθος τε ὁ Δαρδάνου. Σειρῶν μὲν δὴ σταδίοις ἐστὶν ἀπωτέρω τριάκοντα ἡ Ψωφίς· παρὰ δὲ αὐτὴν ὅ τε Ἀροάνιος ποταμὸς καὶ ὀλίγον ἀπωτέρω τῆς πόλεως Ἐρύμανθος ῥέουσιν.

[4] ἔχει δὲ τὰς πηγὰς ὁ Ἐρύμανθος ἐν ὄρει Λαμπείᾳ, τὸ δὲ ὄρος τοῦτο ἱερὸν εἶναι Πανὸς λέγεται· εἴη δʼ ἂν τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ Ἐρυμάνθου μοῖρα ἡ Λάμπεια. ἐποίησε δὲ Ὅμηρος ὡς ἐν Ταϋγέτῳ τε καὶ Ἐρυμάνθῳ θηρευτὴς οὖν τῆς Λαμπείας ὁ Ἐρύμανθος, καὶ Ἀρκαδίαν διεξελθὼν ἐν δεξιᾷ μὲν τὸ ὄρος ἔχων τὴν Φολόην, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ πάλιν Θέλπουσαν χώραν, κάτεισιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν.

[5] λέγεται δὲ ὡς Ἡρακλῆς κατὰ πρόσταγμα Εὐρυσθέως παρὰ τῷ Ἐρυμάνθῳ θηράσειεν ὗν μεγέθει καὶ ἀλκῇ τοὺς ἄλλους ὑπερηρκότα. Κυμαῖοι δὲ οἱ ἐν Ὀπικοῖς συὸς ὀδόντας ἀνακειμένους παρὰ σφίσιν ἐν Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερῷ λόγῳ μὲν λέγουσιν ὡς οἱ ὀδόντες ὑὸς εἶεν τοῦ Ἐρυμανθίου, τῷ λόγῳ δὲ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ ἐπʼ ὀλίγον μέτεστι τοῦ εἰκότος.

[6] Ψωφιδίοις δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει τοῦτο μὲν Ἀφροδίτης ἱερὸν Ἐρυκίνης ἐστὶν ἐπίκλησιν— ἧς ἐρείπια ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἐλείπετο αὐτοῦ μόνα, ἐλέγοντο δὲ οἱ Ψωφῖδος αὐτὸ ἱδρύσασθαι παῖδες, καὶ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τὸ εἰκὸς πρόσεστι· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἐν Σικελίᾳ τῆς Ἐρυκίνης ἱερὸν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῇ Ἔρυκος, ἁγιώτατόν τε ἐκ παλαιοτάτου καὶ οὐκ ἀποδέον πλούτῳ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ ἐν Πάφῳ—

[7] Προμάχου δὲ καὶ Ἐχέφρονος τῶν Ψωφῖδος οὐκ
ἐπιφανῆ κατʼ ἐμὲ ἔτι ἦν τὰ ἡρῷα. τέθαπται δὲ καὶ Ἀλκμαίων ἐν Ψωφῖδι ὁ Ἀμφιαράου, καί οἱ τὸ μνῆμά ἐστιν οἴκημα οὔτε μεγέθει μέγα οὔτε ἄλλως κεκοσμημένον· περὶ δὲ αὐτὸ κυπάρισσοι πεφύκασιν ἐς τοσοῦτον ὕψος ἀνήκουσαι, ὥστε καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ πρὸς τῇ Ψωφῖδι κατεσκιάζετο ὑπʼ αὐτῶν. ταύτας οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν ἐκκόπτειν ἱερὰς τοῦ Ἀλκμαίωνος νομίζοντες· καλοῦνται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων παρθένοι.

[8] ὁ δὲ Ἀλκμαίων ἡνίκα τὴν μητέρα ἀποκτείνας ἔφυγεν ἐξ Ἄργους, τότε ἐς τὴν Ψωφῖδα ἐλθών, Φηγίαν ἔτι ἀπὸ τοῦ Φηγέως ὀνομαζομένην, συνῴκησεν Ἀλφεσιβοίᾳ τῇ Φηγέως θυγατρὶ καὶ αὐτῇ δῶρα ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς καὶ ἄλλα καὶ τὸν ὅρμον δίδωσιν. ὡς δὲ οἰκοῦντι αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῖς Ἀρκάσιν οὐδὲν ἐγίνετο ἡ νόσος ῥᾴων, κατέφυγεν ἐπὶ τὸ μαντεῖον τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς, καὶ αὐτὸν ἡ Πυθία διδάσκει τὸν Ἐριφύλης ἀλάστορα ἐς ταύτην οἱ μόνην χώραν οὐ συνακολουθήσειν, ἥτις ἐστὶ νεωτάτη καὶ ἡ θάλασσα τοῦ μητρῴου μιάσματος ἀνέφηνεν ὕστερον αὐτήν.

[9] καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐξευρὼν τοῦ Ἀχελῴου τὴν πρόσχωσιν ἐνταῦθα ᾤκησε, καὶ γυναῖκα ἔσχε Καλλιρόην τοῦ Ἀχελῴου θυγατέρα λόγῳ τῷ Ἀκαρνάνων, καί οἱ παῖδες Ἀκαρνάν τε καὶ Ἀμφότερος ἐγένοντο· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἀκαρνᾶνος τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ ταύτῃ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ νῦν γενέσθαι λέγουσι τὰ πρὸ τούτου Κούρησι καλουμένοις. ἐς ἐπιθυμίας δὲ ἀνοήτους πολλοὶ μὲν ἄνδρες, γυναῖκες δὲ ἔτι πλέον ἐξοκέλλουσιν.

[10] ἐπεθύμησεν ἡ Καλλιρόη τῆς Ἐριφύλης οἱ γενέσθαι τὸν ὅρμον καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ ἐς τὴν Φηγίαν τὸν Ἀλκμαίωνα ἔστειλεν ἄκοντα, καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ Φηγέως 0 τῶν παίδων Τημένου καὶ Ἀξίονος δολοφονηθέντα ἐπέλαβεν ἡ τελευτή. τοῦ Φηγέως δὲ οἱ παῖδες τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι ἀναθεῖναι τῷ ἐν Δελφοῖς λέγονται τὸν ὅρμον. καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων βασιλευόντων ἐν Φηγίᾳ τότε ἔτι καλουμένῃ τῇ πόλει Φηγίᾳ στρατεῦσαί φασιν Ἕλληνας ἐς Τροίαν· σφᾶς δὲ οἱ Ψωφίδιοι τοῦ στόλου φασὶν οὐ μετασχεῖν, ὅτι αὐτῶν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν οἱ Ἀργείων ἀπηχθάνοντο ἡγεμόνες, κατὰ γένος τε τῷ Ἀλκμαίωνι οἱ πολλοὶ προσήκοντες καὶ τῆς ἐπιστρατείας αὐτῷ κοινωνήσαντες τῆς ἐς Θήβας.

[11]
τὰς δὲ Ἐχινάδας νήσους ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀχελῴου μὴ σφᾶς ἤπειρον ἄχρι ἡμῶν ἀπειργάσθαι γέγονε δὴ αἰτία τὸ Αἰτωλῶν ἔθνος, γεγόνασι δὲ αὐτοί τε ἀνάστατοι καὶ ἡ γῆ σφισι πᾶσα ἠρήμωται· ταῖς Ἐχινάσιν οὖν ἅτε ἀσπόρου μενούσης τῆς Αἰτωλίας οὐχ ὁμοίως ὁ Ἀχελῷος ἐπάγει τὴν ἰλύν. μαρτύριον δέ μοι τοῦ λόγου· ὁ γὰρ Μαίανδρος διὰ τῆς Φρυγῶν καὶ Καρῶν ἀρουμένης ὅσα ἔτη ῥέων τὴν μεταξὺ Πριήνης καὶ Μιλήτου θάλασσαν ἐν οὐ πολλῷ χρόνῳ πεποίηκεν ἤπειρον.

[12] Ψωφιδίοις δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῷ Ἐρυμάνθῳ ναός ἐστιν Ἐρυμάνθου καὶ ἄγαλμα. ποιεῖται δὲ πλὴν τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου Νείλου ποταμοῖς τοῖς ἄλλοις λίθου λευκοῦ τὰ ἀγάλματα· τῷ Νείλῳ δέ, ἅτε διὰ τῆς Αἰθιόπων κατιόντι ἐς θάλασσαν, μέλανος λίθου τὰ ἀγάλματα ἐργάζεσθαι νομίζουσιν.

[13]
ὃν δὲ ἤκουσα ἐν Ψωφῖδι ἐπὶ Ἀγλαῷ λόγον ἀνδρὶ Ψωφιδίῳ κατὰ Κροῖσον τὸν Λυδὸν ὄντι ἡλικίαν, ὡς ὁ Ἀγλαὸς τὸν χρόνον τοῦ βίου πάντα γένοιτο εὐδαίμων, οὔ με ἔπειθεν ὁ λόγος. ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπων μὲν τῶν ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῦ κακὰ ἄν τις ἐλάσσονα ἀναδέξαιτο, καθὰ καὶ 0 ναῦς ἧσσον ἂν χειμασθείη νεὼς ἄλλης·

[14] ἄνδρα δὲ συμφορῶν ἀεὶ στάντα ἐκτὸς ἢ τὰ πάντα οὐρίῳ ναῦν χρησαμένην πνεύματι οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως δυνησόμεθα ἐξευρεῖν, ἐπεὶ καὶ Ὅμηρος κατακείμενον παρὰ τῷ Διὶ ἀγαθῶν πίθον, τὸν δὲ ἕτερον κακῶν ἐποίησεν, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς θεοῦ δεδιδαγμένος, ὃς αὐτόν ποτε Ὅμηρον κακοδαίμονά τε προσεῖπε καὶ ὄλβιον ὡς φύντα ἐπὶ ἀμφοτέροις ὁμοίως.

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.) — 8.24 focus

[1]
The founder of Psophis , according to some, was Psophis , the son of Arrhon, the son of Erymanthus, the son of Aristas, the son of Parthaon, the son of Periphetes, the son of Nyctimus. Others say that Psophis was the daughter of Xanthus , the son of Erymanthus, the son of Arcas. Such are the Arcadian traditions concerning their kings,

[2] but the most accurate version is that Eryx , the despot of Sicania, had a daughter named Psophis , whom Heracles, though he had intercourse with her, refused to take to his home, but left with child in the care of his friend Lycortas, who lived at Phegia, a city called Erymanthus before the reign of Phegeus. Having been brought up here, Echephron and Promachus, the sons of Heracles and the Sicanian woman, changed the name of Phegia to Psophis , the name of their mother.

[3] Psophis is also the name of the Zacynthian acropolis, because the first man to sail across to the island was Zacynthus , the son of Dardanus, a Psophidian who became its founder. From Seirae it is thirty stades to Psophis , by the side of which runs the river Aroanius, and a little farther away the river Erymanthus.

[4] The Erymanthus has its source in Mount Lampeia, which is said to be sacred to Pan. One might regard Lampeia as a part of Mount Erymanthus. Homer says¹ that in Taygetus and Erymanthus . . . hunter . . . so . . . of Lampeia, Erymanthus, and passing through Arcadia , with Mount Pholoe on the right and the district of Thelpusa on the left, flows into the Alpheius.

[5] There is also a legend that Heracles at the command of Eurystheus hunted by the side of the Erymanthus a boar that surpassed all others in size and in strength. The people of Cumae among the Opici say that the boar's tusks dedicated in their sanctuary of Apollo are those of the Erymanthian boar, but the saying is altogether improbable.

[6] In Psophis there is a sanctuary of Aphrodite surnamed Erycine; I found only ruins of it remaining, but the people said that it was established by the sons of Psophis . Their account is probable, for in Sicily too, in the territory of Eryx , is a sanctuary of Erycine, which from the remotest times has been very holy, and quite as rich as the sanctuary in Paphos .

[7] The hero-shrines, however, of Promachus and Echephron, the sons of Psophis , were no longer distinguished when I saw them. In Psophis is buried Alcmaeon also, the son of Amphiaraus, and his tomb is a building remarkable for neither its size nor its ornament. About it grow cypresses, reaching to such a height that even the mountain by Psophis was overshadowed by them. These the inhabitants will not cut down, holding them to be sacred to Alcmaeon.

[8] They are called “maidens” by the natives. Alcmaeon, after killing his mother, fled from Argos and came to Psophis , which was still called Phegia after Phegeus, and married Alphesiboea, the daughter of Phegeus. Among the presents that he naturally gave her was the necklace. While he lived among the Arcadians his disease did not grow any better, so he had recourse to the oracle at Delphi . The Pythian priestess informed him that the only land into which the avenging spirit of Eriphyle would not follow him was the newest land, one brought up to light by the sea after the pollution of his mother's death.

[9] On discovering the alluvial deposit of the Achelous he settled there, and took to wife Callirhoe, said by the Acarnanians to have been the daughter of Achelous. He had two sons, Acarnan and Amphoterus; after this Acarnan were called by their present name (so the story runs) the dwellers in this part of the mainland, who previously were called Curetes. Senseless passions shipwreck many men, and even more women.

[10] Callirhoe conceived a passion for the necklace of Eriphyle, and for this reason sent Alcmaeon against his will to Phegia. Temenus and Axion, the sons of Phegeus, murdered him by treachery. The sons of Phegeus are said to have dedicated the necklace to the god in Delphi , and it is said that the expedition of the Greeks to Troy took place when they were kings in the city that was still called Phegia. The people of Psophis assert that the reason why they took no part in the expedition was because their princes had incurred the enmity of the leaders of the Argives, who were in most cases related by blood to Alcmaeon, and had joined him in his campaign against Thebes .

[11]
That the Echinades islands have not been made mainland as yet by the Achelous is due to the Aetolian people, who have been driven from their homes and all their land has been laid waste. Accordingly, as Aetolia remains untilled, the Achelous does not bring as much mud upon the Echinades as it otherwise would do. My reasoning is confirmed by the fact that the Maeander , flowing through the land of the Phrygians and Carians, which is ploughed up each year, has turned to mainland in a short time the sea that once was between Priene and Miletus .

[12] The people of Psophis have also by the side of the Erymanthus a temple and image of Erymanthus. The images of all rivers except the Nile in Egypt are made of white marble; but the images of the Nile , became it descends to the sea through Aethiopia, they are accustomed to make of black stone.

[13]
I heard in Psophis a statement about one Aglaus, a Psophidian contemporary with Croesus the Lydian. The statement was that the whole of his life was happy, but I could not believe it.

[14] The truth is that one man may receive fewer ills than his contemporaries, just as one ship may be less tossed by storms than another ship. But we shall not be able to find a man never touched by misfortune or a ship never met by an unfavorable breeze. For Homer² too says in his poetry that by the side of Zeus is set a jar of good things, and another jar of evil things, taught by the god at Delphi , who once declared that Homer himself was both unhappy and blessed, being destined by birth to both states alike.

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.) — 8.24 focus

[1] The founder of Psophis, according to some, was Psophis, the son of Arrhon, the son of Erymanthos, the son of Aristas, the son of Parthaon, the son of Periphetes, the son of Nyktimos. Others say that Psophis was the daughter of Xanthos, the son of Erymanthos, the son of Arkas. Such are the Arcadian traditions concerning their kings,

[2] but the most accurate version is that Eryx, the despot of Sicania, had a daughter named Psophis, whom Hēraklēs, though he had intercourse with her, refused to take to his home, but left with child in the care of his friend Lykortas, who lived at Phegia, a city called Erymanthos before the reign of Phegeus. Having been brought up here, Ekhephron and Promakhos, the sons of Hēraklēs and the Sicanian woman, changed the name of Phegia to Psophis, the name of their mother.

[3] Psophis is also the name of the Zacynthian acropolis, because the first man to sail across to the island was Zacynthus, the son of Dardanus, a Psophidian who became its founder. From Seiraiit is thirty stadium-lengths to Psophis, by the side of which runs the river Aroanios, and a little farther away the river Erymanthos.

[4] The Erymanthos has its source in Mount Lampeia, which is said to be sacred to Pan. One might regard Lampeia as a part of Mount Erymanthos. Homer says that in Taygetos and Erymanthos … hunter … so … of Lampeia, Erymanthos, and passing through Arcadia, with Mount Pholoe on the right and the district of Thelpusa on the left, flows into the Alpheios.

[5] It is also said that Hēraklēs at the command of Eurystheus hunted by the side of the Erymanthos a boar that surpassed all others in size and in strength. The people of Cumae among the Opici say that the boar’s tusks dedicated in their sanctuary of Apollo are those of the Erymanthian boar, but the saying is altogether improbable.

[6] In Psophis there is a sanctuary of Aphrodite surnamed Erycine; I found only ruins of it remaining, but the people said that it was established by the sons of Psophis. Their account is probable, for in Sicily too, in the territory of Eryx, is a sanctuary of Erycine, which from the remotest times has been very holy, and quite as rich as the sanctuary in Paphos.

[7] The hero-shrines, however, of Promakhos and Ekhephron, the sons of Psophis, were no longer distinguished when I saw them. In Psophis is buried Alkmaion also, the son of Amphiaraos, and his tomb is a building remarkable for neither its size nor its ornament. About it grow cypresses, reaching to such a height that even the mountain by Psophis was overshadowed by them. These the inhabitants will not cut down, holding them to be sacred to Alkmaion.

[8] They are called ‘Virgins’ [ Parthenoi] by the natives. Alkmaion, after killing his mother, fled from Argos and came to Psophis, which was still called Phegia after Phegeus, and married Alphesiboea, the daughter of Phegeus. Among the presents that he naturally gave her was the necklace. While he lived among the Arcadians his disease did not grow any better, so he had recourse to the oracle at Delphi. The Pythian priestess informed him that the only land into which the avenging spirit of Eriphyle would not follow him was the newest land, one brought up to light by the sea after the pollution of his mother’s death.

[9] On discovering the alluvial deposit of the Akhelōos he settled there, and took to wife Kallirhoe, said by the Acarnanians to have been the daughter of Akhelōos. He had two sons, Acarnan and Amphoterus; after this Acarnan were called by their present name (so the story runs) the dwellers in this part of the mainland, who previously were called Kouretes. Senseless passions shipwreck many men, and even more women.

[10] Kallirhoe conceived a passion for the necklace of Eriphyle, and for this reason sent Alkmaion against his will to Phegia. Temenus and Axion, the sons of Phegeus, murdered him by treachery. The sons of Phegeus are said to have dedicated the necklace to the god in Delphi, and it is said that the expedition of the Greeks to Troy took place when they were kings in the city that was still called Phegia. The people of Psophis assert that the reason why they took no part in the expedition was because their princes had incurred the enmity of the leaders of the Argives, who were in most cases related by blood to Alkmaion, and had joined him in his campaign against Thebes.

[11] That the Echinades islands have not been made mainland as yet by the Akhelōos is due to the Aetolian people, who have been driven from their homes and all their land has been laid waste. Accordingly, as Aetolia remains untilled, the Akhelōos does not bring as much mud upon the Echinades as it otherwise would do. My reasoning is confirmed by the fact that the Maeander, flowing through the land of the Phrygians and Carians, which is ploughed up each year, has turned to mainland in a short time the sea that once was between Priene and Miletus.

[12] The people of Psophis have also by the side of the Erymanthos a temple and image of Erymanthos. The images of all rivers except the Nile in Egypt are made of white marble; but the images of the Nile, became it descends to the sea through Aethiopia, they are accustomed to make of black stone.

[13] I heard in Psophis a statement about one Aglaos, a Psophidian contemporary with Croesus the Lydian. The statement was that the whole of his life was happy, but I could not believe it.

[14] The truth is that one man may receive fewer ills than his contemporaries, just as one ship may be less tossed by storms than another ship. But we shall not be able to find a man never touched by misfortune or a ship never met by an unfavorable breeze. For Homer too says in his poetry that by the side of Zeus is set a jar of good things, and another jar of evil things, taught by the god at Delphi, who once declared that Homer himself was both unhappy and blessed, being destined by birth to both states alike.

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 8.24

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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