Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 8.26

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

View: By Section

← Previous Next →

[1]
Ἡραιεῦσι δὲ οἰκιστὴς μὲν γέγονεν Ἡραιεὺς ὁ Λυκάονος, κεῖται δὲ ἡ πόλις ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ, τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ἐν ἠρέμα προσάντει, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτὸν καθήκει τὸν Ἀλφειόν. δρόμοι τε παρὰ τῷ ποταμῷ πεποίηνται μυρσίναις καὶ ἄλλοις ἡμέροις διακεκριμένοι δένδροις, καὶ τὰ λουτρὰ αὐτόθι, εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ Διονύσῳ ναοί· τὸν μὲν καλοῦσιν αὐτῶν Πολίτην, τὸν δὲ Αὐξίτην, καὶ οἴκημά ἐστί σφισιν ἔνθα τῷ Διονύσῳ τὰ

[2] ὄργια ἄγουσιν. ἔστι καὶ ναὸς ἐν τῇ Ἡραίᾳ Πανὸς ἅτε τοῖς Ἀρκάσιν ἐπιχωρίου, τῆς δὲ Ἥρας τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἄλλα ἐρείπια καὶ οἱ κίονες ἔτι ἐλείποντο· ἀθλητὰς δὲ ὁπόσοι γεγόνασιν Ἀρκάσιν ὑπερῆρκε τῇ δόξῃ Δαμάρετος Ἡραιεύς, ὃς τὸν ὁπλίτην δρόμον ἐνίκησεν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ πρῶτος.

[3]
ἐς δὲ τὴν Ἠλείαν κατιὼν ἐξ Ἡραίας στάδια μέν που πέντε καὶ δέκα ἀποσχὼν Ἡραίας διαβήσῃ τὸν Λάδωνα, ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ ἐς Ἐρύμανθον ὅσον εἴκοσιν ἀφίξῃ σταδίοις. τῇ δὲ Ἡραίᾳ ὅροι πρὸς τὴν Ἠλείαν λόγῳ μὲν τῷ Ἀρκάδων ἐστὶν ὁ Ἐρύμανθος, Ἠλεῖοι δὲ τὸν Κοροίβου τάφον φασὶ τὴν χώραν σφίσιν ὁρίζειν. 0

[4] ἡνίκα δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν Ὀλυμπικὸν ἐκλιπόντα ἐπὶ χρόνον πολὺν ἀνενεώσατο Ἴφιτος καὶ αὖθις ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ὀλύμπια ἤγαγον, τότε δρόμου σφίσιν ἆθλα ἐτέθη μόνον καὶ ὁ Κόροιβος ἐνίκησε· καὶ ἔστιν ἐπίγραμμα ἐπὶ τῷ μνήματι ὡς Ὀλυμπίασιν ὁ Κόροιβος ἐνίκησεν καὶ ἀνθρώπων πρῶτος καὶ ὅτι τῆς Ἠλείας ἐπὶ τῷ πέρατι ὁ τάφος αὐτῷ πεποίηται.

[5]
ἔστι δὲ Ἀλίφηρα πόλισμα οὐ μέγα· ἐξελείφθη γὰρ ὑπὸ οἰκητόρων πολλῶν ὑπὸ τὸν συνοικισμὸν τῶν Ἀρκάδων ἐς Μεγάλην πόλιν. ἐς τοῦτο οὖν τὸ πόλισμα ἐρχόμενος ἐξ Ἡραίας τόν τε Ἀλφειὸν διαβήσῃ καὶ σταδίων μάλιστά που δέκα διελθὼν πεδίον ἐπὶ ὄρος ἀφίξῃ καὶ αὖθις στάδια ὅσον τριάκοντα ἐς τὸ πόλισμα ἀναβήσῃ διὰ τοῦ ὄρους.

[6] Ἀλιφηρεῦσι δὲ τὸ μὲν ὄνομα τῇ πόλει γέγονεν ἀπὸ Ἀλιφήρου Λυκάονος παιδός, ἱερὰ δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τέ ἐστι καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς, ἣν θεῶν σέβονται μάλιστα, γενέσθαι καὶ τραφῆναι παρὰ σφίσιν αὐτὴν λέγοντες· καὶ Διός τε ἱδρύσαντο Λεχεάτου βωμόν, ἅτε ἐνταῦθα τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν τεκόντος, καὶ κρήνην καλοῦσι Τριτωνίδα, τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ Τρίτωνι οἰκειούμενοι λόγον.

[7] τῆς δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς τὸ ἄγαλμα πεποίηται χαλκοῦ, Ὑπατοδώρου τε ἔργον, θέας ἄξιον μεγέθους τε ἕνεκα καὶ ἐς τὴν τέχνην. ἄγουσι δὲ καὶ πανήγυριν ὅτῳ δὴ θεῶν, δοκῶ δὲ σφᾶς ἄγειν τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ· ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πανηγύρει Μυάγρῳ προθύουσιν, ἐπευχόμενοί τε κατὰ τῶν ἱερείων τῷ ἥρωι καὶ ἐπικαλούμενοι τὸν Μύαγρον· καί σφισι ταῦτα δράσασιν οὐδὲν ἔτι ἀνιαρόν εἰσιν αἱ μυῖαι.

[8] κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐξ Ἡραίας ἄγουσαν ἐς Μεγάλην 0 πόλιν εἰσὶ Μελαινεαί· ταύτας ᾤκισε μὲν Μελαινεὺς ὁ Λυκάονος, ἔρημος δὲ ἦν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν, ὕδατι δὲ καταρρεῖται. Μελαινεῶν δὲ τεσσαράκοντά ἐστιν ἀνωτέρω σταδίοις Βουφάγιον, καὶ ὁ ποταμὸς ἐνταῦθα ἔχει πηγὰς ὁ Βουφάγος κατιὼν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν· τοῦ Βουφάγου δὲ περὶ τὰς πηγὰς ὅροι πρὸς Μεγαλοπολίτας Ἡραιεῦσίν εἰσιν.

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

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

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.) — 8.26 focus

[1]
The founder of Heraea was Heraeeus the son of Lycaon, and the city lies on the right of the Alpheius, mostly upon a gentle slope, though a part descends right to the Alpheius. Walks have been made along the river, separated by myrtles and other cultivated trees; the baths are there, as are also two temples to Dionysus. One is to the god named Citizen, the other to the Giver of Increase, and they have a building there where they celebrate their mysteries in honor of Dionysus.

[2] There is also in Heraea a temple of Pan, as he is native to Arcadia , and of the temple of Hera I found remaining various ruins, including the pillars. Of Arcadian athletes the most renowned has been Damaretus of Heraea, who was the first to win the race in armour at Olympia .

[3]
As you go down to the land of Elis from Heraea , at a distance of about fifteen stades from Heraea you will cross the Ladon , and from it to the Erymanthus is a journey of roughly twenty stades. The boundary between Heraea and the land of Elis is according to the Arcadians the Erymanthus, but the people of Elis say that the grave of Coroebus bounds their territory.

[4] But when the Olympic games, after not being held for a long period, were revived by Iphitus, and the Olympic festival was again held, the only prizes offered were for running, and Coroebus won. On the tomb is an inscription that Coroebus was the first man to win at Olympia , and that his grave was made at the end of Elean territory.

[5]
There is a town, Aliphera, of no great size, for it was abandoned by many of its inhabitants at the union of the Arcadians into Megalopolis . As you go to this town from Heraea you will cross the Alpheius, and after going over a plain of just about ten stades you will reach a mountain, and ascending across the mountain for some thirty stades more you will come to the town.

[6] The city of Aliphera has received its name from Alipherus, the son of Lycaon, and there are sanctuaries here of Asclepius and Athena; the latter they worship more than any other god, saying that she was born and bred among them. They also set up an altar of Zeus Lecheates (In child-bed), because here he gave birth to Athena. There is a stream they call Tritonis, adopting the story about the river Triton.

[7] The image of Athena is made of bronze, the work of Hypatodorus, worth seeing for its size and workmanship. They keep a general festival in honor of some god or other; I think in honor of Athena. At this festival they sacrifice first to Fly-catcher, praying to the hero over the victims and calling upon the Fly-catcher. When they have done this the flies trouble them no longer.

[8] On the road from Heraea to Megalopolis is Melaeneae. It was founded by Melaeneus, the son of Lycaon; in my time it was uninhabited, but there is plenty of water flowing over it. Forty stades above Melaeneae is Buphagium,and here is the source of the Buphagus, which flows down into the Alpheius. Near the source of the Buphagus is the boundary between Megalopolis and Heraea .

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.) — 8.26 focus

[1] The founder of Heraia was Heraeeus the son of Lykaon, and the city lies on the right of the Alpheios, mostly upon a gentle slope, though a part descends right to the Alpheios. Walks have been made along the river, separated by myrtles and other cultivated trees; the baths are there, as are also two temples to Dionysus. One is to the god named Citizen, the other to the Giver of Increase, and they have a building there where they celebrate their mysteries in honor of Dionysus.

[2] There is also in Heraia a temple of Pan, as he is native to Arcadia, and of the temple of Hērā I found remaining various ruins, including the pillars. Of Arcadian athletes the most renowned has been Damaretos of Heraia, who was the first to win the race in armor at Olympia.

[3] As you go down to the land of Elis from Heraia, at a distance of about fifteen stadium-lengths from Heraia you will cross the Ladon, and from it to the Erymanthos is a journey of roughly twenty stadium-lengths. The boundary between Heraia and the land of Elis is according to the Arcadians the Erymanthos, but the people of Elis say that the tomb of Coroebus bounds their territory.

[4] But when the Olympic games, after not being held for a long period, were revived by Iphitos, and the Olympic festival was again held, the only prizes offered were for running, and Coroebus won. On the tomb is an inscription that Coroebus was the first man to win at Olympia, and that his tomb was made at the end of Eleian territory.

[5] There is a town, Aliphera, of no great size, for it was abandoned by many of its inhabitants at the union of the Arcadians into Megalopolis. As you go to this town from Heraia you will cross the Alpheios, and after going over a plain of just about ten stadium-lengths you will reach a mountain, and ascending across the mountain for some thirty stadium-lengths more you will come to the town.

[6] The city of Aliphera has received its name from Alipherus, the son of Lykaon, and there are sanctuaries here of Asklepios and Athena; the latter they worship more than any other god, saying that she was born and bred among them. They also set up an altar of Zeus Lekheates (In child-bed), because here he gave birth to Athena. There is a stream they call Tritonis, adopting the story about the river Triton.

[7] The image of Athena is made of bronze, the work of Hypatodoros, worth seeing for its size and workmanship. They keep a general festival in honor of some god or other; I think in honor of Athena. At this festival they sacrifice first to Fly-catcher, praying to the hero over the victims and calling upon the Fly-catcher. When they have done this the flies trouble them no longer.

[8] On the road from Heraia to Megalopolis is Melainai. It was founded by Melaineus, the son of Lykaon; in my time it was uninhabited, but there is plenty of water flowing over it. Forty stadium-lengths above Melainai is Bouphagion,and here is the source of the Bouphagos, which flows down into the Alpheios. Near the source of the Bouphagos is the boundary between Megalopolis and Heraia.

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 8.26

ed. Friedrich Spiro

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Current edition Perseus

New Alexandria Commentaries

Stable identifiers