CHAPTER IX.
And the statue of Theognetus of Ægina, who was crowned for wrestling among the boys, is by Ptolichus of Ægina, the pupil of his father Synnoon, who was himself the pupil of Aristocles of Sicyon, the brother of Canachus and as famous as a statuary. But why Theognetus carries in his hand the fruit of the cultivated pine and pomegranate I cannot conjecture, perhaps among some of the Æginetans there is some national legend about him. And next to the statue of the man who the people of Elis say was not registered with the rest, because he was proclaimed victor in the trotting-race,[78] is the statue of Xenocles of Mænalus, who beat all the boys in wrestling, and Alcetus the son of Alcinous, who beat all the boys in boxing, an Arcadian from Clitor. His statue is by Cleon, and Xenocles’ by Polycletus. And the statue of the Argive Aristeus, who won the prize in the long course, is by the Chian Pantias, a pupil of his father Sostratus: and next to him is the statue of Chimon, the father of Aristeus, who won the prize for wrestling. His statues are in my opinion the finest works of art of Naucydes, one is at Olympia, and the other was carried from Argos to the temple of Peace in Rome. It is also said that Chimon beat Taurosthenes of Ægina in wrestling, and that in the following Olympiad Taurosthenes beat all comers in wrestling, and the same day an apparition very like Taurosthenes appeared at Ægina and announced his victory. And the statue of Philles of Elis, who beat all the boys in wrestling, is by the Spartan Cratinus. As to the chariot of Gelon, I cannot agree with the opinion of those who have written before me, who say that it was a votive offering of Gelon the tyrant of Syracuse. The inscription says that it was a votive offering of Gelon of Gela, the son of Dinomenes, who was a victor in the 73rd Olympiad. But Gelon the tyrant of Sicily was master of Syracuse when Hybilides was Archon at Athens, in the second year of the 72nd Olympiad, in which Tisicrates of Croton won the race in the stadium. Manifestly therefore he would have been entered for the race as a Syracusan, and not as a native of Gela. So this Gelon would be some private person, having merely the same name as the Tyrant. And Glaucias the Æginetan made both the chariot and statue of Gelon.
In the Olympiad previous to this they say that Cleomedes of Astypalæa, boxing with Iccus from Epidaurus, killed him, and was condemned by the Umpires to be deprived of his prize, and went out of his mind for grief, and returned to Astypalæa, and standing in a school when there were about 60 scholars pulled away the pillar which supported the roof, and when the roof fell in on the boys he was pelted with stones by the citizens, and fled for refuge to the temple of Athene: and getting into a chest which was lying in the temple, and clapping down the lid, the people of Astypalæa had immense labour to open the chest. At last they broke open the woodwork, and found no Cleomedes either alive or dead, and sent messengers to Delphi to inquire what had become of him. The Pythian Priestess they say returned this answer,
“Last of the heroes is Cleomedes of Astypalæa, honour him with sacrifices as no longer a mortal.”
From that time forward the people of Astypalæa pay honours to him as a hero.
And next to the chariot of Gelon is the statue of Philo by the Æginetan Glaucias. On this Philo Simonides, the son of Leoprepes, wrote the very apt elegiac couplet:
“My country is Corcyra, my name Philo. I am the son of Glaucus, and have won prizes for boxing in two Olympiads.”
There is also a statue of the Mantinean Agametor, who beat all the boys in boxing.