Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume I.

by active approximately 150-175 Pausanias

CHAPTER XV.

Outside Altis there is a building called the workshop of Phidias, who used to work here at his statues, and there is an altar here to all the gods in common. As you turn back again to Altis you see straight before you the Hall of Leonidas. It is outside the temple precincts, and of the various approaches to Altis is the only one used for processions. It was built by Leonidas, a native of Elis, and now the Roman governors of Elis make it their headquarters. It is separated by an alley from the approach used for processions: the people of Elis call alleys what the Athenians call bylanes. And there is in Altis to the left of the Hall of Leonidas, an altar of Aphrodite, and an altar of the Seasons next to it. And in the rear of the temple there is a wild olive tree growing on the right: it is called the olive beautiful for its crowns, and the victors at Olympia receive crowns of it. Near this wild olive tree is a temple of the Nymphs, these too they call beautiful for their crowns. And inside Altis there is an altar of Artemis of the Market-Place, and on the right of the Hall of Leonidas is an altar to the goddesses called Mistresses. Of the goddess whom they call Mistress the portion of my work about Arcadia will give complete information. And next is an altar of Zeus of the Market-Place, and, in front of what is called the Seat of Honour, altars of Pythian Apollo, and Dionysus. This last they say was erected by private people not so long ago. And as you go to where the horses start is an altar, with the inscription The Decider of Fate. This is plainly a title of Zeus who fore-knows all human events, both what the Fates send, and others. And near this is an oblong altar of the Fates, and next one of Hermes, and next two of Zeus Supreme. And at the middle of the place where the horses start are altars in the open air to Poseidon the Patron of Horses, and Hera the Patroness of Horses, and near the pillar an altar of Castor and Pollux. And at the entrance, near what is called the Rostrum, is an altar of Ares the Patron of Horses, and an altar of Athene the Patroness of Horses. And as you enter the Rostrum there are altars of Good Fortune, and of Pan, and of Aphrodite. And in the interior of the Rostrum the Nymphs called Acmenæ have an altar. And as you return from the Portico which the people of Elis call Agnaptus’ from the name of the Architect, there is on the right an altar of Artemis. And as you enter Altis again by the road used for processions there are altars behind the chapel of Hera of the river Cladeus and of Artemis, and next to them one of Apollo, and a fourth of Artemis Coccoca, and a fifth of Apollo Thermius. Thermius I conjecture at Elis will be the same word as Thesmius (Law-loving) in Attic. But why Artemis was called Coccoca I could not ascertain. There is a building in front of what they call the Priest’s dwelling, and in the corner of it is an altar of Pan. And the Town Hall of the people of Elis is within Altis, near the outlet beyond the gymnasium, where the athletes have their races and wrestling-matches. And in front of the doors of the Town Hall is an altar of Artemis of the Market-Place. And in the Town Hall itself as you pass into a room where there is a hearth, there is an altar of Pan on the right of the entrance. And the hearth itself is made of débris, and there is a fire on it burning continually day and night. From this hearth as I have already stated they remove the débris to the altar of Olympian Zeus, and the height of that altar is largely due to contributions from this hearth.

And once in every month the people of Elis sacrifice at the altars which I have mentioned. And they sacrifice in a certain primitive fashion; for they burn frankincense on the altars and cakes kneaded with honey. And they decorate the altars with olive branches, and pour out libations of wine. But they do not offer libations of wine to the Nymphs, or the Mistresses, or at the joint altar of all the gods. And the sacrifices are conducted by the priest, who has office for one month, and by the seers, the libation-offerers, the Interpreter of Antiquities, the flute-player, and the wood-cutter. But the words that they use in the Town Hall, and the Hymns which they sing, I am not allowed to introduce into my account. And they pour libations not only to Greek gods, but to the god of Libya, and to Hera of Ammon, and to Parammon (a title of Hermes). It is manifest also that from time immemorial they have consulted the oracle at Libya, and there are altars in the temple of Ammon, votive offerings of the people of Elis: and there are inscribed on them the questions of the people of Elis, and the answers returned by the god, and the names of those who went to Ammon from Elis. All this is in the temple of Ammon. The people of Elis also pour libations to heroes, and the wives of heroes, who are honoured in Elis or Ætolia. And the Hymns sung in the Town Hall are in the Doric dialect, but by whom composed they do not tell us. The people of Elis also have a banqueting-hall, (inside the Town-Hall, opposite the room where the hearth is,) where they entertain the victors at Olympia.