Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume I.

by active approximately 150-175 Pausanias

And there is in Altis a base of tufa stone to the North of the temple of Hera, at its back is the mountain of Cronos. On this base are treasuries such as some of the Greeks have made for Apollo at Delphi. There is a treasury at Olympia called the treasury of the Sicyonians, the votive offering of Myron the King of the Sicyonians. It was constructed by Myron after his chariot victory in the 33rd Olympiad. In this treasury he constructed two chambers, one of Doric the other of Ionic architecture. I myself have seen them: they are of brass: but whether the brass comes from Tartessus, according to the tradition of the people of Elis, I do not know. The river Tartessus is they say in the country of the Iberes, and has two outlets to the sea, and there is a town of the same name that lies between the outlets of the river. And it is the largest river in Iberia, and in later times was called Bætis from its ebb and flow. And the Iberes who inhabit the town of Carpia believe that their town was originally called Tartessus. And on the smaller of the two chambers at Olympia there are inscriptions, one on the lintel stating that there are 500 talents there, another as to the givers of the votive offering, stating that they were Myron and the people of the Sicyonians. In this treasury there are three quoits, which they use in the contest for the pentathlum. And there is a brazen shield curiously painted inside, and helmet and greaves to match. And there is an inscription on this armour that they are an offering to Zeus from the Myanes. As to who these Myanes were different people have different ideas. I remember that Thucydides in his account of the Locrians near Phocis mentions several towns, among others the Myones.[79] These Myanes on the shield are in my opinion the same as the Myones in the Locrian mainland: and the letters on the shield are a little worn away, in consequence of its great antiquity. There are also here several other curious articles, as the sword of Pelops with golden hilt, and the horn of Amalthea in ivory, the votive offering of Miltiades the son of Cimon, who was the first of his family that reigned in the Thracian Chersonese: and this is the inscription on the horn in old Athenian letters,

“I was offered to Zeus by the warriors that took the fort of Aratus on the Chersonese: their leader was Miltiades.”

There is also a statue of Apollo made of boxwood with the head gilt: the inscription states that it was a votive offering of the Locrians at the promontory of Zephyrium, and by Patrocles of Croton, the son of Catillus.

And next to the treasury of the Sicyonians is that of the Carthaginians, constructed by Pothæus and Antiphilus and Megacles. And the votive offerings in it are a huge Zeus and three linen breastplates, presented by Gelon and the Syracusans who beat the Phœnicians either on land or sea.

And the third and fourth treasuries are the votive offering of the people of Epidamnus. They contain the world upheld by Atlas, and Hercules and the apple tree in the garden of the Hesperides with the dragon coiled round it, carved in cedar-wood, the carving of Theocles (the son of Hegylus) who says his son joined him in the carving of the world. And the Hesperides, which were removed by the people of Elis, were in my time in the temple of Hera. And Pyrrhus and his sons Lacrates and Hermon made this treasury for the people of Epidamnus.

The people of Sybaris also built a treasury next to that of the people of Byzantium. Those who have inquired most carefully into the history of Italy and its towns say that Lupiæ, which lies between Brundisium and Hydrus, has changed its name, and was originally called Sybaris. And the haven for ships was made by navvies in the reign of the Emperor Adrian.

And next to the treasury of the people of Sybaris is the treasury of the Libyans at Cyrene, containing statues of the Roman kings. The Carthaginians expelled the Selinuntian Siceliotes in war, but before that disaster happened to them, they had got together the treasury for Zeus at Olympia. Dionysus is there with his face toes and hands of ivory.

And in the treasury of the people of Metapontum, which is next to that of the Selinuntians, is a statue of Endymion, all ivory but the dress. The cause of the ruin of Metapontum I do not know, but in my time nothing but the theatre and walls round the town was left. The Megarians also near Attica have a treasury and votive offerings in it, figures in cedar overlaid with gold, to represent the battle of Hercules and Achelous. There are Zeus and Deianira and Achelous and Hercules, and Ares is helping Achelous. And Athene stands as if in alliance with Hercules, near the Hesperides that are now in the temple of Hera. And on a gable of this treasury is the war between the gods and the giants: and over the gable is a shield, which states that the Megarians offered the treasury, after triumphing over the Corinthians. I think they won this victory when Phorbas was Archon at Athens, who was Archon all his life, for the Archonship was not yet a yearly office at Athens, nor were the Olympiads registered at this period by the people of Elis. The Argives are also said to have assisted the Megarians against the Corinthians. This treasury at Olympia was constructed by the Megarians some years after the battle. But the votive offerings they probably had from old time, since they were made by the Lacedæmonian Dontas, the pupil of Dipœnus and Scyllis. And the last of the treasuries is near the course, and the inscription on it states that it and its statues are the votive offerings of the people of Gela. The statues however are no longer there.

CHAPTER XX.

Cronos’ mountain is, as I have already said, behind the base, and extends the length of these treasuries. And on the summit of the mountain those that are called Basilæ sacrifice to Cronos at the vernal equinox in the month of Elaphius. And at the North end of Mount Cronos there is between the treasuries and the mountain a temple of Ilithyia, and in it is honoured Sosipolis the tutelary deity of the people of Elis. Ilithyia they surname the Olympian, and select annually a priestess for her: the old priestess of Sosipolis also performs holy rites according to the custom of the people of Elis, brings lustral water to the goddess, and sets before her cakes kneaded with honey. In the vestibule of the temple is the altar of Ilithyia, as also the approach to the temple for people generally: inside Sosipolis is honoured, and no one but the priestess of the god must enter his sanctuary, with a white veil drawn over her head and face. And the maidens that reside in the temple of Ilithyia and the women sing hymns to Sosipolis, and burn incense to him, but are not accustomed to pour libations of wine to his honour. And their most binding oath is by Sosipolis. And it is said that, when the Arcadians invaded Elis with an army, and the people of Elis were drawn up in battle array against them, a woman came to the generals of Elis, with a baby boy at her breast, saying that she was mother of the boy, and offered him according to a dream she had had to help the people of Elis. And the authorities, crediting the woman’s tale, put the child in the front of the army all naked as it was. And the Arcadians commenced the attack, and the child was changed into a dragon, and the Arcadians were troubled at the sight and began to flee, and the people of Elis pursued them hotly, and won a notable victory and called the god Sosipolis. And where the dragon appeared to glide off after the battle, they built a temple, and resolved to worship it and Ilithyia jointly, for they thought it was she who had introduced the child into the world. And the Arcadians who were slain in the battle have a monument on the hill towards the west after you have crossed the Cladeus. And near Ilithyia there are ruins of a temple of celestial Aphrodite, to whom they sacrifice on the altars which still remain.