Pausanias´ Description of Greece - Παυσανίου Ελλάδος περιήγησις
Recogito Annotation
Book 5 — Chapter 15
English
5.15.1 Outside the Altis there is a building called the workshop of Pheidias, where he wrought the image of Zeus piece by piece. In the building is an altar to all the gods in common. Now return back again to the Altis opposite the Leonidaeum.
5.15.2 The Leonidaeum is outside the sacred enclosure, but at the processional entrance to the Altis, which is the only way open to those who take part in the processions. It was dedicated by Leonidas, a native, but in my time the Roman governors of Greece used it as their lodging. Between the processional entrance and the Leonidaeum is a street, for the Eleans call streets what the Athenians call lanes.
5.15.3 Well, there is in the Altis, when you are about to pass to the left of the Leonidaeum, an altar of Aphrodite, and after it one of the Seasons. About opposite the rear chamber a wild olive is growing on the right. It is called the olive of the Beautiful Crown, and from its leaves are made the crowns which it is customary to give to winners of Olympic contests. Near this wild olive stands an altar of Nymphs; these too are styled Nymphs of the Beautiful Crowns.
5.15.4 Outside the Altis, but on the right of the Leonidaeum, is an altar of Artemis Agoraea, and one has also been built for Mistresses, and in my account of Arcadia I will tell you about the goddess they call Despoina (Mistress). After this is an altar of Zeus Agoraeus, and before what is called the Front Seats stands an altar of Apollo surnamed Pythian, and after it one of Dionysus. The last altar is said to be not old, and to have been dedicated by private individuals.
5.15.5 As you go to the starting-point for the chariot-race there is an altar with an inscription “to the Moiragetes (bringer of fate).” This is plainly a surname of Zeus, who knows the affairs of men, all that the Fates give them, and all that is not destined for them. Near there is also an oblong altar of Fates, after it one of Hermes, and the next two are of Zeus Most High. At the starting-point for the chariot-race, just about opposite the middle of it, there are in the open altars of Poseidon Hippios and Hera Hippia, and near the pillar an altar of the Dioscuri.
5.15.6 At the entrance to what is called the Wedge there is on one side an altar of Ares Hippios, on the other one of Athena Horse-goddess. On entering the Wedge itself you see altars of Agathe Tyche (good fortune), Pan and Aphrodite; at the innermost part of the Wedge an altar of the Nymphs called Acmenes (Blooming). An altar of Artemis stands on the right as you return from the stoa that the Eleans call the Stoa of Agnaptus, giving to the building the name of its architect.
5.15.7 After re-entering the Altis by the processional gate there are behind the Heraeum altars of the river Cladeus and of Artemis; the one after them is Apollo"s, the fourth is of Artemis surnamed Coccoca, and the fifth is of Apollo Thermius. As to the Elean surname Thermius, the conjecture occurred to me that in the Attic dialect it would be thesmios (god of laws), but why Artemis is surnamed Coccoca I could not discover.
5.15.8 Before what is called the Theêcoleon is a building, in a corner of which has been set up an altar of Pan. The Prytaneum of the Eleans is within the Altis, and it has been built beside the exit beyond the gymnasium. In this gymnasium are the running-tracks and the wrestling-grounds for the athletes. In front of the door of the Prytaneum is an altar of Artemis Agrotera
5.15.9 In the Prytaneum itself, on the right as you enter the room where they have the hearth, is an altar of Pan. This hearth too is made of ashes, and on it fire burns every day and likewise every night. The ashes from this hearth, according to the account I have already given, they bring to the altar of Olympian Zeus, and what is brought from the hearth contributes a great deal to the size of the altar.
5.15.10 Each month the Eleans sacrifice once on all the altars I have enumerated. They sacrifice in an ancient manner; for they burn on the altars incense with wheat which has been kneaded with honey, placing also on the altars twigs of olive, and using wine for a libation. Only to the Nymphs and the Mistresses are they not wont to pour wine in libation, nor do they pour it on the altar common to all the gods. The care of the sacrifices is given to a priest, holding office for one month, to soothsayers and libation-bearers, and also to a guide, a flute-player and the woodman.
5.15.11 The traditional words spoken by them in the Prytaneum at the libations, and the hymns which they sing, it were not right for me to introduce into my narrative. They pour libations, not only to the Greek gods, but also to the god in Libya, to Hera Ammonia and to Parammon, which is a surname of Hermes. From very early times it is plain that they used the oracle in Libya, and in the temple of Ammon are altars which the Eleans dedicated. On them are engraved the questions of the Eleans, the replies of the god, and the names of the men who came to Ammon from Elis. These are in the temple of Ammon.
5.15.12 The Eleans also pour libations to all heroes and wives of heroes who are honored either in Elis or among the Aetolians. The songs sung in the Prytaneum are in the Doric dialect, but they do not say who it was that composed them. The Eleans also have a banqueting room. This too is in the Prytaneum, opposite the chamber where stands the hearth. In this room they entertain the winners in the Olympic games.
Ancient Greek
5.15.1 ἔστι δὲ οἴκημα ἐκτὸς τῆς Ἄλτεως, καλεῖται δὲ ἐργαστήριον Φειδίου, καὶ ὁ Φειδίας καθ᾽ ἕκαστον τοῦ ἀγάλματος ἐνταῦθα εἰργάζετο: ἔστιν οὖν βωμὸς ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι θεοῖς πᾶσιν ἐν κοινῷ. ὀπίσω δὲ ἀναστρέψαντι αὖθις ἐς τὴν Ἄλτιν ἐστὶν ἀπαντικρὺ τοῦ Λεωνιδαίου—
5.15.2 τὸ δὲ ἐκτὸς μὲν τοῦ περιβόλου τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὸ Λεωνίδαιον, τῶν δὲ ἐσόδων πεποίηται τῶν ἐς τὴν Ἄλτιν κατὰ τὴν πομπικήν, ἣ μόνη τοῖς πομπεύουσίν ἐστιν ὁδός: τοῦτο δὲ ἀνδρὸς μὲν τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐστὶν ἀνάθημα Λεωνίδου, κατ᾽ ἐμὲ δὲ ἐς αὐτὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐσῳκίζοντο οἱ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπιτροπεύοντες: διέστηκε δὲ ἀγυιὰν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐσόδου τῆς πομπικῆς, τοὺς γὰρ δὴ ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων καλουμένους στενωποὺς ἀγυιὰς ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ Ἠλεῖοι—
5.15.3 ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἄλτει τοῦ Λεωνιδαίου περᾶν μέλλοντι ἐς ἀριστερὰν Ἀφροδίτης βωμὸς καὶ Ὡρῶν μετ᾽ αὐτόν. κατὰ δὲ τὸν ὀπισθόδομον μάλιστά ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ πεφυκὼς κότινος: καλεῖται δὲ ἐλαία Καλλιστέφανος, καὶ τοῖς νικῶσι τὰ Ὀλύμπια καθέστηκεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς δίδοσθαι τοὺς στεφάνους. τούτου πλησίον τοῦ κοτίνου πεποίηται Νύμφαις βωμός:
5.15.4 Καλλιστεφάνους ὀνομάζουσι καὶ ταύτας. ἔστι δὲ τοῖς ἐκτὸς τῆς Ἄλτεως μὲν Ἀρτέμιδος Ἀγοραίας βωμός, ἐν δεξιᾷ δὲ τοῦ Λεωνιδαίου, πεποίηται δὲ καὶ Δεσποίναις —τὰ δὲ ἐς τὴν θεὸν ἥντινα ὀνομάζουσι Δέσποιναν διδάξει μοι τοῦ λόγου τὰ ἐς Ἀρκάδας—, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἔστιν Ἀγοραίου Διὸς βωμός, πρὸ δὲ τῆς καλουμένης Προεδρίας Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπωνυμίαν Πυθίου καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτὸν Διονύσου: τοῦτον οὔτε πάλαι τὸν βωμὸν καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνδρῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἀνατεθῆναι λέγουσιν.
5.15.5 ἰόντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἵππων ἔστι βωμός, ἐπίγραμμα δὲ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ Μοιραγέτα: δῆλα οὖν ἐστιν ἐπίκλησιν εἶναι Διὸς ὃς τὰ ἀνθρώπων οἶδεν, ὅσα διδόασιν αἱ Μοῖραι καὶ ὅσα μὴ πέπρωταί σφισι. πλησίον δὲ καὶ Μοιρῶν βωμός ἐστιν ἐπιμήκης, μετὰ δὲ αὐτὸν Ἑρμοῦ καὶ δύο ἐφεξῆς Διὸς Ὑψίστου: ἐν δὲ τῶν ἵππων τῇ ἀφέσει ἐν μὲν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ, τῆς ἀφέσεως κατὰ μέσον που μάλιστα, Ποσειδῶνος Ἱππίου καὶ Ἥρας εἰσὶν Ἱππίας βωμοί, πρὸς δὲ τῷ κίονι Διοσκούρων.
5.15.6 τῆς δὲ πρὸς τὸν Ἔμβολον καλούμενον ἐσόδου τῇ μὲν Ἄρεως Ἱππίου, τῇ δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς Ἱππίας βωμός, ἐς δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν Ἔμβολον ἐσελθόντων Τύχης ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς βωμὸς καὶ Πανός τε καὶ Ἀφροδίτης, ἐνδοτάτω δὲ τοῦ Ἐμβόλου Νυμφῶν ἃς Ἀκμηνὰς καλοῦσιν. ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς στοᾶς ἣν οἱ Ἠλεῖοι καλοῦσιν Ἀγνάπτου, τὸν ἀρχιτέκτονα ἐπονομάζοντες τῷ οἰκοδομήματι, ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐπανιόντι ἐστὶν ἐν δεξιᾷ βωμὸς Ἀρτέμιδος.
5.15.7 ἐσελθόντων δὲ αὖθις διὰ τῆς πομπικῆς ἐς τὴν Ἄλτιν, εἰσὶν ὄπισθεν τοῦ Ἡραίου Κλαδέου τε τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος βωμοί, ὁ δὲ μετ᾽ αὐτοὺς Ἀπόλλωνος, τέταρτος δὲ Ἀρτέμιδος ἐπίκλησιν Κοκκώκας, καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος πέμπτος Θερμίου. τὸν μὲν δὴ παρὰ Ἠλείοις Θέρμιον καὶ αὐτῷ μοι παρίστατο εἰκάζειν ὡς κατὰ Ἀτθίδα γλῶσσαν εἴη θέσμιος: ἀνθ᾽ ὅτου δὲ Ἄρτεμιν ἐπονομάζουσι Κοκκώκαν, οὐχ οἷά τε ἦν μοι διδαχθῆναι.
5.15.8 ἔστι δὲ πρὸ τοῦ καλουμένου Θεηκολεῶνος οἴκημα: τούτου δὲ ἐν γωνίᾳ τοῦ οἰκήματος Πανὸς ἵδρυται βωμός. τὸ πρυτανεῖον δὲ Ἠλείοις ἔστι μὲν τῆς Ἄλτεως ἐντός, πεποίηται δὲ παρὰ τὴν ἔξοδον ἥ ἐστι τοῦ γυμνασίου πέραν: ἐν τούτῳ δὲ οἵ τε δρόμοι τῷ γυμνασίῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀθληταῖς εἰσιν αἱ παλαῖστραι. τοῦ πρυτανείου δὲ πρὸ μὲν τῶν θυρῶν βωμός ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος Ἀγροτέρας:
5.15.9 ἐν δὲ αὐτῷ τῷ πρυτανείῳ παριόντων ἐς τὸ οἴκημα, ἔνθα σφίσιν ἡ ἑστία, Πανός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς ἐσόδου βωμός. ἔστι δὲ ἡ ἑστία τέφρας καὶ αὕτη πεποιημένη, καὶ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς πῦρ ἀνὰ πᾶσάν τε ἡμέραν καὶ ἐν πάσῃ νυκτὶ ὡσαύτως καίεται: ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς ἑστίας τὴν τέφραν κατὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ἤδη μοι κομίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου βωμόν, καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐς μέγεθος συντελεῖ τῷ βωμῷ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑστίας ἐπιφορούμενον.
5.15.10 ἑκάστου δὲ ἅπαξ τοῦ μηνὸς θύουσιν ἐπὶ πάντων Ἠλεῖοι τῶν κατειλεγμένων βωμῶν. θύουσι δὲ ἀρχαῖόν τινα τρόπον: λιβανωτὸν γὰρ ὁμοῦ πυροῖς μεμαγμένοις μέλιτι θυμιῶσιν ἐπὶ τῶν βωμῶν, τιθέασι δὲ καὶ κλῶνας ἐλαίας ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ οἴνῳ χρῶνται σπονδῇ. μόναις δὲ ταῖς Νύμφαις οὐ νομίζουσιν οἶνον οὐδὲ ταῖς Δεσποίναις σπένδειν οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῷ βωμῷ τῷ κοινῷ πάντων θεῶν. μέλει δὲ τὰ ἐς θυσίας θεηκόλῳ τε, ὃς ἐπὶ μηνὶ ἑκάστῳ τὴν τιμὴν ἔχει, καὶ μάντεσι καὶ σπονδοφόροις, ἔτι δὲ ἐξηγητῇ τε καὶ αὐλητῇ καὶ τῷ ξυλεῖ:
5.15.11 ὁπόσα δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς σπονδαῖς λέγειν σφίσιν ἐν τῷ πρυτανείῳ καθέστηκεν, ἢ καὶ ὕμνους ὁποίους ᾄδουσιν, οὔ με ἦν εἰκὸς ἐπεισαγαγέσθαι καὶ ταῦτα ἐς τὸν λόγον. θεοῖς δὲ οὐ τοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐν Λιβύῃ σπένδουσι καὶ Ἥρᾳ τε Ἀμμωνίᾳ καὶ Παράμμωνι: Ἑρμοῦ δὲ ἐπίκλησίς ἐστιν ὁ Παράμμων. φαίνονται δὲ χρώμενοι ἐκ παλαιοτάτου τῷ ἐν Λιβύῃ μαντείῳ, καὶ ἀναθήματα Ἠλείων ἐν Ἄμμωνός εἰσι βωμοί: γέγραπται δὲ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν ὅσα τε ἐπυνθάνοντο οἱ Ἠλεῖοι καὶ τὰ χρησθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἀνδρῶν οἳ παρὰ τὸν Ἄμμωνα ἦλθον ἐξ Ἤλιδος. ταῦτα μὲν δή ἐστιν ἐν Ἄμμωνος:
5.15.12 Ἠλεῖοι δὲ καὶ ἥρωσι καὶ γυναιξὶ σπένδουσιν ἡρώων, ὅσοι τε ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῇ Ἠλείᾳ καὶ ὅσοι παρὰ Αἰτωλοῖς τιμὰς ἔχουσιν. ὁπόσα δὲ ᾄδουσιν ἐν τῷ πρυτανείῳ, φωνὴ μέν ἐστιν αὐτῶν ἡ Δώριος, ὅστις δὲ ὁ ποιήσας ἦν τὰ ᾄσματα, οὐ λέγουσιν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἑστιατόριον Ἠλείοις: καὶ τοῦτο ἔστι μὲν ἐντὸς τοῦ πρυτανείου, τοῦ οἰκήματος τοῦ τῆς ἑστίας ἀπαντικρύ, τοὺς δὲ τὰ Ὀλύμπια νικῶντας ἑστιῶσιν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ οἰκήματι.