Pausanias´ Description of Greece - Παυσανίου Ελλάδος περιήγησις
Recogito Annotation
Book 5 — Chapter 24
English
5.24.1 By the side of the altar of Zeus Laoetas and Poseidon Laoetas is a Zeus on a bronze pedestal. The people of Corinth gave it and Musus made it, whoever this Musus may have been. As you go from the Bouleuterion to the great temple there stands on the left an image of Zeus, crowned as it were with flowers, and with a thunderbolt set in his right hand. It is the work of Ascarus of Thebes, a pupil of Canachus of Sicyon. The inscription on it says that it is a tithe from the war between Phocis and Thessaly.
5.24.2 If the Thessalians went to war with Phocis and dedicated the offering from Phocian plunder, this could not have been the so-called “Sacred War,” but must have been a war between the two states previous to the invasion of Greece by the Persians under their king. Not far from this is a Zeus, which, as is declared by the verse inscribed on it, was dedicated by the Psophidians for a success in war.
5.24.3 On the right of the great temple is a Zeus facing the rising of the sun, twelve feet high and dedicated, they say, by the Lacedemonians, when they entered on a war with the Messenians after their second revolt. On it is an elegiac couplet: “Accept, king, son of Cronus, Olympian Zeus, a lovely image, And have a heart propitious to the Lacedemonians.
5.24.4 We know of no Roman, either commoner or senator, who gave a votive offering to a Greek sanctuary before Mummius, and he dedicated at Olympia a bronze Zeus from the spoils of Achaia. It stands on the left of the offering of the Lacedemonians by the side of the first pillar on this side of the temple. The largest of the bronze images of Zeus in the Altis is twenty-seven feet high, and was dedicated by the Eleans themselves from the plunder of the war with the Arcadians.
5.24.5 Beside the Pelopium is a pillar of no great height with a small image of Zeus on it; one hand is outstretched. Opposite this are other offerings in a row, and likewise images of Zeus and Ganymedes. Homer's poem tells how Ganymedes was carried off by the gods to be wine-bearer to Zeus, and how horses were given to Tros in exchange for him. This offering was dedicated by the Thessalian Gnathis and made by Aristocles, pupil and son of Cleoetas.
5.24.6 There is also another Zeus represented as a beardless youth, which is among offerings of Micythus. The history of Micythus, his family, and why he dedicated so many offerings at Olympia, my narrative will presently set forth. A little farther on in a straight line from the image I have mentioned is another beardless image of Zeus. It was dedicated by the people of Elaea, who live in the first city of Aeolis you reach on descending from the plain of the Caicus to the sea.
5.24.7 Yet another image of Zeus comes next, and the inscription on it says that it was dedicated by the Chersonesians of Cnidus from enemy spoils. On either side of the image of Zeus they have dedicated images of Pelops and of the river Alpheius respectively. The greater part of the city of Cnidus is built on the Carian mainland, where are their most noteworthy possessions, but what is called Chersonnesus is an island lying near the mainland, to which it is joined by a bridge.
5.24.8 It is the inhabitants of this quarter who dedicated to Zeus the offerings at Olympia, just as if Ephesians living in what is called Coresus were to say that they had dedicated an offering independently of the Ephesians as a body. There is also by the wall of the Altis a Zeus turned towards the setting of the sun; it bears no inscription, but is said to be another offering of Mummius made from the plunder of the Achaean war.
5.24.9 But the Zeus in the Council Chamber is of all the images of Zeus the one most likely to strike terror into the hearts of sinners. He is surnamed Horcius (oath-god), and in each hand he holds a thunderbolt. Beside this image it is the custom for athletes, their fathers and their brothers, as well as their trainers, to swear an oath upon slices of boar's flesh that in nothing will they sin against the Olympic games. The athletes take this further oath also, that for ten successive months they have strictly followed the regulations for training.
5.24.10 An oath is also taken by those who examine the boys, or the foals entering for races, that they will decide fairly and without taking bribes, and that they will keep secret what they learn about a candidate, whether accepted or not. I forgot to inquire what it is customary to do with the boar after the oath of the athletes, though the ancient custom about victims was that no human being might eat of that on which an oath had been sworn.
5.24.11 Homer proves this point clearly. For the boar, on the slices of which Agamemnon swore that verily Briseis had not lain with him, Homer says was thrown by the herald into the sea. “He spake, and cut the boar's throat with ruthless bronze; And the boar Talthybius swung and cast into the great depth Of the grey sea, to feed the fishes.” Such was the ancient custom. Before the feet of the Oath-god is a bronze plate, with elegiac verses inscribed upon it, the object of which is to strike fear into those who forswear themselves.
Ancient Greek
5.24.1 παρὰ δὲ τοῦ Λαοίτα Διὸς καὶ Ποσειδῶνος Λαοίτα δὲ , παρὰ τούτων τὸν βωμὸν Ζεὺς ἐπὶ χαλκοῦ βάθρου δῶρον μὲν τοῦ Κορινθίων δήμου, Μούσου δέ ἐστι ποίημα, ὅστις δὴ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Μοῦσος. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου πρὸς τὸν ναὸν ἐρχομένῳ τὸν μέγαν ἔστιν ἄγαλμα ἐν ἀριστερᾷ Διός, ἐστεφανωμένον δὲ οἷα δὴ ἄνθεσι, καὶ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ κεραυνὸς πεποίηται. τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν Ἀσκάρου τέχνη Θηβαίου, διδαχθέντος παρὰ τῷ Σικυωνίῳ Κανάχῳ· τὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ δεκάτην ἀπὸ τοῦ πολέμου Φωκέων καὶ Θεσσαλῶν φησιν εἶναι. [Overlaps: • Κορινθίων δήμου]
5.24.2 εἰ δὲ Φωκεῦσιν ἐς πόλεμόν τινα οὗτοι κατέστησαν καὶ ἔστιν ἀπὸ Φωκέων αὐτοῖς τὸ ἀνάθημα, οὐκ ἂν ἱερὸς καλούμενος εἴη πόλεμος, ὃν δὲ πρότερον ἔτι ἐπολέμησαν πρὶν ἢ Μήδους καὶ βασιλέα ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα διαβῆναι. τούτου δὲ οὐ πόρρω Ζεύς ἐστιν, ὅντινα ἀναθεῖναι Ψωφιδίους ἐπὶ πολέμου κατορθώματι τὸ ἔπος τὸ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ γεγραμμένον δηλοῖ.
5.24.3 τοῦ ναοῦ δέ ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ μεγάλου Ζεὺς πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ἡλίου, μέγεθος μὲν δυόδεκα ποδῶν, ἀνάθημα δὲ λέγουσιν εἶναι Λακεδαιμονίων, ἡνίκα ἀποστᾶσι Μεσσηνίοις δεύτερα τότε ἐς πόλεμον κατέστησαν: ἔπεστι δὲ καὶ ἐλεγεῖον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ, Δέξο ἄναξ Κρονίδα Ζεῦ Ὀλύμπιε καλὸν ἄγαλμα ἱλάῳ θυμῷ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις.
5.24.4 Ῥωμαίων δὲ οὔτε ἄνδρα ἰδιώτην οὔτε ὁπόσοι τῆς βουλῆς οὐδένα Μομμίου πρότερον ἀνάθημα ἴσμεν ἐς ἱερὸν ἀναθέντα Ἑλληνικόν, Μόμμιος δὲ ἀπὸ λαφύρων ἀνέθηκε τῶν ἐξ Ἀχαΐας Δία ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν χαλκοῦν: οὗτος ἕστηκεν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τοῦ Λακεδαιμονίων ἀναθήματος, παρὰ τὸν πρῶτον ταύτῃ τοῦ ναοῦ κίονα. ὃ δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἄλτει μέγιστον τῶν χαλκῶν ἐστιν ἀγαλμάτων τοῦ Διός, ἀνετέθη μὲν ὑπὸ αὐτῶν Ἠλείων ἀπὸ τοῦ πρὸς Ἀρκάδας πολέμου, μέγεθος δὲ ἑπτὰ καὶ εἴκοσι ποδῶν ἐστι.
5.24.5 παρὰ δὲ τῷ Πελοπίῳ κίων τε οὐχ ὑψηλὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα Διός ἐστιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ μικρόν, τὴν ἑτέραν τῶν χειρῶν προτεῖνον. τούτου δὲ ἀπαντικρὺ ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἀναθήματα ἐπὶ στοίχου, ὡς δὲ αὔτως Διὸς καὶ Γανυμήδους ἀγάλματα: ἔστι δὲ Ὁμήρῳ πεποιημένα ὡς ἁρπασθείη τε ὑπὸ θεῶν Γανυμήδης οἰνοχοεῖν Διὶ καὶ ὡς Τρωὶ δῶρα ἵπποι δοθεῖεν ἀντ᾽ αὐτοῦ. τοῦτο ἀνέθηκε μὲν Γνᾶθις Θεσσαλός, ἐποίησε δὲ Ἀριστοκλῆς μαθητής τε καὶ υἱὸς Κλεοίτα. [Overlaps: • Διός • Διὸς καὶ Γανυμήδους ἀγάλματα]
5.24.6 ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλος Ζεὺς οὐκ ἔχων πω γένεια, κεῖται δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀναθήμασι τοῖς Μικύθου. τὰ δὲ ἐς Μίκυθον, γένος τε ὁποῖον ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀνθ᾽ ὅτου τὰ ἀναθήματα ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν τὰ πολλὰ ἀνέθηκεν, ὁ ἐφεξῆς μοι λόγος δηλώσει. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἀγάλματος τοῦ εἰρημένου προελθόντι ὀλίγον κατ᾽ εὐθεῖαν ἄγαλμά ἐστι Διὸς οὐκ ἔχον γένεια οὐδὲ αὐτό, Ἐλαϊτῶν δὲ ἀνάθημα, οἳ καταβάντι ἐκ Καΐκου πεδίου ἐς θάλασσαν πρῶτοι τῇ Αἰολίδι οἰκοῦσι. [Overlaps: • Διὸς]
5.24.7 τούτου δὲ αὖθις ἄλλο ἄγαλμα ἔχεται Διός, τὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ τοὺς ἐν Κνίδῳ Χερρονησίους ἀπὸ ἀνδρῶν ἀναθεῖναι πολεμίων φησίν: ἀνέθεσαν δὲ ἑκατέρωθεν παρὰ τὸν Δία Πέλοπά τε καὶ τὸν Ἀλφειὸν ποταμόν. Κνιδίοις δὲ τῆς πόλεως τὸ μὲν πολὺ ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ πεπόλισται τῇ Καρικῇ, ἔνθα καὶ τὰ λόγου μάλιστα αὐτοῖς ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ καλουμένη Χερρόνησός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἠπείρῳ κειμένη νῆσος γεφύρᾳ διαβατὸς ἐξ αὐτῆς: [Overlaps: • Διός • Χερρονησίους]
5.24.8 καὶ τὰ ἀναθήματα ἀνέθεσαν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τῷ Διὶ οἱ ἐνταῦθα οἰκοῦντες, ὡς εἰ τῆς Ἐφεσίων πόλεως οἱ ἔχοντες τὸν ὀνομαζόμενον Κόρησον ἀνάθημα φαῖεν ἰδίᾳ τι ἀναθεῖναι τοῦ Ἐφεσίων κοινοῦ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ πρὸς τῷ τείχει τῆς Ἄλτεως Ζεὺς ἐπὶ ἡλίου τετραμμένος δυσμάς, ἐπίγραμμα οὐδὲν παρεχόμενος· ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ οὗτος Μομμίου τε καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀχαιῶν εἶναι πολέμου. [Overlaps: • Κόρησον]
5.24.9 ὁ δὲ ἐν τῷ βουλευτηρίῳ πάντων ὁπόσα ἀγάλματα Διὸς μάλιστα ἐς ἔκπληξιν ἀδίκων ἀνδρῶν+ πεποίηται: ἐπίκλησις μὲν Ὅρκιός ἐστιν αὐτῷ, ἔχει δὲ ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ κεραυνὸν χειρί. παρὰ τούτῳ καθέστηκε τοῖς ἀθληταῖς καὶ πατράσιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀδελφοῖς, ἔτι δὲ γυμνασταῖς ἐπὶ κάπρου κατόμνυσθαι τομίων, μηδὲν ἐς τὸν Ὀλυμπίων ἀγῶνα ἔσεσθαι παρ᾽ αὐτῶν κακούργημα. οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες οἱ ἀθληταὶ καὶ τόδε ἔτι προσκατόμνυνται, δέκα ἐφεξῆς μηνῶν ἀπηκριβῶσθαί σφισι τὰ πάντα ἐς ἄσκησιν.
5.24.10 ὀμνύουσι δὲ καὶ ὅσοι τοὺς παῖδας ἢ τῶν ἵππων τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων τοὺς πώλους κρίνουσιν, ἐπὶ δικαίῳ καὶ ἄνευ δώρων ποιεῖσθαι κρίσιν, καὶ τὰ ἐς τὸν δοκιμαζόμενόν τε καὶ μή, φυλάξειν καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ. τῷ κάπρῳ δὲ ὅ τι χρῆσθαί σφισι μετὰ τῶν ἀθλητῶν τὸν ὅρκον καθέστηκεν, οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσα ἐπερέσθαι, ἐπεὶ τοῖς γε ἀρχαιοτέροις ἐπὶ ἱερεῖα ἦν καθεστηκός, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ τις ὅρκον ἐποιήσατο, μηδὲ ἐδώδιμον εἶναι τοῦτο ἔτι ἀνθρώπῳ. δηλοῖ δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα καὶ Ὅμηρος:
5.24.11 τὸν γοῦν κάπρον καθ᾽ ὅτου τῶν τομίων Ἀγαμέμνων ἐπώμοσεν ἦ μὴν εἶναι τὴν Βρισηίδα ἑαυτοῦ τῆς εὐνῆς ἀπείρατον, τοῦτον τὸν κάπρον ἀφιέμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ κήρυκος ἐποίησεν ἐς θάλασσαν: ἦ, καὶ ἀπὸ σφάραγον κάπρου τάμε νηλέι χαλκῷ. τὸν μὲν Ταλθύβιος πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐς μέγα λαῖτμα ρῖψ᾽ ἐπιδινήσας, βόσιν ἰχθύσιν. Ομ Ιλ. 19.266-268 οὕτω μὲν τὸ ἀρχαῖον τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐνόμιζον: ἔστι δὲ πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ Ὁρκίου πινάκιον χαλκοῦν, ἐπιγέγραπται δὲ ἐλεγεῖα ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, δεῖμα ἐθέλοντα τοῖς ἐπιορκοῦσι παριστάναι.