Description of Greece

​There is also another acropolis for the Megarians, having its name from Alcatheus; for those ascending into this acropolis, there is on the right the monument of Megareus, who came from Onchestus as their ally during the expedition of the Cretans. There is also shown a hearth of the gods called Prodomeis; and they say Alcatheus sacrificed to them first, when he was about to begin the building of the wall.

​Near this hearth is a stone, upon which they say Apollo laid down his cithara when helping Alcatheus build the wall. And this also shows me that the Megarians were subject to the Athenians; for it appears that Periboea, the daughter of Alcatheus, was sent to Crete along with Theseus in accordance with the tribute. And at that time, as the Megarians say, when he was building the wall, Apollo helped him and laid down his cithara upon the stone; and if anyone happens to strike it with a pebble, it sounds in the same way as a cithara when struck.

​To me, this also caused wonder, but the colossus of the Egyptians did so by far the most. In Egyptian Thebes, for those crossing the Nile toward the place called the Syringes, I saw a statue, still sitting, which makes a sound—most call it Memnon, for they say he set out from Ethiopia into Egypt and as far as Susa; but the Thebans do not call it Memnon, but say it was Phamenoph, one of the natives whose statue this was, and I have already heard some saying it was Sesostris—, which Cambyses cut in two; and now, as much as was from the head to the middle of the body has been cast away, but the remainder sits and every day at the rising of the sun it cries out, and one would especially liken the sound to that of a cithara or a lyre with a broken string.

​For the Megarians there is a council-chamber, and once, as they say, there was the tomb of Timalcus, whom a little before this I said did not die at the hands of Theseus. Built upon the summit of the acropolis is a temple of Athena, and the statue is gilded except for the hands and the tips of the feet; and these and the face are made of ivory. And another sanctuary of Athena called Nike has been made there, and another of Aiantis; as for this, it is omitted by the Megarian guides, but I will write how I think it came about. Telamon, the son of Aeacus, lived with Periboea, the daughter of Alcatheus; I think, therefore, that Ajax, having succeeded to the rule of Alcatheus, made the statue of Athena.

​The ancient temple of Apollo was of brick; but later the Emperor Hadrian built it of white stone. The one called Pythios and the one called Decatephorus are most like Egyptian wooden statues, but the one they name Archegetes is similar to Aeginetan works; and all are made of ebony in like manner. And I heard from a Cypriot man, who knew how to distinguish herbs for the healing of men, who said that the ebony does not produce leaves nor is there any fruit from it, nor is it seen at all under the sun, but that its roots are underground, and these the Ethiopians dig up, and that there are men among them who know how to find the ebony.

​There is also a sanctuary of Demeter Thesmophoros. And for those descending from there, there is the monument of Callipolis, the son of Alcatheus. Alcatheus had also another elder son, Ischepolis, whom his father sent to Meleager to help destroy the beast in Aetolia. When he died there, Callipolis was the first to learn of his death, and running up to the acropolis—at that time his father was burning sacrifices to Apollo—he cast away the wood from the altar; but Alcatheus, having not yet heard of the death of Ischepolis, condemned Callipolis as doing what was impious, and straightway in his anger killed him by striking him on the head with a piece of the wood cast away from the altar.

​Along the road to the prytaneum is a hero-shrine of Ino, and around it is a stone coping; and olives also grow upon it. The Megarians are the only Greeks who say that the corpse of Ino was washed up on the coast of their country, and that Cleso and Tauropolis—who were daughters of Cleson, the son of Lelex—found and buried it, and they say she was first named Leucothea among them, and they perform a sacrifice every year.