Description of Greece

​For one passing by the image of Kreugas, the boxer, and the trophy erected over the Corinthians, there is a seated image of Zeus Meilichios, of white marble, and a work of Polyclitus. I learned that it was made for the following reason. Since the Lacedaemonians had begun to wage war against the Argives, there was no longer any deliverance, until Philip, the son of Amyntas, forced them to remain within the boundaries of their territory established from the beginning. In the preceding time, the Lacedaemonians, active in nothing outside the Peloponnese, were always cutting off some of the Argive territory, or when those men were turned to a war outside their borders, the Argives themselves also attacked them in such circumstances.

​When the hatred on both sides had been advanced to the extreme, it seemed good to the Argives to maintain a thousand select men; and Bryas, an Argive, had been appointed commander over them, who, among other outrages against the men of the people, violated a maiden who was being conducted to her bridegroom, having taken her away from those who were leading her. When night came on, the girl, watching for him when he was asleep, blinded Bryas; and when day broke, having been discovered, she fled as a suppliant to the people. Since they did not give her up to the thousand to be punished, and from this both sides were led into battle, the party of the people prevailed, and having prevailed, because of their anger they left none of their opponents alive. Afterwards, they performed other purifications as for kindred blood, and dedicated an image of Zeus Meilichios.

​Nearby are Cleobis and Biton represented in stone, themselves drawing the wagon and bringing their mother on it to the Heraeum. Opposite these is the sanctuary of Nemean Zeus, a standing bronze image, the art of Lysippus. For those going on past it, on the right is the tomb of Phoroneus; and they still make offerings to Phoroneus even in our time. Across from the Nemean Zeus is a temple of Fortune from the oldest times, if indeed Palamedes, having invented dice, dedicated them to this temple.

​The tomb nearby they call that of Choreia the Maenad, saying that this woman and other women joined with Dionysus in his expedition against Argos, and that Perseus, when he prevailed in the battle, slew most of the women; the rest, therefore, they buried in common, but for her, because she excelled in prestige, they made the tomb privately.

​A little further off is the sanctuary of the Hours. For one returning from there, there stand statues of Polyneices, the son of Oedipus, and of all those among the leaders who died with him fighting against the wall of the Thebans. These men Aeschylus reduced to the number of only seven, though more commanders from Argos, Messene, and some even from Arcadia had joined the expedition. Near these seven—for the Argives too have followed the poetry of Aeschylus—lie also those who took Thebes: Aegialeus, son of Adrastus; Promachus, son of Parthenopaeus, son of Talaus; Polydorus, son of Hippomedon; Thersander; the sons of Amphiaraus, namely Alcmaeon and Amphilochus; Diomedes; and Sthenelus. In addition to these, there were also Euryalus, son of Mecisteus; Adrastus, son of Polyneices; and Timeas.