Shrine of Cynisca and Heracles' Feud with Hippocoon — Pausanias, Description of Greece Book 3 (3.15.1–3.15.6), Greek & English

§3.15.1

πρὸς δὲ τῷ Πλατανιστᾷ καὶ Κυνίσκας ἐστὶν ἡρῷον, θυγατρὸς Ἀρχιδάμου βασιλεύοντος Σπαρτιατῶν· πρώτη δὲ ἱπποτρόφησε γυναικῶν καὶ Ὀλυμπίασι πρώτη νίκην ἀνείλετο ἅρματι. ἔστι δὲ τῆς στοᾶς, ἣ παρὰ τὸν Πλατανιστᾶν πεποίηται, ταύτης ὄπισθεν ἡρῷα, τὸ μὲν Ἀλκίμου, τὸ δὲ Ἐναρσφόρου καὶ ἀφεστηκὸς οὐ πολὺ Δορκέως, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτῳ Σεβροῦ· παῖδας δὲ Ἱπποκόωντος εἶναι λέγουσιν.

Near the Platanistas there is also a hero-shrine of Cynisca, daughter of Archidamus who was king of the Spartans; she was the first of women to breed horses and the first to win a victory with a chariot at Olympia. Behind the portico which has been built beside the Platanistas, there are hero-shrines: one of Alcimus, one of Enarsphorus—situated not far from that of Dorceus—and the one next to this of Sebrus; and they say these are sons of Hippocoon.

§3.15.2

ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Δορκέως κρήνην τὴν πλησίον τοῦ ἡρῴου Δορκείαν, τὸ δὲ χωρίον τὸ Σέβριον καλοῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Σεβροῦ. τοῦ Σεβρίου δέ ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ μνῆμα Ἀλκμᾶνος, ᾧ ποιήσαντι ᾄσματα¹ οὐδὲν ἐς ἡδονὴν αὐτῶν ἐλυμήνατο τῶν Λακώνων ἡ γλῶσσα, ἥκιστα παρεχομένη τὸ εὔφωνον.

And from Dorceus they call the spring near his hero-shrine Dorceia, and they call the place Sebrion from Sebrus. On the right of the Sebrion is the monument of Alcman, whose pleasure in composing songs was not at all harmed by the tongue of the Laconians, though it is least of all gifted with sweet sound.

§3.15.3

Ἑλένης δὲ ἱερὰ καὶ Ἡρακλέους, τῆς μὲν πλησίον τοῦ τάφου τοῦ Ἀλκμᾶνος, τῷ δὲ ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ τείχους, ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ ἄγαλμα Ἡρακλέους ἐστὶν ὡπλισμένον· τὸ δὲ σχῆμα τοῦ ἀγάλματος διὰ τὴν πρὸς Ἱπποκόωντα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας μάχην γενέσθαι λέγουσι. τὸ δὲ ἔχθος Ἡρακλεῖ φασιν ἐς οἶκον ὑπάρξαι τὸν Ἱπποκόωντος, ὅτι μετὰ τὸν Ἰφίτου θάνατον καθαρσίων ἕνεκα ἐλθόντα αὐτὸν ἐν Σπάρτῃ ἀπηξίωσαν καθῆραι·

There are sanctuaries of Helen and of Heracles, the former near the tomb of Alcman, the latter closest to the wall, and in it is a statue of Heracles in arms; and they say that the fashion of the statue was made such because of his battle against Hippocoon and his sons. And they say that the hatred for Heracles against the house of Hippocoon arose because, when he came to Sparta after the death of Iphitus for purification, they disdained to purify him;

§3.15.4

προσεγένετο δὲ ἐς τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἄλλο τοιόνδε. Οἰωνὸς ἡλικίαν μὲν μειράκιον, ἀνεψιὸς δὲ Ἡρακλεῖ—Λικυμνίου γὰρ παῖς ἦν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ Ἀλκμήνης—ἀφίκετο ἐς Σπάρτην ἅμα Ἡρακλεῖ· περιιόντι δὲ καὶ θεωμένῳ τὴν πόλιν, ὡς ἐγίνετο κατὰ τοῦ Ἱπποκόωντος τὴν οἰκίαν, ἐνταῦθά οἱ κύων ἐπεφέρετο οἰκουρός. ὁ δὲ τυγχάνει τε ἀφεὶς λίθον ὁ Οἰωνὸς καὶ καταβάλλει τὴν κύνα· ἐπεκθέουσιν οὖν τοῦ Ἱπποκόωντος οἱ παῖδες καὶ ῥοπάλοις τύπτοντες κατεργάζονται τὸν Οἰωνόν.

and there was also added to the beginning of the war another such event. Oeonus, in age a mere youth, and a cousin to Heracles—for he was the son of Licymnius, the brother of Alcmene—arrived in Sparta together with Heracles; and as he was walking about and viewing the city, when he came opposite the house of Hippocoon, there a watchdog rushed out at him. And Oeonus happened to throw a stone and struck down the dog; so the sons of Hippocoon ran out and, beating him with clubs, made an end of Oeonus.

§3.15.5

τοῦτο Ἡρακλέα μάλιστα ἐξηγρίωσεν ἐς Ἱπποκόωντα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας· αὐτίκα δὲ ὡς ὀργῆς εἶχε² χωρεῖ σφισιν ἐς μάχην. τότε μὲν δὴ τιτρώσκεται καὶ λαθὼν ἀπεχώρησεν· ὕστερον δὲ ἐξεγένετό οἱ στρατεύσαντι ἐς Σπάρτην τιμωρήσασθαι μὲν Ἱπποκόωντα, τιμωρήσασθαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ Οἰωνοῦ φόνου. τὸ δὲ μνῆμα τῷ Οἰωνῷ πεποίηται παρὰ τὸ Ἡρακλεῖον.

This especially enraged Heracles against Hippocoon and his sons; and immediately, in the anger he felt, he went to battle against them. At that time indeed he was wounded and withdrew secretly; but later it was granted to him, having campaigned against Sparta, to take vengeance on Hippocoon, and also to take vengeance on his sons for the murder of Oeonus. And the monument to Oeonus is made beside the sanctuary of Heracles.

§3.15.6

ἰόντι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Δρόμου³ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον ἀτραπός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς Ἀξιοποίνου καλουμένης ἱερόν. ὡς γὰρ δὴ ἀμυνόμενος Ἡρακλῆς Ἱπποκόωντα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας μετῆλθε κατʼ ἀξίαν ὧν προυπῆρξεν, ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς ἱδρύεται, Ἀξιοποίνου δὲ ἐπίκλησιν, ὅτι τὰς τιμωρίας οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὠνόμαζον ποινάς. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλο ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς ἰόντι ἑτέραν ὁδὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Δρόμου· Θήραν δὲ ἀναθεῖναι τὸν Αὐτεσίωνος τοῦ Τισαμενοῦ τοῦ Θερσάνδρου φασίν, ἡνίκα ἀποικίαν ἔστελλεν ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον ἣ νῦν ἀπὸ Θήρα τούτου τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχηκε, τὸ δὲ ἀρχαῖον ἐκαλεῖτο Καλλίστη.

For one going from the Dromos toward the rising sun, there is a path on the right and a sanctuary of Athena called Axiopoinos. For when Heracles, defending himself, pursued Hippocoon and his sons with a vengeance worthy of what they had begun, he founded a sanctuary of Athena, and gave her the surname Axiopoinos, because the men of old used to call punishments ‘poinai’. And there is also another sanctuary of Athena for one going by another road from the Dromos; and they say that Theras, the son of Autesion, the son of Tisamenus, the son of Thersander, dedicated it when he was leading a colony to the island which now has its name from this Theras, but anciently was called Kalliste.

Syntax notes3 items

3.15.2ᾧ ποιήσαντι ᾄσματα
The dative relative pronoun ᾧ (agreeing with the antecedent Ἀλκμᾶνος) is modified by the dative aorist participle ποιήσαντι. This dative functions as a dative of reference or relation with respect to the entire clause, meaning 'for him as a composer of songs' or 'when he composed songs.'
3.15.5ὡς ὀργῆς εἶχε
The conjunction ὡς combined with the genitive of a noun and the intransitive verb ἔχω forms an idiomatic construction indicating the state in which the subject finds himself. Literally, 'just as he was of anger,' meaning 'in the heat of his anger.'
3.15.6ἰόντι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Δρόμου
The dative present participle ἰόντι (for one going) is a dative of reference, commonly used in geographical and spatial descriptions to indicate perspective. It translates as 'for one going from the Dromos.'

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — note 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:3.15.1-3.15.6