Description of Greece

​What remains for us after this is the temple of Hera and whatever inside the temple is worthy of record. It is said by the Eleans that the inhabitants of Scillus, one of the cities in Triphylia, built the temple about eight years after Oxylus acquired the kingship in Elis. The workmanship of the temple is Dorian, and pillars stand all around it; and in the opisthodomus, one of the pillars is made of oak. The length of the temple is one hundred and sixty-nine feet, the width is sixty-three, and the height does not fall short of fifty feet; but who the architect was, they do not remember.

​Every four years, the sixteen women weave a robe (peplos) for Hera; and these same women also establish the Heraea games. This contest is a running race for maidens; not indeed that they are all of the same age, but first the youngest run, after them those second in age, and last run those who are the oldest of the maidens.

​They run in this way: their hair is let down, a tunic (chiton) reaches to a little above the knee, and they show their right shoulder as far as the breast. For their contest also the Olympic stadium has been assigned, but they subtract for their race about one-sixth of the stadium; and to the victors they give crowns of olive and a share of the cow sacrificed to Hera, and indeed it is allowed for them to dedicate portraits of themselves which they have had painted. There are also women who assist the sixteen in the same manner as the directors of the games.

​They trace the contest of the maidens back to ancient times, saying that Hippodameia, in payment of gratitude to Hera for her marriage with Pelops, gathered the sixteen women and with them first established the Heraea; and they also remember that Chloris, the daughter of Amphion, won, she being the only survivor of the house. Along with her, they say that one of the males also survived; and as for what occurred to me to think concerning the children of Niobe, I have set it forth in the account relating to the Argives.

​Concerning the sixteen women, they also tell another story of this kind in addition to the former account. They say that Damophon, when he was tyrant in Pisa, did many grievous things to the Eleans; but when Damophon died—for the Pisans did not agree to share publicly in the sins of the tyrant, and it was also somehow pleasing to the Eleans that the charges against them should be resolved—under these circumstances, since sixteen cities were still inhabited in Elis at that time, they chose a woman from each, who was the oldest in age and foremost among the women in dignity and reputation, to settle their differences.

​The cities from which they chose the women were Elis, [lacuna]... The women being from these cities made peace for the Pisans with the Eleans ; and later they were also entrusted by them with establishing the Heraea games and weaving the robe for Hera. The sixteen women also set up two choruses, and they call one of the choruses that of Physcoa, and the other that of Hippodameia; and they say that this Physcoa was from Coele Elis, and that the name of the deme where she lived was Orthia.

​With this Physcoa they say Dionysus consorted, and Physcoa bore to Dionysus a son, Narcaeus; and when he grew up, he made war on his neighbors and rose to great power, and indeed he established a temple of Athena surnamed Narcaea; and they say that honors were first given to Dionysus by Narcaeus and Physcoa. Physcoa indeed has other privileges and a chorus named after her from the sixteen women, and the Eleans keep the other customs no less, although the cities have been dissolved; for they are divided into eight tribes and choose two women from each.

​Whatever it is ordained either for the sixteen women or for the Hellanodicae of the Eleans to perform, they do not perform before they have purified themselves with a pig suitable for purification and with water. Their purification takes place at the spring Piera; and for one going from Olympia through the plain to Elis, it is possible to arrive at the spring Piera.