Description of Greece

​When Socrates of Pellene had won a victory in the boys’ foot-race, and Amertas of Elis had defeated the boys in wrestling at Olympia, and had also defeated those of the men who entered at Pytho, of the former they do not tell the maker of his statue, but that of Amertas was made by Phradmon of Argos. For Evanoridas of Elis there was a victory in wrestling among boys both at Olympia and at the Nemean games; and having become a Hellanodikes, he too wrote down the names of the victors at Olympia.

​But concerning the adult boxer, an Arcadian by race from Parrhasia, named Damarchus, I could not believe, beyond his victory at Olympia, all the other things said by boastful men, how he changed his form from a man into a wolf at the sacrifice of Lycaean Zeus, and how in the tenth year after these things he became a man again. Indeed, neither did this seem to me to be said of him by the Arcadians themselves, for otherwise it would have been mentioned by the epigram at Olympia, which runs as follows: “Damarchus, son of Dinytas, dedicated this statue, a Parrhasian by birth from Arcadia.” This matter, then, may be dismissed at this point.

​Eubotas of Cyrene, since he had learned beforehand from the oracle in Libya of his future victory in the foot-race at Olympia, had his statue made beforehand, and on the same day he was proclaimed victor and dedicated the statue. It is also said that he won with a chariot in that Olympiad which, according to the account of the Eleans, is invalid because the Arcadians directed the games.

​For Timanthes of Cleonae, who won the crown in the pankration among men, and Baucis of Troezen, who threw the men who wrestled, the statue of the former is the work of Myron of Athens, and that of Baucis is the work of Naucydes. They say that the end of Timanthes’ life came about for the following reason. He had ceased to compete, but nevertheless he still tested his strength by drawing a great bow each day; then he went abroad, and during this time his practice with the bow was neglected. When on his return he was no longer able to draw the bow, he kindled a fire and threw himself alive into the pyre. Whatever deeds of this kind have already occurred among men, or will ever happen hereafter, should, in my opinion at least, be regarded as madness rather than courage.

​After Baucis there are statues of Arcadian athletes: Euthymenes from Maenalus itself, who had won victories, one in wrestling among men and another earlier among boys; and Philippos, an Azanian from Pellene, who won in boxing among boys; and Critodamus of Cleitor, who was also proclaimed victor in boxing among boys. As for their statues, Alypus made the one of Euthymenes as a boy, Cleon made that of Damocritus, and Myron made the statue of Philippos the Azanian. The details concerning Promachus, son of Dryon, the pankratiast from Pellene, will be added by me in my account of the Achaeans.

​Not far from Promachus is dedicated Timasitheos, a Delphian by race, the work of Ageladas of Argos, who had won two victories at Olympia in the pankration and three at Pytho. He also performed deeds in war that were brilliant in courage and not lacking in good fortune, except indeed for the last one; and this enterprise brought him death. For when Isagoras the Athenian seized the Athenian acropolis for a tyranny, Timasitheos also took part in the deed—for he was one of those besieged on the acropolis—and found from the Athenians death as the penalty for his wrongdoing.