Description of Greece

​On the left of the gates which they call the Electra gates, there are ruins of a house where they say Amphitryon dwelt when he was fleeing from Tiryns because of the death of Electryon; and the bedchamber of Alcmene is still clear among the ruins. They say that Trophonius and Agamedes built it for Amphitryon, and that this inscription was written upon it: “When Amphitryon was about to bring his wife Alcmene here, he built this bedchamber for himself; and Trophonius, son of Anchasius, and Agamedes made it.”

​The Thebans say that this was written there; and they point out the grave of the children of Hercules by Megara, telling the story of their death in no way differently from what Stesichorus of Himera and Panyassis wrote in their epic poems. The Thebans also add this: that Hercules, in his madness, was about to kill Amphitryon as well, but before he could do so, sleep overcame him because of the blow of the stone; and they say that it was Athena who hurled this stone at him, which they call Sophronister (Chastiser).

​Here there are images of women in relief; the statues are already rather faint; these the Thebans call Pharmacides (Witches), and they say they were sent by Hera to be a hindrance to the labor of Alcmene. These indeed prevented Alcmene from giving birth; but Historis, the daughter of Tiresias, thought of a trick against the Pharmacides, and cried out in their hearing that Alcmene had given birth; thus, they say, the deceived ones went away, and Alcmene gave birth.

​Here is a sanctuary of Hercules; one of the statues, made of white stone, is called Promachus (Champion), and is the work of Xenocritus and Eubius, both Thebans; but the ancient wooden image the Thebans believe to be by Daedalus, and it occurred to me also that it was so. Daedalus himself dedicated this, as it is said, in repayment of a benefit. For when he was fleeing from Crete, having made small boats for himself and his son Icarus, and besides, having fitted them with sails—a thing not yet discovered by those of that time—so that they might outstrip the rowing of Minos’ navy by using a favorable wind, then Daedalus himself was saved, ​but they say that the ship was overturned because Icarus steered too unskillfully; and the wave washed him, after he was drowned, to the island above Samos, which was then still nameless. Hercules, happening upon him, recognized the corpse, and buried him where even now there is still a small mound for him on a promontory jutting out into the Aegean. From this Icarus both the island and the sea around it have got their name.

​For the Thebans, Praxiteles made the sculptures in the pediments representing most of the so-called twelve labors; and of these, the labor against the birds at Stymphalus and how Hercules cleansed the land of Elis are missing, but in their place the wrestling with Antaeus is represented. Thrasybulus, the son of Lycus, and the Athenians with him, having overthrown the tyranny of the Thirty—for their return was made starting from Thebes—dedicated colossal statues of Athena and Hercules of Pentelic stone in relief, works of Alcamenes, in the sanctuary of Hercules.

​Adjoining the sanctuary of Hercules are a gymnasium and a stadium, both named after the god. Above the stone Sophronister is an altar of Apollo called Spodius (Of Ashes), and it is made from the ashes of the victims. A method of divination from ominous voices is established there, which indeed I know the Smyrnaeans use most of all the Greeks; for the Smyrnaeans also have a sanctuary of Ominous Voices above the city, outside the wall.