Description of Greece

​In front of the Proitides gates of the Thebans is the gymnasium called that of Iolaus, and a stadium built in the same manner as the one in Olympia and the earthwork in the land of the Epidaurians; there the hero-shrine of Iolaus is also shown. That Iolaus himself and the Athenians and Thespians who crossed over with him died in Sardinia is agreed also by the Thebans.

​Crossing over the stadium, on the right is a horse-course, and in it is the tomb of Pindar. When Pindar was a young man and was going to Thespiae in the hot season around mid-day, weariness and sleep from it overtook him; he lay down just as he was a little above the road, and while he was sleeping, bees flew to him and plastered honeycomb on his lips.

​Such was the beginning of Pindar’s composing songs; and when he was already famous throughout the whole of Greece, the Pythia raised him to a greater height of glory by proclaiming to the Delphians to distribute to Pindar also an equal share of all those first-fruits which they offered to Apollo. It is also said that a vision of a dream came to him when he was advanced in old age; Persephone stood over him as he slept and said that she alone of the gods had not been hymned by Pindar, but that Pindar would indeed make a song for her too when he came to her.

​Fate overtook him immediately before a tenth day had passed since the dream; and there was in Thebes an old woman who by birth was related to Pindar and had practiced singing many of his songs; Pindar stood over this old woman in a dream and sang a hymn to Persephone, and she, as soon as sleep left her, wrote down all that she had heard him singing in the dream. In this song, among other titles for Hades, there is “of the golden reins,” clearly referring to the rape of Kore.

​From here to Acraephnium the road is for the most part level. They say that the city was from the beginning a part of the Theban territory, and later people found there men of the Thebans who had fled to it when Alexander was laying Thebes waste; being unable to escape safe even to Attica because of weakness and old age, they settled there. The town lies on Mount Ptoum, and worth seeing there are a temple of Dionysus and a statue.

​Going forward from the city, on the right about fifteen stades is the sanctuary of Ptous Apollo. That Ptous was the son of Athamas and Themisto, after whom came the surname of Apollo and the name of the mountain, Asius has said in his epic verses. Before the campaign of Alexander and the Macedonians and the destruction of the Thebans, there was an unerring oracle there; and once a man of Europus—his name was Mys—this Mys, having been sent by Mardonius, asked the oracle in his own language, and the god answered him, not speaking Greek himself either, but in the Carian dialect.

​Crossing over Mount Ptoum, there is on the sea a city of the Boeotians, Larymna, and they say its name came from Larymna, the daughter of Cynus; but her more ancient ancestors will be shown by my account concerning the Locrians. Larymna also contributed to Opus in ancient times; but when the Thebans had advanced to great power, they then voluntarily transferred themselves to the Boeotians. A temple of Dionysus and an upright statue are made there. Their harbor is deep right by the shore, and the mountains above the city afford a hunt for wild boars.