§5πυλὼν μὲν ὑψηλὸς ἀναβάσεις πλατείας ἔχων, ὑπτίας μᾶλλον ἢ ὀρθίας πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀνιόντων εὐμάρειαν·
There is a high gateway with wide steps, sloping rather than steep, for the convenience of those going up.
εἰσιόντα δὲ τοῦτον ἐκδέχεται κοινὸς οἶκος εὐμεγέθης, ἱκανὴν ἔχων ὑπηρέταις καὶ ἀκολούθοις διατριβήν, ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ τὰ ἐς τρυφὴν παρεσκευασμένα οἰκήματα, βαλανείῳ δʼ οὖν καὶ ταῦτα πρεπωδέστατα, χαρίεσσαι καὶ φωτὶ πολλῷ καταλαμπόμεναι ὑποχωρήσεις.
A person entering this is received by a spacious common room, having sufficient space for servants and attendants to wait in, and on the left, apartments prepared for luxury, and these also most appropriate for a bath, being pleasant and well-lit retreats illuminated by much light.
εἶτʼ ἐχόμενος αὐτῶν οἶκος, περιττὸς μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὸ λουτρόν, ἀναγκαῖος δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν εὐδαιμονεστέρων ὑποδοχήν.
Then, adjoining them, a room, superfluous indeed as regards the bath, but necessary for the reception of the wealthier.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἑκατέρωθεν διαρκεῖς τοῖς ἀποδυομένοις ἀποθέσεις, καὶ μέσος οἶκος ὕψει τε ὑψηλότατος καὶ φωτὶ φαιδρότατος, ψυχροῦ ὕδατος ἔχων τρεῖς κολυμβήθρας, Λακαίνῃ λίθῳ κεκοσμημένος, καὶ εἰκόνες ἐν αὐτῷ λίθου λευκοῦ τῆς ἀρχαίας ἐργασίας, ἡ μὲν Ὑγιείας, ἡ δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ.
After this, on either side, spacious dressing rooms for those undressing, and a central room, very lofty in height and brightest with light, having three basins of cold water, decorated with Laconian stone, and in it are statues of white stone of ancient workmanship, one of Hygieia, the other of Asclepius.
§6ἐξελθόντας δὲ ὑποδέχεται ἠρέμα χλιαινόμενος οἶκος οὐκ ἀπηνεῖ τῇ θέρμῃ προαπαντῶν, ἐπιμήκης, ἀμφιστρόγγυλος, μεθʼ ὃν ἐν δεξιᾷ οἶκος εὖ μάλα φαιδρός, ἀλείψασθαι προσηνῶς παρεχόμενος, ἑκατέρωθεν εἰσόδους ἔχων Φρυγίῳ λίθῳ κεκαλλωπισμένας, τοὺς ἀπὸ παλαίστρας εἰσιόντας δεχόμενος.
And on going out, a gently warmed room receives them, meeting them with a heat that is not harsh, oblong and rounded at both ends; after which, on the right, is a very bright room, pleasantly offering itself for anointing, having entrances on either side adorned with Phrygian stone, receiving those who enter from the palaestra.
εἶτʼ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἄλλος οἶκος οἴκων ἁπάντων κάλλιστος, στῆναί τε καὶ ἐγκαθίζεσθαι προσηνέστατος καὶ ἐμβραδῦναι ἀβλαβέστατος καὶ ἐγκυλίσασθαι ὠφελιμώτατος, Φρυγίου καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ὀροφὴν ἄκραν ἀποστίλβων.
Then after this, another room, the most beautiful of all rooms, most pleasant for standing and sitting in, safest for lingering in, and most beneficial for rubbing oneself, itself also shining with Phrygian marble up to the very roof.
ἑξῆς δὲ ὁ θερμὸς ὑποδέχεται διάδρομος Νομάδι λίθῳ διακεκολλημένος.
And next, the hot passage receives them, veneered with Numidian stone.
ὁ δὲ ἔνδον οἶκος κάλλιστος, φωτός τε πολλοῦ ἀνάμεστος καὶ ὡς πορφύρᾳ διηνθισμένος.
And the innermost room is most beautiful, full of abundant light and as if flowered with purple.
τρεῖς καὶ οὗτος θερμὰς πυέλους παρέχεται.
This one also provides three hot baths.
§7λουσαμένῳ δὲ ἔνεστί σοι μὴ τὴν διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν οἴκων αὖθις ἐπανιέναι, ἀλλὰ ταχεῖαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ ψυχρὸν διʼ ἠρέμα θερμοῦ οἰκήματος, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ὑπὸ φωτὶ μεγάλῳ καὶ πολλῇ τῇ ἔνδον ἡμέρᾳ.
And having bathed, it is possible for you not to go back again through the same rooms, but to make a quick way to the cold room through a gently warmed apartment, and all this under great light and abundant day within.
ὕψη πρὸς τούτοις ἀνάλογα καὶ πλάτη τοῖς μήκεσι σύμμετρα καὶ πανταχοῦ πολλὴ χάρις καὶ Ἀφροδίτη ἐπανθεῖ· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν καλὸν Πίνδαρον, ἀρχομένου ἔργου πρόσωπον χρὴ θέμεν τηλαυγές. τοῦτο δʼ ἂν εἴη ἐκ τῆς αὐγῆς μάλιστα καὶ τοῦ φέγγους καὶ τῶν φωταγωγῶν μεμηχανημένον.
In addition, the heights are proportional, and the widths are symmetrical with the lengths, and everywhere great grace and Aphrodite bloom; for, according to the beautiful Pindar, "we must set a far-shining face at the beginning of a work." And this would be contrived chiefly by means of the brightness, the light, and the windows.
ὁ γὰρ σοφὸς ὡς ἀληθῶς Ἱππίας τὸν μὲν ψυχροδόχον οἶκον εἰς βορρᾶν προσκεχωρηκότα ἐποίησεν, οὐκ ἄμοιρον οὐδὲ τοῦ μεσημβρινοῦ ἀέρος· τοὺς δὲ πολλοῦ τοῦ θάλπους δεομένους νότῳ καὶ εὔρῳ καὶ ζεφύρῳ ὑπέθηκε.
For the truly wise Hippias made the cold-receiving room face toward the north, though not without a share of the midday air; but those rooms requiring much heat he placed under the south, east, and west winds.
§8τί δʼ ἄν σοι τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ λέγοιμι παλαίστρας καὶ τὰς κοινὰς τῶν ἱματιοφυλακούντων κατασκευὰς ταχεῖαν ἐπὶ τὸ λουτρὸν καὶ μὴ διὰ μακροῦ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐχούσας τοῦ χρησίμου τε καὶ ἀβλαβοῦς ἕνεκα;
And why should I speak to you of the palaestras after this, and the common arrangements for the clothes-guards, which have a quick and not a long way to the bath for the sake of utility and safety?
καὶ μή με ὑπολάβῃ τις μικρὸν ἔργον προθέμενον κοσμεῖν τῷ λόγῳ προαιρεῖσθαι· τὸ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς κοινοῖς καινὰ ἐπινοῆσαι κάλλους δείγματα, οὐ μικρᾶς σοφίας ἔγωγε τίθεμαι, οἷον καὶ τόδε τὸ ἔργον ὁ θαυμάσιος ἡμῖν Ἱππίας ἐπεδείξατο πάσας ἔχον τὰς βαλανείου ἀρετάς, τὸ χρήσιμον, τὸ εὔκαιρον, τὸ εὐφεγγές, τὸ σύμμετρον, τὸ τῷ τόπῳ ἡρμοσμένον, τὸ τὴν χρείαν ἀσφαλῆ παρεχόμενον, καὶ προσέτι τῇ ἄλλῃ περινοίᾳ κεκοσμημένον, ἀφόδων μὲν ἀναγκαίων δυσὶν ἀναχωρήσεσιν, ἐξόδοις δὲ πολλαῖς τεθυρωμένον, ὡρῶν δὲ διττὰς δηλώσεις, τὴν μὲν διʼ ὕδατος καὶ μυκήματος, τὴν δὲ διʼ ἡλίου ἐπιδεικνύμενον.
And let no one suppose that I, having proposed a small work, choose to embellish it with speech; for to invent new examples of beauty in common things, I indeed consider to be of no small wisdom, such as this work too which our admirable Hippias has displayed, having all the virtues of a bath: utility, convenience, brightness, symmetry, harmony with the site, providing safe use, and in addition adorned with other ingenuity, with necessary latrines in two recesses, fitted with many doors for exits, and showing two indications of the hours, one by water and sound, and the other by the sun.
ταῦτα ἰδόντα μὴ ἀποδοῦναι τὸν πρέποντα ἔπαινον τῷ ἔργῳ οὐκ ἀνοήτου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀχαρίστου, μᾶλλον δὲ βασκάνου μοι εἶναι ἔδοξεν.
To see these things and not render the fitting praise to the work seemed to me to be the part not only of a foolish man, but also of an ungrateful, or rather, envious one.
ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν εἰς δύναμιν καὶ τὸ ἔργον καὶ τὸν τεχνίτην καὶ δημιουργὸν ἠμειψάμην τῷ λόγῳ.
I, then, have to the best of my ability rewarded both the work and the craftsman and creator with my speech.
εἰ δὲ θεὸς παράσχοι καὶ λούσασθαί ποτε, πολλοὺς οἶδα ἕξων τοὺς κοινωνήσοντάς μοι τῶν ἐπαίνων.
And if God should grant that I also bathe there someday, I know I shall have many who will share with me in my praises.