§1.24.1ἐνταῦθα Ἀθηνᾶ πεποίηται τὸν Σιληνὸν Μαρσύαν παίουσα, ὅτι δὴ τοὺς αὐλοὺς ἀνέλοιτο, ἐρρῖφθαι σφᾶς τῆς θεοῦ βουλομένης. —τούτων πέραν, ὧν εἴρηκα, ἐστὶν ἡ λεγομένη Θησέως μάχη πρὸς τὸν ταῦρον τὸν Μίνω καλούμενον, εἴτε ἀνὴρ εἴτε θηρίον ἦν ὁποῖον κεκράτηκεν ὁ λόγος· τέρατα γὰρ πολλῷ καὶ τοῦδε θαυμασιώτερα καὶ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἔτικτον γυναῖκες.
Here Athena is represented striking the Silenus Marsyas, because indeed he picked up the flutes, when the goddess wished them to have been cast away. —Beyond these things which I have mentioned, there is the so-called fight of Theseus against the bull called the bull of Minos, whether it was a man or a beast of such a kind as the story has prevailed; for even in our time women have given birth to monsters far more wonderful than this.
§1.24.2κεῖται δὲ καὶ Φρίξος ὁ Ἀθάμαντος ἐξενηνεγμένος ἐς Κόλχους ὑπὸ τοῦ κριοῦ· θύσας δὲ αὐτὸν ὅτῳ δὴ θεῷ, ὡς δὲ εἰκάσαι τῷ Λαφυστίῳ καλουμένῳ παρὰ Ὀρχομενίοις, τοὺς μηροὺς κατὰ νόμον ἐκτεμὼν τὸν Ἑλλήνων ἐς αὐτοὺς καιομένους ὁρᾷ.
There is also placed Phrixus, the son of Athamas, carried out to Colchis by the ram; having sacrificed it to some god—as one may conjecture, to the one called Laphystius among the Orchomenians—and having cut out the thigh-pieces according to the custom of the Greeks, he is looking at them as they burn.
κεῖνται δὲ ἑξῆς ἄλλαι τε εἰκόνες καὶ Ἡρακλέους· ἄγχει δέ, ὡς λόγος ἔχει, τοὺς δράκοντας.
And next are placed other statues, including one of Heracles; and he is strangling the serpents, as the story goes.
Ἀθηνᾶ τέ ἐστιν ἀνιοῦσα ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ Διός.
There is also Athena rising out of the head of Zeus.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ταῦρος ἀνάθημα τῆς βουλῆς τῆς ἐν Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ, ἐφʼ ὅτῳ δὴ ἀνέθηκεν ἡ βουλή· §1.24.3πολλὰ δʼ ἄν τις ἐθέλων εἰκάζοι.
And there is also a bull, a dedication of the Council of the Areopagus, for whatever reason the Council dedicated it; many are the conjectures one might make if one wished.
λέλεκται δέ μοι καὶ πρότερον ὡς Ἀθηναίοις περισσότερόν τι ἢ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐς τὰ θεῖά ἐστι σπουδῆς· πρῶτοι μὲν γὰρ Ἀθηνᾶν ἐπωνόμασαν Ἐργάνην, πρῶτοι δʼ ἀκώλους Ἑρμᾶς ἀνέθεσαν, ὁμοῦ δέ σφισιν ἐν τῷ ναῷ †σπουδαίων δαίμων ἐστίν.
It has also been said by me before that the Athenians have a greater zeal for divine things than others; for they were the first to surname Athena Ergane, and the first to dedicate handless and feetless Herms, and in their temple along with them is the daemon of †earnest men.
ὅστις δὲ τὰ σὺν τέχνῃ πεποιημένα ἐπίπροσθε τίθεται τῶν ἐς ἀρχαιότητα ἡκόντων, καὶ τάδε ἔστιν οἱ θεάσασθαι.
And whoever prefers works made with art to those which have reached antiquity, may also behold the following.
κράνος ἐστὶν ἐπικείμενος ἀνὴρ Κλεοίτου, καί οἱ τοὺς ὄνυχας ἀργυροῦς ἐνεποίησεν ὁ Κλεοίτας· ἔστι δὲ καὶ Γῆς ἄγαλμα ἱκετευούσης ὗσαί οἱ τὸν Δία, εἴτε αὐτοῖς ὄμβρου δεῆσαν Ἀθηναίοις εἴτε καὶ τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἕλλησι συμβὰς αὐχμός.
There is a man putting on a helmet by Cleoetas, and Cleoetas made his fingernails of silver; and there is also a statue of Ge entreating Zeus to rain upon her, whether the Athenians themselves stood in need of rain, or a drought had occurred to all the Greeks.
ἐνταῦθα καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ Κόνωνος καὶ αὐτὸς κεῖται Κόνων· Πρόκνην δὲ τὰ ἐς τὸν παῖδα βεβουλευμένην αὐτήν τε καὶ τὸν Ἴτυν ἀνέθηκεν Ἀλκαμένης.
There too stand both Timotheus the son of Conon and Conon himself; and Procne, having planned her design against her child, and Itys himself, were dedicated by Alcamenes.
πεποίηται δὲ καὶ τὸ φυτὸν τῆς ἐλαίας Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ κῦμα ἀναφαίνων Ποσειδῶν· §1.24.4καὶ Διός ἐστιν ἄγαλμα τό τε Λεωχάρους καὶ ὁ ὀνομαζόμενος Πολιεύς, ᾧ τὰ καθεστηκότα ἐς τὴν θυσίαν γράφων τὴν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς λεγομένην αἰτίαν οὐ γράφω.
There are also represented Athena producing the plant of the olive tree and Poseidon showing a wave; and there is a statue of Zeus, both that of Leochares and the one called Polieus, for whom, though I write of the established customs regarding the sacrifice, I do not write the reason said to be for them.
τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Πολιέως κριθὰς καταθέντες ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν μεμιγμένας πυροῖς οὐδεμίαν ἔχουσι φυλακήν· ὁ βοῦς δέ, ὃν ἐς τὴν θυσίαν ἑτοιμάσαντες φυλάσσουσιν, ἅπτεται τῶν σπερμάτων φοιτῶν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν.
Having placed barley mixed with wheat on the altar of Zeus Polieus, they have no guard over them; and the ox, which they keep in readiness and guard for the sacrifice, goes to the altar and touches the grain.
καλοῦσι δέ τινα τῶν ἱερέων βουφόνον, ὃς κτείνας τὸν βοῦν καὶ ταύτῃ τὸν πέλεκυν ῥίψας—οὕτω γάρ ἐστίν οἱ νόμος— οἴχεται φεύγων· οἱ δὲ ἅτε τὸν ἄνδρα ὃς ἔδρασε τὸ ἔργον οὐκ εἰδότες, ἐς δίκην ὑπάγουσι τὸν πέλεκυν.
They call one of the priests the ox-slayer, who, having killed the ox and thrown down the axe there—for such is his custom—goes fleeing away; and the others, as if not knowing the man who did the deed, bring the axe to trial.
ταῦτα μὲν τρόπον τὸν εἰρημένον δρῶσιν· ἐς δὲ τὸν ναὸν ὃν Παρθενῶνα ὀνομάζουσιν, ἐς τοῦτον ἐσιοῦσιν §1.24.5ὁπόσα ἐν τοῖς καλουμένοις ἀετοῖς κεῖται, πάντα ἐς τὴν Ἀθηνᾶς ἔχει γένεσιν, τὰ δὲ ὄπισθεν ἡ Ποσειδῶνος πρὸς Ἀθηνᾶν ἐστιν ἔρις ὑπὲρ τῆς γῆς· αὐτὸ δὲ ἔκ τε ἐλέφαντος τὸ ἄγαλμα καὶ χρυσοῦ πεποίηται.
These things they do in the manner described; and as one enters into the temple which they call the Parthenon, all things that lie in the so-called pediments relate to the birth of Athena, and those at the back are the strife of Poseidon with Athena for the land; and the statue itself is made of ivory and gold.
μέσῳ μὲν οὖν ἐπίκειταί οἱ τῷ κράνει Σφιγγὸς εἰκών—ἃ δὲ ἐς τὴν Σφίγγα λέγεται, γράψω προελθόντος ἐς τὰ Βοιώτιά μοι τοῦ λόγου—, καθʼ ἑκάτερον δὲ τοῦ κράνους γρῦπές εἰσιν ἐπειργασμένοι.
On the middle of her helmet is placed an image of a Sphinx—and what is said concerning the Sphinx I will write when my account progresses to Boeotian affairs—and on either side of the helmet griffins are wrought.
§1.24.6τούτους τοὺς γρῦπας ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν Ἀριστέας ὁ Προκοννήσιος μάχεσθαι περὶ τοῦ χρυσοῦ φησιν Ἀριμασποῖς τοῖς ὑπὲρ Ἰσσηδόνων· τὸν δὲ χρυσόν, ὃν φυλάσσουσιν οἱ γρῦπες, ἀνιέναι τὴν γῆν· εἶναι δὲ Ἀριμασποὺς μὲν ἄνδρας μονοφθάλμους πάντας ἐκ γενετῆς, γρῦπας δὲ θηρία λέουσιν εἰκασμένα, πτερὰ δὲ ἔχειν καὶ στόμα ἀετοῦ.
These griffins, Aristeas of Proconnesus says in his epic poems, fight for the gold with the Arimaspians who are beyond the Issedones; and that the gold, which the griffins guard, is produced by the earth; and that the Arimaspians are all one-eyed men from birth, and the griffins are beasts like lions, but having wings and the beak of an eagle.
καὶ γρυπῶν μὲν πέρι τοσαῦτα εἰρήσθω·
And concerning the griffins, let so much have been said.
§1.24.7τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ὀρθόν ἐστιν ἐν χιτῶνι ποδήρει καί οἱ κατὰ τὸ στέρνον ἡ κεφαλὴ Μεδούσης ἐλέφαντός ἐστιν ἐμπεποιημένη· καὶ Νίκην τε ὅσον τεσσάρων πηχῶν, ἐν δὲ τῇ χειρί δόρυ ἔχει, καί οἱ πρὸς τοῖς ποσὶν ἀσπίς τε κεῖται καὶ πλησίον τοῦ δόρατος δράκων ἐστίν· εἴη δʼ ἂν Ἐριχθόνιος οὗτος ὁ δράκων.
The statue of Athena is standing upright in a tunic reaching to the feet, and on her breast the head of Medusa is wrought in ivory; and she holds a Nike of about four cubits, and in her hand a spear, and at her feet lies a shield, and near the spear is a serpent; this serpent would be Erichthonius.
ἔστι δὲ τῷ βάθρῳ τοῦ ἀγάλματος ἐπειργασμένη Πανδώρας γένεσις.
And on the pedestal of the statue is wrought the birth of Pandora.
πεποίηται δὲ Ἡσιόδῳ τε καὶ ἄλλοις ὡς ἡ Πανδώρα γένοιτο αὕτη γυνὴ πρώτη· πρὶν δὲ ἢ γενέσθαι Πανδώραν οὐκ ἦν πω γυναικῶν γένος.
It has been represented by Hesiod and others that this Pandora was the first woman; and before Pandora came to be, there was as yet no race of women.
ἐνταῦθα εἰκόνα ἰδὼν οἶδα Ἀδριανοῦ βασιλέως μόνου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔσοδον Ἰφικράτους ἀποδειξαμένου πολλά τε καὶ θαυμαστὰ ἔργα.
There I know of having seen a statue of the Emperor Hadrian alone, and near the entrance one of Iphicrates, who achieved many wonderful deeds.
§1.24.8τοῦ ναοῦ δέ ἐστι πέραν Ἀπόλλων χαλκοῦς, καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα λέγουσι Φειδίαν ποιῆσαι· Παρνόπιον δὲ καλοῦσιν, ὅτι σφίσι παρνόπων βλαπτόντων τὴν γῆν ἀποτρέψειν ὁ θεὸς εἶπεν ἐκ τῆς χώρας.
Beyond the temple there is a bronze Apollo, and they say that Phidias made the statue; and they call him Parnopius, because when locusts were devastating their land, the god said he would avert them from the country.
καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἀπέτρεψεν ἴσασι, τρόπῳ δὲ οὐ λέγουσι ποίῳ.
That he did avert them they know, but they do not say in what manner.
τρὶς δὲ αὐτὸς ἤδη πάρνοπας ἐκ Σιπύλου τοῦ ὄρους οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ οἶδα φθαρέντας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἐξέωσε βίαιος ἐμπεσὼν ἄνεμος, τοὺς δὲ ὕσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ καῦμα ἰσχυρὸν καθεῖλεν ἐπιλαβόν, οἱ δὲ αἰφνιδίῳ ῥίγει καταληφθέντες ἀπώλοντο.
I myself know of locusts having been destroyed three times already on Mount Sipylus, and not in the same way; but some a violent wind fell upon and drove out, and others, after the god had rained, a strong heat overtook and destroyed, and others perished being caught by a sudden cold.