§8.31.1τὸ δὲ ἕτερον πέρας τῆς στοᾶς παρέχεται τὸ πρὸς ἡλίου δυσμῶν περίβολον θεῶν ἱερὸν τῶν Μεγάλων.
The other end of the portico, which is towards the setting sun, provides the enclosure of the sanctuary of the Great Goddesses.
αἱ δέ εἰσιν αἱ Μεγάλαι θεαὶ Δημήτηρ καὶ Κόρη, καθότι ἐδήλωσα ἤδη καὶ ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ συγγραφῇ· τὴν Κόρην δὲ Σώτειραν καλοῦσιν οἱ Ἀρκάδες.
These Great Goddesses are Demeter and Core, as I have already made clear in my Messenian history; and the Arcadians call Core the Savior.
ἐπειργασμένοι δὲ ἐπὶ τύπων πρὸ τῆς ἐσόδου τῇ μὲν Ἄρτεμις, τῇ δὲ Ἀσκληπιός ἐστι καὶ Ὑγεία.
Carved in relief before the entrance are, on one side, Artemis, and on the other, Asclepius and Hygeia.
§8.31.2θεαὶ δὲ αἱ Μεγάλαι Δημήτηρ μὲν λίθου διὰ πάσης, ἡ δὲ Σώτειρα τὰ ἐσθῆτος ἐχόμενα ξύλου πεποίηται· μέγεθος δὲ ἑκατέρας πέντε που καὶ δέκα εἰσὶ πόδες.
Of the Great Goddesses, Demeter is made entirely of stone, while the Savior has her garments made of wood; the height of each is about fifteen feet.
τά τε ἀγάλματα Δαμοφῶν καὶ πρὸ αὐτῶν κόρας ἐποίησεν οὐ μεγάλας, ἐν χιτῶσί τε καθήκουσιν ἐς σφυρὰ καὶ ἀνθῶν ἀνάπλεων ἑκατέρα τάλαρον ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ φέρει· εἶναι δὲ θυγατέρες τοῦ Δαμοφῶντος λέγονται, τοῖς δὲ ἐπανάγουσιν ἐς τὸ θειότερον δοκεῖ σφᾶς Ἀθηνᾶν τε εἶναι καὶ Ἄρτεμιν τὰ ἄνθη μετὰ τῆς Περσεφόνης συλλεγούσας.
Damophon made these statues, and in front of them he made some small maidens, clad in tunics reaching to their ankles, and each bearing a basket full of flowers on her head; they are said to be the daughters of Damophon, but those who refer them to a more divine origin think that they are Athena and Artemis gathering flowers with Persephone.
§8.31.3ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ἡρακλῆς παρὰ τῇ Δήμητρι μέγεθος μάλιστα πῆχυν· τοῦτον τὸν Ἡρακλέα εἶναι τῶν Ἰδαίων καλουμένων Δακτύλων Ὀνομάκριτός φησιν ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι.
There is also a Hercules near Demeter, about a cubit in size; Onomacritus says in his verses that this Hercules is one of the so-called Idaean Dactyls.
κεῖται δὲ τράπεζα ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπειργασμέναι τε ἐπʼ αὐτῇ δύο τέ εἰσιν Ὧραι καὶ ἔχων Πὰν σύριγγα καὶ Ἀπόλλων κιθαρίζων· ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς εἶναι σφᾶς θεῶν τῶν πρώτων.
A table lies in front, and carved on it are two Hours, and Pan with his syrinx, and Apollo playing the cithara; there is also an inscription on them saying that they are among the first of the gods.
§8.31.4πεποίηνται δὲ ἐπὶ τραπέζῃ καὶ Νύμφαι· Νέδα μὲν Δία φέρουσά ἐστι νήπιον παῖδα, Ἀνθρακία δὲ νύμφη τῶν Ἀρκαδικῶν καὶ αὕτη δᾷδα ἔχουσά ἐστιν, Ἁγνὼ δὲ τῇ μὲν ὑδρίαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ χειρὶ φιάλην· Ἀγχιρόης δὲ καὶ Μυρτωέσσης εἰσὶν ὑδρίαι τὰ φορήματα, καὶ ὕδωρ δῆθεν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν κάτεισιν.
Nymphs are also represented on the table: Neda carrying the infant Zeus, and Anthracia, another of the Arcadian nymphs, who also holds a torch, and Hagno with a water-pot in one hand and a phiale in the other; Anchiroe and Myrtoessa carry water-pots, from which water actually flows down.
τοῦ περιβόλου δέ ἐστιν ἐντὸς Φιλίου Διὸς ναός, Πολυκλείτου μὲν τοῦ Ἀργείου τὸ ἄγαλμα, Διονύσῳ δὲ ἐμφερές· κόθορνοί τε γὰρ τὰ ὑποδήματά ἐστιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔχει τῇ χειρὶ ἔκπωμα, τῇ δὲ ἑτέρᾳ θύρσον, κάθηται δὲ ἀετὸς ἐπὶ τῷ θύρσῳ· καίτοι τοῖς γε ἐς Διόνυσον λεγομένοις τοῦτο οὐχ ὁμολογοῦν ἐστι.
Within the enclosure is a temple of Friendly Zeus, with a statue by Polyclitus of Argos, resembling Dionysus; for his footwear consists of buskins, and he holds a cup in one hand and a thyrsus in the other, and an eagle sits on the thyrsus; and yet, with regard to what is said about Dionysus, this is not in agreement.
§8.31.5τούτου δὲ ὄπισθεν τοῦ ναοῦ δένδρων ἐστὶν ἄλσος οὐ μέγα, θριγκῷ περιεχόμενον· ἐς μὲν δὴ τὸ ἐντὸς ἔσοδος οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνθρώποις, πρὸ δὲ αὐτοῦ Δήμητρος καὶ Κόρης ὅσον τε ποδῶν τριῶν εἰσιν ἀγάλματα.
Behind this temple is a small grove of trees, enclosed by a stone wall; into the interior indeed there is no entrance for men, but before it are statues of Demeter and Core about three feet high.
ἔστι δὲ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ἱερόν.
Within the enclosure of the Great Goddesses is also a sanctuary of Aphrodite.
πρὸ μὲν δὴ τῆς ἐσόδου ξόανά ἐστιν ἀρχαῖα, Ἥρα καὶ Ἀπόλλων τε καὶ Μοῦσαι—ταῦτα κομισθῆναί φασιν ἐκ Τραπεζοῦντος—, ἀγάλματα δὲ ἐν τῷ ναῷ Δαμοφῶν §8.31.6ἐποίησεν Ἑρμῆν ξύλου καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ξόανον· καὶ ταύτης χεῖρές εἰσι λίθου καὶ πρόσωπόν τε καὶ ἄκροι πόδες.
In front of the entrance indeed are ancient wooden images, Hera, Apollo, and the Muses—they say these were brought from Trapezus—, while the statues in the temple Damophon made, namely a Hermes of wood, and a wooden image of Aphrodite; and of the latter, the hands, face, and extremities of the feet are of stone.
τὴν δὲ ἐπίκλησιν τῇ θεῷ Μαχανῖτιν ὀρθότατα ἔθεντο ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν· Ἀφροδίτης γὰρ ἕνεκα καὶ ἔργων τῶν ταύτης πλεῖσται μὲν ἐπιτεχνήσεις, παντοῖα δὲ ἀνθρώποις ἀνευρημένα ἐς λόγους ἐστίν.
And they gave the goddess the surname Machanitis very rightly, as it seems to me; for because of Aphrodite and her works, the greatest number of devices and all kinds of speeches have been devised by men.
§8.31.7ἑστήκασι δὲ καὶ ἀνδριάντες ἐν οἰκήματι, Καλλιγνώτου τε καὶ Μέντα καὶ Σωσιγένους τε καὶ Πώλου· καταστήσασθαι δὲ οὗτοι Μεγαλοπολίταις λέγονται πρῶτον τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν τὴν τελετήν, καὶ τὰ δρώμενα τῶν Ἐλευσῖνί ἐστι μιμήματα.
There also stand statues of men in a chamber, namely of Callignotus, Mentas, Sosigenes, and Polus; these are said to have first established the mystery-rite of the Great Goddesses for the Megalopolitans, and the things performed are imitations of those at Eleusis.
κεῖται δὲ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου θεῶν τοσάδε ἄλλων ἀγάλματα τὸ τετράγωνον παρεχόμενα σχῆμα, Ἑρμῆς τε ἐπίκλησιν Ἀγήτωρ καὶ Ἀπόλλων καὶ Ἀθηνᾶ τε καὶ Ποσειδῶν, ἔτι δὲ Ἥλιος ἐπωνυμίαν ἔχων Σωτὴρ εἶναι καὶ Ἡρακλῆς.
Within the enclosure lie so many statues of other gods, presenting a square shape: Hermes surnamed Agetor, Apollo, Athena, Poseidon, and also Helios with the surname of being the Savior, and Hercules.
ᾠκοδόμηται δὲ καὶ ἱερόν σφισι μεγέθει μέγα, καὶ ἄγουσιν ἐνταῦθα τὴν τελετὴν ταῖς θεαῖς.
A sanctuary of great size has also been built for them, and they perform the mystery-rite there for the goddesses.
§8.31.8τοῦ ναοῦ δὲ τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν ἐστιν ἱερὸν ἐν δεξιᾷ καὶ Κόρης· λίθου δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα ποδῶν ὀκτὼ μάλιστα· ταινίαι δὲ ἐπέχουσι διὰ παντὸς τὸ βάθρον.
On the right of the temple of the Great Goddesses is also a sanctuary of Core; the statue is of stone, about eight feet high, and ribbons cover the pedestal completely.
ἐς τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸν γυναιξὶ μὲν τὸν πάντα ἐστὶν ἔσοδος χρόνον, οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες οὐ πλέον ἢ ἅπαξ κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον ἐς αὐτὸ ἐσίασι.
Into this sanctuary there is entrance for women at all times, but men do not enter it more than once in each year.
γυμνάσιον δὲ τῇ ἀγορᾷ συνεχὲς κατὰ ἡλίου δυσμάς ἐστιν ᾠκοδομημένον.
Adjoining the agora, towards the setting sun, a gymnasium has been built.
§8.31.9τῆς στοᾶς δὲ ἣν ἀπὸ τοῦ Μακεδόνος Φιλίππου καλοῦσι, ταύτης εἰσὶ δύο ὄπισθεν λόφοι, οὐκ ἐς ὕψος ἀνήκοντες· ἐρείπια δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς ἱεροῦ Πολιάδος ἐπὶ αὐτῷ, καὶ τῷ ἑτέρῳ ναός ἐστιν Ἥρας Τελείας, ὁμοίως καὶ ταῦτα ἐρείπια.
Behind the portico which they call after Philip the Macedonian, there are two hills, not rising to a great height; on one of them are the ruins of a sanctuary of Athena Polias, and on the other is a temple of Hera Teleia, likewise in ruins.
ὑπὸ τούτῳ τῷ λόφῳ Βάθυλλος καλουμένη πηγὴ συντελεῖ καὶ αὕτη τῷ ποταμῷ Ἑλισσόντι ἐς μέγεθος.
Under this hill, a spring called Bathyllus also contributes to the size of the river Helisson.