Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume I.Pausanias, active approximately 150-175
History
Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume I.
Pausanias, active approximately 150-175
Greece -- Antiquities; Greece -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
yet says that Theseus was away? Pindar also gives a very similar
account, and says that Theseus wished to be connected by marriage with
Castor and Pollux, till he went away to help Pirithous in his ambitious
attempt to wed Proserpine. But whoever drew up the genealogy plainly
knew the simplicity of the Megarians, since Theseus was the descendant
of Pelops. But indeed the Megarians purposely hide the real state of
things, not wishing to own that their city was captured when Nisus was
king, and that Megareus who succeeded to the kingdom was the son in law
of Nisus, and that Alcathous was the son in law of Megareus. But it is
certain that it was not till after the death of Nisus, and a revolution
at Megara, that Alcathous came there from Elis. And this is my proof.
He built up the wall anew, when the whole of the old wall had been
demolished by the Cretans. Let this suffice for Alcathous and the lion,
whether he slew the lion on Mount Cithæron or somewhere else, before he
erected the temple to Huntress Artemis and Hunter Apollo.
As you descend from this temple is the hero-chapel of Pandion, who,
as I have already shewn, was buried at what is called the rock of
Athene the Diver. He has also divine honours paid to him at Megara.
And near the hero-chapel of Pandion is the monument of Hippolyta. This
is the Megarian tradition about her. When the Amazons, on account of
Antiope, made an expedition against the Athenians, they were beaten
by Theseus, and most of them (it so happened) fell in battle, but
Hippolyta (the sister of Antiope), who was at that time leader of the
Amazons, fled to Megara with the remnant of them, and there, having
been unsuccessful with her army, and dejected at the present state
of things, and still more despondent about getting safe home again to
Themiscyra, died of grief and was buried. And the device on her tomb
is an Amazon’s shield. And not far distant is the tomb of Tereus, who
married Procne the daughter of Pandion. Tereus was king (according to
the Megarian tradition) of Pagæ in Megaris, but in my opinion (and
there are still extant proofs of what I state) he was king of Daulis
N.W. of Chæronea: for most of what is now called Hellas was inhabited
in old time by barbarians. And his subjects would no longer obey
Tereus after his vile conduct to Philomela, and after the murder of
Itys by Procne and Philomela. And he committed suicide at Megara, and
they forthwith piled up a tomb for him, and offer sacrifices to him
annually, using pebbles in the sacrifice instead of barley. And they
say the hoopoe was first seen here. And Procne and Philomela went to
Athens, and lamenting what they had suffered and done melted away in
tears: and the tradition that they were changed into a nightingale
and swallow is, I fancy, simply that these birds have a sorrowful and
melancholy note.
CHAPTER XLII.
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