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
And as you go from Megara to Corinth there are several tombs, and
among them that of the Samian flute-player Telephanes. And they say
that this tomb was erected by Cleopatra, the daughter of Philip the
son of Amyntas. And there is a monument of Car the son of Phoroneus,
originally only a mound of earth, but afterwards in consequence of the
oracle it was beautified with a shell-like stone. And the Megarians
are the only Greeks who possess this peculiar kind of stone, and many
things in their city are made of it. It is very white, and softer than
other stone, and seashells are everywhere in it. Such is this kind of
stone. And the road, called the Scironian road after Sciron, is so
called because Sciron, when he was commander in chief of the Megarians,
first made it a road for travellers according to tradition. And the
Emperor Adrian made it so wide and convenient that two chariots could
drive abreast.
Now there are traditions about the rocks which project in the narrow
part of the road; with regard to the Molurian rock, that Ino threw
herself into the sea from it with Melicerta, the younger of her sons:
for Learchus the oldest was killed by his father. Athamas also is
said to have acted in the same way when mad, and to have exhibited
ungovernable rage to Ino and her children, thinking that the famine
which befell the Orchomenians, which also apparently caused the
death of Phrixus, was not the visitation of God, but a stepmother’s
contrivance against them all. So she to escape him threw herself and
her boy Melicerta into the sea from the Molurian rock. And the boy,
being carried it is said by a dolphin to the Isthmus of Corinth, had
various honours paid to him under the name of Palæmon, and the Isthmian
games were celebrated in his honour. This Molurian rock they consider
sacred to Leucothea and Palæmon, but the rocks next to it they consider
accursed, because Sciron lived near them, who threw into the sea all
strangers that chanced to come there. And a tortoise used to swim about
near these rocks, so as to devour those that were thrown in: these sea
tortoises are like land tortoises, except in size and the shape of
their feet which are like those of seals. But the whirligig of time
which brought on Sciron punishment for all this, for he himself was
thrown by Theseus into the same sea. And on the top of the mountain is
a temple to Zeus called the Remover. They say that Zeus was so called
because when a great drought once happened to the Greeks, and Æacus in
obedience to the oracle prayed to Pan-Hellenian Zeus at Ægina, he took
it away and removed it. Here are also statues of Aphrodite and Apollo
and Pan. And as you go on a little further is the tomb of Eurystheus.
They say that he fled here from Attica after the battle with the
Heraclidæ, and was killed by Iolaus. As you descend this road is a
temple of Latoan Apollo, and near to it the boundaries between Megaris
and Corinth, where they say Hyllus the son of Hercules had a single
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account