Oenomaus in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Oenomaus

16 passages from 6 ancient authors that tell of Oenomaus, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Oenomaus was the king of the Greek region of Pisa in Greek mythology, son of the god of war Ares, and either the naiad Harpina or the Pleiad Sterope. ... For the story in one place, read our article on Oenomaus.

Homer (1)

Homer, Iliad 13.455–575Aeneas and Idomeneus; Deiphobus is woundedDeiphobus finds Aeneas, who is angry with Priam, and Aeneas stands against Idomeneus, who calls his comrades to him, and the two sides fight round the body. Idomeneus kills Oenomaus, and Deiphobus kills Ascalaphus, a son of Ares, while Meriones wounds Deiphobus in the arm and Polites leads him from the field. Aeneas kills Aphareus, Antilochus kills Thoon, and Adamas, who struck Antilochus' shield, is killed by Meriones.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.2.1–16Tantalus, Pelops and the house of AtreusThe Epitome describes the punishment of Tantalus in Hades, Pelops' revival after being boiled at the gods' banquet, and his winning of Hippodamia from Oenomaus with the help of the charioteer Myrtilus, whom he then drowns. It follows the sons of Pelops: Atreus and Thyestes quarrel over the kingdom of Mycenae because of the golden lamb, Atreus serves Thyestes his own sons, and Aegisthus, born to Thyestes by his daughter, kills Atreus. It ends with Agamemnon, Menelaus and the children of Agamemnon.

Pindar (1)

Pindar, Olympian Odes 1.1–116Olympian 1: for Hieron — Pelops and TantalusPindar opens with the praise of water and gold and of the Olympic games as the greatest of contests, and hails Hieron of Syracuse, victor with the horse Pherenicus. He rejects the tale that the gods ate the flesh of Pelops, and tells instead how Poseidon, in love, carried the boy off to Olympus after the banquet of Tantalus, and how Tantalus is punished for stealing nectar and ambrosia with a rock hanging over his head. Pelops later prays to Poseidon, overcomes Oenomaüs in the chariot race and wins Hippodameia. The ode ends with a prayer that Hieron keep his greatness and that Pindar be the foremost poet among Hellenes.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.71.1–4.75.6Asclepius, Aeacus, Pelops and the kings of TroyThe historian gives the birth and healing art of Asclepius and the descendants of Asopus' daughters, including Aeacus and his sons Peleus and Telamon. He then tells of Oenomaüs and the chariot race by which Pelops wins Hippodameia, and of Tantalus, and ends with the first kings of Troy, from Teucrus and Dardanus down to Priam.

Pausanias (9)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 6.21.1–11Olympia and Pisa: Demeter Chamyne, Phrixa and the suitors of HippodamiaPausanias describes the sanctuary of Demeter Chamyne opposite the hippodrome, the gymnasium and the grave of Oenomaus across the Cladeus. He then follows the boundary between Arcadia and the land of Pisa, noting the tomb of Saurus, a ruined temple of Aesculapius, and the ruined city of Phrixa with its temple of Cydonian Athena. He also mentions the grave of the horses of Marmax and the ruins of Harpina, and ends with the mound of the suitors of Hippodamia killed by Oenomaus, with the list of their names given in the Great Eoeae.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.20.1–10Olympia: Iphitus’ quoit, the pillar of Oenomaus, the Metroum and the PhilippeumPausanias lists other offerings in the Heraeum: a couch, the quoit of Iphitus inscribed with the Olympic truce and Colotes’ ivory and gold table. He tells how a dead Elean soldier was found under the Heraeum roof, and describes the decayed pillar of Oenomaus preserved under a roof, the Metroum and the Philippeum with its statues of Philip’s family.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.14.1–12Pheneus: Hercules' channel, Ulysses' mares and the tomb of MyrtilusPausanias describes the plain of Pheneus, which once flooded, and the chasms and canal said to have been made by Hercules. In the acropolis of Pheneus are ruins of a temple of Athena Tritonia and a bronze Poseidon said to be dedicated by Ulysses after finding his mares, which Pausanias doubts because bronze casting was not yet known. He mentions the tomb of Iphicles, the games and temple of Hermes, and the grave of Myrtilus, with the story that Pelops threw him overboard. Pausanias rejects the derivation of the Myrtoan Sea from Myrtilus.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.10.1–10Olympia: the temple of Zeus, its sculptures and the AltisPausanias describes the Altis and the temple of Zeus, built after the Elean conquest of Pisa, with its Doric style, dimensions, the architect Libon and the marble tiles said to have been devised by Byzes of Naxos. He lists the golden shield and gilt Victory on the roof, and describes the gable sculptures by Paeonius and Alcamenes and the reliefs of the labours of Hercules over the doors.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.14.1–10Olympia: Zeus Averter of Flies, the white poplar and the altars in order of sacrificePausanias notes the wonders of the altar, including the kites and Hercules’ sacrifice to Zeus Averter of Flies, and explains the use of white poplar wood. He lists the altars of Olympia in the order the Eleans sacrifice on them, from Hestia and Olympian Zeus to Artemis, Athena, Alpheus, Hephaestus, Hercules and his brothers, then the altars of Hera, the Muses and the Nymphs near the Pelopium.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 6.20.1–19Olympia: Sosipolis, the stadium and the TaraxippusPausanias describes the sanctuary of Ilithyia and Sosipolis on the slope of Mount Cronius, with the story of the child who turned into a serpent and routed the Arcadians. He also describes the Hippodamium, the stadium and the altar of Demeter Chamyne, and the starting-gate of the hippodrome with its bronze eagle and dolphin, invented by Cleoetas. He then gives the rival explanations of the Taraxippus, the 'terror of the horses', which he himself takes to be a surname of Poseidon Hippius.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.1.1–11Elis: the early kings, Endymion, Pelops, Aetolus and AugeasPausanias opens the book on Elis with the five-fold division of Peloponnese and the peoples that settled it. He gives the line of the early Elean kings from Aethlius and Endymion to Epeus, Aetolus, Eleus and Augeas, with Endymion’s footrace for the throne and Pelops’ seizure of Pisa and Olympia. He tells how Hercules cleansed Augeas’ land of dung, was refused his reward, and so brought war on Elis.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.17.1–11Olympia: the Heraeum’s images and the Chest of Cypselus, first fieldPausanias lists the images in the temple of Hera, among them Zeus and Hera, the Seasons, Themis, the Hesperides and works by Praxiteles, and then describes the cedar Chest of Cypselus, in which the infant Cypselus was hidden. He explains the inscriptions in boustrophedon and describes the first field of its reliefs, the chariot race of Pelops and Oenomaus, the house of Amphiaraus and the funeral games of Pelias.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.19.1–8.20.4Cynaethae and the Ladon: the Dionysus bull rite, the spring Alyssus and DaphnePausanias describes the Arcadian people of Cynaethae, with their winter festival of Dionysus, at which men grease their bodies and carry a chosen bull to the sanctuary, and the spring Alyssus that heals those bitten by mad dogs. He then follows the road from Pheneus to Clitor, beside the channel of Hercules, to the springs of the Ladon. He recounts the Arcadian and Elean story of Daphne, in which Leucippus disguised himself as a girl to win her, and was discovered and killed by her and her companions at the Ladon.

Nonnus of Panopolis (3)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 20.120–181Book 20: Pithos and the vat; the cruelty of LycurgosBotrys, Methe and Pithos set out with Dionysos, and the god later rewards Pithos with a winepress in Lydia, which gives its name to the wine-jar. The host passes Tyre, Byblos and Lebanon and comes to Arabia and the mountain of Nysa. There the king Lycurgos, a son of Ares, murders strangers and hangs their hands and feet on his gates, like Oinomaos before him.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 37.103–235Book 37: Funeral games: the prizes and the chariot-race entrantsDionysos sets out the prizes for a chariot race in honour of Opheltes and encourages the competitors, who include Erechtheus, Actaion, Scelmis, Phaunos and Achates. Aristaios advises his son Actaion on how to drive, and lots are drawn for places.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 48.182–327Book 48: Dionysos kills Sithon and weds Pallene; the huntress AuraDionysos kills Sithon with his thyrsus and gives the weapon to Pallene as a love-gift. The Nereids and the sea-gods sing at the wedding, and Dionysos consoles the bride. The poet then introduces Aura, daughter of the Titan Lelantos, a manlike huntress who knows nothing of love, and who drives Artemis's car to the river Sangarios on a hot noon.