Ἕλληνες δὲ ἄλλα τε λέγουσι καὶ ἄνδρας ἑπτὰ γενέσθαι σοφούς. τούτων καὶ τὸν Λέσβιον τύραννον καὶ Περίανδρον εἶναί φασι τὸν Κυψέλου· καίτοι Περιάνδρου Πεισίστρατος καὶ ὁ παῖς Ἱππίας φιλάνθρωποι μᾶλλον καὶ σοφώτεροι τά τε πολεμικὰ ἦσαν καὶ ὅσα ἧκεν ἐς κόσμον τῶν πολιτῶν, ἐς ὃ διὰ τὸν Ἱππάρχου θάνατον Ἱππίας ἄλλα τε ἐχρήσατο θυμῷ καὶ ἐς γυναῖκα ὄνομα Λέαιναν.
ταύτην γάρ, ἐπεί τε ἀπέθανεν Ἵππαρχος, —λέγω δὲ οὐκ ἐς συγγραφὴν πρότερον ἥκοντα, πιστὰ δὲ ἄλλως Ἀθηναίων τοῖς πολλοῖς—Ἱππίας εἶχεν ἐν αἰκίᾳ ἐς ὃ διέφθειρεν, οἷα ἑταίραν Ἀριστογείτονος ἐπιστάμενος οὖσαν καὶ τὸ βούλευμα οὐδαμῶς ἀγνοῆσαι δοξάζων· ἀντὶ δὲ τούτων, ἐπεὶ τυραννίδος ἐπαύθησαν οἱ Πεισιστρατίδαι, χαλκῆ λέαινα Ἀθηναίοις ἐστὶν ἐς μνήμην τῆς γυναικός, παρὰ δὲ αὐτὴν ἄγαλμα Ἀφροδίτης, ὃ Καλλίου τέ φασιν ἀνάθημα εἶναι καὶ ἔργον Καλάμιδος.
πλησίον δέ ἐστι Διιτρέφους χαλκοῦς ἀνδριὰς ὀιστοῖς βεβλημένος. οὗτος ὁ Διιτρέφης ἄλλα τε ἔπραξεν ὁπόσα λέγουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ Θρᾷκας μισθωτοὺς ἀφικομένους ὕστερον ἢ Δημοσθένης ἐς Συρακούσας ἐξέπλευσε, τούτους ὡς ὑστέρησαν ὁ Διιτρέφης ἀπῆγεν ὀπίσω. καὶ δὴ κατὰ τὸν Χαλκιδικὸν ἔσχεν Εὔριπον, ἔνθα Βοιωτῶν ἐν μεσογαίᾳ πόλις Μυκαλησσὸς ἦν· ταύτην ἐπαναβὰς ἐκ θαλάσσης ὁ Λιιτρέφης εἷλε. Μυκαλησσίων δὲ οὐ μόνον τὸ μάχιμον οἱ Θρᾷκες ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκας ἐφόνευσαν καὶ παῖδας. μαρτυρεῖ δέ μοι· Βοιωτῶν γὰρ ὅσους ἀνέστησαν Θηβαῖοι, ᾠκοῦντο αἱ πόλεις ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ, διαφυγόντων ὑπὸ τὴν ἅλωσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων· εἰ δὲ καὶ Μυκαλησσίοις οἱ βάρβαροι μὴ πᾶσιν ἀποκτείναντες ἐπεξῆλθον, ὕστερον ἂν τὴν πόλιν ἀπέλαβον οἱ λειφθέντες.
τοσοῦτον μὲν παρέστη μοι θαῦμα ἐς τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ Διιτρέφους, ὅτι ὀιστοῖς ἐβέβλητο, Ἕλλησιν ὅτι μὴ Κρησὶν οὐκ ἐπιχώριον ὂν τοξεύειν· Λοκροὺς γὰρ τοὺς Ὀπουντίους ὁπλιτεύοντας ἤδη κατὰ τὰ Μηδικὰ ἴσμεν, οὓς Ὅμηρος ἐποίησεν ὡς φερόμενοι τόξα καὶ σφενδόνας ἐς Ἴλιον ἔλθοιεν· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ Μαλιεῦσι παρέμεινε μελέτη τῶν τόξων, δοκῶ δὲ οὔτε πρότερον ἐπίστασθαι σφᾶς πρὶν ἢ Φιλοκτήτην, παύσασθαί τε οὐ διὰ μακροῦ· τοῦ δὲ Διιτρέφους πλησίον—τὰς γὰρ εἰκόνας τὰς ἀφανεστέρας γράφειν οὐκ ἐθέλω—θεῶν ἀγάλματά ἐστιν Ὑγείας τε, ἣν Ἀσκληπιοῦ παῖδα εἶναι λέγουσι, καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ἐπίκλησιν καὶ ταύτης Ὑγείας.
ἔστι δὲ λίθος οὐ μέγας, ἀλλʼ ὅσον καθίζεσθαι μικρὸν ἄνδρα· ἐπὶ τούτῳ λέγουσιν, ἡνίκα Διόνυσος ἦλθεν ἐς τὴν γῆν, ἀναπαύσασθαι τὸν Σιληνόν. τοὺς γὰρ ἡλικίᾳ τῶν Σατύρων προήκοντας ὀνομάζουσι Σιληνούς· περὶ δὲ Σατύρων, οἵτινές εἰσιν, ἑτέρου πλέον ἐθέλων ἐπίστασθαι πολλοῖς αὐτῶν τούτων ἕνεκα ἐς λόγους ἦλθον. ἔφη δὲ Εὔφημος Κὰρ ἀνὴρ πλέων ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἁμαρτεῖν ὑπὸ ἀνέμων τοῦ πλοῦ καὶ ἐς τὴν ἔξω θάλασσαν, ἐς ἣν οὐκέτι πλέουσιν, ἐξενεχθῆναι. νήσους δὲ εἶναι μὲν ἔλεγεν ἐρήμους πολλάς, ἐν δὲ ἄλλαις οἰκεῖν ἄνδρας ἀγρίους·
ταύταις δὲ οὐκ ἐθέλειν νήσοις προσίσχειν τοὺς ναύτας οἷα πρότερόν τε προσσχόντας καὶ τῶν ἐνοικούντων οὐκ ἀπείρως ἔχοντας, βιασθῆναι δʼ οὖν καὶ τότε. ταύτας καλεῖσθαι μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ναυτῶν Σατυρίδας, εἶναι δὲ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας καπυροὺς καὶ ἵππων οὐ πολὺ μείους ἔχειν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἰσχίοις οὐράς. τούτους, ὡς ᾔσθοντο, καταδραμόντας ἐπὶ τὴν ναῦν φωνὴν μὲν οὐδεμίαν ἱέναι, ταῖς δὲ γυναιξὶν ἐπιχειρεῖν ταῖς ἐν τῇ νηί· τέλος δὲ δείσαντας τοὺς ναύτας βάρβαρον γυναῖκα ἐκβαλεῖν ἐς τὴν νῆσον· ἐς ταύτην οὖν ὑβρίζειν τοὺς Σατύρους οὐ μόνον ᾗ καθέστηκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πᾶν ὁμοίως σῶμα.
καὶ ἄλλα ἐν τῇ Ἀθηναίων ἀκροπόλει θεασάμενος οἶδα, Λυκίου τοῦ Μύρωνος χαλκοῦν παῖδα, ὃς τὸ περιρραντήριον ἔχει, καὶ Μύρωνος Περσέα τὸ ἐς Μέδουσαν ἔργον εἰργασμένον. καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερόν ἐστι Βραυρωνίας, Πραξιτέλους μὲν τέχνη τὸ ἄγαλμα, τῇ θεῷ δέ ἐστιν ἀπὸ Βραυρῶνος δήμου τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸ ἀρχαῖον ξόανόν ἐστιν ἐν Βραυρῶνι, Ἄρτεμις ὡς λέγουσιν ἡ Ταυρική.
ἵππος δὲ ὁ καλούμενος Δούριος ἀνάκειται χαλκοῦς. καὶ ὅτι μὲν τὸ ποίημα τὸ Ἐπειοῦ μηχάνημα ἦν ἐς διάλυσιν τοῦ τείχους, οἶδεν ὅστις μὴ πᾶσαν ἐπιφέρει τοῖς Φρυξὶν εὐήθειαν· λέγεται δὲ ἔς τε ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἵππον ὡς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἔνδον ἔχοι τοὺς ἀρίστους, καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸ σχῆμά ἐστι κατὰ ταῦτα· καὶ Μενεσθεὺς καὶ Τεῦκρος ὑπερκύπτουσιν ἐξ αὐτοῦ, προσέτι δὲ καὶ οἱ παῖδες οἱ Θησέως.
ἀνδριάντων δὲ ὅσοι μετὰ τὸν ἵππον ἑστήκασιν Ἐπιχαρίνου μὲν ὁπλιτοδρομεῖν ἀσκήσαντος τὴν εἰκόνα ἐποίησε Κριτίας, Οἰνοβίῳ δὲ ἔργον ἐστὶν ἐς Θουκυδίδην τὸν Ὀλόρου χρηστόν· ψήφισμα γὰρ ἐνίκησεν Οἰνόβιος κατελθεῖν ἐς Ἀθήνας Θουκυδίδην, καί οἱ δολοφονηθέντι ὡς κατῄει μνῆμά ἐστιν οὐ πόρρω πυλῶν Μελιτίδων.
τὰ δὲ ἐς Ἑρμόλυκον τὸν παγκρατιαστὴν καὶ Φορμίωνα τὸν Ἀσωπίχου γραψάντων ἑτέρων παρίημι· ἐς δὲ Φορμίωνα τοσόνδε ἔχω πλέον γράψαι. Φορμίωνι γὰρ τοῖς ἐπιεικέσιν Ἀθηναίων ὄντι ὁμοίῳ καὶ ἐς προγόνων δόξαν οὐκ ἀφανεῖ συνέβαινεν ὀφείλειν χρέα· ἀναχωρήσας οὖν ἐς τὸν Παιανιέα δῆμον ἐνταῦθα εἶχε δίαιταν, ἐς ὃ ναύαρχον αὐτὸν Ἀθηναίων αἱρουμένων ἐκπλεύσεσθαι οὐκ ἔφασκεν· ὀφείλειν τε γὰρ καί οἱ, πρὶν ἂν ἐκτίσῃ, πρὸς τοὺς στρατιώτας οὐκ εἶναι παρέχεσθαι φρόνημα. οὕτως Ἀθηναῖοι—πάντως γὰρ ἐβούλοντο ἄρχειν Φορμίωνα—τὰ χρέα ὁπόσοις ὤφειλε διαλύουσιν.
It is one of the sayings of the Greeks that there were Seven Sages. Amongst these they reckon the Lesbian tyrant and Periander, son of Cypselus. Yet Pisistratus and his son Hippias were more humane than Periander and sager in the arts both of war and peace, until the death of Hipparchus exasperated Hippias. Amongst the objects on which Hippias vented his fury was a woman named Leaena (‘lioness’).
The story has never before been put on record, but is commonly believed at Athens. He tortured Leaena to death, knowing that she was Aristogiton’s mistress, and supposing that she could not possibly be ignorant of the plot. As a recompense, when the tyranny of the Pisistratids was put down, the Athenians set up a bronze lioness in memory of the woman. Beside it is an image of Aphrodite, which they say was an offering of Callias and a work of Calamis. Near it is a bronze statue of Diitrephes pierced with arrows.
Amongst the deeds of Diitrephes which the Athenians tell of is the following. After Demosthenes had sailed for Syracuse some Thracian mercenaries arrived too late to join the expedition; so Diitrephes led them back. In the Chalcidian Euripus he landed at the place where once stood the inland Boeotian town of Mycalessus, and marching up from the coast he took the town. The Thracians massacred not only the fighting men, but also the women and children, as I can prove. For all the Boeotian cities which the Thebans laid waste were inhabited in my time, the people having escaped when the cities fell. Therefore if the barbarians had not put every soul in Mycalessus to the sword, the remnant would afterwards have reoccupied the city.
In regard to the statue of Diitrephes I was surprised that it was pierced with arrows, since the Cretans are the only Greek people who are accustomed to the use of the bow. For we know that the Opuntian Locrians, whom Homer described as coming to Ilium with bows and slings, carried heavy arms as early as the Medic wars. Even the Malians did not continue to practise archery ; indeed, I believe that they were unacquainted with it before the time of Philoctetes, and gave it up not long afterwards.
Near the statue of Diitrephes (for I do not wish to mention the obscurer statues) are images of gods—one of Health, who is said to be a daughter of Aesculapius, and one of Athena, who is also surnamed Health.
There is also a stone of no great size, but big enough for a little man to sit on. They say that when Dionysus came into the country Silenus rested on this stone. Elderly Satyrs are named Silenuses. Wishing to know particularly who the Satyrs are, I have for that purpose talked with many persons.
Euphemus, a Carian, said that when he was sailing to Italy he was driven by gales out of his course and into the outer ocean, into which mariners do not sail. And he said that there were many desert islands, but that on other islands there dwelt wild men. The sailors were loath to put in to these latter islands, for they had put in there before, and had some experience of the inhabitants. However, they were forced to put in once more. These islands, said he, are called by the seamen the Isles of the Satyrs, and the dwellers on them are red-haired, and have tails on their loins little less than the tails of horses; who when they clapped eyes on them ran down to the ship, and without uttering a syllable attempted to get at the women in the ship. At last the sailors, in fear, cast out a barbarian woman on the island, and the Satyrs outraged her most grossly. Among other things that I saw on the Acropolis at Athens were the bronze boy holding the sprinkler, and Perseus after he has done the deed on Medusa. The boy is a work of Lycius, son of Myron: the Perseus is a work of Myron.
There is also a sanctuary of Brauronian Artemis: the image is a work of Praxiteles. The goddess gets her surname from the township of Brauron ; and at Brauron is the old wooden image which is, they say, the Tauric Artemis. 10. There is also set up a bronze figure of the so-called Wooden Horse. Every one who does not suppose that the Phrygians were the veriest ninnies, is aware that what Epeus made was an engine for breaking down the wall. But the story goes that the Wooden Horse had within it the bravest of the Greeks, and the bronze horse has been shaped accordingly. Menestheus and Teucer are peeping out of it, and so are the sons of Theseus. 11. Among the statues that stand after the horse, the one of Epicharinus, who practised running in armour, is by Critias. Oenobius was a man who did a good deed to Thucydides, son of Olorus; for he carried a decree recalling Thucydides from banishment. But on his way home Thucydides was murdered, and his tomb is not far from the Melitian gate. 12. The histories of Hermolycus, the pancratiast, and of Phormio, the son of Asopichus, have been told by other writers, so I pass them by. This much, however, I have to add as regards Phormio. He ranked among the Athenian worthies, and came of no obscure family, but he was in debt. So he retired to the township of Paeanieus, and lived there till the Athenians elected him admiral. But he said he could not go to sea, since he owed money, and could not look his men in the face until he had paid his debts. So the Athenians discharged all his debts, for they were determined that he should have the command.
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