Κύλωνα δὲ οὐδὲν ἔχω σαφὲς εἰπεῖν ἐφʼ ὅτῳ χαλκοῦν ἀνέθεσαν τυραννίδα ὅμως βουλεύσαντα· τεκμαίρομαι δὲ τῶνδε ἕνεκα, ὅτι εἶδος κάλλιστος καὶ τὰ ἐς δόξαν ἐγένετο οὐκ ἀφανὴς ἀνελόμενος διαύλου νίκην Ὀλυμπικὴν καί οἱ θυγατέρα ὑπῆρξε γῆμαι Θεαγένους, ὃς Μεγάρων ἐτυράννησε.
χωρὶς δὲ ἢ ὅσα κατέλεξα δύο μὲν Ἀθηναίοις εἰσὶ δεκάται πολεμήσασιν, ἄγαλμα Ἀθηνᾶς χαλκοῦν ἀπὸ Μήδων τῶν ἐς Μαραθῶνα ἀποβάντων τέχνη Φειδίου—καί οἱ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀσπίδος μάχην Λαπιθῶν πρὸς Κενταύρους καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἐπειργασμένα λέγουσι τορεῦσαι Μῦν, τῷ δὲ Μυῒ ταῦτά τε καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἔργων Παρράσιον καταγράψαι τὸν Εὐήνορος· ταύτης τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἡ τοῦ δόρατος αἰχμὴ καὶ ὁ λόφος τοῦ κράνους ἀπὸ Σουνίου προσπλέουσίν ἐστιν ἤδη σύνοπτα—, καὶ ἅρμα κεῖται χαλκοῦν ἀπὸ Βοιωτῶν δεκάτη καὶ Χαλκιδέων τῶν ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ. δύο δὲ ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἀναθήματα, Περικλῆς ὁ Ξανθίππου καὶ τῶν ἔργων τῶν Φειδίου θέας μάλιστα ἄξιον Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀναθέντων καλουμένης Λημνίας.
τῇ δὲ ἀκροπόλει, πλὴν ὅσον Κίμων ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτῆς ὁ Μιλτιάδου, περιβαλεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν λέγεται τοῦ τείχους Πελασγοὺς οἰκήσαντάς ποτε ὑπὸ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν· φασὶ γὰρ Ἀγρόλαν καὶ Ὑπέρβιον τοὺς οἰκοδομήσαντας εἶναι. πυνθανόμενος δὲ οἵτινες ἦσαν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐδυνάμην μαθεῖν ἢ Σικελοὺς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὄντας ἐς Ἀκαρνανίαν μετοικῆσαι.
καταβᾶσι δὲ οὐκ ἐς τὴν κάτω πόλιν ἀλλʼ ὅσον ὑπὸ τὰ προπύλαια πηγή τε ὕδατός ἐστι καὶ πλησίον Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερὸν ἐν σπηλαίῳ· Κρεούσῃ δὲ θυγατρὶ Ἐρεχθέως Ἀπόλλωνα ἐνταῦθα συγγενέσθαι νομίζουσι. ὡς πεμφθείη Φιλιππίδης ἐς Λακεδαίμονα ἄγγελος ἀποβεβηκότων Μήδων ἐς τὴν γῆν, ἐπανήκων δὲ Λακεδαιμονίους ὑπερβαλέσθαι φαίη τὴν ἔξοδον, εἶναι γὰρ δὴ νόμον αὐτοῖς μὴ πρότερον μαχουμένους ἐξιέναι πρὶν ἢ πλήρη τὸν κύκλον τῆς σελήνης γενέσθαι· τὸν δὲ Πᾶνα ὁ Φιλιππίδης ἔλεγε περὶ τὸ ὄρος ἐντυχόντα οἱ τὸ Παρθένιον φάναι τε ὡς εὔνους Ἀθηναίοις εἴη καὶ ὅτι ἐς Μαραθῶνα ἥξει συμμαχήσων. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἀγγελίᾳ τετίμηται·
ἔστι δὲ Ἄρειος πάγος καλούμενος, ὅτι πρῶτος Ἄρης ἐνταῦθα ἐκρίθη, καί μοι καὶ ταῦτα δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος ὡς Ἁλιρρόθιον ἀνέλοι καὶ ἐφʼ ὅτῳ κτείνειε. κριθῆναι δὲ καὶ ὕστερον Ὀρέστην λέγουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ φόνῳ τῆς μητρός· καὶ βωμός ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς Ἀρείας, ὃν ἀνέθηκεν ἀποφυγὼν τὴν δίκην. τοὺς δὲ ἀργοὺς λίθους, ἐφʼ ὧν ἑστᾶσιν ὅσοι δίκας ὑπέχουσι καὶ οἱ διώκοντες, τὸν μὲν Ὕβρεως τὸν δὲ Ἀναιδείας αὐτῶν ὀνομάζουσι.
πλησίον δὲ ἱερὸν θεῶν ἐστιν ἃς καλοῦσιν Ἀθηναῖοι Σεμνάς, Ἡσίοδος δὲ Ἐρινῦς ἐν Θεογονίᾳ. πρῶτος δέ σφισιν Αἰσχύλος δράκοντας ἐποίησεν ὁμοῦ ταῖς ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ θριξὶν εἶναι· τοῖς δὲ ἀγάλμασιν οὔτε τούτοις ἔπεστιν οὐδὲν φοβερὸν οὔτε ὅσα ἄλλα κεῖται θεῶν τῶν ὑπογαίων. κεῖται δὲ καὶ Πλούτων καὶ Ἑρμῆς καὶ Γῆς ἄγαλμα· ἐνταῦθα θύουσι μὲν ὅσοις ἐν Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξεγένετο ἀπολύσασθαι, θύουσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ξένοι τε ὁμοίως καὶ ἀστοί.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου μνῆμα Οἰδίποδος, πολυπραγμονῶν δὲ εὕρισκον τὰ ὀστᾶ ἐκ Θηβῶν κομισθέντα· τὰ γὰρ ἐς τὸν θάνατον Σοφοκλεῖ πεποιημένα τὸν Οἰδίποδος Ὅμηρος οὐκ εἴα μοι δόξαι πιστά, ὃς ἔφη Μηκιστέα τελευτήσαντος Οἰδίποδος ἐπιτάφιον ἐλθόντα ἐς Θήβας ἀγωνίσασθαι.
ἔστι δὲ Ἀθηναίοις καὶ ἄλλα δικαστήρια οὐκ ἐς τοσοῦτο δόξης ἥκοντα. τὸ μὲν οὖν καλούμενον παράβυστον καὶ τρίγωνον, τὸ μὲν ἐν ἀφανεῖ τῆς πόλεως ὂν καὶ ἐπʼ ἐλαχίστοις συνιόντων ἐς αὐτό, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος ἔχει τὰ ὀνόματα· βατραχιοῦν δὲ καὶ φοινικιοῦν ἀπὸ χρωμάτων καὶ ἐς τόδε διαμεμένηκεν ὀνομάζεσθαι. τὸ δὲ μέγιστον καὶ ἐς ὃ πλεῖστοι συνίασιν, ἡλιαίαν καλοῦσιν. ὁπόσα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς φονεῦσιν, ἔστιν ἄλλα· καὶ ἐπὶ Παλλαδίῳ καλοῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἀποκτείνασιν ἀκουσίως κρίσις καθέστηκε. καὶ ὅτι μὲν Δημοφῶν πρῶτος ἐνταῦθα ὑπέσχε δίκας, ἀμφισβητοῦσιν οὐδένες·
ἐφʼ ὅτῳ δέ, διάφορα ἐς τοῦτο εἴρηται. Διομήδην φασὶν ἁλούσης Ἰλίου ταῖς ναυσὶν ὀπίσω κομίζεσθαι, καὶ ἤδη τε νύκτα ἐπέχειν ὡς κατὰ Φάληρον πλέοντες γίνονται καὶ τοὺς Ἀργείους ὡς ἐς πολεμίαν ἀποβῆναι τὴν γῆν, ἄλλην που δόξαντας ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ καὶ οὐ τὴν Ἀττικὴν εἶναι. ἐνταῦθα Δημοφῶντα λέγουσιν ἐκβοηθήσαντα, οὐκ ἐπιστάμενον οὐδὲ τοῦτον τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν ὡς εἰσὶν Ἀργεῖοι, καὶ ἄνδρας αὐτῶν ἀποκτεῖναι καὶ τὸ Παλλάδιον ἁρπάσαντα οἴχεσθαι, Ἀθηναῖόν τε ἄνδρα οὐ προϊδόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἵππου τοῦ Δημοφῶντος ἀνατραπῆναι καὶ συμπατηθέντα ἀποθανεῖν· ἐπὶ τούτῳ Δημοφῶντα ὑποσχεῖν δίκας οἱ μὲν τοῦ συμπατηθέντος τοῖς προσήκουσιν, οἱ δὲ Ἀργείων φασὶ τῷ κοινῷ.
ἐπὶ Δελφινίῳ δὲ κρίσις καθέστηκεν ἐργάσασθαι φόνον σὺν τῷ δικαίῳ φαμένοις, ὁποῖόν τι καὶ Θησεὺς παρεχόμενος ἀπέφυγεν, ὅτε Πάλλαντα ἐπαναστάντα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἔκτεινε· πρότερον δὲ πρὶν ἢ Θησεὺς ἀφείθη, καθειστήκει πᾶσι φεύγειν κτείναντα ἢ κατὰ ταὐτὰ θνήσκειν μένοντα. τὸ δὲ ἐν πρυτανείῳ καλούμενον, ἔνθα τῷ σιδήρῳ καὶ πᾶσιν ὁμοίως τοῖς ἀψύχοις δικάζουσιν, ἐπὶ τῷδε ἄρξασθαι νομίζω. Ἀθηναίων βασιλεύοντος Ἐρεχθέως, τότε πρῶτον βοῦν ἔκτεινεν ὁ βουφόνος ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ τοῦ Πολιέως Διός· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀπολιπὼν ταύτῃ τὸν πέλεκυν ἀπῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς χώρας φεύγων, ὁ δὲ πέλεκυς παραυτίκα ἀφείθη κριθεὶς καὶ ἐς τόδε ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος κρίνεται.
λέγεται μὲν δὴ καὶ ἄλλα τῶν ἀψύχων αὐτόματα ἐπιθεῖναι σὺν τῷ δικαίῳ τιμωρίαν ἀνθρώποις· ἔργον δὲ κάλλιστον καὶ δόξῃ φανερώτατον ὁ Καμβύσου παρέσχετο ἀκινάκης. ἔστι δὲ τοῦ Πειραιῶς πρὸς θαλάσσῃ Φρεαττύς· ἐνταῦθα οἱ πεφευγότες, ἢν ἀπελθόντας ἕτερον ἐπιλάβῃ σφᾶς ἔγκλημα, πρὸς ἀκροωμένους ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ νεὼς ἀπολογοῦνται· Τεῦκρον πρῶτον λόγος ἔχει Τελαμῶνι οὕτως ἀπολογήσασθαι μηδὲν ἐς τὸν Αἴαντος θάνατον εἰργάσθαι. τάδε μὲν οὖν εἰρήσθω μοι τῶνδε ἕνεκα, γνῶναι ὁπόσοις μέτεστι σπουδῆς τὰ ἐς τὰ δικαστήρια·
Why they set up a bronze statue of Cylon, though he compassed the tyranny, I cannot say for certain. I surmise that it was because he was an extremely handsome man, and gained some reputation by winning a victory in the double race at Olympia. Moreover he had the honour to marry a daughter of Theagenes, tyrant of Megara.
Besides the things I have enumerated, there are two tithe-offerings from spoils taken by the Athenians in war. One is a bronze image of Athena made from the spoils of the Medes who landed at Marathon. It is a work of Phidias. The battle of the Lapiths with the Centaurs on her shield, and all the other figures in relief, are said to have been wrought by Mys, but designed, like all the other works of Mys, by Parrhasius, son of Evenor. The head of the spear and the crest of the helmet of this Athena are visible to mariners sailing from Sunium to Athens. There is also a bronze chariot made out of a tithe of spoils taken from the Boeotians and the Chalcidians of Euboea. There are two other offerings, a statue of Pericles, the son of Xanthippus, and an image of Athena, surnamed Lemnian, after the people of Lemnos who dedicated it. This image of Athena is the best worth seeing of the works of Phidias.
The whole of the wall which runs round the Acropolis, except the part built by Cimon, son of Miltiades, is said to have been erected by the Pelasgians who once dwelt at the foot of the Acropolis. For they say that Agrolas and Hyperbius ... . and inquiring who they were, all I could learn was that they were originally Sicilians who migrated to Acarnania.
Descending not as far as the lower city, but below the portal, you come to a spring of water, and near it a sanctuary of Apollo in a cave. They think it was here that Apollo had intercourse with Creusa, daughter of Erechtheus. ... . Philippides was sent to Lacedaemon to tell that the Medes had landed, but came back reporting that the Lacedaemonians had deferred their march, for it was their custom not to march out to war before the moon was full. But Philippides said that Pan met him about Mount Parthenius, and told him that he wished the Athenians well and would come to Marathon to fight for them. So the god Pan has been honoured for this message. 5. . . where is also the Areopagus. It is called the Areopagus (‘hill of Ares’) because Ares was the first to be tried there. I have already told how he killed Halirrothius, and why he did so. They say that Orestes was afterwards tried for the murder of his mother, and there is an altar of Warlike Athena which he dedicated after his acquittal. The unwrought stones on which the accused and the accusers stand are named respectively the stone of Injury and the stone of Ruthlessness.
Near this is a sanctuary of the goddesses whom the Athenians call the Venerable Ones, but whom Hesiod in the Theogony calls the Furies. Aeschylus was the first to represent them with snakes in their hair. But there is nothing terrible in their images nor in the other images of the nether gods. There are images also of Pluto and Hermes and Earth. Persons who have been acquitted in the court of the Areopagus sacrifice here, and sacrifices are offered on other occasions both by strangers and citizens.
Within the enclosure is the tomb of Oedipus. After much inquiry I found that his bones were brought from Thebes; for Sophocles’ version of the death of Oedipus is, in my opinion, rendered incredible by Homer’s statement, that, when Oedipus died, Mecisteus went to Thebes and took part in the funeral games.
The Athenians have other, though less famous, courts of justice. The court called Parabystum (‘pushed aside’) is so named because it is in an obscure part of the city, and they resort to it only in the most trivial cases. The court called Trigonum (‘ triangular’) gets its name from its shape. The Batrachium (‘ frog-green’) and the Phoenicium (‘red’) are named after their colours, and retain their names to the present day. But the greatest and most frequented court is called the Heliaea.
Amongst the courts for the trial of homicides is the one called after the Palladium, where cases of involuntary homicide are tried. Nobody denies that Demophon was the first person tried here, but there is a difference of opinion as to the crime for which he was tried. They say that after the capture of Ilium Diomede was sailing homeward, and that night having fallen when they arrived off Phalerum, the Argives disembarked as in an enemy’s country, taking it in the dark for some land other than Attica. Hereupon Demophon, they say, being also unaware that the men from the ships were Argives, came out against them and slew some of them, and carried off the Palladium. But an Athenian, who did not see him coming, was knocked down by Demophon’s horse and trampled to death. For this Demophon was brought to trial, some say by the kinsmen of the man who had been trampled under foot, others say by the Argive community. 10. In the court of Delphinium are held the trials of persons who plead that the homicide which they committed was justifiable. On such a plea Theseus was acquitted when he had slain the rebel Pallas and his sons. But in former days, before the acquittal of Theseus, the custom was that every manslayer either fled the country or, if he stayed, was slain even as he slew.
The court called the Court in the Prytaneum, where iron and all lifeless things are brought to trial, originated, I believe, on the following occasion :—When Erechtheus was king of the Athenians, the Ox-slayer slew an ox for the first time on the altar of Zeus Polieus; and having done so he left his axe there and fled from the country ; but the axe was tried and acquitted, and every year it is tried down to the present time. Other lifeless things are said to have inflicted of their own accord a righteous punishment on men. The best and most famous instance is that of the sword of Cambyses. 12. In Piraeus, beside the sea, is a court called Phreattys. Here exiles, against whom in their absence another charge has been brought, make their defence from a ship, the judges listening on the shore. The legend runs that Teucer was the first to plead thus in his defence before Telamon, asserting that he had nothing to do with the death of Ajax. These details may suffice. I have entered into them for the sake of those who are interested in the courts of justice.
Cite This Text