ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως κατιοῦσιν, ᾗ πρὸς ἄρκτον τέτραπται τὸ χωρίον, μνῆμά ἐστιν Ἀλκμήνης πλησίον τοῦ Ὀλυμπιείου. βαδίζουσαν γὰρ ἐς Θήβας ἐξ Ἄργους τελευτῆσαι καθʼ ὁδὸν λέγουσιν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις, καὶ τοὺς Ἡρακλείδας ἐς ἀμφισβήτησιν ἐλθεῖν, τοὺς μὲν ἐς Ἄργος ἐθέλοντας ὀπίσω κομίσαι τὸν νεκρὸν τῆς Ἀλκμήνης, τοὺς δʼ αὐτῶν ἐς Θήβας· καὶ γὰρ τοῖς Ἡρακλέους παισὶ τοῖς ἐκ Μεγάρας τάφον εἶναι καὶ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἐν Θήβαις. ὁ δὲ ἐν Δελφοῖς θεὸς ἔχρησε θάψαι Ἀλκμήνην ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις ἄμεινον εἶναί σφισιν.
ἐντεῦθεν ὁ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἡμῖν ἐξηγητὴς ἡγεῖτο ἐς χωρίον Ῥοῦν ὡς ἔφασκεν ὀνομαζόμενον, ταύτῃ γὰρ ὕδωρ ποτὲ ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν τῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν ῥυῆναι· Θεαγένης δέ, ὃς τότε ἐτυράννει, τὸ ὕδωρ ἑτέρωσε τρέψας βωμὸν ἐνταῦθα Ἀχελῴῳ ἐποίησε. καὶ Ὕλλου πλησίον τοῦ Ἡρακλέους μνῆμά ἐστιν ἀνδρὶ Ἀρκάδι Ἐχέμῳ τῷ Ἀερόπου μονομαχήσαντος· καὶ ὅστις μὲν Ἔχεμος ὢν ἀπέκτεινεν Ὕλλον, ἑτέρωθι τοῦ λόγου δηλώσω, τέθαπται δὲ καὶ Ὕλλος ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις. αὕτη καλοῖτο ἂν ὀρθῶς στρατεία τῶν Ἡρακλειδῶν ἐς Πελοπόννησον ἐπὶ Ὀρέστου βασιλεύοντος.
οὐ πόρρω δὲ τοῦ Ὕλλου μνήματος Ἴσιδος ναὸς καὶ παρʼ αὐτὸν Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστι καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος· Ἀλκάθουν δέ φασι ποιῆσαι ἀποκτείναντα λέοντα τὸν καλούμενον Κιθαιρώνιον. ὑπὸ τούτου τοῦ λέοντος διαφθαρῆναι καὶ ἄλλους καὶ Μεγαρέως φασὶ τοῦ σφετέρου βασιλέως παῖδα Εὔιππον, τὸν δὲ πρεσβύτερον τῶν παίδων αὐτῷ Τίμαλκον ἔτι πρότερον ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὸ Θησέως, στρατεύοντα ἐς Ἄφιδναν σὺν τοῖς Διοσκούροις· Μεγαρέα δὲ γάμον τε ὑποσχέσθαι θυγατρὸς καὶ ὡς διάδοχον ἕξει τῆς ἀρχῆς, ὅστις τὸν Κιθαιρώνιον λέοντα ἀποκτείναι· διὰ ταῦτα Ἀλκάθουν τὸν Πέλοπος ἐπιχειρήσαντα τῷ θηρίῳ κρατῆσαί τε καὶ ὡς ἐβασίλευσε τὸ ἱερὸν ποιῆσαι τοῦτο, Ἀγροτέραν Ἄρτεμιν καὶ Ἀπόλλωνα Ἀγραῖον ἐπονομάσαντα.
ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω γενέσθαι λέγουσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ γράφειν μὲν ἐθέλω Μεγαρεῦσιν ὁμολογοῦντα, οὐκ ἔχω δὲ ὅπως εὕρωμαι πάντα σφίσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀποθανεῖν μὲν λέοντα ἐν τῷ Κιθαιρῶνι ὑπὸ Ἀλκάθου πείθομαι, Μεγαρέως δὲ Τίμαλκον παῖδα τίς μὲν ἐς Ἄφιδναν ἐλθεῖν μετὰ τῶν Διοσκούρων ἔγραψε; πῶς δʼ ἂν ἀφικόμενος ἀναιρεθῆναι νομίζοιτο ὑπὸ Θησέως, ὅπου καὶ Ἀλκμὰν ποιήσας ᾆσμα ἐς τοὺς Διοσκούρους, ὡς Ἀθήνας ἕλοιεν καὶ τὴν Θησέως ἀγάγοιεν μητέρα αἰχμάλωτον, ὅμως Θησέα φησὶν αὐτὸν ἀπεῖναι;
Πίνδαρος δὲ τούτοις τε κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἐποίησε καὶ γαμβρὸν τοῖς Διοσκούροις Θησέα εἶναι βουλόμενον ἁρπασθεῖσαν τὴν Ἑλένην διαφυλάξαι, ἐς ὃ ἀπελθεῖν αὐτὸν Πειρίθῳ τὸν λεγόμενον γάμον συμπράξοντα. ὅστις δὲ ἐγενεαλόγησε, δῆλον ὡς πολλὴν τοῖς Μεγαρεῦσι σύνοιδεν εὐήθειαν, εἴ γε Θησεὺς ἦν ἀπόγονος Πέλοπος· ἀλλὰ γὰρ τὸν ὄντα λόγον οἱ Μεγαρεῖς εἰδότες ἐπικρύπτουσιν, οὐ βουλόμενοι δοκεῖν ἁλῶναί σφισιν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς Νίσου τὴν πόλιν, διαδέξασθαι δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν γαμβρὸν Νίσου τε Μεγαρέα καὶ αὖθις Ἀλκάθουν Μεγαρέως.
φαίνεται δὲ τελευτήσαντος Νίσου καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων Μεγαρεῦσιν ἐφθαρμένων ὑπὸ τοῦτον Ἀλκάθους ἀφικόμενος τὸν καιρὸν ἐξ Ἤλιδος· μαρτύριον δέ μοι· τὸ γὰρ τεῖχος ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἅτε τοῦ περιβόλου τοῦ ἀρχαίου καθαιρεθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Κρητῶν. Ἀλκάθου μὲν καὶ τοῦ λέοντος, εἴτε ἐν τῷ Κιθαιρῶνι αὐτὸν εἴτε καὶ ἑτέρωθι ἀποκτείνας ναὸν Ἀγροτέρας Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ἐποίησεν Ἀγραίου, ἐς τοσόνδε ἔστω μνήμη· ἐκ τούτου δὲ τοῦ ἱεροῦ κατιοῦσι Πανδίονός ἐστιν ἡρῷον. καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἐτάφη Πανδίων ἐν Αἰθυίας Ἀθηνᾶς καλουμένῳ σκοπέλῳ, δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος ἤδη μοι· τιμὰς δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ πόλει παρὰ Μεγαρέων ἔχει.
πλησίον δέ ἐστι τοῦ Πανδίονος ἡρῴου μνῆμα Ἱππολύτης· γράψω δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐς αὐτὴν ὁποῖα Μεγαρεῖς λέγουσιν. ὅτε Ἀμαζόνες ἐπʼ Ἀθηναίους στρατεύσασαι διʼ Ἀντιόπην ἐκρατήθησαν ὑπὸ Θησέως, τὰς μὲν πολλὰς συνέβη μαχομένας αὐτῶν ἀποθανεῖν, Ἱππολύτην δὲ ἀδελφὴν οὖσαν Ἀντιόπης καὶ τότε ἡγουμένην τῶν γυναικῶν ἀποφυγεῖν σὺν ὀλίγαις ἐς Μέγαρα, ἅτε δὲ κακῶς οὕτω πράξασαν τῷ στρατῷ τοῖς τε παροῦσιν ἀθύμως ἔχουσαν καὶ περὶ τῆς οἴκαδε ἐς τὴν Θεμίσκυραν σωτηρίας μᾶλλον ἔτι ἀποροῦσαν ὑπὸ λύπης τελευτῆσαι· καὶ θάψαι αὐτὴν ἀποθανοῦσαν, καί οἱ τοῦ μνήματος σχῆμά ἐστιν Ἀμαζονικῇ ἀσπίδι ἐμφερές.
τούτου δέ ἐστιν οὐ πόρρω τάφος Τηρέως τοῦ Πρόκνην γήμαντος τὴν Πανδίονος. ἐβασίλευσε δὲ ὁ Τηρεύς, ὡς μὲν λέγουσιν οἱ Μεγαρεῖς, περὶ τὰς Παγὰς τὰς καλουμένας τῆς Μεγαρίδος, ὡς δὲ ἐγώ τε δοκῶ καὶ τεκμήρια ἐς τόδε λείπεται, Δαυλίδος ἦρχε τῆς ὑπὲρ Χαιρωνείας· πάλαι γὰρ τῆς νῦν καλουμένης Ἑλλάδος βάρβαροι τὰ πολλὰ ᾤκησαν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦν καὶ Τηρεῖ τὰ ἐς Φιλομήλαν ἐξειργασμένα καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Ἴτυν ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν, ἑλεῖν σφᾶς ὁ Τηρεὺς οὐκ ἐδύνατο·
καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐτελεύτησεν ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις αὐτοχειρίᾳ, καί οἱ τάφον αὐτίκα ἔχωσαν καὶ θύουσιν ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος ψηφῖσιν ἐν τῇ θυσίᾳ ἀντὶ οὐλῶν χρώμενοι καὶ τὸν ἔποπα τὸν ὄρνιθα ἐνταῦθα φανῆναι πρῶτον λέγουσιν· αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἐς μὲν Ἀθήνας ἀφίκοντο, θρηνοῦσαι δὲ οἷα ἔπαθον καὶ οἷα ἀντέδρασαν ὑπὸ δακρύων διαφθείρονται, καί σφισι τὴν ἐς ἀηδόνα καὶ χελιδόνα μεταβολὴν ἐπεφήμισαν ὅτι οἶμαι καὶ αὗται αἱ ὄρνιθες ἐλεεινὸν καὶ θρήνῳ ὅμοιον ᾄδουσιν.
Descending from the acropolis, on the northern side, we come to the tomb of Alcmena, near the Olympieum. For they say that journeying to Thebes from Argos she died by the way at Megara, and that a dispute arose among the Heraclids, some of them wishing to convey Alcmena’s corpse back to Argos, and others to convey it to Thebes; for the grave of the sons of Hercules, by Megara, and the grave of Amphitryo, are at Thebes. But the god at Delphi announced in an oracle that it was better for them to bury Alcmena in Megara.
Thence the local guide led us to a place which he alleged was named Rhus (‘stream’), because water from the mountains above the city once flowed this way. But Theagenes, who was then tyrant, diverted the water, and made here an altar to Achelous.
Near it is the tomb of Hyllus, son of Hercules, who engaged in single combat with an Arcadian named Echemus, son of Aeropus. Who this Echemus was that slew Hyllus I will show elsewhere; but Hyllus is buried at Megara. This might rightly be called an expedition of the Heraclids into Peloponnese in the reign of Orestes.
Not far from the tomb of Hyllus is a temple of Isis, and beside it is a temple of Apollo and Artemis. They say that Alcathous built it after slaying the lion, which was called the lion of Cithaeron. Among others who, the Megarians say, were destroyed by this lion, was Euippus, son of their king Megareus. His elder son Timalcus, marching to Aphidna with the Dioscuri, had met his death still earlier at the hand of Theseus. So Megareus promised that whoever should slay the lion of Cithaeron should marry his daughter, and succeed him in the kingdom. Therefore Alcathous, son of Pelops, attacked and overcame the beast, and when he was come to the throne he made this sanctuary of Artemis and Apollo, surnaming them respectively Huntress and Hunter.
Such is the tale they tell. But though I wish to conform to the Megarian tradition, I am unable to do so on all points. That the lion was killed on Cithaeron by Alcathous I believe ; but what writer says that Timalcus, son of Megareus, went to Aphidna with the Dioscuri? and, if he did go, how could it be thought that he was killed by Theseus, when Alcman, in the song on the Dioscuri, which tells how they captured Athens and carried away captive Theseus’ mother, says that Theseus himself was absent? Pindar’s account is similar: he represents Theseus as wishing to be connected by marriage with the Dioscuri, so that at last he went away to aid Pirithous in achieving his famous wedding. Obviously, any one who has studied genealogy must impute great credulity to the Megarians, since Theseus was a descendant of Pelops. But, in point of fact, the Megarians know the truth, but conceal it, not wishing it to appear that their city was captured in the reign of Nisus: they would have it supposed that Nisus was succeeded on the throne by his son-in-law Megareus, and Megareus again by his son-in-law Alcathous. But it is clear that the occasion when Alcathous arrived from Elis was after the death of Nisus and the ruin of Megara. This is proved by the fact that he rebuilt the city wall from the foundations, the circuit of the old wall having been pulled down by the Cretans. So much for Alcathous and the lion. He certainly built the temple of Huntress Artemis and Hunter Apollo, whether he slew the lion on Cithaeron or elsewhere.
Descending from this sanctuary we come to a shrine of the hero Pandion. That Pandion was buried on the bluff called the bluff of Diver-bird Athena, has already been indicated by me; but he is also worshipped in the city by the Megarians. 7. Near the shrine of the hero Pandion is the tomb of Hippolyte. I will tell her story as it is told by the Megarians. When the Amazons marched against the Athenians on account of Antiope, and were vanquished by Theseus, most of them died fighting ; but Hippolyte, who was sister to Antiope, and at that time held the command of the women, escaped with a few others to Megara. There, however, the disaster which had overtaken her army filled her with despondency at the situation in which she found herself, and with despair of ever returning safe home to Themiscyra; so she died of grief, and they buried her. Her tomb is shaped like an Amazonian shield.
Not far from it is the grave of Tereus, who married Procne, daughter of Pandion. According to the Megarians, Tereus reigned at Pagae in Megaris. But my belief, supported by evidence which is still extant, is that he reigned over Daulis, which lies beyond Chaeronea; for of old the greater part of what is now called Greece was peopled by barbarians. When the women had retaliated on Itys for the deed which Tereus had wrought on Philomela, Tereus could not catch them. He died by his own hand at Megara; and the people immediately raised a barrow to him, and they sacrifice every year, using gravel in the sacrifice instead of barley groats. And they say that the hoopoe first appeared here. But the women went to Athens, and there, mourning both their wrongs and their revenge, they wept themselves to death. The fable that they were turned into a nightingale and a swallow was suggested, I suppose, by the plaintive and dirge-like song of these birds.
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