Pausanias · Description of Greece Ἑλλάδος Περιήγησις

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10.19.1–12: Delphi: Scyllis, the gable sculptures and the Gallic invasion begins

Pausanias describes the offering of the diver Scyllis and his daughter Hydna, who wrecked the fleet of Xerxes, and the Methymnian bronze copy of a wooden face fished from the sea. He lists the sculptures in the gables of the temple at Delphi and the shields on the architrave. He then opens his account of the Gauls: Cambaules' first expedition, the second inroad into Thrace, Paeonia and Macedonia, and Brennus' plan to invade Greece with an army and its servant horsemen.

Sections 10.19.1–12 · 927 words · click a number to copy its link

παρὰ δὲ τὸν Γοργίαν ἀνάθημά ἐστιν Ἀμφικτυόνων Σκιωναῖος Σκύλλις, ὃς καταδῦναι καὶ ἐς τὰ βαθύτατα θαλάσσης πάσης ἔχει φήμην· ἐδιδάξατο δὲ καὶ Ὕδναν τὴν θυγατέρα δύεσθαι.

οὗτοι περὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ Πήλιον ἐπιπεσόντος ναυτικῷ τῷ Ξέρξου βιαίου χειμῶνος προσεξειργάσαντό σφισιν ἀπώλειαν, τάς τε ἀγκύρας καὶ εἰ δή τι ἄλλο ἔρυμα ταῖς τριήρεσιν ἦν ὑφέλκοντες. ἀντὶ τούτου μὲν οἱ Ἀμφικτύονες καὶ αὐτὸν Σκύλλιν καὶ τὴν παῖδα ἀνέθεσαν· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀνδριᾶσιν ὁπόσους Νέρων ἔλαβεν ἐκ Δελφῶν, ἐν τούτοις τὸν ἀριθμὸν καὶ τῆς Ὕδνης ἀπεπλήρωσεν ἡ εἰκών.

τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ ἔρχομαι διηγησόμενος λόγον Λέσβιον. ἁλιεῦσιν ἐν Μηθύμνῃ τὰ δίκτυα ἀνείλκυσεν ἐκ θαλάσσης πρόσωπον ἐλαίας ξύλου πεποιημένον· τοῦτο ἰδέαν παρείχετο φέρουσαν μὲν ἐς τὸ θεῖον, ξένην δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ θεοῖς Ἑλληνικοῖς οὐ καθεστῶσαν. εἴροντο οὖν οἱ Μηθυμναῖοι τὴν Πυθίαν ὅτου θεῶν ἢ καὶ ἡρώων ἐστὶν ἡ εἰκών· ἡ δὲ αὐτοὺς σέβεσθαι Διόνυσον Φαλλῆνα ἐκέλευσεν. ἐπὶ τούτῳ οἱ Μηθυμναῖοι ξόανον μὲν τὸ ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης παρὰ σφίσιν ἔχοντες καὶ θυσίαις καὶ εὐχαῖς τιμῶσι, χαλκοῦν δὲ ἀποπέμπουσιν ἐς Δελφούς.

τὰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀετοῖς, ἔστιν Ἄρτεμις καὶ Λητὼ καὶ Ἀπόλλων καὶ Μοῦσαι δύσις τε Ἡλίου καὶ Διόνυσός τε καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ Θυιάδες. τὰ μὲν δὴ πρῶτα αὐτῶν Ἀθηναῖος Πραξίας μαθητὴς Καλάμιδός ἐστιν ὁ ἐργασάμενος· χρόνου δὲ ὡς ὁ ναὸς ἐποιεῖτο ἐγγινομένου Πραξίαν μὲν ἔμελλεν ἀπάξειν τὸ χρεών, τὰ δὲ ὑπολειπόμενα τοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἀετοῖς κόσμου ἐποίησεν Ἀνδροσθένης, γένος μὲν καὶ οὗτος Ἀθηναῖος, μαθητὴς δὲ Εὐκάδμου. ὅπλα δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπιστυλίων χρυσᾶ, Ἀθηναῖοι μὲν τὰς ἀσπίδας ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργου τοῦ Μαραθῶνι ἀνέθεσαν, Αἰτωλοὶ δὲ τά τε ὄπισθεν καὶ τὰ ἐν ἀριστερᾷ Γαλατῶν δὴ ὅπλα· σχῆμα δὲ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἐγγυτάτω τῶν Περσικῶν γέρρων.

Γαλατῶν δὲ τῆς ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπιστρατείας ἔχει μέν τινα μνήμην καὶ ἡ ἐς τὸ βουλευτήριον ἡμῖν τὸ Ἀττικὸν συγγραφή· προάγειν δὲ ἐς τὸ σαφέστερον τὰ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἠθέλησα ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐς Δελφούς, ὅτι ἔργων τῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους τὰ μέγιστα Ἕλλησιν ἐνταῦθα ἦν. ὑπερόριον μὲν οἱ Κελτοὶ στρατείαν πρώτην ὑπὸ ἡγεμόνι ἐποιήσαντο Καμβαύλῃ· προελθόντες δὲ ἄχρι τῆς Θρᾴκης τὸ πρόσω τῆς πορείας οὐκ ἀπεθάρσησαν, καταγνόντες αὑτῶν ὅτι ὀλίγοι τε ἦσαν καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόμαχοι κατʼ ἀριθμὸν Ἕλλησιν.

ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ δεύτερον ἐπιφέρειν ἐδόκει ὅπλα ἐπὶ τὴν ἄλλων— ἐνῆγον δὲ μάλιστα οἱ ὁμοῦ Καμβαύλῃ ἐκστρατεύσαντες ἅτε λῃστειῶν τε ἤδη γεγευμένοι καὶ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ κερδῶν ἐς ἔρωτα ἥκοντες—, πολὺς μὲν δὴ πεζός, οὐκ ἐλάχιστοι δὲ ἠθροίσθησαν καὶ ἐς τὸ ἱππικόν· ἐς μοίρας οὖν τρεῖς ἔνεμον οἱ ἡγεμόνες τὸν στρατόν, καὶ ἄλλος ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ ἄλλην ἐτέτακτο ἰέναι χώραν.

ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν Θρᾷκας καὶ τὸ ἔθνος τὸ Τριβαλλῶν ἔμελλε Κερέθριος ἡγήσεσθαι· τοῖς δὲ ἐς Παιονίαν ἰοῦσι Βρέννος ἦσαν καὶ Ἀκιχώριος ἄρχοντες· Βόλγιος δὲ ἐπὶ Μακεδόνας τε καὶ Ἰλλυριοὺς ἤλασε, καὶ ἐς ἀγῶνα πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον κατέστη τότε ἔχοντα τὴν Μακεδόνων βασιλείαν. Πτολεμαῖος δὲ ἦν οὗτος ὃς Σέλευκόν τε ἐδολοφόνησε τὸν Ἀντιόχου, καταπεφευγὼς ὅμως ἱκέτης ὡς αὐτόν, καὶ εἶχεν ἐπίκλησιν Κεραυνὸς διὰ τὸ ἄγαν τολμηρόν. καὶ ὁ μὲν αὐτός τε ὁ Πτολεμαῖος ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ καὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐγένετο οὐκ ἐλαχίστη φθορά· προελθεῖν δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα οὐδὲ τότε ἐθάρσησαν οἱ Κελτοί, καὶ ὁ δεύτερος οὕτω στόλος ἐπανῆλθεν ἐς τὴν οἰκείαν.

ἔνθα δὴ ὁ Βρέννος πολὺς μὲν ἐν συλλόγοις τοῖς κοινοῖς, πολὺς δὲ καθʼ ἕκαστον ἦν τῶν ἐν τέλει Γαλατῶν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπαίρων στρατεύεσθαι, ἀσθένειάν τε Ἑλλήνων τὴν ἐν τῷ παρόντι διηγούμενος καὶ ὡς χρήματα πολλὰ μὲν ἐν τῷ κοινῷ, πλείονα δὲ ἐν ἱεροῖς τά τε ἀναθήματα καὶ ἄργυρος καὶ χρυσός ἐστιν ἐπίσημος· ἀνέπεισέ τε δὴ τοὺς Γαλάτας ἐλαύνειν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, καὶ αὑτῷ συνάρχοντας ἄλλους τε προσείλετο τῶν ἐν τέλει καὶ τὸν Ἀκιχώριον.

ὁ δὲ ἀθροισθεὶς στρατὸς πεζοὶ μὲν μυριάδες ἐγένοντο πεντεκαίδεκα προσόντων σφίσι δισχιλίων, οἱ δὲ ἱππεύοντες τετρακόσιοι καὶ δισμύριοι. τοσοῦτοι μὲν ἦσαν τῶν ἱππέων τὸ ἀεὶ ἐνεργόν, ἀριθμὸς δὲ αὐτῶν ὁ ἀληθὴς διακόσιοί τε καὶ χίλιοι καὶ ἓξ μυριάδες· δύο γὰρ οἰκέται περὶ ἕκαστον τῶν ἱππευόντων ἦσαν, ἀγαθοὶ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ ἱππικὰ καὶ ἵππους ὁμοίως ἔχοντες.

Γαλατῶν δὲ τοῖς ἱππεύουσιν ἀγῶνος συνεστηκότος ὑπομένοντες τῆς τάξεως ὄπισθεν οἱ οἰκέται τοσάδε σφίσιν ἐγίνοντο χρήσιμοι· τῷ γὰρ ἱππεῖ συμβὰν ἢ τῷ ἵππῳ πεσεῖν, τὸν μὲν ἵππον παρεῖχεν ἀναβῆναι τῷ ἀνδρί, τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὁ δοῦλος ἀντὶ τοῦ δεσπότου τὸν ἵππον ἀνέβαινεν· εἰ δὲ ἀμφοτέρους ἐπιλάβοι τὸ χρεών, ἐνταῦθα ἕτοιμος ἦν ἱππεύς. λαμβανόντων δὲ τραύματα αὐτῶν, ὁ μὲν ὑπεξῆγε τῶν δούλων ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον τὸν τραυματίαν, ὁ δὲ καθίστατο ἐς τὴν τάξιν ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀπελθόντος.

ταῦτα ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἐνομίσθη τοῖς Γαλάταις ἐς μίμησιν τοῦ ἐν Πέρσαις ἀριθμοῦ τῶν μυρίων, οἳ ἐκαλοῦντο Ἀθάνατοι. διάφορα δὲ ἦν, ὅτι κατελέγοντο ἀντὶ τῶν ἀποθνησκόντων ὑπὸ μὲν Περσῶν τῆς μάχης ὕστερον, Γαλάταις δὲ ὑπʼ αὐτὴν τοῦ ἔργου τὴν ἀκμὴν ὁ ἀριθμὸς ἀπεπληροῦτο τῶν ἱππέων. τοῦτο ὠνόμαζον τὸ σύνταγμα τριμαρκισίαν τῇ ἐπιχωρίῳ φωνῇ· καὶ ἵππῳ τὸ ὄνομα ἴστω τις μάρκαν ὂν τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Κελτῶν.

παρασκευῇ μὲν τοσαύτῃ καὶ μετὰ διανοίας τοιαύτης ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ὁ Βρέννος ἤλαυνε· τοῖς δέ γε Ἕλλησι κατεπεπτώκει μὲν ἐς ἅπαν τὰ φρονήματα, τὸ δὲ ἰσχυρὸν τοῦ δείματος προῆγεν ἐς ἀνάγκην τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἀμύνειν. ἑώρων δὲ τὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἀγῶνα οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἐλευθερίας γενησόμενον, καθὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ Μήδου ποτέ, οὐδὲ δοῦσιν ὕδωρ καὶ γῆν τὰ ἀπὸ τούτου σφίσιν ἄδειαν φέροντα· ἀλλὰ τά τε ἐς Μακεδόνας καὶ Θρᾷκας καὶ Παίονας τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας καταδρομῆς τῶν Γαλατῶν ἔτι σφίσιν ἔκειτο ἐν μνήμῃ, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ παρόντι τὰ ἐς Θεσσαλοὺς παρανομήματα ἀπηγγέλλετο. ὡς οὖν ἀπολωλέναι δέον ἢ ἐπικρατεστέρους εἶναι, κατʼ ἄνδρα τε ἰδίᾳ καὶ αἱ πόλεις διέκειντο ἐν κοινῷ.

Beside the statue of Gorgias is an offering of the Amphictyons representing Scyllis of Scione, of whom fame says that he dived to the deepest depths of every sea; and he taught his daughter Hydna to dive too. When the fleet of Xerxes was overtaken by a hurricane off Mount Pelion, these two completed the disaster by dragging away the anchors and moorings of the galleys from below. For this service the Amphictyons dedicated statues of Scyllis and his daughter ; but the statue of the latter went to make up the tale of statues carried off by Nero from Delphi. [Of womankind it is only chaste maidens that can dive into the sea. 2. I will now tell a Lesbian tale. Some fishermen at Methymna brought up out of the sea in their nets a face made of olive-wood. The features had something divine about them, yet they were foreign, not the usual features of Grecian gods. So the Methymnians asked the Pythian priestess of what god or hero it was a likeness, and she bade them worship Dionysus Phallen. Therefore the Methymnians kept the wooden image that was fished out of the sea, and honoured it with sacrifices and prayers; but they sent a bronze copy of it to Delphi.

The sculptures in the gables represent Artemis, Latona, Apollo, the Muses, the setting of the Sun, and Dionysus with the Thyiad women. The first of them were wrought by an Athenian, Praxias, pupil of Calamis ; but as the building of the temple lasted some time, Praxias died in the meanwhile, and the rest of the decorations in the gables were executed by Androsthenes, also an Athenian by birth, but a pupil of Eucadmus. On the architrave are golden shields: some of them were dedicated by the Athenians from the spoils of the battle of Marathon; but the shields at the back and on the left are Gallic shields, dedicated by the Aetolians : in shape they closely resemble the Persian bucklers.

In my description of the Council House at Athens I have already noticed the invasion of Greece by the Gauls ; but I wished to treat the subject in more detail in my account of Delphi, because Delphi was the scene of the greatest exploits of the Greeks against the barbarians. The first foreign expedition of the Celts was made under the leadership of Cambaules. They advanced as far as Thrace, but did not dare to push on any farther, conscious that they were too few in numbers to cope with the Greeks. But when they resolved a second time to carry their arms into an enemy’s country—a step to which they were chiefly instigated by the men who had been out with Cambaules, and in whom the experience of marauding had bred a love of plunder and booty—a large force of infantry assembled, and there was no lack of recruits for the cavalry. So the leaders divided the army into three parts, and each was ordered to march against a different country. Cerethrius was to lead his force against the Thracians and the Triballian tribe: Brennus and Acichorius commanded the army destined to attack Paeonia ; while Bolgius marched against the Macedonians and Illyrians, and engaged in conflict with Ptolemy, then king of Macedonia. It was this Ptolemy who first sought the protection of Seleucus, son of Antiochus, and then assassinated his protector, and whose excessive daring earned him the nickname of Thunderbolt. Ptolemy himself fell in the battle, and the Macedonian loss was heavy; but again the Celts had not the courage to march against Greece, and so the second expedition returned home again.

Hereupon Brennus, at public assemblies and in private interviews with the leading men, energetically urged an expedition against Greece, pointing to the present weakness of Greece, to the wealth of her public treasuries, and to the still greater wealth stored up in her sanctuaries in the shape of offerings and of gold and silver coin. So he prevailed on the Gauls to march against Greece, and amongst his colleagues in command whom he chose from among the leading men was Acichorius.

The assembled army numbered one hundred and fifty-two thousand foot, and twenty thousand four hundred horse. But though that was the number of the cavalry always on service, the real number was sixty-one thousand two hundred; for every trooper was attended by two servants, who were themselves good riders and were provided with horses. When the cavalry was engaged, the servants kept in the rear and made themselves useful thus. If a trooper had his horse killed, the servant brought him a fresh mount ; if the trooper himself was slain, the slave mounted his master’s horse ; but if both horse and man were killed, the slave was ready mounted to take their place. If the master was wounded, one of the slaves brought the wounded man off the field to the camp, while the other took his place in the ranks. These tactics, it seems to me, were copied by the Gauls from the Persian corps of the Ten Thousand, known as the Immortals. The difference was that in the Persian corps the places of the dead were filled up by enlistment after the action, while with the Gauls the squadron was brought up to its full strength on the field of battle. This organisation they called trimarcisia in their own tongue; for you must know that the Celtic name for a horse is marca. Such was the force, and such the intentions with which Brennus marched against Greece,

People and places in this passage

English translation by Sir James George Frazer (1898). Original text: Friedrich Spiro (ed.), Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, 3 vols., Leipzig: Teubner, 1903 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library, Greek text); translation public domain (OCR from the Internet Archive scan). Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.