ὑπὲρ δὲ τὴν Κασσοτίδα ἐστὶν οἴκημα γραφὰς ἔχον τῶν Πολυγνώτου, ἀνάθημα μὲν Κνιδίων, καλεῖται δὲ ὑπὸ Δελφῶν Λέσχη, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα συνιόντες τὸ ἀρχαῖον τά τε σπουδαιότερα διελέγοντο καὶ ὁπόσα μυθώδη· τοιαῦτʼ εἶναι πολλὰ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα Ὅμηρος ἐν Μελανθοῦς λοιδορίᾳ πρὸς Ὀδυσσέα ἐδήλωσεν· οὐδʼ ἐθέλεις εὕδειν χαλκήιον ἐς δόμον ἐλθὼν / ἠέ που ἐς λέσχην, ἀλλʼ ἐνθάδε πόλλʼ ἀγορεύεις. /
ἐς τοῦτο οὖν ἐσελθόντι τὸ οἴκημα τὸ μὲν σύμπαν τὸ ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς γραφῆς Ἴλιός τέ ἐστιν ἑαλωκυῖα καὶ ἀπόπλους ὁ Ἑλλήνων. Μενελάῳ δὲ τὰ ἐς τὴν ἀναγωγὴν εὐτρεπίζουσι, καὶ ναῦς ἐστι γεγραμμένη καὶ ἄνδρες ἐν τοῖς ναύταις καὶ ἀναμὶξ παῖδες, ἐν μέσῃ δέ ἐστι τῇ νηὶ ὁ κυβερνήτης Φρόντις κοντοὺς δύο ἔχων. Ὅμηρος δὲ Νέστορα ἐποίησεν ἄλλα τε διαλεγόμενον πρὸς Τηλέμαχον καὶ περὶ τοῦ Φρόντιδος· πατρὸς μὲν Ὀνήτορος, Μενελάου δὲ ἦν κυβερνήτης, δοκιμώτατος δὲ ἐς τὴν τέχνην, καὶ ὡς Σούνιον ἤδη τὸ ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ παραπλέοντα ἐπέλαβεν αὐτὸν τὸ χρεών· καὶ τέως ὁμοῦ Νέστορι ὁ Μενέλαος πλέων τότε κατὰ αἰτίαν ἀπελείφθη ταύτην, ἵνα μνήματος καὶ ὅσα ἐπὶ νεκροῖς ἄλλα ἀξιώσειε τὸν Φρόντιν.
οὗτός τε οὖν ἐν τοῦ Πολυγνώτου τῇ γραφῇ καὶ ὑπʼ αὐτὸν Ἰθαιμένης τέ τις κομίζων ἐσθῆτα καὶ Ἐχοίαξ διὰ τῆς ἀποβάθρας κατιών ἐστιν, ὑδρίαν ἔχων χαλκῆν. καταλύουσι δὲ καὶ τοῦ Μενελάου τὴν σκηνὴν οὐ πόρρω τῆς νεὼς οὖσαν Πολίτης καὶ Στρόφιός τε καὶ Ἄλφιος. καὶ ἄλλην διαλύων σκηνήν ἐστιν Ἀμφίαλος, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἀμφιάλου τοῖς ποσὶ κάθηται παῖς· ἐπίγραμμα δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τῷ παιδί, γένεια δὲ μόνῳ τῷ Φρόντιδι. καὶ μόνου τούτου τὸ ὄνομα ἐκ τῆς ἐς Ὀδυσσέα ποιήσεως ἔμαθε, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τὰ ὀνόματα συνέθηκεν αὐτὸς ὁ Πολύγνωτος.
Βρισηὶς δὲ ἑστῶσα καὶ Διομήδη τε ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς καὶ Ἶφις πρὸ ἀμφοτέρων ἐοίκασιν ἀνασκοπούμενοι τὸ Ἑλένης εἶδος. κάθηται δὲ αὐτή τε ἡ Ἑλένη καὶ Εὐρυβάτης πλησίον· τὸν δὲ Ὀδυσσέως εἶναι κήρυκα εἰκάζομεν, οὐ μὴν εἶχεν ἤδη γένεια. θεράπαινα δὲ Ἠλέκτρα καὶ Πανθαλίς, ἡ μὲν τῇ Ἑλένῃ παρέστηκεν, ἡ δὲ ὑποδεῖ τὴν δέσποιναν ἡ Ἠλέκτρα· διάφορα δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα ἢ Ὅμηρος ἔθετο ἐν Ἰλιάδι, ἔνθα καὶ Ἑλένην καὶ ἰούσας ὁμοῦ τῇ Ἑλένῃ τὰς δούλας ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος πεποίηκεν.
κάθηται δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν Ἑλένην πορφυροῦν ἀνὴρ ἀμπεχόμενος ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα κατηφής· Ἕλενον εἶναι τεκμήραιο ἂν τὸν Πριάμου καὶ πρὶν ἢ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπιλέξασθαι. πλησίον δὲ τοῦ Ἑλένου Μέγης ἐστί· τέτρωται δὲ τὸν βραχίονα ὁ Μέγης, καθὰ δὴ καὶ Λέσχεως ὁ Αἰσχυλίνου Πυρραῖος ἐν Ἰλίου πέρσιδι ἐποίησε· τρωθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν μάχην τοῦτον, ἣν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐμαχέσαντο οἱ Τρῶες, ὑπὸ Ἀδμήτου φησὶ τοῦ Αὐγείου.
γέγραπται δὲ καὶ Λυκομήδης παρὰ τὸν Μέγητα ὁ Κρέοντος, ἔχων τραῦμα ἐπὶ τῷ καρπῷ· Λέσχεως δʼ οὕτω φησὶν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ Ἀγήνορος τρωθῆναι. δῆλα οὖν ὡς ἄλλως γε οὐκ ἂν ὁ Πολύγνωτος ἔγραψεν οὕτω τὰ ἕλκη σφίσιν, εἰ μὴ ἐπελέξατο τὴν ποίησιν τοῦ Λέσχεω· προσεπέθηκε μέντοι καὶ σφυροῦ τῷ Λυκομήδει καὶ τρίτον τραῦμα ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ. τέτρωται δὲ καὶ Εὐρύαλος ὁ Μηκιστέως κεφαλήν τε καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ χειρὶ τὸν καρπόν.
οὗτοι μὲν δὴ ἀνωτέρω τῆς Ἑλένης εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ· ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῇ Ἑλένῃ μήτηρ τε ἡ Θησέως ἐν χρῷ κεκαρμένη καὶ παίδων τῶν Θησέως Δημοφῶν ἐστι φροντίζων, ὅσα γε ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος, εἰ ἀνασώσασθαί οἱ τὴν Αἴθραν ἐνέσται. Ἀργεῖοι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς Σίνιδος θυγατρὸς γενέσθαι Θησεῖ Μελάνιππον λέγουσι, καὶ ὡς ἀνέλοιτο ὁ Μελάνιππος δρόμου νίκην, ὅτε οἱ Ἐπίγονοι καλούμενοι Νέμεια δεύτεροι οὗτοι ἔθεσαν μετὰ Ἄδραστον.
Λέσχεως δὲ ἐς τὴν Αἴθραν ἐποίησεν, ἡνίκα ἡλίσκετο Ἴλιον, ὑπεξελθοῦσαν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον αὐτὴν ἀφικέσθαι τὸ Ἑλλήνων καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν παίδων γνωρισθῆναι τῶν Θησέως, καὶ ὡς παρʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος αἰτήσαι Δημοφῶν αὐτήν· ὁ δὲ ἐκείνῳ μὲν ἐθέλειν χαρίζεσθαι, ποιήσειν δὲ οὐ πρότερον ἔφη πρὶν Ἑλένην πεῖσαι· ἀποστείλαντι δὲ αὐτῷ κήρυκα ἔδωκεν Ἑλένη τὴν χάριν. ἔοικεν οὖν ὁ Εὐρυβάτης ὁ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἀφῖχθαί τε ὡς τὴν Ἑλένην τῆς Αἴθρας ἕνεκα καὶ τὰ ἐντεταλμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀγαμέμνονος ἀπαγγέλλειν.
γυναῖκες δὲ αἱ Τρῳάδες αἰχμαλώτοις τε ἤδη καὶ ὀδυρομέναις ἐοίκασι. γέγραπται μὲν Ἀνδρομάχη, καὶ ὁ παῖς οἱ προσέστηκεν ἑλόμενος τοῦ μαστοῦ—τούτῳ Λέσχεως ῥιφθέντι ἀπὸ τοῦ πύργου συμβῆναι λέγει τὴν τελευτήν· οὐ μὴν ὑπὸ δόγματός γε Ἑλλήνων, ἀλλʼ ἰδίᾳ Νεοπτόλεμον αὐτόχειρα ἐθελῆσαι γενέσθαι—, γέγραπται δὲ Μηδεσικάστη, θυγατέρων μὲν Πριάμου καὶ αὕτη τῶν νόθων, ἐξῳκίσθαι δὲ ἐς Πήδαιον πόλιν φησὶν αὐτὴν Ὅμηρος Ἰμβρίῳ Μέντορος παιδὶ ἀνδρὶ συνοικοῦσαν.
ἡ μὲν δὴ Ἀνδρομάχη καὶ ἡ Μηδεσικάστη καλύμματά εἰσιν ἐπικείμεναι, Πολυξένη δὲ κατὰ τὰ εἰθισμένα παρθένοις ἀναπέπλεκται τὰς ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τρίχας· ἀποθανεῖν δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀχιλλέως μνήματι ποιηταί τε ᾄδουσι καὶ γραφὰς ἔν τε Ἀθήναις καὶ Περγάμῳ τῇ ὑπὲρ Καΐκου θεασάμενος οἶδα ἐχούσας ἐς τῆς Πολυξένης τὰ παθήματα.
γέγραφε δὲ καὶ Νέστορα τῇ κεφαλῇ τε ἐπικείμενον πῖλον καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ δόρυ ἔχοντα· καὶ ἵππος κονίεσθαι μέλλοντος παρέχεται σχῆμα· ἄχρι μὲν δὴ τοῦ ἵππου αἰγιαλός τε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ψηφῖδες ὑποφαίνονται, τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν οὐκέτι ἔοικεν εἶναι θάλασσα.
Above the Cassotis is a building with paintings by Polygnotus: it was dedicated by the Cnidians, and is called by the Delphians the Club-room (Lesche, ‘place of talk’), because here they used of old to meet and talk over both mythological and more serious subjects. That there were many such places all over Greece is shown by Homer in the passage where Melantho rails at Ulysses :— And you will not go sleep in the smithy, Nor yet in the club-room, but here you prate.
On entering this building you perceive that all the painting on the right represents Ilium after its capture, and the Greeks setting sail. Menelaus’ crew is making ready to put to sea: the ship is painted with the sailors on board, and children amongst them: in the middle of the ship is the pilot Phrontis with two punting-poles in his hands. Homer represents Nestor talking with Telemachus, and saying, amongst other things, that Phrontis was a son of Onetor and pilot to Menelaus, that he was esteemed a master of his craft, and that he met his end as he was sailing past Sunium in Attica. Up to that point Menelaus had been sailing in company with Nestor, but then he stayed behind to bury Phrontis and pay him funeral rites. Phrontis, then, is seen in Polygnotus’ painting, and below him is a certain Ithaemenes carrying raiment, and Echoeax going down the gangway with a bronze urn. Polites, Strophius, and Alphius are taking down Menelaus’ hut, which stands not far from the ship ; and Amphialus is taking to pieces another hut. Under the feet of Amphialus is seated a boy ; but there is no inscription at the boy. Phrontis is the only man with a beard. He is also the only figure whose name Polygnotus has taken from the Odyssey: the names of the rest, I suppose, he invented. Briseis is represented standing, Diomeda is above her, and Iphis is in front of both: all three seem to be scrutinising Helen’s form. Helen herself is seated, and so is Eurybates near her. We surmised that the latter was Ulysses’ herald, though he had no beard. Beside Helen stands her handmaid, Panthalis, while Electra, another handmaid, is putting on her mistress’ sandals. These names are also different from the names in the Iliad, where Homer represents Helen, accompanied by her slave-women, going to the city-wall.
Above Helen, a man clad in a purple mantle is seated in an attitude of profound dejection: you might guess it to be Helenus, son of Priam, even before reading the inscription. Near Helenus is Meges, who is wounded in the arm, just as he is described by Lescheos of Pyrrha, son of Aeschylinus, in his poem, The Sack of Ilium: the poet says he was wounded by Admetus, son of Augeas, in the battle which the Trojans fought by night. Lycomedes, son of Creon, is also depicted beside Meges with a wound on his wrist: Lescheos says that he was so wounded by Agenor. Clearly Polygnotus could not thus have depicted their wounds unless he had read the poem of Lescheos; however, he has given Lycomedes in addition a wound on the ankle and another on the head. Euryalus, son of Mecisteus, is also wounded on the head and wrist. These figures are higher up than Helen in the painting. Next to Helen is the mother of Theseus, with her hair closely cropped, and Demophon, one of the sons of Theseus: to judge from his attitude, Demophon is considering whether it will be in his power to rescue Aethra. The Argives say that Theseus had also a son Melanippus by the daughter of Sinis, and that Melanippus won a race when the Epigoni, as they are called, celebrated the Nemean games for the first time since the original celebration of them by Adrastus. As to Aethra, Lescheos says that when Ilium was taken she stole out to the Greek camp, and was recognised by the sons of Theseus, and that Demophon asked her from Agamemnon. Agamemnon said he was willing to gratify him, but would not do so till he had obtained Helen’s consent; so he sent a herald, and Helen granted the favour. Accordingly, in the painting Eurybates appears to have come to Helen about Aethra, and to be delivering Agamemnon’s message.
The Trojan women are depicted as captives and lamenting. Andromache is painted, and in front of her stands the boy grasping her breast: this child, says Lescheos, was killed by being hurled from the tower, not that he was doomed by the Greeks, but that Neoptolemus took it on himself to murder him. Medisicaste is also painted: she was another of the bastard daughters of Priam. Homer says that she left Troy to go to the city of Pedaeum as the wife of Imbrius, son of Mentor. Andromache and Medisicaste wear hoods ; but Polyxena has her hair braided after the manner of maidens. Poets tell how Polyxena was slain on Achilles’ tomb, and both at Athens and at Pergamus on the Caicus I have seen pictures of her tragic fate. Nestor is painted with a cap on his head and a spear in his hand ; and there is a horse in an attitude as if it were about to roll on the ground. As far as the horse the scene is the sea-shore, and pebbles may be distinguished on it; but from that point the scene is no longer the sea.
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