ἑτέρα δὲ ἐκ Τιθορέας ὁδὸς ἡ ἐπὶ Λέδοντά ἐστιν· πόλις δέ ποτε ἐνομίζετο καὶ αὕτη, κατʼ ἐμὲ δὲ ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας ἐξελελοίπεσαν οἱ Λεδόντιοι τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἄνθρωποι περὶ ἑβδομήκοντα οἱ οἰκοῦντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τῷ Κηφισῷ· Λέδων δʼ οὖν ὄνομα ταῖς οἰκήσεσίν ἐστιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐς τὸν Φωκέων σύλλογον κοινὸν τελεῖν ἠξίωνται καὶ οὗτοι, καθάπερ γε καὶ οἱ Πανοπεῖς. τῶν δὲ ἀνθρώπων οἳ οἰκοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῷ Κηφισῷ τεσσαράκοντά ἐστιν ἀνωτέρω σταδίοις Λέδοντος τῆς ἀρχαίας τὰ ἐρείπια, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαβεῖν τὴν πόλιν φασὶν αὐτόχθονος.
κακῶν δὲ ἀπέλαυσαν μὲν ἀνιάτων καὶ ἄλλαι πόλεις διʼ ἀδικίαν ἐπιχωρίων ἀνδρῶν· ἐς τελέαν δὲ ἀπώλειαν ὤλισθον Ἴλιον μὲν διὰ τὴν ἐς Μενέλαον ὕβριν τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου, Μιλήσιοι δὲ διὰ τὸ ἐς τὰς ἐπιθυμίας Ἑστιαίου πρόχειρον καὶ ἔρωτα ἄλλοτε μὲν τῆς ἐν Ἠδωνοῖς πόλεως, τοτὲ δὲ εἶναι Δαρείου σύμβουλον, ἄλλοτε δὲ ἐπανήκειν ἐς Ἰωνίαν· καὶ δὴ καὶ Λεδοντίοις Φιλόμηλος ἀσέβειαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δημοσίᾳ παρέσχε σφίσιν ἀναμάξασθαι.
Λίλαια δὲ ἡμέρας μὲν ὁδὸν καὶ ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος ἀπέχει Δελφῶν κατιοῦσι διὰ τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ, στάδια δὲ ἐτεκμαιρόμεθα ὀγδοήκοντα εἶναι τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ ἑκατόν. τοὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθα ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀνῳκίσθη αὐτοῖς ἡ πόλις, ἀτύχημα ἐκ Μακεδονίας δεύτερον σφᾶς ἔμελλεν ἐπιλήψεσθαι. πολιορκηθέντες γὰρ ὑπὸ Φιλίππου τοῦ Δημητρίου παρέστησαν κατὰ συνθήκας, καὶ ἐσήχθη φρουρά σφισιν ἐς τὴν πόλιν, ἕως οὗ ἀνὴρ ἐπιχώριος—ὄνομα δέ οἱ ἦν Πάτρων—τούς τε ἐν ἡλικίᾳ τῶν πολιτῶν συνέστησεν ἐπὶ τὴν φρουρὰν καὶ κρατήσας τοὺς Μακεδόνας μάχῃ ἠνάγκασεν ἀπελθεῖν σφᾶς ὑποσπόνδους· Λιλαιεῖς δὲ αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ταύτης ἀνέθεσαν ἐς Δελφούς.
ἔστι δὲ ἐν Λιλαίᾳ θέατρον καὶ ἀγορά τε καὶ λουτρά· ἔστι δὲ καὶ θεῶν ἱερὰ Ἀπόλλωνος, τὸ δὲ Ἀρτέμιδος· ἀγάλματα δὲ ὀρθὰ ἐργασίας τε τῆς Ἀττικῆς καὶ τῆς Πεντελῆσι λιθοτομίας. Λίλαιαν δὲ τῶν καλουμένων Ναΐδων καὶ θυγατέρα εἶναι τοῦ Κηφισοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς νύμφης τὸ ὄνομα τεθῆναι τῇ πόλει φασί.
καὶ ὁ ποταμὸς ἐνταῦθα ἔχει τὰς πηγάς· ἄνεισι δὲ ἐκ τῆς γῆς οὐ τὰ πάντα μεθʼ ἡσυχίας, ἀλλʼ ὡς τὰ πλείω συμβαίνειν μεσούσης μάλιστα τῆς ἡμέρας παρέχεται φωνὴν ἀνερχόμενος· εἰκάσαις ἂν μυκωμένῳ ταύρῳ τὸν ἦχον τοῦ ὕδατος. ἔχει δὲ ἡ Λίλαια καὶ πρὸς τὰς τοῦ ἔτους ὥρας μετοπώρου καὶ ἐν θέρει καὶ ἦρος ἐπιτηδείως· τὸν δὲ χειμῶνα μὴ ὁμοίως ἤπιον γίνεσθαι κωλύει τὸ ὄρος ὁ Παρνασσός.
Χαράδρα δὲ εἴκοσιν ἀπωτέρω σταδίοις ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ ὑψηλοῦ κειμένη κρημνοῦ, καὶ ὕδατος οἱ ἐνταῦθα σπανίζουσιν ἄνθρωποι, ποτὸν δέ σφισι ποταμός ἐστι Χάραδρος κατερχομένοις ὅσον τρία ἐπʼ αὐτὸν στάδια· ἐκδίδωσι δὲ ἐς τὸν Κηφισόν, καί μοι τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ φαίνεται τεθῆναι τοῦ Χαράδρου τῇ πόλει. Χαραδραίοις δὲ Ἡρώων καλουμένων εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ βωμοί, καὶ αὐτοὺς οἱ μὲν Διοσκούρων, οἱ δὲ ἐπιχωρίων εἶναί φασιν ἡρώων.
γῆ δὲ διακεκριμένη ἀρίστη τῆς Φωκίδος ἐστὶν ἡ παρὰ τὸν Κηφισὸν καὶ φυτεῦσαι καὶ σπείρειν καὶ ἀνεῖναι νομάς· καὶ γεωργεῖται ταῦτα μάλιστα τῆς χώρας, ὥστε καὶ λόγος ἐστὶ πόλιν μὲν Παραποταμίους μὴ ὀνομασθῆναι, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν παρὰ τὸν Κηφισὸν γεωργούντων πεποιῆσθαι τὸ ἔπος, οἵ τʼ ἄρα πὰρ ποταμὸν Κηφισὸν δῖον ἔναιον. /
τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ διάφορα μὲν ἐν τῇ Ἡροδότου συγγραφῇ, διάφορα δέ ἐστιν αὐτῷ καὶ ὅσα ἐπὶ ταῖς νίκαις ταῖς Πυθικαῖς μνημονεύουσιν· Ἀμφικτύονες γὰρ Πύθια ἐτίθεσαν πρῶτον, καὶ Αἰχμέας Παραποτάμιος πυγμὴν ἐνίκησεν ἐν παισίν· ὡσαύτως δὲ Ἡρόδοτος καταλέγων τὰς πόλεις, ὅσας βασιλεὺς Ξέρξης τῶν ἐν Φωκεῦσιν ἐνέπρησε, καὶ Παραποταμίους κατείλοχεν ἐν αὐταῖς πόλιν. οὐ μέντοι οἱ Παραποτάμιοί γε ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων καὶ Βοιωτῶν ἀνῳκίσθησαν, ἀλλὰ ἐς τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις οἱ ἄνθρωποι κατενεμήθησαν ὑπό τε ἀσθενείας καὶ σπάνει χρημάτων. Παραποταμίων μὲν δὴ οὔτε ἐρείπια ἔτι ἦν οὔτε ἔνθα τῆς χώρας ᾠκίσθη ἡ πόλις μνημονεύουσιν·
ὁδὸς δὲ ἡ ἐς Ἀμφίκλειαν σταδίων ἐκ Λιλαίας ἐστὶν ἑξήκοντα. ταύτην τὴν Ἀμφίκλειαν ἐλυμήναντο οἱ ἐπιχώριοι τῷ ὀνόματι, καὶ Ἡρόδοτος μὲν Ἀμφίκαιαν ἐκάλεσεν ἑπόμενος τῷ ἀρχαιοτάτῳ τῶν λόγων, Ἀμφικτύονες δὲ δόγμα ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν πόλεων ἀπωλείᾳ τῶν ἐν Φωκεῦσιν ἐξενεγκόντες ὄνομα ἔθεντο αὐτῇ Ἀμφίκλειαν. οἱ δὲ ἐπιχώριοι τοιάδε ἐπʼ αὐτῇ λέγουσι· δυνάστην ἄνδρα ἐπιβουλὴν ἐχθρῶν ὑποπτεύσαντα ἐς νήπιον παῖδα καταθέσθαι τὸν παῖδα ἐς ἀγγεῖον, καὶ ἀποκρύψαι τῆς χώρας ἔνθα οἱ ἄδειαν ἔσεσθαι πλείστην ἠπίστατο. λύκον μὲν δὴ ἐπιχειρεῖν τῷ παιδί, δράκοντα δὲ ἰσχυρὰν ἔχειν τὴν φρουρὰν ἐσπειραμένον περὶ τὸ ἀγγεῖον.
ὡς δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ἦλθε τοῦ παιδός, τὸν δράκοντα ἐπιβουλεῦσαι τῷ παιδὶ ἐλπίζων ἀφίησι τὸ ἀκόντιον, καὶ ἐκεῖνόν τε καὶ ὁμοῦ τῷ δράκοντι τὸν παῖδα ἀπέκτεινε· διδαχθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ποιμαινόντων ὡς εὐεργέτην καὶ φύλακα τοῦ παιδὸς ἀπεκτονὼς εἴη, πυρὰν τῷ δράκοντι καὶ τῷ παιδὶ ἐποίησεν ἐν κοινῷ. τό τε δὴ χωρίον ἐοικέναι καὶ ἐς τόδε καιομένῃ πυρᾷ φασι καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δράκοντος ἐκείνου τὴν πόλιν ἐθέλουσιν Ὀφιτείαν ὀνομασθῆναι.
†ἃ μάλιστα ἄξιον Διονύσῳ δρῶσιν ὄργια, ἔσοδος δὲ ἐς τὸ ἄδυτον οὐδὲ ἐν φανερῷ σφισιν †ἄγαλμα οὐκ ἔστι. λέγεται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀμφικλειέων μάντιν τέ σφισι τὸν θεὸν τοῦτον καὶ βοηθὸν νόσων καθεστηκέναι· τὰ μὲν δὴ νοσήματα αὐτοῖς Ἀμφικλειεῦσι καὶ τοῖς προσοικοῦσιν ἰᾶται διʼ ὀνειράτων, πρόμαντις δὲ ὁ ἱερεύς ἐστι, χρῷ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ κάτοχος.
Ἀμφικλείας δὲ ἀπωτέρω σταδίοις πεντεκαίδεκά ἐστι Τιθρώνιον ἐν πεδίῳ κειμένη· παρέχεται δὲ οὐδὲν ἐς μνήμην. ἐκ Τιθρωνίου δὲ εἴκοσιν ἐς Δρυμαίαν στάδιοι· καθʼ ὅ τι δὲ αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἐς Δρυμαίαν ἐξ Ἀμφικλείας ἡ εὐθεῖα περὶ τὸν Κηφισὸν συμμίσγουσιν, ἔστιν Ἀπόλλωνος Τιθρωνεῦσιν ἐνταῦθα ἄλσος τε καὶ βωμοί. πεποίηται δὲ καὶ ναός· ἄγαλμα δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν. ἀπέχει δὲ Ἀμφικλείας ἡ Δρυμαία σταδίους ὀγδοήκοντα ἀποτραπέντι ἐς ἀριστερά κατὰ Ἡροδότου τοὺς λόγους, Ναυβολεῖς δὲ τὰ ἀρχαιότερα· καὶ οἰκιστὴν οἱ ἐνταῦθα γενέσθαι σφίσι Φώκου παῖδά φασι τοῦ Αἰακοῦ. Δήμητρος δὲ Θεσμοφόρου Δρυμαίοις ἱερόν ἐστιν ἀρχαῖον, καὶ ἄγαλμα ὀρθὸν λίθου πεποίηται, καὶ αὐτῇ Θεσμοφόρια ἑορτὴν ἄγουσιν ἐπέτειον.
Another road from Tithorea leads to Ledon. In its day Ledon also ranked as a city, but in my time it had been abandoned by its scanty inhabitants, and some seventy souls dwelt beside the Cephisus. Still their habitations go by the name of Ledon, and, like the Panopeans, they have the privilege of sending members to the Phocian parliament. Forty furlongs up from this hamlet on the Cephisus are the ruins of ancient Ledon. They say the city took its name from an aboriginal man. Other cities have suffered irreparable injuries from the wickedness of their inhabitants ; but Ilium was brought to utter ruin by the outrage which Alexander offered to Menelaus; and Miletus fell through the fickleness of Histiaeus, who at one time hankered after the city in the land of the Edonians, at another time craved to be taken into the councils of Darius, and at another time longed to return to Ionia. In like manner the impiety of Philomelus was visited on the heads of the people of Ledon. 2. Lilaea is a winter day’s journey from Delphi: the way lies across and down Parnassus. We judged the distance to be one hundred and eighty furlongs. Even after Lilaea had been rebuilt its inhabitants were destined to suffer a second time at the hands of the Macedonians. For, being besieged by Philip, son of Demetrius, they surrendered, and a garrison was introduced into the city, till a townsman, named Patron, banded the citizens of military age against the garrison, and defeating the Macedonians compelled them to capitulate and march out. For this service the Lilaeans dedicated a statue of him at Delphi. In Lilaea there is a theatre, a marketplace, and baths. There are also sanctuaries of the gods, one of Apollo and one of Artemis. The images are in a standing posture, the workmanship is Attic, the material Pentelic marble. They say that Lilaea was one of the so-called Naiads, and a daughter of the Cephisus, and that the city got its name from the nymph. The river has its source here. The water does not always well up quietly ; generally it rises just at midday with a sound which you might compare to the bellowing of a bull. The climate of Lilaea is good in autumn, summer, and spring, but owing to Mount Parnassus its winters are not correspondingly mild.
Twenty furlongs off is Charadra, perched on a high crag. The inhabitants are ill off for water. Their drinking supply is furnished by the river Charadrus, but they have to go down about three furlongs to fetch it. The Charadrus falls into the Cephisus, and it seems to me that the name of the city was derived from that of the river. In the market-place of Charadra there are altars of heroes, as they are called. Some say they are altars of the Dioscuri, others say they are altars of local heroes.
The valley of the Cephisus is decidedly the best land in Phocis for planting, sowing, and pasture, and no part of the country is so carefully cultivated as this. Hence there is a saying that the verse, And they who dwelt by a river (par potamon), the divine Cephisus, refers, not to a city named Parapotamii, but to the husbandmen beside the Cephisus. But this opinion runs counter to the history of Herodotus as well as to the record of the victors in the Pythian games. For these games were first held by the Amphictyons, and on that occasion a Parapotamian, called Aechmeas, won the prize for boxing in the boys’ match. Likewise Herodotus, enumerating the cities of Phocis which were burned by King Xerxes, includes in the list the city of Parapotamii. However, Parapotamii was not rebuilt by the Athenians and Boeotians ; but the inhabitants, being few and poor, were distributed among the other cities. No ruins of Parapotamii remained in my time, and the very spot on which the city stood is forgotten.
The distance to Amphiclea from Lilaea is sixty furlongs. The name Amphiclea was corrupted by the natives. Herodotus, following the oldest tradition, called it Amphicaea; but the Amphictyons, when they published their decree for the destruction of the Phocian cities, gave it the name of Amphiclea. The natives tell the following tale about it. A certain prince suspected that his enemies were plotting against his baby boy, so he put him in a vessel and hid him in the part of the country where he knew the child would be safest. A wolf tried to get at the child, but a serpent coiled itself round the vessel and kept strict watch. But when the father of the child came, he thought that the serpent had had designs on the child, so he let fly his javelin and killed the child and the serpent together. But being told by the shepherds that he had killed the kind serpent that had guarded his child, he made a pyre for the serpent and the child together. They say that the place still resembles a burning pyre, and they hold that the city was named Ophitea after the serpent. Most remarkable are the orgies which they celebrate in honour of Dionysus. There is no entrance to the shrine, nor have they any visible image. The Amphicleans say that this god gives them oracles and is their helper in sickness. He communicates cures to the Amphicleans and their neighbours in dreams: the priest acts as the god’s mouthpiece, and gives oracles by the inspiration of the god.
Fifteen furlongs from Amphiclea is Tithronium, situated in a plain. It contains nothing worth mentioning. From Tithronium it is twenty furlongs to Drymaea. At the point where this road meets the straight road which runs from Amphiclea to Drymaea by the bank of the Cephisus, there is a grove and altars of Apollo in Tithronian territory. There is also a temple, but no image. Drymaea is distant eighty furlongs from Amphiclea. Turning to the left, . . . according to the statement of Herodotus, but more anciently Naubolenses. The people of the place say that the founder was Phocus, son of Aeacus. There is an old sanctuary of Lawgiver (Thesmophoros) Demeter at Drymaea, with an image in a standing posture made of stone. And they hold a yearly festival in her honour, called the Thesmophoria.
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