Δελφοῖς δὲ ἡ πόλις ἄναντες διὰ πάσης παρέχεται σχῆμα, κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ τῇ πόλει τῇ ἄλλῃ καὶ ὁ ἱερὸς περίβολος τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος. οὗτος δὲ μεγέθει μέγας καὶ ἀνωτάτω τοῦ ἄστεώς ἐστι· τέτμηνται δὲ καὶ ἔξοδοι διʼ αὐτοῦ συνεχεῖς. ὁπόσα δὲ τῶν ἀναθημάτων εἶναί μοι λόγου μάλιστα ἄξια ἐφαίνετο, ποιησόμεθα αὐτῶν μνήμην.
ἀθλητὰς μὲν οὖν καὶ ὅσαι ἀγωνισταὶ μουσικῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῖς πλείοσιν ἐγίνοντο μετὰ οὐδενὸς λογισμοῦ, οὐ πάνυ τι ἡγοῦμαι σπουδῆς ἀξίους· ἀθλητὰς δὲ ὁπόσοι τι καὶ ὑπελείποντο ἐς δόξαν, ἐν λόγῳ σφᾶς ἐδήλωσα τῷ ἐς Ἠλείους. Φαΰλῳ δὲ Κροτωνιάτῃ—Ὀλυμπίασι μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ νίκη, τὰς δὲ Πυθοῖ πεντάθλου δύο ἀνείλετο καὶ σταδίου τὴν τρίτην· ἐναυμάχησε δὲ καὶ ἐναντία τοῦ Μήδου ναῦν τε παρασκευασάμενος οἰκείαν καὶ Κροτωνιατῶν ὁπόσοι ἐπεδήμουν τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἀνεβίβασεν— τούτου ἐστὶν ἀνδριὰς ἐν Δελφοῖς. τὰ μὲν δὴ ἐς τὸν Κροτωνιάτην οὕτως εἶχεν, ἐσελθόντι δὲ ἐς τὸ τέμενος
χαλκοῦς ταῦρος τέχνη μὲν Θεοπρόπου ἐστὶν Αἰγινήτου, Κορκυραίων δὲ ἀνάθημα. λέγεται δὲ ὡς ταῦρος ἐν τῇ Κορκύρᾳ καταλιπὼν τὰς ἄλλας βοῦς καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς νομῆς κατερχόμενος ἐμυκᾶτο ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ· γινομένου δὲ ἐπὶ ἡμέρᾳ πάσῃ τοῦ αὐτοῦ κάτεισιν ἐπὶ θάλασσαν ὁ βουκόλος, καὶ εἶδεν ἰχθύων τῶν θύννων ἀτέκμαρτόν τι ἀριθμῷ πλῆθος.
καὶ ὁ μὲν δῆλα τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει Κορκυραίοις ἐποίησεν· οἱ δὲ—ἑλεῖν γὰρ τοὺς θύννους προαιρούμενοι τὴν ἄλλως ταλαιπωρίαν εἶχον—θεωροὺς ἀποστέλλουσιν ἐς Δελφούς· καὶ οὕτω Ποσειδῶνί τε ἐκεῖνον θύουσι τὸν ταῦρον καὶ αὐτίκα μετὰ τὴν θυσίαν αἱροῦσι τοὺς ἰχθῦς, καί σφισι τὸ ἀνάθημα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τε καὶ ἐν Δελφοῖς ἐστιν ἡ δεκάτη τῆς ἄγρας.
ἐφεξῆς δὲ Τεγεατῶν ἀναθήματα ἀπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων Ἀπόλλων ἐστὶ καὶ Νίκη καὶ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι τῶν ἡρώων, Καλλιστώ τε ἡ Λυκάονος καὶ Ἀρκὰς ὁ ἐπώνυμος τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ἀρκάδος παῖδες Ἔλατος καὶ Ἀφείδας καὶ Ἀζάν, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς Τρίφυλος· τούτῳ δὲ ἦν οὐκ Ἐρατὼ τῷ Τριφύλῳ μήτηρ, ἀλλὰ Λαοδάμεια ἡ Ἀμύκλα τοῦ ἐν Λακεδαίμονι βασιλεύσαντος· ἀνάκειται δὲ καὶ Ἔρασος Τριφύλου παῖς.
οἱ δὲ εἰργασμένοι τὰ ἀγάλματα Παυσανίας ἐστὶν Ἀπολλωνιάτης, οὗτος μὲν τόν τε Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ Καλλιστώ, τὴν δὲ Νίκην καὶ τοῦ Ἀρκάδος τὴν εἰκόνα ὁ Σικυώνιος Δαίδαλος· Ἀντιφάνης δὲ Ἀργεῖος καὶ Σαμόλας Ἀρκάς, οὗτος μὲν τὸν Τρίφυλον καὶ Ἀζᾶνα, Ἔλατον δὲ καὶ Ἀφείδαντά τε καὶ Ἔρασον ὁ Ἀργεῖος. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οἱ Τεγεᾶται ἔπεμψαν ἐς Δελφούς, Λακεδαιμονίους ὅτε ἐπὶ σφᾶς ἐστρατεύσαντο αἰχμαλώτους ἑλόντες·
Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ ἀπαντικρὺ τούτων ἀναθήματά ἐστιν ἀπʼ Ἀθηναίων Διόσκουροι καὶ Ζεὺς καὶ Ἀπόλλων τε καὶ Ἄρτεμις, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς Ποσειδῶν τε καὶ Λύσανδρος ὁ Ἀριστοκρίτου στεφανούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος, Ἀγίας τε ὃς τῷ Λυσάνδρῳ τότε ἐμαντεύετο καὶ Ἕρμων ὁ τὴν ναῦν τοῦ Λυσάνδρου τὴν στρατηγίδα κυβερνῶν.
τοῦτον μὲν δὴ τὸν Ἕρμωνα Θεόκοσμος ποιήσειν ἔμελλεν ὁ Μεγαρεὺς ἅτε ὑπὸ τῶν Μεγαρέων ἐγγραφέντα ἐς τὴν πολιτείαν· οἱ δὲ Διόσκουροι Ἀντιφάνους εἰσὶν Ἀργείου καὶ ὁ μάντις τέχνη Πίσωνος ἐκ Καλαυρείας τῆς Τροιζηνίων· Ἀθηνόδωρος δὲ καὶ Δαμέας, ὁ μὲν τὴν Ἄρτεμίν τε καὶ Ποσειδῶνα εἰργάσατο, ἔτι δὲ τὸν Λύσανδρον, Ἀθηνόδωρος δὲ τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα ἐποίησε καὶ τὸν Δία·
οὗτοι δὲ Ἀρκάδες εἰσὶν ἐκ Κλείτορος. ἀνάκεινται δὲ καὶ ὄπισθεν τῶν κατειλεγμένων ὅσοι συγκατειργάσαντο τῷ Λυσάνδρῳ τὰ ἐν Αἰγὸς ποταμοῖς ἢ αὐτῶν Σπαρτιατῶν ἢ τῶν συμμαχησάντων, εἰσὶ δὲ οἵδε· Ἄρακος μὲν καὶ Ἐριάνθης, ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος, ὁ δὲ Ἐριάνθης Βοιώτιος ὑπὲρ τοῦ Μίμαντος, ἐντεῦθεν μὲν Ἀστυκράτης, Χῖοι δὲ Κηφισοκλῆς καὶ Ἑρμόφαντός τε καὶ Ἱκέσιος, Τίμαρχος δὲ καὶ Διαγόρας Ῥόδιοι, Κνίδιος δὲ Θεόδαμος, ἐκ δὲ Ἐφέσου Κιμμέριος, καὶ Μιλήσιος Αἰαντίδης.
τούτους μὲν δὴ ἐποίησε Τίσανδρος, τοὺς δὲ ἐφεξῆς Ἄλυπος Σικυώνιος, Θεόπομπον Μύνδιον καὶ Κλεομήδην Σάμιον καὶ ἐξ Εὐβοίας Ἀριστοκλέα τε Καρύστιον καὶ Αὐτόνομον Ἐρετριέα καὶ Ἀριστόφαντον Κορίνθιον καὶ Ἀπολλόδωρον Τροιζήνιον καὶ ἐξ Ἐπιδαύρου Δίωνα τῆς ἐν τῇ Ἀργολίδι. ἐχόμενοι δὲ τούτων Ἀξιόνικός ἐστιν Ἀχαιὸς ἐκ Πελλήνης, ἐκ δὲ Ἑρμιόνος Θεάρης, καὶ Φωκεύς τε Πυρρίας καὶ Κώμων Μεγαρεὺς καὶ Ἀγασιμένης Σικυώνιος, ἐκ δὲ Ἀμβρακίας καὶ Κορίνθου τε καὶ Λευκάδος Τηλυκράτης καὶ Πυθόδοτος Κορίνθιος καὶ Ἀμβρακιώτης Εὐαντίδας· τελευτᾷ δὲ Ἐπικυδίδας καὶ Ἐτεόνικος οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι· Πατροκλέους δὲ καὶ Κανάχου φασὶν ἔργα.
τὴν δὲ πληγὴν Ἀθηναῖοι τὴν ἐν Αἰγὸς ποταμοῖς οὐ μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου συμβῆναί σφισιν ὁμολογοῦσι· προδοθῆναι γὰρ ἐπὶ χρήμασιν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγησάντων, Τυδέα δὲ εἶναι καὶ Ἀδείμαντον οἳ τὰ δῶρα ἐδέξαντο παρὰ Λυσάνδρου. καὶ ἐς ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ λόγου Σιβύλλης παρέχονται τὸν χρησμόν· καὶ τότʼ Ἀθηναίοισι βαρύστονα κήδεα θήσει / Ζεὺς ὑψιβρεμέτης, οὗπερ κράτος ἐστὶ μέγιστον, / νηυσὶ φερεπτολέμοισι μάχην καὶ δηιοτῆτα / ὀλλυμέναις δολεροῖσι τρόποις, κακότητι νομήων. / τὰ δὲ ἕτερα ἐκ Μουσαίου χρησμῶν μνημονεύουσι· καὶ γὰρ Ἀθηναίοισιν ἐπέρχεται ἄγριος ὄμβρος / ἡγεμόνων κακότητι, παραιφασίη δέ τις ἔσται / ἥττης· οὐ λήσουσι πόλιν, τίσουσι δὲ ποινήν. /
ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εἰρήσθω· τὸν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς καλουμένης Θυρέας Λακεδαιμονίων ἀγῶνα καὶ Ἀργείων, Σίβυλλα μὲν καὶ τοῦτον προεθέσπισεν ὡς συμβήσοιτο ἐξ ἴσου ταῖς πόλεσιν, Ἀργεῖοι δὲ ἀξιοῦντες ἐσχηκέναι πλέον ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ χαλκοῦν ἵππον—τὸν δούρειον δῆθεν—ἀπέστειλαν ἐς Δελφούς· τὸ δὲ ἔργον Ἀντιφάνους ἐστὶν Ἀργείου.
The city of Delphi stands wholly on a slope, and not only the city, but also the sacred close of Apollo. The close is very spacious, and is situated at the highest part of the city. There are passages through it at short intervals. I will mention what seemed to me the most noteworthy of the votive offerings. As to the athletes and musical competitors who have attracted no notice from the majority of mankind, I hold them hardly worthy of attention ; and the athletes who have made themselves a name have already been set forth by me in my account of Elis. There is a statue of Phaylus the Crotonian at Delphi. He did not win a victory at Olympia, but won two Pythian victories in the pentathlum and one in the foot-race ; he also fought against the Medes at sea in a ship of his own, which he had equipped and manned with the Crotonians who were then sojourning in Greece.
On entering the precinct you see a bronze bull made by Theopropus, an Aeginetan, and dedicated by the Corcyraeans. It is said that in Corcyra a bull used to leave the herd and the pasture to go down and bellow by the sea-shore. The same thing happened every day, till the herdsman went down to the shore and beheld a countless shoal of tunnies. He told the Corcyraeans in the city, and they, after labouring in vain to catch them, sent envoys to Delphi, and in consequence they sacrificed the bull to Poseidon, and immediately after the sacrifice they caught the fish ; and with the tithe of their take they dedicated the offerings at Olympia and Delphi.
Next are offerings of the Tegeans from booty taken from the Lacedaemonians: they consist of an image of Apollo, an image of Victory, and images of the heroes of their land, to wit, Callisto, daughter of Lycaon, Arcas, who gave his name to the country, and his sons, Elatus, Aphidas, Azan, and also Triphylus. The mother of Triphylus was not Erato, but Laodamia, daughter of Amyclas, king of Lacedaemon. There is also a statue of Erasus, son of Triphylus. The artists who made the images are these: Pausanias of Apollonia made the Apollo and the Callisto ; Daedalus of Sicyon made the Victory and the statue of Arcas; Samolas, an Arcadian, made the statues of Triphylus and Azan; and Antiphanes of Argos made the statues of Elatus, Aphidas, and Erasus. These offerings were sent by the Tegeans to Delphi after they had made prisoners of the Lacedaemonians, when the latter marched against Tegea. 4. Opposite them are offerings of the Lacedaemonians from booty taken from the Athenians: they consist of images of the Dioscuri, Zeus, Apollo, and Artemis; also Poseidon crowning Lysander, son of Aristocritus, and a statue of Agias, who acted as soothsayer to Lysander, and a statue of Hermon who steered Lysander’s flag-ship. This statue of Hermon was probably made by Theocosmus the Megarian, since the Megarians had enrolled Hermon among their citizens. The Dioscuri are by Antiphanes of Argos, and the soothsayer is a work of Pison, a native of Calauria, which belongs to Troezen. The Artemis, Poseidon, and Lysander are by Dameas ; and the Apollo and Zeus are by Athenodorus. Both Dameas and Athenodorus were Arcadians, natives of Clitor. Behind the offerings I have mentioned are statues of the men, whether Spartans or allies, who helped Lysander to win the victory of Aegospotami. They are these :—Aracus, a Lacedaemonian, and Enanthes, a Boeotian . . . above Mimas; from there came Astycrates. And the Chians, Cephisocles, Hermophantus, and Hicesius ; the Rhodians, Timarchus and Diagoras; the Cnidian Theodamus ; the Ephesian Cimmerius ; and the Milesian Aeantides. The statues of all these are by Tisander. The next are by Alypus of Sicyon, and represent Theopompus the Myndian, Cleomedes the Samian, two Euboeans, Aristocles of Carystus, and Autonomus of Eretria, the Corinthian Aristophantus, the Troezenian Apollodorus, and Dion of Epidaurus in Argolis. Next to these are statues of the Achaean Axionicus of Pellene, Theares of Hermion, the Phocian Pyrrhias, the Megarian Comon, the Sicyonian Agasimenes, the Leucadian Telycrates, the Corinthian Pythodotus, and the Ambraciot Euantidas; and, lastly, the Lacedaemonians, Epicyridas and Eteonicus. They are said to be works of Patrocles and Canachus. 5. The Athenians do not admit that they were fairly beaten at Aegospotami, alleging that they were betrayed by their generals, Tydeus and Adimantus, who had taken bribes from Lysander. In proof of this statement they quote from the oracles of the Sibyl :— Then Zeus, the High-Thunderer, whose might is greatest, Shall send on the Athenians lamentable sorrows, Battle and fighting on the war-ships Which perish in wily ways by the baseness of the leaders. The other prediction which they quote is from the oracles of Musaeus :— For on the Athenians comes a wild shower By the baseness of the chiefs. But there shall be a certain consolation For the defeat ; for they shall not escape the notice of the citizens, and shall pay penalty. But enough of this.
The combat between the Lacedaemonians and Argives for the district called Thyrea was also foretold by the Sibyl, who declared that it would be a drawn battle. But the Argives claimed to have had the best of it, and sent to Delphi a bronze horse supposed to represent the Wooden Horse. It is a work of Antiphanes, an Argive.