κατελθοῦσι δὲ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τραπεῖσιν αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγοράν, ἔστι μὲν Κερδοῦς Φορωνέως γυναικὸς μνῆμα, ἔστι δὲ ναὸς Ἀσκληπιοῦ. τὸ δὲ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερὸν ἐπίκλησιν Πειθοῦς, Ὑπερμήστρα καὶ τοῦτο ἀνέθηκε νικήσασα τῇ δίκῃ τὸν πατέρα ἣν τοῦ Λυγκέως ἕνεκα ἔφυγε. καὶ Αἰνείου ἐνταῦθα χαλκοῦς ἀνδριάς ἐστι καὶ χωρίον καλούμενον Δέλτα· ἐφʼ ὅτῳ δέ—οὐ γάρ μοι τὰ λεγόμενα ἤρεσκεν—, ἑκὼν παρίημι.
πρὸ δὲ αὐτοῦ πεποίηται Διὸς Φυξίου βωμὸς καὶ πλησίον Ὑπερμήστρας μνῆμα Ἀμφιαράου μητρός, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Ὑπερμήστρας τῆς Λαναοῦ· σὺν δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ Λυγκεὺς τέθαπται. τούτων δὲ ἀπαντικρὺ Ταλαοῦ τοῦ Βίαντός ἐστι τάφος· τὰ δὲ ἐς Βίαντα καὶ ἀπογόνους τοῦ Βίαντος ἤδη λέλεκταί μοι.
Ἀθηνᾶς δὲ ἱδρύσασθαι Σάλπιγγος ἱερόν φασιν Ἡγέλεων. Τυρσηνοῦ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν Ἡγέλεων, τὸν δὲ Ἡρακλέους εἶναι καὶ γυναικὸς λέγουσι τῆς Λυδῆς, Τυρσηνὸν δὲ σάλπιγγα εὑρεῖν πρῶτον, Ἡγέλεων δὲ τὸν Τυρσηνοῦ διδάξαι τοὺς σὺν Τημένῳ Δωριέας τοῦ ὀργάνου τὸν ψόφον καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ Ἀθηνᾶν ἐπονομάσαι Σάλπιγγα. πρὸ δὲ τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς Ἐπιμενίδου λέγουσιν εἶναι τάφον· Λακεδαιμονίους γὰρ πολεμήσαντας πρὸς Κνωσσίους ἑλεῖν ζῶντα Ἐπιμενίδην, λαβόντας δὲ ἀποκτεῖναι, διότι σφίσιν οὐκ αἴσια ἐμαντεύετο, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἀνελόμενοι θάψαι ταύτῃ φασί.
τὸ δὲ οἰκοδόμημα λευκοῦ λίθου κατὰ μέσον μάλιστα τῆς ἀγορᾶς οὐ τρόπαιον ἐπὶ Πύρρῳ τῷ Ἠπειρώτῃ, καθὰ λέγουσιν οἱ Ἀργεῖοι, καυθέντος δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ νεκροῦ μνῆμα καὶ τοῦτο ἂν εὕροι τις, ἐν ᾧ τά τε ἄλλα ὅσοις ὁ Πύρρος ἐχρῆτο ἐς τὰς μάχας καὶ οἱ ἐλέφαντές εἰσιν ἐπειργασμένοι. τοῦτο μὲν δὴ κατὰ τὴν πυρὰν τὸ οἰκοδόμημα ἐγένετο· αὐτὰ δὲ κεῖται τοῦ Πύρρου τὰ ὀστᾶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῆς Δήμητρος, παρʼ ᾧ συμβῆναί οἱ καὶ τὴν τελευτὴν ἐδήλωσα ἐν τῇ Ἀτθίδι συγγραφῇ. τοῦ δὲ τῆς Δήμητρος ἱεροῦ τούτου κατὰ τὴν ἔσοδον ἀσπίδα ἰδεῖν Πύρρου χαλκῆν ἔστιν ὑπὲρ τῶν θυρῶν ἀνακειμένην.
τοῦ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ τῶν Ἀργείων οἰκοδομήματος οὐ μακρὰν χῶμα γῆς ἐστιν· ἐν δὲ αὐτῷ κεῖσθαι τὴν Μεδούσης λέγουσι τῆς Γοργόνος κεφαλήν. ἀπόντος δὲ τοῦ μύθου τάδε ἄλλα ἐς αὐτήν ἐστιν εἰρημένα· Φόρκου μὲν θυγατέρα εἶναι, τελευτήσαντος δέ οἱ τοῦ πατρὸς βασιλεύειν τῶν περὶ τὴν λίμνην τὴν Τριτωνίδα οἰκούντων καὶ ἐπὶ θήραν τε ἐξιέναι καὶ ἐς τὰς μάχας ἡγεῖσθαι τοῖς Λίβυσι καὶ δὴ καὶ τότε ἀντικαθημένην στρατῷ πρὸς τὴν Περσέως δύναμιν—ἕπεσθαι γὰρ καὶ τῷ Περσεῖ λογάδας ἐκ Πελοποννήσου— δολοφονηθῆναι νύκτωρ, καὶ τὸν Περσέα τὸ κάλλος ἔτι καὶ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ θαυμάζοντα οὕτω τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτεμόντα αὐτῆς ἄγειν τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐς ἐπίδειξιν.
Καρχηδονίῳ δὲ ἀνδρὶ Προκλεῖ τῷ Εὐκράτους ἕτερος λόγος ὅδε ἐφαίνετο εἶναι τοῦ προτέρου πιθανώτερος. Λιβύης ἡ ἔρημος καὶ ἄλλα παρέχεται θηρία ἀκούσασιν οὐ πιστὰ καὶ ἄνδρες ἐνταῦθα ἄγριοι καὶ ἄγριαι γίνονται γυναῖκες· ἔλεγέ τε ὁ Προκλῆς ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἄνδρα ἰδεῖν κομισθέντα ἐς Ῥώμην. εἴκαζεν οὖν πλανηθεῖσαν γυναῖκα ἐκ τούτων καὶ ἀφικομένην ἐπὶ τὴν λίμνην τὴν Τριτωνίδα λυμαίνεσθαι τοὺς προσοίκους, ἐς ὃ Περσεὺς ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτήν· Ἀθηνᾶν δέ οἱ συνεπιλαβέσθαι δοκεῖν τοῦ ἔργου, ὅτι οἱ περὶ τὴν λίμνην τὴν Τριτωνίδα ἄνθρωποι ταύτης εἰσὶν ἱεροί.
ἐν δὲ Ἄργει παρὰ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ μνῆμα τῆς Γοργόνος Γοργοφόνης τάφος ἐστὶ τῆς Περσέως. καὶ ἐφʼ ὅτῳ μὲν αὐτῇ τὸ ὄνομα ἐτέθη, δῆλον εὐθὺς ἀκούσαντι· γυναικῶν δὲ πρώτην αὐτήν φασι τελευτήσαντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς Περιήρους τοῦ Αἰόλου—τούτῳ γὰρ παρθένος συνῴκησε—, τὴν δὲ αὖθις Οἰβάλῳ γήμασθαι· πρότερον δὲ καθεστήκει ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἐπὶ ἀνδρὶ ἀποθανόντι χηρεύειν.
τοῦ τάφου δὲ ἔμπροσθεν τρόπαιον λίθου πεποίηται κατὰ ἀνδρὸς Ἀργείου Λαφάους· τοῦτον γὰρ—γράφω δὲ ὁπόσα λέγουσιν αὐτοὶ περὶ σφῶν Ἀργεῖοι—τυραννοῦντα ἐξέβαλεν ἐπαναστὰς ὁ δῆμος, φυγόντα δὲ ἐς Σπάρτην Λακεδαιμόνιοι κατάγειν ἐπειρῶντο ἐπὶ τυραννίδι, νικήσαντες δὲ οἱ Ἀργεῖοι τῇ μάχῃ Λαφάην τε καὶ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀπέκτειναν. τὸ δὲ ἱερὸν τῆς Λητοῦς ἔστι μὲν οὐ μακρὰν τοῦ τροπαίου, τέχνη δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα Πραξιτέλους.
τὴν δὲ εἰκόνα παρὰ τῇ θεῷ τῆς παρθένου Χλῶριν ὀνομάζουσι, Νιόβης μὲν θυγατέρα εἶναι λέγοντες, Μελίβοιαν δὲ καλεῖσθαι τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς· ἀπολλυμένων δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος τῶν Ἀμφίονος παίδων περιγενέσθαι μόνην τῶν ἀδελφῶν ταύτην καὶ Ἀμύκλαν, περιγενέσθαι δὲ εὐξαμένους τῇ Λητοῖ. Μελίβοιαν δὲ οὕτω δή τι παραυτίκα τε χλωρὰν τὸ δεῖμα ἐποίησε καὶ ἐς τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ βίου παρέμεινεν ὡς καὶ τὸ ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῷ συμβάντι ἀντὶ Μελιβοίας αὐτῇ γενέσθαι Χλῶριν.
τούτους δή φασιν Ἀργεῖοι τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἰκοδομῆσαι τῇ Λητοῖ τὸν ναόν· ἐγὼ δὲ—πρόσκειμαι γὰρ πλέον τι ἢ οἱ λοιποὶ τῇ Ὁμήρου ποιήσει—δοκῶ τῇ Νιόβῃ τῶν παίδων μηδένα ὑπόλοιπον γενέσθαι. μαρτυρεῖ δέ μοι τὸ ἔπος τὼ δʼ ἄρα καὶ δοιώ περ ἐόντʼ ἀπὸ πάντας ὄλεσσαν. / οὗτος μὲν δὴ τὸν οἶκον τὸν Ἀμφίονος ἐκ βάθρων ἀνατραπέντα οἶδε·
Having descended thence and turned again towards the market-place, we come to the tomb of Cerdo, wife of Phoroneus, and to a temple of Aesculapius. The sanctuary of Artemis, surnamed Persuasion, was also dedicated by Hypermnestra, after her acquittal at the trial to which she had been brought by her father on account of Lynceus.
Here, too, is a bronze statue of Aeneas, and a place called Delta. The explanation given of the name did not satisfy me, so I omit it. In front of it is an altar of Zeus, God of Flight, and near it is the tomb of Hypermnestra, mother of Amphiaraus. The other tomb is that of Hypermnestra, daughter of Danaus; and Lynceus is buried with her. Opposite these is the grave of Talaus, son of Bias. I have already told the story of Bias and his descendants.
The sanctuary of Trumpet Athena is said to have been founded by Hegeleos. They say that this Hegeleos was a son of Tyrsenus, that Tyrsenus was a son of Hercules by the Lydian woman, that Tyrsenus invented the trumpet, that his son Hegeleos taught the Dorians who accompanied Temenus how to play on the instrument, and that therefore he gave Athena the surname of Trumpet.
They say that in front of the temple of Athena is the grave of Epimenides. The Argive story is that the Lacedaemonians, in a war with the Cnosians, took Epimenides prisoner, but put him to death because he did not prophesy good luck to them; and the Argives (according to their own account) removed his body and buried him here.
The building of white marble, situated just at the middle of the market-place, is not a trophy of the victory over Pyrrhus the Epirot, as the Argives say : his corpse was burned here, and this you will find is his monument, on which are sculptured in relief the elephants and everything that Pyrrhus used in battle. This building was erected where the pyre stood, but the bones of Pyrrhus are deposited in the sanctuary of Demeter, beside which, as I have shown in my account of Attica, his death took place. At the entrance to this sanctuary of Demeter you may see the bronze shield of Pyrrhus hanging up over the door.
Not far from the building in the market-place of Argos is a mound of earth: they say that in it lies the head of the Gorgon Medusa. If we leave out the mythical element, the story told of her is this: she was a daughter of Phorcus, and when her father died she reigned over the people who dwell round about the Lake Tritonis. She used to go out hunting, and she led the Libyans to battle. But being encamped with her army over against the host of Perseus, who was accompanied by picked troops from Peloponnese, she was assassinated by night, and Perseus, admiring her beauty even in death, cut off her head and brought it to show to the Greeks.
But a Carthaginian named Procles, the son of Eucrates, thought that the following account was more plausible. The desert of Libya contains wild beasts, such as a man would not believe in if he were told of them ; and amongst these monsters are wild men and wild women. Procles said that he had seen one of these men who had been brought to Rome. He conjectured, therefore, that one of these women had wandered to the Lake Tritonis, and there harried the people of the neighbourhood till Perseus slew her; and because the people who dwell round about the Lake Tritonis are sacred to Athena, it was supposed that the goddess had aided him in his exploit.
In Argos beside this monument of the Gorgon is the grave of Gorgophone (‘Gorgon-slaying’), daughter of Perseus. The reason why the name was given her is manifest as soon as it is mentioned. They say that she was the first woman who married a second time ; for on the decease of her husband Perieres, son of Aeolus, to whom she had been married as a maid, she wedded Oebalus. But before that time it had been the custom for women to remain single after their husbands’ death.
In front of this grave is a trophy of stone, erected to commemorate a triumph over Laphaes an Argive. He was a tyrant (I give the Argives’ own account), and the people rose up and expelled him. He fled to Sparta, and the Lacedaemonians tried to restore him to power. But in the battle the Argives were victorious, and put the tyrant and most of the Lacedaemonians to the edge of the sword. 10. The sanctuary of Latona is not far from the trophy: the image is a work of Praxiteles. The statue of the virgin beside the goddess is named Chloris (‘the pale woman’). They say she was a daughter of Niobe, and that her original name was Meliboea. When the children of Amphion were slain by Apollo and Artemis, she and her brother Amyclas alone were spared of all the brothers and sisters, because they had prayed to Latona. But Meliboea grew so pale with fear at the moment, and continued so pale for the rest of her life, that her name was accordingly changed from Meliboea to Chloris. The Argives say that the temple of Latona was originally built by the brother and sister. But I prefer to follow Homer, and to suppose that none of the children of Niobe were left alive. In this I am borne out by the verse :—— But they, though they were but twain, destroyed them all. Thus Homer knew that the house of Amphion was destroyed root and branch.
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