αὐτὴ δὲ τῶν Ἐπιδαυρίων ἡ πόλις παρείχετο ἐς μνήμην τάδε ἀξιολογώτατα· τέμενος δή ἐστιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ ἀγάλματα ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸς καὶ Ἠπιόνη, γυναῖκα δὲ εἶναι τὴν Ἠπιόνην Ἀσκληπιοῦ φασι· ταῦτά ἐστιν ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ λίθου Παρίου. ναοὶ δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ Διονύσου καὶ Ἀρτέμιδός ἐστιν ἄλσος· εἰκάσαις ἂν θηρευούσῃ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν. Ἀφροδίτης τε ἱερὸν πεποίηται· τὸ δὲ πρὸς τῷ λιμένι ἐπὶ ἄκρας ἀνεχούσης ἐς θάλασσαν λέγουσιν Ἥρας εἶναι. τὴν δὲ Ἀθηνᾶν ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει, ξόανον θέας ἄξιον, Κισσαίαν ἐπονομάζουσιν.
Αἰγινῆται δὲ οἰκοῦσιν ἔχοντες τὴν νῆσον ἀπαντικρὺ τῆς Ἐπιδαυρίας. ἀνθρώπους δʼ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς λέγουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ γενέσθαι· Διὸς δὲ ἐς ἔρημον κομίσαντος Αἴγιναν τὴν Ἀσωποῦ τῇ μὲν τὸ ὄνομα ἐτέθη τοῦτο ἀντὶ Οἰνώνης, Αἰακοῦ δὲ αἰτήσαντος ὡς ηὐξήθη παρὰ Διὸς οἰκήτορας, οὕτω οἱ τὸν Δία ἀνεῖναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους φασὶν ἐκ τῆς γῆς. βασιλεύσαντα δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ πλὴν Αἰακὸν οὐδένα εἰπεῖν ἔχουσιν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τῶν Αἰακοῦ παίδων τινὰ ἴσμεν καταμείναντα, Πηλεῖ μὲν συμβὰν καὶ Τελαμῶνι ἐπὶ φόνῳ φεύγειν τῷ Φώκου, τῶν δὲ αὖ Φώκου παίδων περὶ τὸν Παρνασσὸν οἰκησάντων ἐν τῇ νῦν καλουμένῃ Φωκίδι.
τὸ δὲ ὄνομα προϋπῆρχεν ἤδη τῇ χώρᾳ, Φώκου τοῦ Ὀρνυτίωνος γενεᾷ πρότερον ἐς αὐτὴν ἐλθόντος. ἐπὶ μὲν δὴ Φώκου τούτου ἡ περὶ Τιθορέαν τε καὶ Παρνασσὸν ἐκαλεῖτο Φωκίς· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Αἰακοῦ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐξενίκησεν, ὅσοι Μινύαις τέ εἰσιν Ὀρχομενίοις ὅμοροι καὶ ἐπὶ Σκάρφειαν τὴν Λοκρῶν καθήκουσι.
γεγόνασι δὲ ἀπὸ μὲν Πηλέως οἱ ἐν Ἠπείρῳ βασιλεῖς, Τελαμῶνος δὲ τῶν παίδων Αἴαντος μέν ἐστιν ἀφανέστερον γένος οἷα ἰδιωτεύσαντος ἀνθρώπου, πλὴν ὅσον Μιλτιάδης, ὃς Ἀθηναίοις ἐς Μαραθῶνα ἡγήσατο, καὶ Κίμων ὁ Μιλτιάδου προῆλθον ἐς δόξαν· οἱ δὲ Τευκρίδαι βασιλεῖς διέμειναν Κυπρίων ἄρχοντες ἐς Εὐαγόραν. Φώκῳ δὲ Ἄσιος ὁ τὰ ἔπη ποιήσας γενέσθαι φησὶ Πανοπέα καὶ Κρῖσον· καὶ Πανοπέως μὲν ἐγένετο Ἐπειὸς ὁ τὸν ἵππον τὸν δούρειον, ὡς Ὅμηρος ἐποίησεν, ἐργασάμενος, Κρίσου δὲ ἦν ἀπόγονος τρίτος Πυλάδης, Στροφίου τε ὢν τοῦ Κρίσου καὶ Ἀναξιβίας ἀδελφῆς Ἀγαμέμνονος. γένη μὲν τοσαῦτα τῶν καλουμένων Αἰακιδῶν, ἐξεχώρησε δὲ ἑτέρωσε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς.
χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον μοῖρα Ἀργείων τῶν Ἐπίδαυρον ὁμοῦ Δηιφόντῃ κατασχόντων, διαβᾶσα ἐς Αἴγιναν καὶ Αἰγινήταις τοῖς ἀρχαίοις γενόμενοι σύνοικοι, τὰ Δωριέων ἔθη καὶ φωνὴν κατεστήσαντο ἐν τῇ νήσῳ. προελθοῦσι δὲ Αἰγινήταις ἐς μέγα δυνάμεως, ὡς Ἀθηναίων γενέσθαι ναυσὶν ἐπικρατεστέρους καὶ ἐν τῷ Μηδικῷ πολέμῳ παρασχέσθαι πλοῖα μετά γε Ἀθηναίους πλεῖστα, οὐ παρέμεινεν ἐς ἅπαν ἡ εὐδαιμονία, γενόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων ἀνάστατοι Θυρέαν τὴν ἐν τῇ Ἀργολίδι Λακεδαιμονίων δόντων ᾤκησαν. καὶ ἀπέλαβον μὲν τὴν νῆσον, ὅτε περὶ Ἑλλήσποντον αἱ Ἀθηναίων τριήρεις ἐλήφθησαν, πλούτου δὲ ἢ δυνάμεως οὐκέτι ἐξεγένετο ἐς ἴσον προελθεῖν σφισιν.
προσπλεῦσαι δὲ Αἴγινά ἐστι νήσων τῶν Ἑλληνίδων ἀπορωτάτη· πέτραι τε γὰρ ὕφαλοι περὶ πᾶσαν καὶ χοιράδες ἀνεστήκασι. μηχανήσασθαι δὲ ἐξεπίτηδες ταῦτα Αἰακόν φασι λῃστειῶν τῶν ἐκ θαλάσσης φόβῳ, καὶ πολεμίοις ἀνδράσι μὴ ἄνευ κινδύνου εἶναι. πλησίον δὲ τοῦ λιμένος ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα ὁρμίζονται ναός ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτης, ἐν ἐπιφανεστάτῳ δὲ τῆς πόλεως τὸ Αἰάκειον καλούμενον, περίβολος τετράγωνος λευκοῦ λίθου.
ἐπειργασμένοι δέ εἰσι κατὰ τὴν ἔσοδον οἱ παρὰ Αἰακόν ποτε ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων σταλέντες· αἰτίαν δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν Αἰγινήταις καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ λέγουσιν. αὐχμὸς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπὶ χρόνον ἐπίεζε καὶ οὔτε τὴν ἐκτὸς ἰσθμοῦ χώραν οὔτε Πελοποννησίοις ὗεν ὁ θεός, ἐς ὃ ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀπέστειλαν ἐρησομένους τὸ αἴτιον ὅ τι εἴη καὶ αἰτήσοντας ἅμα λύσιν τοῦ κακοῦ. τούτοις ἡ Πυθία εἶπε Δία ἱλάσκεσθαι, χρῆναι δέ, εἴπερ ὑπακούσει σφίσιν, Αἰακὸν τὸν ἱκετεύσαντα εἶναι.
οὕτως Αἰακοῦ δεησομένους ἀποστέλλουσιν ἀφʼ ἑκάστης πόλεως· καὶ ὁ μὲν τῷ Πανελληνίῳ Διὶ θύσας καὶ εὐξάμενος τὴν Ἑλλάδα γῆν ἐποίησεν ὕεσθαι, τῶν δὲ ἐλθόντων ὡς αὐτὸν εἰκόνας ταύτας ἐποιήσαντο οἱ Αἰγινῆται. τοῦ περιβόλου δὲ ἐντὸς ἐλαῖαι πεφύκασιν ἐκ παλαιοῦ καὶ βωμός ἐστιν οὐ πολὺ ἀνέχων ἐκ τῆς γῆς· ὡς δὲ καὶ μνῆμα οὗτος ὁ βωμὸς εἴη Αἰακοῦ, λεγόμενόν ἐστιν ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ.
παρὰ δὲ τὸ Αἰάκειον Φώκου τάφος χῶμά ἐστι περιεχόμενον κύκλῳ κρηπῖδι, ἐπίκειται δέ οἱ λίθος τραχύς· καὶ ἡνίκα Φῶκον Τελαμὼν καὶ Πηλεὺς προηγάγοντο ἐς ἀγῶνα πεντάθλου καὶ περιῆλθεν ἐς Πηλέα ἀφεῖναι τὸν λίθον—οὗτος γὰρ ἀντὶ δίσκου σφίσιν ἦν—, ἑκὼν τυγχάνει τοῦ Φώκου. ταῦτα δὲ ἐχαρίζοντο τῇ μητρί· αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐγεγόνεσαν ἐκ τῆς Σκίρωνος θυγατρός, Φῶκος δὲ οὐκ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἀδελφῆς Θέτιδος ἦν, εἰ δὴ τὰ ὄντα λέγουσιν Ἕλληνες. Πυλάδης τέ μοι καὶ διὰ ταῦτα φαίνεται καὶ οὐκ Ὀρέστου φιλίᾳ μόνον βουλεῦσαι Νεοπτολέμῳ τὸν φόνον.
τότε δὲ ὡς τῷ δίσκῳ πληγεὶς ἀπέθανεν ὁ Φῶκος, φεύγουσιν ἐπιβάντες νεὼς οἱ Ἐνδηίδος παῖδες· Τελαμὼν δὲ ὕστερα κήρυκα ἀποστέλλων ἠρνεῖτο μὴ βουλεῦσαι Φώκῳ θάνατον. Αἰακὸς δὲ ἐς μὲν τὴν νῆσον ἀποβαίνειν αὐτὸν οὐκ εἴα, ἑστηκότα δὲ ἐπὶ νεώς, εἰ δὲ ἐθέλοι, χῶμα ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ χώσαντα ἐκέλευεν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπολογήσασθαι. οὕτως ἐς τὸν Κρυπτὸν καλούμενον λιμένα ἐσπλεύσας νύκτωρ ἐποίει χῶμα. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἐξεργασθὲν καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἔτι μένει· καταγνωσθεὶς δὲ οὐκ ἀναίτιος εἶναι Φώκῳ τῆς τελευτῆς, τὸ δεύτερον ἐς Σαλαμῖνα ἀπέπλευσε.
τοῦ λιμένος δὲ οὐ πόρρω τοῦ Κρυπτοῦ θέατρόν ἐστι θέας ἄξιον, κατὰ τὸ Ἐπιδαυρίων μάλιστα μέγεθος καὶ ἐργασίαν τὴν λοιπήν. τούτου δὲ ὄπισθεν ᾠκοδόμηται σταδίου πλευρὰ μία, ἀνέχουσά τε αὐτὴ τὸ θέατρον καὶ ἀντὶ ἐρείσματος ἀνάλογον ἐκείνῳ χρωμένη.
In the city of Epidaurus the most noteworthy objects are the following. There is a precinct of Aesculapius with images of the god himself and Epione, who, they say, was his wife. These images are of Parian marble and stand under the open sky. There are temples in the city, one of Dionysus, and another of Artemis, in which the goddess appears to be represented hunting; and there is a sanctuary of Aphrodite. The sanctuary near the harbour on the headland jutting out into the sea is said to belong to Hera. The image of Athena in the acropolis is of wood and is worth seeing: they surname it Cissaean.
The Aeginetans inhabit the island opposite Epidauria. They say that at first it was uninhabited; but when Zeus brought Aegina, daughter of Aesopus, to the desert island, the name of the island was changed from Oenone to Aegina. Being grown to man’s estate, Aeacus asked Zeus for inhabitants; so Zeus, they say, caused the people to spring up from the ground. They cannot tell of any king who reigned in the land except Aeacus, and even of his children not one is known to have abode in the island. Peleus and Telamon had to flee for the murder of Phocus, and the children of Phocus in their turn settled near Parnassus in the country that is now called Phocis.
The region had already received its name before they settled in it; for Phocus, son of Ornytion, had gone there a generation before. But whereas in the time of Phocus it was only the district about Tithorea and Parnassus that was called Phocis, in the time of Aeacus the name was extended to the whole people, from the borders of the Minyae, in Orchomenus, to Scarphea in Locris.
From Peleus sprang the kings of Epirus. Telamon had two sons, Ajax and Teucer. Ajax remained in a private station, and was the ancestor of a less illustrious line, though two of its members rose to fame—Miltiades, who led the Athenians at Marathon, and Cimon his son. But the house of Teucer were kings of Cyprus down to Evagoras. The epic poet Asius says that Phocus had two sons, Panopeus and Crisus. Panopeus had a son Epeus who, according to Homer, made the wooden horse; and Crisus was the grandfather of Pylades. The father of Pylades was Strophius, son of Crisus: his mother was Anaxibia, sister of Agamemnon. Such are the families of the Aeacids as they are called. From the beginning they went forth to other lands.
Afterwards some of those Argives, who under the command of Deiphontes had seized Epidaurus, crossed over to Aegina, and settling amongst the old inhabitants established the Dorian customs and language in the island. Aegina rose to such a pitch of power that her fleet was more than a match for that of Athens ; and in the Persian war she fitted out more vessels than any Greek state except Athens. But her prosperity was not permanent: the people were expelled by the Athenians, and settled at Thyrea in Argolis, which the Lacedaemonians bestowed on them. When the Athenian fleet was captured at the Hellespont the exiles regained possession of the island, but they never attained to their former wealth or power. Of all the Greek islands Aegina is the most difficult of approach ; for sunken rocks and reefs rise all round it. They say that Aeacus contrived that it should be so, from fear of the inroads of pirates and to make it dangerous for a foe.
Near the harbour in which vessels mostly anchor is a temple of Aphrodite; and in the most conspicuous part of the city is the Aeaceum, as it is called, a quadrangular enclosure of white marble. At the entrance is a relief representing the envoys once sent by the Greeks to Aeacus. The cause of the embassy is explained by the Aeginetans, with whom every one else is in accord. A drought had for some time afflicted Greece, and no rain fell on Peloponnese or on the rest of Greece, till they sent messengers to Delphi to inquire the cause and to beg for a riddance of the evil. The Pythian priestess told them to propitiate Zeus, and that, if their prayers were to be answered, Aeacus must be their intercessor. So from every city they sent men to petition Aeacus. And he by sacrifices and prayers to Panhellenian Zeus procured rain for Greece; and the Aeginetans caused these likenesses to be made of the envoys who came to him. Within the enclosure grow ancient olives, and there is an altar that rises but little above the ground: it is told as a secret that this altar is the tomb of Aeacus.
Beside the Aeaceum is the grave of Phocus, consisting of a mound of earth surrounded by a basement and surmounted by a rough stone. When Telamon and Peleus challenged Phocus to a match at the pentathlum, and it came to the turn of Peleus to heave the stone (for they used a stone instead of a quoit), he threw and hit Phocus purposely. This they did to please their mother. For she was Endeis, daughter of Sciron, but Phocus was the son of a different mother, a sister of Thetis, if the Greeks say true. I believe it was as much to wipe out this old score as from friendship to Orestes that Pylades afterwards plotted the murder of Neoptolemus. So when Phocus was killed by the blow of the quoit, the sons of Endeis embarked on a ship and fled. Afterwards Telamon, by mouth of herald, denied that he had plotted the death of Phocus. However, Aeacus would not suffer him to set foot on the island, but bade him plead his defence from the deck of a ship, or, if he pleased, he might make a mole in the sea and plead from it. So he sailed into what is called the Secret Harbour, and set about making a mole by night. The mole was completed and remains to our day. But being judged not guiltless of Phocus’s death, he sailed away the second time to Salamis. Not far from the Secret Harbour is a theatre that is worth seeing: in size and style it closely resembles the Epidaurian theatre. Behind the theatre is built one side of a stadium: it mutually supports and is supported by the theatre.
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