Γυθίου δὲ τρεῖς μάλιστα ἀπέχει σταδίους ἀργὸς λίθος· Ὀρέστην λέγουσι καθεσθέντα ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ παύσασθαι τῆς μανίας· διὰ τοῦτο ὁ λίθος ὠνομάσθη Ζεὺς Καππώτας κατὰ γλῶσσαν τὴν Δωρίδα. ἡ δὲ νῆσος ἡ Κρανάη πρόκειται Γυθίου, καὶ Ὅμηρος Ἀλέξανδρον ἁρπάσαντα Ἑλένην ἐνταῦθα ἔφη συγγενέσθαι οἱ πρῶτον. κατὰ δὲ τὴν νῆσον ἱερόν ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτης ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ Μιγωνίτιδος, καὶ ὁ τόπος οὗτος ἅπας καλεῖται Μιγώνιον.
τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τὸ ἱερὸν ποιῆσαι λέγουσιν Ἀλέξανδρον· Μενέλαος δὲ Ἴλιον ἑλὼν καὶ ἔτεσιν ὕστερον ὀκτὼ μετὰ Τροίας πόρθησιν οἴκαδε ἀνασωθεὶς ἄγαλμα Θέτιδος καὶ θεὰς Πραξιδίκας ἱδρύσατο ἐγγὺς τῆς Μιγωνίτιδος. Διονύσου δὲ ὄρος ἱερὸν Λαρύσιον καλούμενόν ἐστιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Μιγωνίου· καὶ ἦρος ἀρχομένου Διονύσῳ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἄγουσιν ἄλλα τε ἐς τὰ δρώμενα λέγοντες καὶ ὡς βότρυν ἐνταῦθα ἀνευρίσκουσιν ὡραῖον.
ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ Γυθίου στάδια προελθόντι ὡς τριάκοντα ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἠπείρῳ Τρινασοῦ καλουμένης τείχη, φρουρίου ποτὲ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν καὶ οὐ πόλεως. γενέσθαι δέ οἱ δοκῶ τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ τῶν νησίδων, αἳ ταύτῃ πρόκεινται τῆς ἠπείρου τρεῖς ἀριθμόν. προελθόντι δὲ ἀπὸ Τρινασοῦ στάδια ὡς ὀγδοήκοντα τοῦ Ἕλους τὰ ἐρείπια ὑπόλοιπα ἦν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τριάκοντα
προελθόντι που σταδίους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης πόλις ἐστὶν Ἀκρίαι· θέας δὲ αὐτόθι ἄξια Μητρὸς θεῶν ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα λίθου. παλαιότατον δὲ τοῦτο εἶναί φασιν οἱ τὰς Ἀκρίας ἔχοντες, ὁπόσα τῆς θεοῦ ταύτης Πελοποννησίοις ἱερά ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ Μαγνησί γε, οἳ τὰ πρὸς Βορρᾶν νέμονται τοῦ Σιπύλου, τούτοις ἐπὶ Κοδδίνου πέτρᾳ Μητρός ἐστι θεῶν ἀρχαιότατον ἁπάντων ἄγαλμα· ποιῆσαι δὲ οἱ Μάγνητες αὐτὸ Βροτέαν λέγουσι τὸν Ταντάλου.
Ἀκριᾶται δὲ καὶ ἄνδρα ποτὲ Ὀλυμπιονίκην παρέσχοντο Νικοκλέα, Ὀλυμπιάσι δύο ἀνελόμενον δρόμου νίκας πέντε· πεποίηται δὲ καὶ μνῆμα τῷ Νικοκλεῖ τοῦ τε γυμνασίου μεταξὺ καὶ τοῦ τείχους τοῦ πρὸς τῷ λιμένι.
ἀπὸ θαλάσσης δὲ ἄνω Γερόνθραι σταδίους ἀπέχουσιν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν Ἀκριῶν. ταύτας οἰκουμένας πρὶν Ἡρακλείδας ἐλθεῖν ἐς Πελοπόννησον, ἐποίησαν ἀναστάτους Δωριεῖς οἱ Λακεδαίμονα ἔχοντες, ἀναστήσαντες δὲ Γερονθρῶν τοὺς Ἀχαιοὺς παρὰ σφῶν ἐποίκους ἀπέστειλαν· ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ Ἐλευθερολακώνων καὶ οὗτοι μοῖρα ἦσαν. κατὰ μὲν δὴ τὴν ἐξ Ἀκριῶν ἐς Γερόνθρας ὁδὸν ἔστι Παλαιὰ καλουμένη κώμη, ἐν δὲ αὐταῖς Γερόνθραις Ἄρεως ναὸς καὶ ἄλσος·
ἑορτὴν δὲ ἄγουσι τῷ θεῷ κατὰ ἔτος, ἐν ᾗ γυναιξίν ἐστιν ἀπηγορευμένον ἐσελθεῖν ἐς τὸ ἄλσος. περὶ δὲ τὴν ἀγοράν σφισιν αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ποτίμων εἰσὶν ὑδάτων. ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀκροπόλει ναός ἐστιν Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ ἀγάλματος ἐλέφαντος πεποιημένου κεφαλή· τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τοῦ ἀγάλματος πῦρ ἠφάνισεν ὁμοῦ τῷ προτέρῳ ναῷ.
Μαριὸς δὲ ἄλλο Ἐλευθερολακώνων πόλισμα, ὃ ἀπὸ Γερονθρῶν στάδια ἑκατὸν ἀφέστηκεν. ἱερόν ἐστιν αὐτόθι ἀρχαῖον κοινὸν θεῶν ἁπάντων καὶ περὶ αὐτὸ ἄλσος παρεχόμενον πηγάς, εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἐν Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερῷ πηγαί· ὕδωρ δὲ ἄφθονον εἴπερ ἄλλο τι χωρίον παρέχεται καὶ Μαριός. κώμη δὲ ὑπὲρ τὸ πόλισμά ἐστιν ἐν μεσογαίᾳ καὶ αὐτή, Γλυππία· καὶ ἐς κώμην ἑτέραν Σελινοῦντα ἐκ Γερονθρῶν ἐστιν ὁδὸς σταδίων εἴκοσι.
τάδε μὲν ἀπὸ Ἀκριῶν ἄνω πρὸς ἤπειρον· τὰ δὲ πρὸς θαλάσσῃ, πόλις Ἀσωπὸς Ἀκριῶν ἀπέχει σταδίους ἑξήκοντα. ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ ναός τε Ῥωμαίων βασιλέων καὶ ἀνωτέρω τῆς πόλεως ὅσον τε σταδίους δώδεκα ἱερόν ἐστιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ· Φιλόλαον τὸν θεὸν ὀνομάζουσι. τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ τὰ τιμώμενα μεγέθει μὲν ὑπερβάλλοντα, ἀνθρώπου δὲ ὅμως ἐστί. καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερόν ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει Κυπαρισσίας ἐπίκλησιν. τῆς δὲ ἀκροπόλεως πρὸς τοῖς ποσὶ πόλεως ἐρείπια καλουμένης Ἀχαιῶν τῶν Παρακυπαρισσίων.
ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ καὶ ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ στάδια ἀπέχον ὡς πεντήκοντα Ἀσωποῦ· τὸ δὲ χωρίον, ἔνθα τὸ Ἀσκληπιεῖον, Ὑπερτελέατον ὀνομάζουσιν. ἄκρα δὲ ἀνέχουσα ἐς θάλασσαν ἀφέστηκεν Ἀσωποῦ διακόσια στάδια· καλοῦσι δὲ Ὄνου γνάθον τὴν ἄκραν. ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν ἄγαλμα οὐκ ἔχον, οὐδὲ ὄροφος ἔπεστιν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ· λέγεται δὲ ὡς ὑπὸ Ἀγαμέμνονος ἐποιήθη. ἔστι δὲ καὶ μνῆμα Κινάδου· νεὼς τῆς Μενελάου καὶ οὗτος κυβερνήτης ἦν.
ἐσέχει δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἄκραν Βοιατικὸς καλούμενος κόλπος, καὶ Βοιαὶ πόλις πρὸς τῷ πέρατί ἐστι τοῦ κόλπου. ταύτην ᾤκισε μὲν Βοιὸς τῶν Ἡρακλειδῶν, συναγαγεῖν δὲ ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τριῶν ἐς αὐτὴν λέγεται πόλεων, Ἤτιδος καὶ Ἀφροδισιάδος καὶ Σίδης. τῶν δὲ πόλεων τῶν ἀρχαίων τὰς μὲν δύο ἐς Ἰταλίαν φεύγοντα Αἰνείαν καὶ ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀπενεχθέντα ἐς τοῦτον τὸν κόλπον οἰκίσαι φασί, τὴν Ἠτιάδα Αἰνείου θυγατέρα λέγοντες εἶναι· τὴν τρίτην δὲ κληθῆναι τῶν πόλεων λέγουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς Δαναοῦ Σίδης.
ἀπὸ δὴ τούτων τῶν πόλεων ἀναστάντες ἐζήτουν ἔνθα οἰκῆσαι σφᾶς χρεὼν εἴη· καί τι καὶ μάντευμα ἦν αὐτοῖς Ἄρτεμιν ἔνθα οἰκήσουσιν ἐπιδείξειν. ὡς οὖν ἐκβᾶσιν ἐς τὴν γῆν λαγὼς ἐπιφαίνεται, τὸν λαγὼν ἐποιήσαντο ἡγεμόνα τῆς ὁδοῦ· καταδύντος δὲ ἐς μυρσίνην πόλιν τε οἰκίζουσιν ἐνταῦθα, οὗπερ ἡ μυρσίνη ἦν, καὶ τὸ δένδρον ἔτι ἐκείνην σέβουσι τὴν μυρσίνην καὶ Ἄρτεμιν ὀνομάζουσι Σώτειραν.
καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ναὸς ἐν τῇ Βοιατῶν ἀγορᾷ ἐστι καὶ ἑτέρωθι Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ Σαράπιδός τε καὶ Ἴσιδος. Ἤτιδος δʼ ἐρείπια ἀπέχει μὲν Βοιῶν οὐ πλέον ἢ σταδίους ἑπτά· ἰόντι δὲ ἐς αὐτὰ ἄγαλμα Ἑρμοῦ λίθινον ἕστηκεν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ Ὑγείας ἐστὶν οὐκ ἀφανές.
Just three furlongs from Gythium is an unwrought stone: they say that Orestes, sitting down on it, was relieved of his madness ; therefore the stone was named Zeus Cappotas (‘reliever’) in the Doric tongue.
Off Gythium lies the island of Cranae, where Alexander, according to Homer, embraced Helen for the first time after he had carried her off. On the mainland opposite to the island is a sanctuary of Aphrodite Migonitis; and the whole place is called Migonium. They say that this sanctuary was founded by Alexander. And when Menelaus had taken Ilium, and had returned safe home eight years after the sack of Troy, he set up images of Thetis and of the goddess Praxidica (‘exacter of punishment’) near the sanctuary of Migonitis. Above Migonium is a mountain called Larysium, sacred to Dionysus; and they celebrate a festival of Dionysus at the beginning of spring. Among the stories which they tell of the rites is that they find here a ripe bunch of grapes.
About thirty furlongs to the left of Gythium there are on the mainland walls of a place called Trinasus (‘three islands’), which appears to me to have been a fort and not a city. I suppose it got its name from the islets, three in number, which here lie off the mainland. About eighty furlongs beyond Trinasus you come to the ruins of Helos.
About thirty furlongs beyond them is a city, Acriae, on the sea. Here there is a temple of the Mother of the Gods, with a stone image of her: both are worth seeing. The people of Acriae say that it is the most ancient sanctuary of this goddess in Peloponnese. The oldest of all her images, however, is on the rock of Coddinus at Magnesia, to the north of Sipylus: the Magnesians say it was made by Broteas, son of Tantalus. Acriae also produced an Olympic victor, by name Nicocles, who won five prizes for running in two Olympiads. A monument is raised to him between the gymnasium and the part of the city wall which is beside the harbour.
Geronthrae lies inland from Acriae at a distance of one hundred and twenty furlongs. It was inhabited before the Heraclids came to Peloponnese, but the Dorians of Lacedaemon expelled the Achaean population, and sent colonists of their own to it. In my time the town belonged to the Free Laconians. On the way from Acriae to Geronthrae is a village called Palaea (‘old’): in Geronthrae itself there is a temple of Ares with a sacred grove. Every year they hold a festival in honour of the god, during which it is forbidden to women to enter the grove. Round about the market-place are the springs of drinking water. In the acropolis is a temple of Apollo with the ivory head of his image: the rest of the image was destroyed by fire along with the former temple. 6. Marius is another town of the Free Laconians: it is distant a hundred furlongs from Geronthrae. Here there is an ancient sanctuary common to all the gods: it is surrounded by a grove containing springs. There are springs in the sanctuary of Artemis also. Marius is certainly as well supplied with water as a place can be. Above the town is a village, Glyppia, which is also in the interior, And twenty furlongs from Geronthrae is another village, Selinus. These places lie inland from Acriae.
But on the sea there is the city of Asopus, distant sixty furlongs from Acriae. In it is a temple of the Roman emperors, and about twelve furlongs inland from the city is a sanctuary of Aesculapius, whom they name Philolaus (‘friend of the people’). The bones which are preserved in the gymnasium, and which people venerate, are human bones in spite of their extraordinary size. In the acropolis is a sanctuary of Athena, surnamed Cyparissia (‘she of the cypress’). At the foot of the acropolis are the ruins of a city called the city of the Paracypressian Achaeans. In this district there is also a sanctuary of Aesculapius, distant about fifty furlongs from Asopus: the place where the sanctuary is situated is named Hyperteleatum.
Two hundred furlongs from Asopus is a cape jutting into the sea: they call it Onugnathus (‘the jaw of the ass’). Here is a sanctuary of Athena without either image or roof: it is said to have been made by Agamemnon. There is also the tomb of Cinadus, one of the pilots of Menelaus’ ship.
After the cape the Bay of Boeae runs into the land, and there is the city of Boeae at the head of the bay. This city was founded by Boeus, one of the Heraclids, and he is said to have gathered people into it from three cities, Etis, Aphrodisias, and Side. Of these three ancient cities two are said to have been founded by Aeneas when, on his flight to Italy, he was driven into this bay by storms: they say that Etias was his daughter. The third of the cities is said to have been called after Side, daughter of Danaus. So when the people of these three towns went forth into the world they sought to know where it was the will of heaven that they should dwell. And it was foretold them that Artemis would show them where they should abide. So when they were gone ashore, and a hare appeared to them, they took the hare as their guide. And when it dived into a myrtle tree, they built a city where the myrtle stood. And they worship that very myrtle-tree till this day, and they call Artemis by the name of Saviour. In the market-place of Boeae there is a temple of Apollo, and in a different part of the town there are temples of Aesculapius, Serapis, and Isis. Not more than seven furlongs from Boeae are some ruins : on the left as you go to them stands a stone image of Hermes. Among the ruins there is a not inconsiderable sanctuary of Aesculapius and Health.
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