ἐς Θαλάμας δὲ ἐξ Οἰτύλου μῆκος τῆς ὁδοῦ στάδιοι περὶ τοὺς ὀγδοήκοντά εἰσι, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν ἱερόν ἐστιν Ἰνοῦς καὶ μαντεῖον. μαντεύονται μὲν οὖν καθεύδοντες, ὁπόσα δʼ ἂν πυθέσθαι δεηθῶσιν, ὀνείρατα δείκνυσί σφισιν ἡ θεός. χαλκᾶ δὲ ἕστηκεν ἀγάλματα ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, τῆς τε Πασιφάης καὶ Ἡλίου τὸ ἕτερον· αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ ἐν τῷ ναῷ σαφῶς μὲν οὐκ ἦν ἰδεῖν ὑπὸ στεφανωμάτων, χαλκοῦν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἶναι λέγουσι. ῥεῖ δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ πηγῆς ἱερᾶς πιεῖν ἡδύ· Σελήνης δὲ ἐπίκλησις καὶ οὐ Θαλαμάταις ἐπιχώριος δαίμων ἐστὶν ἡ Πασιφάη.
Θαλαμῶν δὲ ἀπέχει σταδίους εἴκοσιν ὀνομαζομένη Πέφνος ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ. πρόκειται δὲ νησὶς πέτρας τῶν μεγάλων οὐ μείζων, Πέφνος καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ ὄνομα· τεχθῆναι δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς Διοσκούρους φασὶν οἱ Θαλαμᾶται. τοῦτο μὲν δὴ καὶ Ἀλκμᾶνα ἐν ᾄσματι οἶδα εἰπόντα· τραφῆναι δὲ οὐκέτι ἐν τῇ Πέφνῳ φασὶν αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ Ἑρμῆν τὸν ἐς Πελλάναν κομίσαντα εἶναι.
ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ νησῖδι ἀγάλματα Διοσκούρων χαλκᾶ μέγεθος ποδιαῖα ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τῆς νησῖδός ἐστιν· ταῦτα ἡ θάλασσα ἀποκινεῖν οὐκ ἐθέλει κατακλύζουσα ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος τὴν πέτραν. τοῦτό τε δὴ θαῦμά ἐστι καὶ οἱ μύρμηκες αὐτόθι λευκότερον ἢ ὡς μυρμήκων τὸ χρῶμα φαίνουσι. τὴν δὲ χώραν οἱ Μεσσήνιοι ταύτην αὑτῶν φασιν εἶναι τὸ ἀρχαῖον, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς Διοσκούρους μᾶλλόν τι αὑτοῖς καὶ οὐ Λακεδαιμονίοις προσήκειν νομίζουσιν.
Πέφνου δὲ στάδια εἴκοσιν ἀπέχει Λεῦκτρα. ἐφʼ ὅτῳ μὲν δή ἐστιν ὄνομα τῇ πόλει Λεῦκτρα, οὐκ οἶδα· εἰ δʼ ἄρα ἀπὸ Λευκίππου τοῦ Περιήρους, ὡς οἱ Μεσσήνιοί φασι, τούτου μοι δοκοῦσιν ἕνεκα οἱ ταύτῃ θεῶν μάλιστα Ἀσκληπιὸν τιμᾶν, ἅτε Ἀρσινόης παῖδα εἶναι τῆς Λευκίππου νομίζοντες. λίθου δέ ἐστιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ τε ἄγαλμα καὶ Ἰνοῦς ἑτέρωθι.
πεποίηται δὲ καὶ Κασσάνδρας τῆς Πριάμου ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα, Ἀλεξάνδρας ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων καλουμένης· καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος Καρνείου ξόανά ἐστι κατὰ ταὐτὰ καθὰ δὴ καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων νομίζουσιν οἱ Σπάρτην ἔχοντες. ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀκροπόλεώς ἐστιν ἱερὸν καὶ ἄγαλμα Ἀθηνᾶς, καὶ Ἔρωτός ἐστιν ἐν Λεύκτροις ναὸς καὶ ἄλσος· ὕδωρ δὲ ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος διαρρεῖ τὸ ἄλσος, τὰ δὲ φύλλα τῷ ἦρι ἀπὸ τῶν δένδρων πίπτοντα οὐκ ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος οὐδὲ πλεονάσαντος παρενεχθείη.
ὃ δὲ οἶδα ἐν τῇ πρὸς θαλάσσῃ χώρᾳ τῆς Λευκτρικῆς ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ συμβάν, γράφω. ἄνεμος πῦρ ἐς ὕλην ἐνεγκὼν τὰ πολλὰ ἠφάνισε τῶν δένδρων· ὡς δὲ ἀνεφάνη τὸ χωρίον ψιλόν, ἄγαλμα ἐνταῦθα ἱδρυμένον εὑρέθη Διὸς Ἰθωμάτα. τοῦτο οἱ Μεσσήνιοί φασι μαρτύριον εἶναί σφισι τὰ Λεῦκτρα τὸ ἀρχαῖον τῆς Μεσσηνίας εἶναι· δύναιτο δʼ ἂν καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων τὰ Λεῦκτρα ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἰκούντων ὁ Ἰθωμάτας Ζεὺς παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἔχειν τιμάς.
Καρδαμύλη δέ, ἧς καὶ Ὅμηρος μνήμην ἐποιήσατο ἐν Ἀγαμέμνονος ὑποσχέσεσι δώρων, Λακεδαιμονίων ἐστὶν ὑπήκοος τῶν ἐν Σπάρτῃ, βασιλέως Αὐγούστου τῆς Μεσσηνίας ἀποτεμομένου. ἀπέχει δὲ Καρδαμύλη θαλάσσης μὲν ὀκτὼ σταδίους, Λεύκτρων δὲ καὶ ἑξήκοντα. ἐνταῦθα οὐ πόρρω τοῦ αἰγιαλοῦ τέμενος ἱερὸν τῶν Νηρέως θυγατέρων ἐστίν· ἐς γὰρ τοῦτο ἀναβῆναι τὸ χωρίον φασὶν ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης αὐτὰς Πύρρον ὀψομένας τὸν Ἀχιλλέως, ὅτε ἐς Σπάρτην ἐπὶ τὸν Ἑρμιόνης ἀπῄει γάμον. ἐν δὲ τῷ πολίσματι Ἀθηνᾶς τε ἱερὸν καὶ Ἀπόλλων ἐστὶ Κάρνειος, καθὰ Δωριεῦσιν ἐπιχώριον.
πόλιν δὲ ὀνομαζομένην ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν Ἐνόπην τοῖς Ὁμήρου, Μεσσηνίους ὄντας, ἐς δὲ τὸ συνέδριον συντελοῦντας τὸ Ἐλευθερολακώνων, καλοῦσιν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν Γερηνίαν. ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει Νέστορα οἱ μὲν τραφῆναι λέγουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἐς τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν φεύγοντα τὸ χωρίον, ἡνίκα Πύλος ἡλίσκετο ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους.
ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ Γερηνίᾳ Μαχάονος τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ μνῆμα καὶ ἱερόν ἐστιν ἅγιον, καὶ ἀνθρώποις νόσων ἰάματα παρὰ τῷ Μαχάονι ἔστιν εὑρέσθαι. καὶ Ῥόδον μὲν τὸ χωρίον τὸ ἱερὸν ὀνομάζουσιν, ἄγαλμα δὲ τοῦ Μαχάονος χαλκοῦν ἐστιν ὀρθόν· ἐπίκειται δέ οἱ τῇ κεφαλῇ στέφανος, ὃν οἱ Μεσσήνιοι κίφος καλοῦσι τῇ ἐπιχωρίῳ φωνῇ. Μαχάονα δὲ ὑπὸ Εὐρυπύλου τοῦ Τηλέφου τελευτῆσαί φησιν ὁ τὰ ἔπη ποιήσας τὴν μικρὰν Ἰλιάδα.
διὸ καὶ τάδε αὐτὸς οἶδα περὶ τὸ Ἀσκληπιεῖον τὸ ἐν Περγάμῳ γινόμενα· ἄρχονται μὲν ἀπὸ Τηλέφου τῶν ὕμνων, προσᾴδουσι δὲ οὐδὲν ἐς τὸν Εὐρύπυλον, οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν ἐν τῷ ναῷ θέλουσιν ὀνομάζειν αὐτόν, οἷα ἐπιστάμενοι φονέα ὄντα Μαχάονος. ἀνασώσασθαι δὲ Νέστορα λέγεται τοῦ Μαχάονος τὰ ὀστᾶ· Ποδαλείριον δέ, ὡς ὀπίσω πορθήσαντες Ἴλιον ἐκομίζοντο, ἁμαρτεῖν τοῦ πλοῦ καὶ ἐς Σύρνον τῆς Καρικῆς ἠπείρου φασὶν ἀποσωθέντα οἰκῆσαι.
τῆς δὲ χώρας τῆς Γερηνίας ὄρος Καλάθιόν ἐστιν· ἐν αὐτῷ Κλαίας ἱερὸν καὶ σπήλαιον παρʼ αὐτὸ τὸ ἱερόν, ἔσοδον μὲν στενήν, τὰ δὲ ἔνδον παρεχόμενον θέας ἄξια. Γερηνίας δὲ ὡς ἐς μεσόγαιαν ἄνω τριάκοντα ἀπέχει σταδίους Ἀλαγονία, καὶ τὸ πόλισμα κατηρίθμησα ἤδη καὶ τοῦτο ἐν Ἐλευθερολάκωσι· θέας δὲ αὐτόθι ἄξια Διονύσου καὶ Ἀρτέμιδός ἐστιν ἱερά.
From Oetylum to Thalamae the distance by road is about eighty furlongs: on the road is a sanctuary of Ino and an oracle. Inquirers of the oracle go to sleep, and the goddess reveals to them in dreams all that they wish to know. Bronze images stand in the open part of the sanctuary: one is an image of Pasiphae, the other is of the Sun. The image in the temple I could not see clearly by reason of the garlands, but they say that it, too, is of bronze. Water flows from a sacred spring, sweet to drink. Pasiphae is a surname of the Moon, and not a local divinity of the people of Thalamae.
From Thalamae it is a distance of twenty furlongs to a place on the coast named Pephnus. Off it lies an islet also called Pephnus, no bigger than a large rock; and the people of Thalamae say that the Dioscuri were born on it. I know that Alcman also says so in a song. They say, however, that they were not brought up in Pephnus, but that it was Hermes who took them to Pellana. In this islet are bronze images of the Dioscuri, a foot high: they stand under the open sky, but the sea that breaks over the rock in winter will not wash them away. This is a marvel; and the ants here are whiter than ants elsewhere. The Messenians say that this district was theirs of old, so they think that the Dioscuri belong to them rather than to the Lacedaemonians.
From Pephnus it is twenty furlongs to Leuctra. Why the town is called Leuctra, I do not know; but if it is after Leucippus, son of Perieres, as the Messenians say, that, I suppose, is the reason why the people here honour Aesculapius above all the gods, believing him to be the son of Arsinoe, daughter of Leucippus. There is a stone image of Aesculapius, and elsewhere an image of Ino. There is also a temple of Cassandra, daughter of Priam, with an image of her: the natives call her Alexandra. There are also wooden images of Carnean Apollo, just like the images at Sparta. On the acropolis is a sanctuary of Athena, with an image of the goddess. There is also a temple and a grove of Love at Leuctra. Water flows through the grove in winter, but even in flood it could not sweep away the leaves that fall from the trees in spring.
I will mention an event which I know to have happened in my time on the sea-coast of Leuctra. Sparks were carried by the wind into a wood, and most of the trees were burned down; and when the place had been stript bare, an image of Ithomatian Zeus was found standing there. The Messenians say that this is a proof that Leuctra belonged to Messenia of old. But it may be that Leuctra was originally inhabited by Lacedaemonians who worshipped Ithomatian Zeus.
Cardamyle, mentioned by Homer among the gifts promised by Agamemnon, is subject to the Lacedaemonians of Sparta, having been severed from Messenia by the Emperor Augustus. It is eight furlongs from the sea, and sixty from Leuctra. Here, not far from the beach, is a sacred precinct of the daughters of Nereus; for to this place it is said they came up from the sea to behold Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, when he was going to Sparta to wed Hermione. In the town is a sanctuary of Athena, also a Carnean Apollo, as is usual with the Dorians.
The city which in Homer is named Enope is at the present day called Gerenia. The people are Messenians, but belong to the confederacy of the Free Laconians. In this city, according to some, Nestor was brought up: according to others, he fled to it when Pylus was captured by Hercules.
Here in Gerenia is the tomb of Machaon, son of Aesculapius, and here he has a holy sanctuary. In his sanctuary the sick may be made whole. They name the sacred place Rhodus, and there is a standing image of Machaon in bronze: on his head is a wreath, which the Messenians in their local dialect call […]. The author of the epic called the Little Iliad says that Machaon was killed by Eurypylus, son of Telephus. That is why (as I myself know) the following rule is observed in the sanctuary of Aesculapius at Pergamus: though they begin the hymns with Telephus, they say not a word about Eurypylus in them; indeed, they will not even name him in the temple, because they know he was the murderer of Machaon. It is said that Machaon’s bones were brought back by Nestor. But Podalirius, they say, when the Greeks were sailing back after the sack of Ilium, was carried out of his course, and being driven to Syrnus, on the mainland of Caria, he took up his abode there.
In the district of Gerenia is Mount Calathium. On it is a sanctuary of Claea, and there is a cavern just beside the sanctuary. The mouth of the cavern is narrow, but the interior is worth seeing. Inland from Gerenia about thirty furlongs is Alagonia: I have already mentioned the town in the list of Free Laconian cities. There are sanctuaries of Dionysus and Artemis there that are worth seeing.
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