ὅσοι δὲ Ἑλλήνων Πελοποννήσου πέντε εἶναι μοίρας καὶ οὐ πλείονάς φασιν, ἀνάγκη σφᾶς ὁμολογεῖν ὡς ἐν τῇ Ἀρκάδων οἰκοῦσιν Ἠλεῖοι καὶ Ἀρκάδες, δευτέρα δὲ Ἀχαιῶν, τρεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ ταύταις αἱ Δωριέων. γένη δὲ οἰκεῖ Πελοπόννησον Ἀρκάδες μὲν αὐτόχθονες καὶ Ἀχαιοί· καὶ οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ Δωριέων ἐκ τῆς σφετέρας ἀνέστησαν, οὐ μέντοι Πελοποννήσου γε ἐξεχώρησαν, ἀλλὰ ἐκβαλόντες Ἴωνας νέμονται τὸν Αἰγιαλὸν τὸ ἀρχαῖον, νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν τούτων καλούμενον·
οἱ δὲ Ἀρκάδες διατελοῦσιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐς τόδε τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἔχοντες. τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἐπηλύδων ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπων. Κορίνθιοι μὲν γὰρ οἱ νῦν νεώτατοι Πελοποννησίων εἰσί, καί σφισιν, ἀφʼ οὗ τὴν γῆν παρὰ βασιλέως ἔχουσιν, εἴκοσιν ἔτη καὶ διακόσια τριῶν δέοντα ἦν ἐς ἐμέ· Δρύοπες δὲ καὶ Δωριεῖς, οἱ μὲν ἐκ Παρνασσοῦ, Δωριεῖς δὲ ἐκ τῆς Οἴτης ἐς Πελοπόννησόν εἰσιν ἀφιγμένοι.
τοὺς Ἠλείους ἴσμεν ἐκ Καλυδῶνος διαβεβηκότας καὶ Αἰτωλίας τῆς ἄλλης· τὰ δὲ ἔτι παλαιότερα ἐς αὐτοὺς τοιάδε εὕρισκον. βασιλεῦσαι πρῶτον ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ λέγουσιν Ἀέθλιον, παῖδα δὲ αὐτὸν Διός τε εἶναι καὶ Πρωτογενείας τῆς Δευκαλίωνος, Ἀεθλίου δὲ Ἐνδυμίωνα γενέσθαι·
τούτου τοῦ Ἐνδυμίωνος Σελήνην φασὶν ἐρασθῆναι, καὶ ὡς θυγατέρες αὐτῷ γένοιντο ἐκ τῆς θεοῦ πεντήκοντα. οἱ δὲ δὴ μᾶλλόν τι εἰκότα λέγοντες Ἐνδυμίωνι λαβόντι Ἀστεροδίαν γυναῖκα—οἱ δὲ τὴν Ἰτώνου τοῦ Ἀμφικτύονος Χρομίαν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ὑπερίππην τὴν Ἀρκάδος—, γενέσθαι δʼ οὖν φασιν αὐτῷ Παίονα καὶ Ἐπειόν τε καὶ Αἰτωλὸν καὶ θυγατέρα ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς Εὐρυκύδαν. ἔθηκε δὲ καὶ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ δρόμου τοῖς παισὶν ἀγῶνα Ἐνδυμίων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐνίκησε καὶ ἔσχε τὴν βασιλείαν Ἐπειός· καὶ Ἐπειοὶ πρῶτον τότε ὧν ἦρχεν ὠνομάσθησαν.
τῶν δὲ ἀδελφῶν οἱ τὸν μὲν καταμεῖναί φασιν αὐτοῦ, Παίονα δὲ ἀχθόμενον τῇ ἥσσῃ φυγεῖν ὡς πορρωτάτω, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ Ἀξιοῦ ποταμοῦ χώραν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ Παιονίαν ὀνομασθῆναι. τὰ δὲ ἐς τὴν Ἐνδυμίωνος τελευτὴν οὐ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ Ἡρακλεῶταί τε οἱ πρὸς Μιλήτῳ καὶ Ἠλεῖοι λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ Ἠλεῖοι μὲν ἀποφαίνουσιν Ἐνδυμίωνος μνῆμα, Ἡρακλεῶται δὲ ἐς Λάτμον τὸ ὄρος ἀποχωρῆσαί φασιν αὐτὸν καὶ τιμὴν αὐτῷ νέμουσι, καὶ ἄδυτον Ἐνδυμίωνός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ Λάτμῳ.
Ἐπειῷ δὲ γήμαντι Ἀναξιρόην τὴν Κορώνου θυγάτηρ μὲν Ὑρμίνα, ἄρσεν δὲ οὐκ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ γένος· καὶ τάδε ἄλλα συνέβη κατʼ Ἐπειὸν βασιλεύοντα. Οἰνόμαος ὁ Ἀλξίωνος, Ἄρεως δὲ καθὰ ποιηταί τε ἐπεφήμισαν καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἐστιν ἐς αὐτὸν λόγος, οὗτος δυναστεύων περὶ τὴν Πισαίαν καλουμένην ὁ Οἰνόμαος ἐπαύθη τῆς ἀρχῆς διαβάντος Πέλοπος τοῦ Λυδοῦ ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας.
Πέλοψ δὲ ἀποθανόντος Οἰνομάου τήν τε Πισαίαν ἔσχε καὶ Ὀλυμπίαν, ἀποτεμόμενος τῆς Ἐπειοῦ χώρας ὅμορον οὖσαν τῇ Πισαίᾳ· Ἑρμοῦ τε ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ ναὸν ἱδρύσασθαι καὶ θῦσαι τῷ θεῷ Πέλοπα ἔλεγον οἱ Ἠλεῖοι πρῶτον, ἀποτρεπόμενον τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ Μυρτίλου θανάτῳ μήνιμα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ.
Αἰτωλῷ δὲ μετὰ Ἐπειὸν βασιλεύσαντι συνέπεσεν ἐκ Πελοποννήσου φυγεῖν, ὅτι αὐτὸν οἱ Ἄπιδος παῖδες ἐφʼ αἵματι ἀκουσίῳ δίκην εἷλον· Ἆπιν γὰρ τὸν Ἰάσονος ἐκ Παλλαντίου τοῦ Ἀρκάδων ἀπέκτεινεν Αἰτωλὸς ἐπελάσας τὸ ἅρμα τεθέντων ἐπὶ Ἀζᾶνι ἄθλων. ἀπὸ μὲν Αἰτωλοῦ τοῦ Ἐνδυμίωνος οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀχελῷον οἰκοῦντες ἐκλήθησαν φυγόντος ἐς ταύτην τὴν ἤπειρον, τὴν δὲ Ἐπειῶν ἔσχεν ἀρχὴν Ἠλεῖος, Εὐρυκύδας τε τῆς Ἐνδυμίωνος καὶ—ὅτῳ πιστὰ—πατρὸς ὢν Ποσειδῶνος· καὶ τὸ ὄνομα οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸ νῦν ἀντὶ Ἐπειῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἠλείου μεταβεβλήκασιν.
Ἠλείου δὲ ἦν Αὐγέας· οἱ δὲ ἀποσεμνύνοντες τὰ ἐς αὐτόν, παρατρέψαντες τοῦ Ἠλείου τὸ ὄνομα, Ἡλίου φασὶν Αὐγέαν παῖδα εἶναι. τούτῳ βοῦς τῷ Αὐγέᾳ καὶ αἰπόλια τοσαῦτα ἐγένετο ὡς καὶ τῆς χώρας αὐτῷ τὰ πολλὰ ἤδη διατελεῖν ἀργὰ ὄντα ὑπὸ τῶν βοσκημάτων τῆς κόπρου· Ἡρακλέα οὖν εἴτε ἐπὶ μοίρᾳ τῆς Ἠλείας εἴτε ἐφʼ ὅτῳ δὴ καὶ ἄλλῳ μισθῷ πείθει οἱ καθῆραι τῆς κόπρου τὴν γῆν.
καὶ ὁ μὲν καὶ τοῦτο ἐξειργάσατο ἐκτρέψας τοῦ Μηνίου τὸ ῥεῦμα ἐς τὴν κόπρον· Αὐγέας δέ, ὅτι τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ σοφίᾳ πλέον καὶ οὐ σὺν πόνῳ τὸ ἔργον ἤνυστο, αὐτός τε ἀποδοῦναί οἱ τὸν μισθὸν ἀπηξίου καὶ τῶν παίδων τῶν ἀρσένων τὸν πρεσβύτερον Φυλέα ἐξέβαλεν ἀντειπόντα ὡς οὐ δίκαια ποιοῖτο πρὸς ἄνδρα εὐεργέτην. αὐτὸς δὲ τά τε ἄλλα παρεσκευάζετο ὡς τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἀμυνούμενος, ἢν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἦλιν στρατεύηται, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς Ἄκτορος καὶ Ἀμαρυγκέα ἐπηγάγετο ἐς φιλίαν·
ἦν δὲ ὁ Ἀμαρυγκεὺς ἄλλως μὲν ἀγαθὸς τὰ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον, ὁ δέ οἱ πατὴρ Πυττίος Θεσσαλὸς τὰ ἄνωθεν ἦν καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἠλείαν ἀφίκετο ἐκ Θεσσαλίας. Ἀμαρυγκεῖ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἀρχῆς ἐν Ἠλείᾳ μετέδωκεν ὁ Αὐγέας, Ἄκτορι δὲ καὶ τοῖς παισὶ γένος τε ἦν ἐπιχώριον βασιλείας τε μετῆν σφισιν· Ἄκτωρ γὰρ πατρὸς μὲν Φόρβαντος ἦν τοῦ Λαπίθου, μητρὸς δὲ Ὑρμίνης τῆς Ἐπειοῦ, καὶ ᾤκισεν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Ἄκτωρ πόλιν Ὑρμίναν ἐν τῇ Ἠλείᾳ.
THE Greeks who say that Peloponnese is divided into five parts and not more, must hold that the Eleans are comprised with the Arcadians in Arcadia, and that the second part belongs to the Achaeans, and the other three to the Dorians. Of the races that inhabit Peloponnese the Arcadians and Achaeans are aborigines. When the Achaeans were driven from their country by the Dorians they did not withdraw from Peloponnese, but expelled the Ionians and took possession of the country which was anciently known as Aegialus, but which is now called after these Achaeans. The Arcadians have continued from the beginning down to the present time in possession of their own country. The rest of Peloponnese is occupied by immigrant races. The present Corinthians are the youngest of the Peloponnesians: it is two hundred and seventeen years since they received their lands from the emperor. The Dryopians came to Peloponnese from Parnassus, and the Dorians from Oeta. 2. We know that the Eleans crossed over from Calydon and the rest of Aetolia. Their earlier history I find to be as follows. They say that the first who reigned in this land was Aethlius, that he was the son of Zeus and Protogenia, daughter of Deucalion, and that he had a son Endymion. The Moon, they say, loved Endymion, and he had fifty daughters by the goddess. Others, with more probability, say that Endymion married a wife: some say that she was Asterodia; others that she was Chromia, daughter of Itonus, son of Amphictyon; others that she was Hyperippe, daughter of Arcas: at all events they agree that he begot Paeon, Epeus, and Aetolus, and a daughter Eurycyda.
Endymion set his sons to run a race at Olympia for the kingdom: Epeus won the race and obtained the kingdom, and his subjects were then named Epeans for the first time. Of his brothers they say that Aetolus abode in the land, but that Paeon, sore at his discomfiture, fled far, far away, and that the region beyond the river Axius was named Paeonia after him.
As touching the death of Endymion the people of Heraclea near Miletus do not agree with the Eleans ; for while the Eleans show Endymion’s tomb, the people of Heraclea say that he went away to Mount Latmus. . . And there is a shrine of Endymion on Latmus. Epeus married Anaxiroe, daughter of Coronus, by whom he had a daughter Hyrmina, but no male issue.
The following events also took place in the reign of Epeus. Oenomaus, son of Alxion (though the poets have given out that he was a son of Ares, and the common tradition is to the same effect), was a prince in the land of Pisa; but he was deposed by Pelops the Lydian when the latter crossed over from Asia. At the death of Oenomaus, Pelops acquired not only the land of Pisa, but also the border district of Olympia, which he severed from the territory of Epeus. The Eleans said that Pelops was the first to found a temple of Hermes in Peloponnese and to sacrifice to the god, which he did for the purpose of averting the wrath of the deity at the death of Myrtilus.
Aetolus, who reigned after Epeus, had to flee from Peloponnese, because the children of Apis convicted him on trial of involuntary homicide; for Apis, son of Jason, from Pallantium in Arcadia, was driven over and killed by Aetolus at the funeral games celebrated in memory of Azan. From Aetolus, son of Endymion, the people about the Achelous got their name because he fled to that part of the mainland. But the lordship of the Epeans passed to Eleus: his mother was Eurycyda, daughter of Endymion, and his father, if you please, was Poseidon. From Eleus the people took their present name of Eleans instead of their old name of Epeans.
Eleus had a son Augeas. Those who magnify his history give the name of Eleus a twist, and affirm that Augeas was a son of the sun (helios). This Augeas had so many cows and flocks of goats that most of the land lay untilled by reason of their dung. So Augeas persuaded Hercules, by the promise of a portion of the land of Elis, or of some other reward, to cleanse the country from the dung. This Hercules did by turning the stream of the Menius upon the dung. But because he had achieved the task rather by craft than by the sweat of his brow, Augeas refused him his reward, and turned his elder son Phyleus out of house and home because he spoke up and told his father he was wronging a man who had done him a good turn. But lest Hercules should attack Elis, Augeas prepared to resist him: in particular he made friends with the sons of Actor, and also with Amarynceus.
This Amarynceus was a brave soldier: his father Pyttius was of Thessalian extraction, and had come from Thessaly to Elis. To Amarynceus, therefore, Augeas gave a share in the government of Elis. But Actor and his sons were of the native race and possessed a share of the kingdom. For the father of Actor was Phorbas, son of Lapithus, and his mother was Hyrmina, daughter of Epeus. Actor gave his mother’s name to the city of Hyrmina, which he founded in Elis.
Cite This Text