ἔστι δὲ λίθου πωρίνου κρηπὶς ἐν τῇ Ἄλτει πρὸς ἄρκτον τοῦ Ἡραίου, κατὰ νώτου δὲ αὐτῆς παρήκει τὸ Κρόνιον· ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς κρηπῖδός εἰσιν οἱ θησαυροί, καθὰ δὴ καὶ ἐν Δελφοῖς Ἑλλήνων τινὲς ἐποίησαν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι θησαυρούς. ἔστι δὲ θησαυρὸς ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ Σικυωνίων καλούμενος, Μύρωνος δὲ ἀνάθημα τυραννήσαντος Σικυωνίων·
τοῦτον ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ Μύρων νικήσας ἅρματι τὴν τρίτην καὶ τριακοστὴν Ὀλυμπιάδα. ἐν δὲ τῷ θησαυρῷ καὶ θαλάμους δύο ἐποίησε, τὸν μὲν Δώριον, τὸν δὲ ἐργασίας τῆς Ἰώνων. χαλκοῦ μὲν δὴ αὐτοὺς ἑώρων εἰργασμένους· εἰ δὲ καὶ Ταρτήσσιος χαλκὸς λόγῳ τῷ Ἠλείων ἐστίν, οὐκ οἶδα.
Ταρτήσσιον δὲ εἶναι ποταμὸν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Ἰβήρων λέγουσι στόμασιν ἐς θάλασσαν κατερχόμενον δυσὶ καὶ ὁμώνυμον αὐτῷ πόλιν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τῶν ἐκβολῶν κειμένην· τὸν δὲ ποταμὸν μέγιστόν τε ὄντα τῶν ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ καὶ ἄμπωτιν παρεχόμενον Βαῖτιν ὠνόμασαν οἱ ὕστερον, εἰσὶ δʼ οἳ Καρπίαν Ἰβήρων πόλιν καλεῖσθαι νομίζουσι τὰ ἀρχαιότερα Ταρτησσόν.
ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ δὲ ἐπιγράμματα ἐπὶ τῷ ἐλάσσονί ἐστι τῶν θαλάμων, ἐς μὲν τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸν σταθμόν, ὅτι πεντακόσια εἴη τάλαντα, ἐς δὲ τοὺς ἀναθέντας, Μύρωνα εἶναι καὶ τὸν Σικυωνίων δῆμον. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ θησαυρῷ δίσκοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἀνάκεινται τρεῖς, ὅσους ἐς τοῦ πεντάθλου τὸ ἀγώνισμα ἐσκομίζουσι· καὶ ἀσπίς ἐστιν ἐπίχαλκος γραφῇ τὰ ἐντὸς πεποικιλμένη καὶ κράνος τε καὶ κνημῖδες ὁμοῦ τῇ ἀσπίδι· ἐπίγραμμα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις, ἀκροθίνιον τῷ Διὶ ὑπὸ Μυάνων ἀνατεθῆναι. οἵτινες δὲ οὗτοι ἦσαν, οὐ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ παρίστατο ἅπασιν εἰκάζειν·
ἐμὲ δὲ ἐσῆλθεν ἀνάμνησις ὡς Θουκυδίδης ποιήσειεν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις Λοκρῶν τῶν πρὸς τῇ Φωκίδι καὶ ἄλλας πόλεις, ἐν δὲ αὐταῖς εἶναι καὶ Μυονέας. οἱ Μυᾶνες οὖν οἱ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσπίδι κατά γε ἡμετέραν γνώμην ἄνθρωποι μέν εἰσιν οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ Μυονεῖς οἱ ἐν τῇ Λοκρίδι ἠπείρῳ· τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσπίδι γράμματα παρῆκται μὲν ἐπὶ βραχύ, πέπονθε δὲ αὐτὸ διὰ τοῦ ἀναθήματος τὸ ἀρχαῖον.
κεῖνται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἐνταῦθα ἄξια ἐπιμνησθῆναι, μάχαιρα ἡ Πέλοπος χρυσοῦ τὴν λαβὴν πεποιημένη, καὶ εἰργασμένον ἐλέφαντος κέρας τὸ Ἀμαλθείας, ἀνάθημα Μιλτιάδου τοῦ Κίμωνος, ὃς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν ἐν χερρονήσῳ τῇ Θρᾳκίᾳ πρῶτος τῆς οἰκίας ταύτης· καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπὶ τῷ κέρατί ἐστιν ἀρχαίοις Ἀττικοῖς γράμμασι, Ζηνί μʼ ἄγαλμʼ ἀνέθηκαν Ὀλυμπίῳ ἐκ χερονήσου / τεῖχος ἑλόντες Ἀράτου· ἐπῆρχε δὲ Μιλτιάδης σφίν. / κεῖται δὲ καὶ ἄγαλμα πύξινον Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπιχρύσου τὴν κεφαλήν· ἀνατεθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ Λοκρῶν φησι τῶν πρὸς Ζεφυρίῳ τῇ ἄκρᾳ, Πατροκλέα δὲ εἶναι Κατίλλου Κροτωνιάτην τὸν εἰργασμένον.
ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῷ Σικυωνίων ἐστὶν ὁ Καρχηδονίων θησαυρός, Ποθαίου τέχνη καὶ Ἀντιφίλου τε καὶ Μεγακλέους· ἀναθήματα δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ Ζεὺς μεγέθει μέγας καὶ θώρακες λινοῖ τρεῖς ἀριθμόν, Γέλωνος δὲ ἀνάθημα καὶ Συρακοσίων Φοίνικας ἤτοι τριήρεσιν ἢ καὶ πεζῇ μάχῃ κρατησάντων.
ὁ δὲ τρίτος τῶν θησαυρῶν καὶ ὁ τέταρτος ἀνάθημά ἐστιν Ἐπιδαμνίων ἔχει μὲν πόλον ἀνεχόμενον ὑπὸ Ἄτλαντος, ἔχει δὲ Ἡρακλέα καὶ δένδρον τὸ παρὰ Ἑσπερίσι, τὴν μηλέαν, καὶ περιειλιγμένον τῇ μηλέᾳ τὸν δράκοντα, κέδρου μὲν καὶ ταῦτα, Θεοκλέους δὲ ἔργα τοῦ Ἡγύλου· ποιῆσαι δὲ αὐτὸν ὁμοῦ τῷ παιδί φησι τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ πόλου γράμματα. αἱ δὲ Ἑσπερίδες —μετεκινήθησαν γὰρ ὑπὸ Ἠλείων—αὗται μὲν ἔτι καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἦσαν ἐν τῷ Ἡραίῳ· τὸν δὲ θησαυρὸν τοῖς Ἐπιδαμνίοις Πύρρος καὶ οἱ παῖδες Λακράτης τε καὶ Ἕρμων ἐποίησαν.
ᾠκοδόμησαν δὲ καὶ Συβαρῖται θησαυρὸν ἐχόμενον τοῦ Βυζαντίων· ὁπόσοι δὲ περὶ Ἰταλίας καὶ πόλεων ἐπολυπραγμόνησαν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, Λουπίας φασὶ κειμένην Βρεντεσίου τε μεταξὺ καὶ Ὑδροῦντος μεταβεβληκέναι τὸ ὄνομα, Σύβαριν οὖσαν τὸ ἀρχαῖον· ὁ δὲ ὅρμος ταῖς ναυσὶ χειροποίητος καὶ Ἀδριανοῦ βασιλέως ἐστὶν ἔργον.
πρὸς δὲ τῷ Συβαριτῶν Λιβύων ἐστὶ τῶν ἐν Κυρήνῃ θησαυρός· κεῖνται δὲ βασιλεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ Ῥωμαίων. Σικελιώτας δὲ Σελινουντίους ἀνέστησαν μὲν Καρχηδόνιοι πολέμῳ· πρὶν δὲ ἢ τὴν συμφορὰν γενέσθαι σφίσι, θησαυρὸν τῷ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ Διὶ ἐποίησαν. Διόνυσος δέ ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα πρόσωπον καὶ ἄκρους πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐλέφαντος εἰργασμένος.
ἐν δὲ τῷ Μεταποντίνων θησαυρῷ—προσεχὴς γὰρ τῷ Σελινουντίων ἐστὶν οὗτος—ἐν τούτῳ πεποιημένος ἐστὶν Ἐνδυμίων· πλὴν δὲ ἐσθῆτός ἐστι τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ τῷ Ἐνδυμίωνι ἐλέφαντος. Μεταποντίνους δὲ ἥτις μὲν ἐπέλαβεν ἀπολέσθαι πρόφασις, οὐκ οἶδα· ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ ὅτι μὴ θέατρον καὶ περίβολοι τείχους ἄλλο ἐλείπετο οὐδὲν Μεταποντίου.
Μεγαρεῖς δὲ οἱ πρὸς τῇ Ἀττικῇ θησαυρόν τε ᾠκοδομήσαντο καὶ ἀναθήματα ἀνέθεσαν ἐς τὸν θησαυρὸν κέδρου ζῴδια χρυσῷ διηνθισμένα, τὴν πρὸς Ἀχελῷον Ἡρακλέους μάχην· Ζεὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἡ Δηιάνειρα καὶ Ἀχελῷος καὶ Ἡρακλῆς ἐστιν, Ἄρης τε τῷ Ἀχελῴῳ βοηθῶν. εἱστήκει δὲ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα ἅτε οὖσα τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ σύμμαχος· αὕτη παρὰ τὰς Ἑσπερίδας ἀνάκειται νῦν τὰς ἐν τῷ Ἡραίῳ.
τοῦ θησαυροῦ δὲ ἐπείργασται τῷ ἀετῷ ὁ γιγάντων καὶ θεῶν πόλεμος· ἀνάκειται δὲ καὶ ἀσπὶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀετοῦ, τοὺς Μεγαρέας ἀπὸ Κορινθίων ἀναθεῖναι τὸν θησαυρὸν λέγουσα. ταύτην Μεγαρεῦσιν ἡγοῦμαι τὴν νίκην Ἀθήνῃσιν ἄρχοντος γενέσθαι Φόρβαντος, ἄρχοντος δὲ διὰ τοῦ αὑτοῦ βίου παντός· ἐνιαύσιαι γὰρ οὐκ ἦσάν πω τότε Ἀθηναίοις αἱ ἀρχαί, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ὑπὸ Ἠλείων ἀνεγράφοντό πω τηνικαῦτα αἱ Ὀλυμπιάδες.
λέγονται δὲ καὶ Ἀργεῖοι μετασχεῖν πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους Μεγαρεῦσι τοῦ ἔργου. τὸν δὲ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ θησαυρὸν ἔτεσιν ὕστερον τῆς μάχης ἐποίησαν οἱ Μεγαρεῖς· τὰ δὲ ἀναθήματα ἐκ παλαιοῦ σφᾶς ἔχειν εἰκός, ἅ γε ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος †Δόντας Διποίνου καὶ Σκύλλιδος μαθητὴς ἐποίησε.
τελευταῖος δὲ τῶν θησαυρῶν πρὸς αὐτῷ μέν ἐστιν ἤδη τῷ σταδίῳ, Γελῴων δὲ ἀνάθημα τόν τε θησαυρὸν καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα εἶναι τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ λέγει τὸ ἐπίγραμμα· οὐ μέντοι ἀνακείμενά γε ἔτι ἀγάλματά ἐστιν.
There is a terrace made of conglomerate stone in the Altis to the north of the Heraeum, and at the back of it extends Mount Cronius. On this terrace are the treasuries, just as at Delphi some of the Greeks have made treasuries for Apollo.
At Olympia there is a treasury called the treasury of the Sicyonians, an offering of Myron, tyrant of Sicyon. Myron built it after he had gained a victory in the chariot-race in the thirty-third Olympiad. In the treasury he made two chambers, one in the Doric, the other in the Ionic style. I saw that they were made of bronze, but whether the bronze is Tartessian bronze, as the Eleans say, I do not know.
They say that Tartessus is a river in the land of the Iberians, which empties itself into the sea by two mouths, and that there is a city of the same name situated between the mouths of the river. The river, which is the greatest in Iberia, and is moreover tidal, received in later times the name of Baetis. But some think that Carpia, a city of the Iberians, was anciently called Tartessus. On the lesser of the chambers at Olympia there are inscriptions, mentioning that the weight of the bronze is five hundred talents, and that the treasury was dedicated by Myron and the people of Sicyon. In this treasury are kept three quoits, which are employed in the pentathlum. There is also a bronze-plated shield, curiously painted on its inner side, and along with the shield there are a helmet and greaves. An inscription on the arms states that they are a first-fruit offering presented to Zeus by the Myanians. Different conjectures have been made as to who these Myanians were. I recollected that Thucydides in his history mentions various cities of the Locrians who border on Phocis, and amongst others the city of the Myonians. In my opinion, then, the Myanians referred to on the shield are the same as the Myonians in Locris. The inscription on the shield runs a little awry, which is to be explained by the antiquity of the votive offering. Here are also deposited other notable things: the sword of Pelops with a golden hilt ; the horn of Amalthea, made of ivory, an offering of that Miltiades, son of Cimon, who was the first of his family to reign in the Thracian Chersonese. On the horn is an inscription in old Attic letters :— I was dedicated as an offering to Olympian Zeus by the men of Chersonese After they had taken the stronghold of Aratus: their leader was Miltiades. There is also a boxwood image of Apollo with the head gilt: the inscription says that it was dedicated by the Locrians who dwell near Cape Zephyrium, and that it was made by Patrocles of Crotona, son of Catillus.
Next to the treasury of the Sicyonians is the treasury of the Carthaginians, a work of Pothaeus, Antiphilus, and Megacles. In it are dedicated a colossal image of Zeus and three linen corselets. It is an offering of Gelo and the Syracusans for a victory over the Phoenicians either by sea or land.
The third and fourth of the treasuries are offerings of the Epidamnians. . . . It contains a representation of Atlas upholding the firmament, and another of Hercules and the apple-tree of the Hesperides, with the serpent coiled about the tree. These also are of cedar-wood, and are works of Theocles, son of Hegylus: the inscription on the firmament states that he made them with the help of his son. The Hesperides were removed by the Eleans, but were still to be seen in my time in the Heraeum. The treasury was made for the Epidamnians by Pyrrhus and his sons Lacrates and Hermon.
The Sybarites also built a treasury next to that of the Byzantines. Those who have made a study of Italy and its cities say that the city of Lupiae, situated between Brundusium and Hydrus, is the ancient Sybaris with a changed name. The roadstead is artificial, a work of the Emperor Hadrian.
Beside the treasury of the Sybarites is a treasury of the Libyans of Cyrene: it contains statues of Roman emperors. Selinus, in Sicily, was destroyed by the Carthaginians in war, but before this calamity befell them the people of Selinus dedicated a treasury to Zeus at Olympia. It contains an image of Dionysus, whereof the face, feet, and hands are made of ivory.
In the treasury of the Metapontines, which adjoins that of the Selinuntians, there is a figure of Endymion, also of ivory, except the drapery. I do not know what was the occasion of the destruction of Metapontum, but in my time nothing was left of it save the theatre and the circuit wall.
The people of Megara, near Attica, built a treasury, and dedicated offerings in it, consisting of small cedar-wood figures inlaid with gold, and representing Hercules’ fight with Achelous. Here are represented Zeus, Dejanira, Achelous, and Hercules, and Ares who is helping Achelous. Also there was formerly an image of Athena, because she was an ally of Hercules; but this image now stands beside the Hesperides in the Heraeum. In the gable of the treasury is wrought in relief the war of the giants and the gods, and above the gable is a shield with an inscription stating that the treasury was dedicated by the Megarians from the spoils of the Corinthians. I believe that this victory was won by the Megarians when Phorbas was archon for life at Athens ; for in those days the annual archonships were not yet instituted at Athens, and the Eleans had not yet begun to record the Olympiads. The Argives are said to have helped the Megarians against the Corinthians. The treasury in Olympia was made by the Megarians years after the battle, but they must have had the votive offerings from of old, since they were made by the Lacedaemonian Dontas, a pupil of Dipoenus and Scyllis. 10. The last of the treasuries is beside the stadium: the inscription states that the treasury and the images in it were dedicated by the people of Gela. However, there are images in it no longer.
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