προελθόντι δὲ ὅσον τε στάδιον ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου σημεῖά ἐστιν ἱεροῦ Κορδάκας ἐπίκλησιν Ἀρτέμιδος, ὅτι οἱ τοῦ Πέλοπος ἀκόλουθοι τὰ ἐπινίκια ἤγαγον παρὰ τῇ θεῷ ταύτῃ καὶ ὠρχήσαντο ἐπιχώριον τοῖς περὶ τὸν Σίπυλον κόρδακα ὄρχησιν. τοῦ ἱεροῦ δὲ οὐ πόρρω οἴκημά τε οὐ μέγα καὶ κιβωτός ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ χαλκῆ· ὀστᾶ τὰ Πέλοπος ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ φυλάσσουσι. τείχους δὲ ἢ ἄλλου κατασκευάσματος ἐλείπετο οὐδὲν ἔτι, ἄμπελοι δὲ ἦσαν διὰ τοῦ χωρίου πεφυτευμέναι παντός, ἔνθα ἡ Πίσα ᾠκεῖτο.
οἰκιστὴν μὲν δὴ γενέσθαι τῇ πόλει Πίσον τὸν Περιήρους φασὶ τοῦ Αἰόλου· Πισαῖοι δὲ ἐφειλκύσαντο αὐθαίρετον συμφορὰν ἀπεχθανόμενοί τε Ἠλείοις καὶ σπουδὴν ποιούμενοι τιθέναι τὸν Ὀλυμπικὸν ἀγῶνα ἀντὶ Ἠλείων, οἵγε Ὀλυμπιάδι μὲν τῇ ὀγδόῃ τὸν Ἀργεῖον ἐπηγάγοντο Φείδωνα τυράννων τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησι μάλιστα ὑβρίσαντα καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα ἔθεσαν ὁμοῦ τῷ Φείδωνι, τετάρτῃ δὲ Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ τριακοστῇ στρατὸν οἱ Πισαῖοι καὶ βασιλεὺς αὐτῶν Πανταλέων ὁ Ὀμφαλίωνος παρὰ τῶν προσχώρων ἀθροίσαντες ἐποίησαν ἀντὶ Ἠλείων τὰ Ὀλύμπια.
ταύτας τὰς Ὀλυμπιάδας καὶ ἐπʼ αὐταῖς τὴν τετάρτην τε καὶ ἑκατοστήν, τεθεῖσαν δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀρκάδων, ἀνολυμπιάδας οἱ Ἠλεῖοι καλοῦντες οὐ σφᾶς ἐν καταλόγῳ τῶν Ὀλυμπιάδων γράφουσιν. ὀγδόῃ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς τεσσαράκοντα Ὀλυμπιάδι Δαμοφῶν ὁ Πανταλέοντος ὑπόνοιαν μέν τινα παρέσχεν Ἠλείοις νεώτερα ἐς αὐτοὺς βουλεύειν, ἐσβαλόντας δὲ ἐς τὴν Πισαίαν σὺν ὅπλοις ἀπελθεῖν οἴκαδε ἀπράκτους ἔπεισε δεήσεσί τε καὶ ὅρκοις.
Πύρρου δὲ τοῦ Πανταλέοντος μετὰ Δαμοφῶντα τὸν ἀδελφὸν βασιλεύσαντος Πισαῖοι πόλεμον ἑκούσιον ἐπανείλοντο Ἠλείοις, συναπέστησαν δέ σφισιν ἀπὸ Ἠλείων Μακίστιοι καὶ Σκιλλούντιοι, οὗτοι μὲν ἐκ τῆς Τριφυλίας, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων περιοίκων Δυσπόντιοι· τούτοις καὶ μάλιστα ἐς τοὺς Πισαίους οἰκεῖα ἦν, καὶ οἰκιστὴν Δυσποντέα γενέσθαι σφίσιν Οἰνομάου παῖδα ἐμνημόνευον. Πισαίους μὲν δὴ καὶ ὅσοι τοῦ πολέμου Πισαίοις μετέσχον, ἐπέλαβεν ἀναστάτους ὑπὸ Ἠλείων γενέσθαι·
Πύλου δὲ τῆς ἐν τῇ Ἠλείᾳ δῆλα τὰ ἐρείπια κατὰ τὴν ἐξ Ὀλυμπίας ἐστὶν ἐς Ἦλιν ὀρεινὴν ὁδόν, ὀγδοήκοντα δὲ στάδια ἐς Ἦλιν ἀπὸ τῆς Πύλου. ταύτην τὴν Πύλον ᾤκισε μὲν κατὰ τὰ ἤδη λελεγμένα μοι Μεγαρεὺς ἀνὴρ Πύλων ὁ Κλήσωνος· γενομένη δὲ ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους ἀνάστατος καὶ αὖθις ἐπισυνοικισθεῖσα ὑπὸ Ἠλείων, ἔμελλεν ἀνὰ χρόνον οὐχ ἕξειν οἰκήτορας. παρὰ δὲ αὐτὴν ποταμὸς Λάδων κάτεισιν ἐς τὸν Πηνειόν.
λέγουσι δὲ οἱ Ἠλεῖοι καὶ ἔπος ἐς τὴν Πύλον ταύτην ἔχειν τῶν Ὁμήρου, γένος δʼ ἦν ἐκ ποταμοῖο / Ἀλφειοῦ, ὅστʼ εὐρὺ ῥέει Πυλίων διὰ γαίης, / καὶ ἐμὲ ἔπειθον λέγοντες· ῥεῖ γὰρ δὴ διὰ τῆς χώρας ταύτης ὁ Ἀλφειός, ἐς δὲ ἄλλην Πύλον οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπενεγκεῖν τὸ ἔπος· Πυλίων γὰρ τῶν ὑπὲρ νήσου τῆς Σφακτηρίας οὐ πέφυκεν ἀρχὴν διοδεύειν τὴν γῆν ὁ Ἀλφειός, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀρκάδων Πύλον ποτὲ ὀνομασθεῖσαν ἴσμεν πόλιν.
ἀπέχει δὲ ὡς πεντήκοντα Ὀλυμπίας σταδίους κώμη τε Ἠλείων Ἡράκλεια καὶ πρὸς αὐτῇ Κύθηρος ποταμός· πηγὴ δὲ ἐκδιδοῦσα ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ νυμφῶν ἐστιν ἱερὸν ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ. ὀνόματα δὲ ἰδίᾳ μὲν ἑκάστῃ τῶν νυμφῶν Καλλιφάεια καὶ Συνάλλασις καὶ Πηγαία τε καὶ Ἴασις, ἐν κοινῷ δέ σφισιν ἐπίκλησις Ἰωνίδες. λουομένοις δὲ ἐν τῇ πηγῇ καμάτων τέ ἐστι καὶ ἀλγημάτων παντοίων ἰάματα· καλεῖσθαι δὲ τὰς νύμφας ἀπὸ Ἴωνος λέγουσι τοῦ Γαργηττοῦ, μετοικήσαντος ἐνταῦθα ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν.
εἰ δὲ ἐλθεῖν ἐς Ἦλιν διὰ τοῦ πεδίου θελήσειας, σταδίους μὲν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἐς Λετρίνους ἕξεις, ὀγδοήκοντα δὲ ἐκ Λετρίνων καὶ ἑκατὸν ἐπὶ Ἦλιν. τὸ μὲν δὴ ἐξ ἀρχῆς πόλισμα ἦν οἱ Λετρῖνοι, καὶ Λετρεὺς ὁ Πέλοπος ἐγεγόνει σφίσιν οἰκιστής· ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ δὲ οἰκήματά τε ἐλείπετο ὀλίγα καὶ Ἀλφειαίας Ἀρτέμιδος ἄγαλμα ἐν ναῷ.
γενέσθαι δὲ τὴν ἐπίκλησιν τῇ θεῷ λέγουσιν ἐπὶ λόγῳ τοιῷδε· ἐρασθῆναι τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος τὸν Ἀλφειόν, ἐρασθέντα δέ, ὡς ἐπέγνω μὴ γενήσεσθαί οἱ διὰ πειθοῦς καὶ δεήσεως τὸν γάμον, ἐπιτολμᾶν ὡς βιασόμενον τὴν θεόν, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐς παννυχίδα ἐς Λετρίνους ἐλθεῖν ὑπὸ αὐτῆς τε ἀγομένην τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ νυμφῶν αἷς παίζουσα συνῆν · τὴν δὲ—ἐν ὑπονοίᾳ γὰρ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἔχειν— ἀλείψασθαι τὸ πρόσωπον πηλῷ καὶ αὐτὴν καὶ ὅσαι τῶν νυμφῶν παρῆσαν, καὶ τὸν Ἀλφειόν, ὡς ἐσῆλθεν, οὐκ ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων διακρῖναι τὴν Ἄρτεμιν, ἅτε δὲ οὐ διαγινώσκοντα ἀπελθεῖν ἐπὶ ἀπράκτῳ τῷ ἐγχειρήματι.
Λετριναῖοι μὲν δὴ Ἀλφειαίαν ἐκάλουν τὴν θεὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ τῷ ἐς αὐτὴν ἔρωτι· οἱ δὲ Ἠλεῖοι —φιλία γάρ σφισιν ὑπῆρχεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐς Λετριναίους —τὰ παρὰ σφίσιν Ἀρτέμιδι ἐς τιμὴν τῇ Ἐλαφιαίᾳ καθεστηκότα ἐς Λετρίνους τε μετήγαγον καὶ τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι ἐνόμισαν τῇ Ἀλφειαίᾳ δρᾶν, καὶ οὕτω τὴν Ἀλφειαίαν θεὸν Ἐλαφιαίαν ἀνὰ χρόνον ἐξενίκησεν ὀνομασθῆναι.
Ἐλαφιαίαν δὲ ἐκάλουν οἱ Ἠλεῖοι τὴν Ἄρτεμιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλάφων ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τῇ θήρᾳ· αὐτοὶ δὲ γυναικὸς ἐπιχωρίας ὄνομα εἶναι τὴν Ἐλάφιον καὶ ὑπὸ ταύτης τραφῆναι τὴν Ἄρτεμίν φασι. Λετρίνων δὲ ὅσον τε ἕξ ἀπωτέρω σταδίοις ἐστὶν ἀέναος λίμνη τριῶν που τὴν διάμετρον σταδίων μάλιστα.
Going on about a furlong from the grave you come to traces of a sanctuary of Artemis surnamed Cordax, because the followers of Pelops celebrated their victory in the sanctuary of this goddess and danced the kordax, a dance in vogue among the people of Mount Sipylus. Not far from the sanctuary is a small building, and in the building is a bronze coffer wherein the bones of Pelops are preserved. Remains of city walls or of any other building there were none; and vines were planted over all the ground where Pisa once stood. 2. They say that the founder of Pisa was Pisus, son of Perieres, son of Aeolus. The people of Pisa brought disaster on themselves by their enmity to the Eleans, and by seeking to wrest the presidency of the Olympic games from the latter. For in the eighth Olympiad they called in the Argive Phidon, the most high-handed of Greek tyrants, and held the games jointly with him. In the thirty-fourth Olympiad, the people of Pisa under their king Pantaleon, son of Omphalion, collected an army from the neighbouring districts, and held the Olympic festival instead of the Eleans. These Olympiads, together with the hundred and fourth (in which the festival was held by the Arcadians) are called Non-Olympiads by the Eleans, who do not register them in the list of Olympiads. In the forty-eighth Olympiad, Damophon, son of Pantaleon, gave the Eleans ground to suspect that he was plotting against them, so they invaded the territory of Pisa, but by prayers and oaths he persuaded them to return home without doing anything. When Pyrrhus, son of Pantaleon, succeeded his brother Damophon on the throne, the people of Pisa voluntarily declared war on the Eleans. In this revolt they were joined by the people of Macistus and Scillus (both towns in Triphylia), and by the people of Dyspontium, another vassal state. The Dyspontians had been on very friendly terms with the Pisans, and had a tradition that their founder Dysponteus was a son of Oenomaus. But Pisa and all the towns that sided with it in the war were destroyed by the Eleans. 3. The ruins of Pylus in Elis may be seen on the hill road which leads from Olympia to Elis: they are eighty furlongs from Elis. This Pylus was founded, as I have said before, by a Megarian, Pylon, son of Cleson. After being destroyed by Hercules it was rebuilt by the Eleans, but was destined in course of time to be deserted. Beside it the river Ladon falls into the Peneus. The Eleans say that a verse of Homer refers to this Pylus :— And he was sprung from the river Alpheus, that flows with broad current through the land of the Pylians. This argument convinced me, for the Alpheus does flow through this district, and it is not possible to refer the verse to another Pylus. For it is physically impossible that the Alpheus should pass through the land of the Pylians who dwell over against the island of Sphacteria, and I never heard of a city called Pylus in Arcadia.
About fifty furlongs from Olympia is an Elean village called Heraclea, and beside it is the river Cytherus. A spring flows into the river, and there is a sanctuary of the nymphs at the spring. The individual names of the nymphs are Calliphaea, Synallaxis, Pegaea, and Iasis: collectively they are called the Ionides. To bathe in the spring is a cure for all kinds of sicknesses and pains. They say that the nymphs are called after Ion, son of Gargettus, who migrated thither from Athens.
If you would go to Elis by the plain, you must go a hundred and twenty furlongs to Letrini, and a hundred and eighty from Letrini to Elis. Originally Letrini was a town, and Letreus, son of Pelops, was its founder; but in my time there were only a few buildings left, and an image of Alpheaean Artemis in a temple. They say that the goddess got the surname for the following reason. Alpheus fell in love with Artemis, and seeing that he could not win the hand of the goddess by soft speeches, he boldly meditated violence to her person. It chanced that she and her nymphs held high revelry by night at Letrini. So Alpheus came to the revels. But Artemis, suspecting his design, had daubed mud on her own face and the faces of all the nymphs present. Hence when Alpheus came among them, he could not tell Artemis from the rest, and so had to go away baffled. Therefore the people of Letrini called the goddess Alpheaean, because of Alpheus’ love for her. But the Eleans, who had always been friends of the Letrineans, transferred their own worship of Elaphiaean Artemis to Letrini, and identified it with the worship of Alpheaean Artemis. And thus in course of time the Alpheaean goddess came to be named the Elaphiaean. It seems to me that the Eleans called Artemis Elaphiaean from the hunting of the deer (elaphoi); but they themselves say that Elaphius was the name of a native woman by whom Artemis was brought up. About six furlongs from Letrini is a lake that never dries up: it is just about three furlongs across.
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