καὶ Διονύσου κατὰ τοῦτο τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν ἱερὸν ἐπίκλησιν Καλυδωνίου· μετεκομίσθη γὰρ καὶ τοῦ Διονύσου τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐκ Καλυδῶνος. ὅτε δὲ ᾠκεῖτο ἔτι Καλυδών, ἄλλοι τε Καλυδωνίων ἐγένοντο ἱερεῖς τῷ θεῷ καὶ δὴ καὶ Κόρεσος, ὃν ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα ἐπέλαβεν ἄδικα ἐξ ἔρωτος παθεῖν. ἤρα μὲν Καλλιρόης παρθένου· ὁπόσον δὲ ἐς Καλλιρόην ἔρωτος Κορέσῳ μετῆν, τοσοῦτο εἶχεν ἀπεχθείας ἐς αὐτὸν ἡ παρθένος.
ὡς δὲ τοῦ Κορέσου δεήσεις τε ποιουμένου πάσας καὶ δώρων ὑποσχέσεις παντοίας οὐκ ἐνετρέπετο ἡ γνώμη τῆς παρθένου, ἐκομίζετο ἱκέτης ἤδη παρὰ τοῦ Διονύσου τὸ ἄγαλμα. ὁ δὲ ἤκουσέ τε εὐχομένου τοῦ ἱερέως καὶ οἱ Καλυδώνιοι τὸ παραυτίκα ὥσπερ ὑπὸ μέθης ἐγίνοντο ἔκφρονες καὶ ἡ τελευτὴ σφᾶς παραπλῆγας ἐπελάμβανε. καταφεύγουσιν οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστήριον τὸ ἐν Δωδώνῃ· τοῖς γὰρ τὴν ἤπειρον ταύτην οἰκοῦσι, τοῖς τε Αἰτωλοῖς καὶ τοῖς προσχώροις αὐτῶν Ἀκαρνᾶσι καὶ Ἠπειρώταις, αἱ πέλειαι καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς δρυὸς μαντεύματα μετέχειν μάλιστα ἐφαίνετο ἀληθείας.
τότε δὲ τὰ χρησθέντα ἐκ Δωδώνης Διονύσου μὲν ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸ μήνιμα, ἔσεσθαι δὲ οὐ πρότερον λύσιν πρὶν ἢ θύσῃ τῷ Διονύσῳ Κόρεσος ἢ αὐτὴν Καλλιρόην ἢ τὸν ἀποθανεῖν ἀντʼ ἐκείνης τολμήσαντα. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν ἐς σωτηρίαν εὑρίσκετο ἡ παρθένος, δεύτερα ἐπὶ τοὺς θρεψαμένους καταφεύγει· ἁμαρτάνουσα δὲ καὶ τούτων, ἐλείπετο οὐδὲν ἔτι ἢ αὐτὴν φονεύεσθαι.
προεξεργασθέντων δὲ ὁπόσα ἐς τὴν θυσίαν ἄλλα ἐκ Δωδώνης μεμαντευμένα ἦν, ἡ μὲν ἱερείου τρόπον ἦκτο ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν, Κόρεσος δὲ ἐφειστήκει μὲν τῇ θυσίᾳ, τῷ δὲ ἔρωτι εἴξας καὶ οὐ τῷ θυμῷ ἑαυτὸν ἀντὶ Καλλιρόης διεργάζεται. ὁ μὲν δὴ ἀπέδειξεν ἔργον ἀνθρώπων ὧν ἴσμεν διατεθεὶς ἐς ἔρωτα ἀπλαστότατα·
Καλλιρόη τε ὡς Κόρεσον τεθνεῶτα εἶδεν, μετέπεσε τῇ παιδὶ ἡ γνώμη, καὶ—ἐσῄει γὰρ αὐτὴν Κορέσου τε ἔλεος καὶ ὅσα ἐς αὐτὸν εἴργασται αἰδώς—ἀπέσφαξέ τε αὑτὴν ἐς τὴν πηγήν, ἣ ἐν Καλυδῶνί ἐστιν οὐ πόρρω τοῦ λιμένος, καὶ ἀπʼ ἐκείνης οἱ ἔπειτα ἄνθρωποι Καλλιρόην τὴν πηγὴν καλοῦσι.
τοῦ θεάτρου δὲ ἐγγὺς πεποίηται Πατρεῦσι γυναικὸς ἐπιχωρίας τέμενος. Διονύσου δέ ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα ἀγάλματα, ἴσοι τε τοῖς ἀρχαίοις πολίσμασι καὶ ὁμώνυμοι· Μεσατεὺς γὰρ καὶ Ἀνθεύς τε καὶ Ἀροεύς ἐστιν αὐτοῖς τὰ ὀνόματα. ταῦτα τὰ ἀγάλματα ἐν τῇ Διονύσου ἑορτῇ κομίζουσιν ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Αἰσυμνήτου· τὸ δὲ ἱερὸν τοῦτο ἐς τὰ ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ τῆς πόλεως ἐρχομένοις ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ.
ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Αἰσυμνήτου κατωτέρω ἰόντι ἄλλο ἱερὸν καὶ ἄγαλμα λίθου· καλεῖται μὲν Σωτηρίας, ἱδρύσασθαι δὲ αὐτὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀποφυγόντα φασὶ τὴν μανίαν Εὐρύπυλον. πρὸς δὲ τῷ λιμένι Ποσειδῶνός τε ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμά ἐστιν ὀρθὸν λίθου. Ποσειδῶνι δὲ παρὲξ ἢ ὁπόσα ὀνόματα ποιηταῖς πεποιημένα ἐστὶν ἐς ἐπῶν κόσμον καὶ ἰδίᾳ σφίσιν ἐπιχώρια ὄντα ἕκαστοι τίθενται, τοσαίδε ἐς ἅπαντας γεγόνασιν ἐπικλήσεις αὐτῷ, Πελαγαῖος καὶ Ἀσφάλιός τε καὶ Ἵππιος.
ὠνομάσθαι δὲ Ἵππιον τὸν θεὸν πείθοιτο μὲν ἄν τις καὶ ἐπʼ αἰτίαις ἄλλαις· ἐγὼ δὲ εὑρετὴν ἱππικῆς ὄντα ἀπὸ τούτου σχεῖν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα εἰκάζω. Ὅμηρος μέν γε ἐν ἵππων ἄθλοις Μενελάῳ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τούτου πρόκλησιν περιέθηκεν ὅρκου· ἵππων ἁψάμενος, γαιήοχον ἐννοσίγαιον / ὄμνυθι μηδὲν ἑκὼν τὸ ἐμὸν δόλῳ ἅρμα πεδῆσαι. /
Πάμφως δέ, ὃς Ἀθηναίοις τοὺς ἀρχαιοτάτους τῶν ὕμνων ἐποίησεν, εἶναί φησι τὸν Ποσειδῶνα ἵππων τε δωτῆρα νεῶν τʼ ἰθυκρηδέμνων. / οὕτω διὰ τὴν ἱππικὴν καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ ἑτέρας προφάσεως τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχηκεν.
ἐν Πάτραις δὲ οὐ πολὺ ἀπωτέρω τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερά ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτης· τὸ δὲ ἕτερον τῶν ἀγαλμάτων γενεᾷ πρότερον ἢ κατʼ ἐμὲ ἁλιεῖς ἄνδρες ἀνείλκυσαν ἐν δικτύῳ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀγάλματα τοῦ λιμένος ἐγγυτάτω χαλκοῦ πεποιημένα Ἄρεως, τὸ δὲ Ἀπόλλωνος· καὶ Ἀφροδίτης, ἧς καὶ πρὸς τῷ λιμένι ἐστὶ τέμενος, λίθου μὲν πρόσωπον καὶ ἄκραι χεῖρες καὶ πόδες, ξύλου δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ εἴργασται.
ἔστι δέ σφισι καὶ ἄλσος ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ, δρόμους τε ἐπιτηδειοτάτους καὶ ἐς τἄλλα δίαιταν ἡδεῖαν ὥρᾳ παρεχόμενον θερινῇ. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἄλσει καὶ ναοὶ θεῶν, Ἀπόλλωνος, ὁ δὲ Ἀφροδίτης· πεποίηται λίθου καὶ τούτοις τὰ ἀγάλματα. τοῦ δὲ ἄλσους ἱερὸν ἔχεται Δήμητρος· αὕτη μὲν καὶ ἡ παῖς ἑστᾶσι, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τῆς Γῆς ἐστι καθήμενον.
πρὸ δὲ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τῆς Δήμητρός ἐστι πηγή· ταύτης τὰ μὲν πρὸς τοῦ ναοῦ λίθων ἀνέστηκεν αἱμασιά, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἐκτὸς κάθοδος ἐς αὐτὴν πεποίηται. μαντεῖον δὲ ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν ἀψευδές, οὐ μὲν ἐπὶ παντί γε πράγματι, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ τῶν καμνόντων. κάτοπτρον καλῳδίῳ τῶν λεπτῶν δήσαντες καθιᾶσι, σταθμώμενοι μὴ πρόσω καθικέσθαι τῆς πηγῆς, ἀλλʼ ὅσον ἐπιψαῦσαι τοῦ ὕδατος τῷ κύκλῳ τοῦ κατόπτρου. τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν εὐξάμενοι τῇ θεῷ καὶ θυμιάσαντες ἐς τὸ κάτοπτρον βλέπουσι· τὸ δέ σφισι τὸν νοσοῦντα ἤτοι ζῶντα ἢ καὶ τεθνεῶτα ἐπιδείκνυσι.
τούτῳ μὲν τῷ ὕδατι ἐς τοσοῦτο μέτεστιν ἀληθείας, Κυανεῶν δὲ τῶν πρὸς Λυκίᾳ πλησιαίτατα χρηστήριον Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστι Θυρξέως· παρέχεται δὲ ὕδωρ τὸ πρὸς ταῖς Κυανέαις ἔσω ἐνιδόντα τινὰ ἐς τὴν πηγὴν ὁμοίως πάντα ὁπόσα θέλει θεάσασθαι. ἐν Πάτραις δὲ πρὸς τῷ ἄλσει καὶ ἱερὰ δύο ἐστὶ Σαράπιδος· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ πεποίηται μνῆμα Αἰγύπτου τοῦ Βήλου. φυγεῖν δὲ ἐς τὴν Ἀρόην οἱ Πατρεῖς φασιν αὐτὸν τοῖς τε ἐς τοὺς παῖδας παθήμασι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτὸ πεφρικότα τοῦ Ἄργους καὶ ἐς πλέον τοῦ Δαναοῦ δείματι.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἱερὸν Πατρεῦσιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ· τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῶν πυλῶν ἐστιν ἐγγὺς αἳ ἐπὶ Μεσάτιν ἄγουσιν. αἱ δὲ γυναῖκές εἰσιν ἐν ταῖς Πάτραις ἀριθμὸν μὲν καὶ ἐς δὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν· Ἀφροδίτης δέ, εἴπερ ἄλλαις γυναιξί, μέτεστι καὶ ταύταις. βίος δὲ αὐτῶν ταῖς πολλαῖς ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς βύσσου τῆς ἐν τῇ Ἤλιδι φυομένης· κεκρυφάλους τε γὰρ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐσθῆτα ὑφαίνουσι τὴν ἄλλην.
In this part of the city there is also a sanctuary of Dionysus surnamed Calydonian, for the image of Dionysus also was brought from Calydon. While Calydon was still inhabited, among the Calydonians who were priests to the god there was one Coresus, than whom no man ever suffered so cruelly from love. He loved a girl Callirhoe, but the damsel’s hatred of him was just as deep as was his love of her. When all his prayers and promises availed not to shake her resolution, he betook himself as a suppliant to the image of Dionysus. The god hearkened to the prayer of his priest, and straightway the Calydonians went out of their minds as if with wine, and died raving. So they applied to the oracle at Dodona; for the people who inhabited that part of the continent, to wit, the Aetolians and their neighbours the Acarnanians and Epirots, thought that no oracles were so true as the oracles given by the doves and the oak-tree. At the time I speak of the oracle of Dodona declared that the calamity was due to the wrath of Dionysus, and that there would be no deliverance from it until Coresus had sacrificed to Dionysus either Callirhoe herself, or some one who should dare to die for her. Finding no way of escape, the damsel sought refuge with those who had brought her up; but she got no protection from them, so there was nothing left for it but that she should be slain. When the preparations for the sacrifice had been made as the oracle of Dodona had directed, the damsel was brought like a victim to the altar, and Coresus stood ready to offer the sacrifice ; but, yielding to the impulse of love rather than of anger, he slew himself instead of her, thus giving proof of the most unfeigned affection that ever was heard of. But when Callirhoe saw Coresus lying dead she repented, and, touched with pity for him and shame at her own treatment of him, she cut her throat at the spring which is in Calydon not far from the harbour, and which has been called Callirhoe after her ever since.
Near the theatre at Patrae is a precinct sacred to a native woman. Here are images of Dionysus, one for each of the ancient towns after which they are named, their names being Mesateus, Antheus, and Aroeus. At the festival of Dionysus these images are brought to the sanctuary of Aesymnetes, which stands on the right hand side of the street as you go from the market-place towards the seaside quarter of the city. Going still lower down from the sanctuary of Aesymnetes, you come to another sanctuary with an image of stone. It is called the sanctuary of Safety, and is said to have been founded by Eurypylus after he had recovered from his madness.
Beside the harbour is a temple of Poseidon with a standing image of stone. Besides the names which poets have bestowed on Poseidon to trick out their verses, and the special local names which are given to him in various places, the following surnames are universally applied to him—Pelagaeus (‘marine’), Asphalius (‘securer’), and Hippius (‘of horses’). Various reasons might be given why Poseidon is called Hippius; for my part, I conjecture that he got the name as the inventor of horsemanship. Certainly Homer, in the description of the chariot-race, puts into the mouth of Menelaus a challenge to swear by this god :— Lay thy hand on the horses, and by the Earth-holding, Earthshaking god Swear that thou didst not guilefully obstruct my car. And Pamphos, who composed for the Athenians their most ancient hymns, says that Poseidon is Giver of horses and of ships with spread sails. Thus he got the name of Hippius from horsemanship, and for no other reason.
At Patrae, not far from the sanctuary of Poseidon, are sanctuaries of Aphrodite. One of the two images was dragged up by some fishermen in their net a generation ago. Close to the harbour are two bronze images, one of Ares, and another of Apollo. The image of Aphrodite, who has a precinct beside the harbour also, is of wood, except the face, hands, and feet, which are of stone. There is also a grove beside the sea: it has pleasant walks, and is altogether an agreeable place to while away the hours in summer time. In this grove there are also temples of the gods, one of Apollo, another of Aphrodite. Their images are of stone. Adjoining the grove is a sanctuary of Demeter: she and her daughter are represented standing ; but the image of Earth is seated.
In front of the sanctuary of Demeter is a spring. Between the spring and the temple is a stone wall, but on the outside there is a way down to the spring. Here there is an infallible mode of divination, not, however, for all matters, but only in cases of sickness. They tie a mirror to a fine cord, and let it down so far that it shall not plunge into the spring, but merely graze the surface of the water with its rim. Then after praying to the goddess and burning incense, they look into the mirror, and it shows them the sick person either living or dead. So truthful is this water.
Very near Cyaneae, in Lycia, there is an oracle of Apollo Thyrxeus, where in like manner the water will show to any one who looks into the spring whatever he wishes to see. Near the grove at Patrae there are also two sanctuaries of Serapis : in one of them is the tomb of Aegyptus, son of Belus. The Patreans say that he fled to Aroe partly because the tragic fate of his sons had made him shudder at the very name of Argos, and still more because he was in fear of Danaus. There is also a sanctuary of Aesculapius at Patrae. It is above the acropolis, near the gate that leads to Mesatis.
The women of Patrae are twice as many as the men, and more charming women are nowhere to be seen. Most of them earn their livelihood by the fine flax that grows in Elis; for they weave it into nets for the hair and dresses.
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