Αἰγιεῦσι δὲ ἔστι μὲν πρὸς τῇ ἀγορᾷ ναὸς Ἀπόλλωνι καὶ Ἀρτέμιδι ἐν κοινῷ, ἔστι δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἱερὸν Ἀρτέμιδος, τοξευούσῃ δὲ εἴκασται, καὶ Ταλθυβίου τοῦ κήρυκος τάφος· κέχωσται δὲ τῷ Ταλθυβίῳ καὶ ἄλλο μνῆμα ἐν Σπάρτῃ, καὶ αὐτῷ αἱ πόλεις ἐναγίζουσιν ἀμφότεραι.
πρὸς θαλάσσῃ δὲ Ἀφροδίτης ἱερὸν ἐν Αἰγίῳ καὶ μετʼ αὐτὸ Ποσειδῶνος, Κόρης τε πεποίηται τῆς Δήμητρος καὶ τέταρτον Ὁμαγυρίῳ Διί. ἐνταῦθα Διὸς καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ἐστὶ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ἀγάλματα· Ὁμαγύριος δὲ ἐγένετο τῷ Διὶ ἐπίκλησις, ὅτι Ἀγαμέμνων ἤθροισεν ἐς τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον τοὺς λόγου μάλιστα ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἀξίους, μεθέξοντας ἐν κοινῷ βουλῆς καθʼ ὅντινα χρὴ τρόπον ἐπὶ ἀρχὴν τὴν Πριάμου στρατεύεσθαι. Ἀγαμέμνονι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἐς ἔπαινον καὶ ὅτι τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀκολουθήσασι καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἐπελθούσης ὕστερον στρατιᾶς τήν τε Ἴλιον ἐπόρθησε καὶ ὅσαι περίοικοι πόλεις ἦσαν.
ἐφεξῆς δὲ τῷ Ὁμαγυρίῳ Διὶ Παναχαιᾶς ἐστι Δήμητρος. παρέχεται δὲ ὁ αἰγιαλός, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ Αἰγιεῦσίν ἐστι τὰ εἰρημένα, ὕδωρ ἄφθονον θεάσασθαί τε καὶ πιεῖν ἐκ πηγῆς ἡδύ. ἔστι δέ σφισι καὶ Σωτηρίας ἱερόν. ἰδεῖν μὲν δὴ τὸ ἄγαλμα οὐδενὶ πλὴν τῶν ἱερωμένων ἔστι, δρῶσι δὲ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα· λαμβάνοντες παρὰ τῆς θεοῦ πέμματα ἐπιχώρια ἀφιᾶσιν ἐς θάλασσαν, πέμπειν δὲ τῇ ἐν Συρακούσαις Ἀρεθούσῃ φασὶν αὐτά.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα Αἰγιεῦσιν ἀγάλματα χαλκοῦ πεποιημένα, Ζεύς τε ἡλικίαν παῖς καὶ Ἡρακλῆς, οὐδὲ οὗτος ἔχων πω γένεια, Ἀγελάδα τέχνη τοῦ Ἀργείου. τούτοις κατὰ ἔτος ἱερεῖς αἱρετοὶ γίνονται, καὶ ἑκάτερα τῶν ἀγαλμάτων ἐπὶ ταῖς οἰκίαις μένει τοῦ ἱερωμένου. τὰ δὲ ἔτι παλαιότερα προεκέκριτο ἐκ τῶν παίδων ἱερᾶσθαι τῷ Διὶ ὁ νικῶν κάλλει· ἀρχομένων δὲ αὐτῷ γενείων ἐς ἄλλον παῖδα ἡ ἐπὶ τῷ κάλλει μετῄει τιμή. ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως ἐνομίζετο· ἐς δὲ Αἴγιον καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἔτι συνέδριον τὸ Ἀχαιῶν ἀθροίζεται, καθότι ἐς Θερμοπύλας τε καὶ ἐς Δελφοὺς οἱ Ἀμφικτύονες.
ἰόντι δὲ ἐς τὸ πρόσω Σελινοῦς τε ποταμὸς καὶ ἀπωτέρω τεσσαράκοντα Αἰγίου σταδίοις ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ χωρίον ἐστὶν Ἑλίκη. ἐνταῦθα ᾤκητο Ἑλίκη πόλις καὶ Ἴωσιν ἱερὸν ἁγιώτατον Ποσειδῶνος ἦν Ἑλικωνίου. διαμεμένηκε δέ σφισι, καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ Ἀχαιῶν ἐκπεσόντες ἐς Ἀθήνας καὶ ὕστερον ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν ἐς τὰ παραθαλάσσια ἀφίκοντο τῆς Ἀσίας, σέβεσθαι Ποσειδῶνα Ἑλικώνιον· καὶ Μιλησίοις τε ἰόντι ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν τὴν Βιβλίδα Ποσειδῶνος πρὸ τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν Ἑλικωνίου βωμὸς καὶ ὡσαύτως ἐν Τέῳ περίβολός τε καὶ βωμός ἐστι τῷ Ἑλικωνίῳ θέας ἄξιος.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ὁμήρῳ πεποιημένα ἐς Ἑλίκην καὶ τὸν Ἑλικώνιον Ποσειδῶνα. χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον Ἀχαιοῖς τοῖς ἐνταῦθα, ἱκέτας ἄνδρας ἀποστήσασιν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ ἀποκτείνασιν, οὐκ ἐμέλλησε τὸ μήνιμα ἐκ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος, ἀλλὰ σεισμὸς ἐς τὴν χώραν σφίσιν αὐτίκα κατασκήψας τῶν τε οἰκοδομημάτων τὴν κατασκευὴν καὶ ὁμοῦ τῇ κατασκευῇ καὶ αὐτὸ τῆς πόλεως τὸ ἔδαφος ἀφανὲς ἐς τοὺς ἔπειτα ἐποίησε.
τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα ἐπὶ τοῖς σεισμοῖς, ὅσοι μεγέθει τε ὑπερήρκασι καὶ ἐπὶ μήκιστον διικνοῦνται τῆς γῆς, προσημαίνειν ὁ θεὸς κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ ὡς τὸ ἐπίπαν εἴωθεν—ἢ γὰρ ἐπομβρίαι συνεχεῖς ἢ αὐχμοὶ πρὸ τῶν σεισμῶν συμβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ χρόνον πλείονα, καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ παρὰ τὴν ἑκάστοτε τοῦ ἔτους ὥραν χειμῶνός τε γίνεται καυματωδέστερος καὶ ἐν θέρει μετὰ ἀχλύος μᾶλλον ὁ κύκλος παρέχεται τοῦ ἡλίου τὴν χρόαν παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἤτοι ἐς τὸ ἐρυθρότερον ἢ καὶ ἡσυχῇ ῥέπουσαν ἐς τὸ μελάντερον·
τῶν τε ὑδάτων ὡς τὸ πολὺ ἐπιλείπουσιν αἱ πηγαί, καὶ ἀνέμων ἔστιν οἷς ἐνέπεσον ἐς τὴν χώραν ἐμβολαὶ περιτρέπουσαι τὰ δένδρα, καί που καὶ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ διαδρομαὶ σὺν πολλῇ τῇ φλογί, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἀστέρων ὤφθη σχήματα οὔτε ἐγνωσμένα ὑπὸ τῶν πρότερον καὶ μεγάλην τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἐμποιοῦντα ἔκπληξιν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῆς γῆς κάτω πνευμάτων ὑπήχησις ἰσχυρά, ἄλλα τε πολλὰ ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς βιαίοις τῶν σεισμῶν ἐθέλει προενδείκνυσθαι·
—τῆς δὲ κινήσεως αὐτῆς καθέστηκεν οὐχ εἷς τρόπος, ἀλλʼ οἱ φροντίσαντες τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ οἱ παρʼ ἐκείνων διδαχθέντες ἰδέας καταμαθεῖν ἐδυνήθησαν τοσάσδε ἐπὶ τοῖς σεισμοῖς. ἠπιώτατος μέν ἐστιν αὐτῶν, ἢν δὴ ἐν κακῷ γε τοσούτῳ ῥᾳστώνην ἐνεῖναί τινα ἡγησώμεθα, ἐπειδὰν ὁμοῦ τῇ κινήσει τῇ ἀρξαμένῃ τὸ πρῶτον καὶ τῇ ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος τροπῇ τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων ἀντιστᾶσα ἐναντία κίνησις ἐξεγείρῃ τὰ ἤδη τραπέντα, —καὶ ἐν τῇ τοιᾷδε ἰδέᾳ
τοῦ σεισμοῦ κίονας ὁρᾶν ἔστιν ἀνορθουμένους οἳ ὀλίγου ἐδέησαν ἐς ἅπαν ἐκριφῆναι, καὶ ὁπόσα διέστη τοίχων συνερχόμενα ἐς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς· δοκοὶ δέ, ὅσας ἐκτὸς ὀλισθεῖν ἐποίησεν ἡ κίνησις, ἐπανίασιν αὖθις ἐς τὰς ἕδρας· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ὀχετῶν κατασκευῆς καὶ εἰ δή τι ἄλλο ἐπὶ ὕδατος ῥοαῖς προάγει, καὶ τούτων συνδεῖ τὰ διεσπασμένα μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώπων τεκτόνων· —ὁ δὲ δὴ δεύτερος τῶν σεισμῶν ἀπώλειάν τε τῶν ἑτοιμοτέρων φέρει καί, ἐφʼ ὅ τι ἂν βάλῃ τὴν ὁρμήν, ἀνέκλινεν αὐτίκα τοῖς ἐς πολιορκίαν μηχανήμασιν ὁμοίως.
τὸν δὲ αὐτῶν ὀλεθριώτατον τοιῷδέ τινι ἐθέλουσιν εἰκάζειν, τὸ ἐντὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πνεῦμα εἰ συνεχεῖ πυρετῷ πυκνότερόν τε καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῆς ἄνω τῆς βίας ὠθοῖτο· τοῦτο δὲ ἀλλαχοῦ τε τοῦ σώματος ἐπισημαίνει καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὑπὸ ἑκάτερον μάλιστα τὸν καρπόν. κατὰ ταὐτὰ οὖν καὶ τὸν σεισμὸν εὐθὺ ὑποδύεσθαι τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων καὶ θεμέλια ἀναπάλλειν φασὶν αὐτόν, καθότι καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν σφαλάκων ἐκ μυχοῦ τῆς γῆς ἀναπέμπεται· μόνη τε ἡ τοιαύτη κίνησις οὐδὲ τοῦ οἰκισθῆναί ποτε ὑπολείπει σημεῖα ἐν τῇ γῇ.
τότε δὲ ἰδέαν μὲν ταύτην ἐπὶ τῇ Ἑλίκῃ τοῦ σεισμοῦ τὴν ἐς τὸ ἔδαφος ἀνακινοῦσαν, σὺν δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ ἄλλο πῆμα τοιόνδε οἱ ἐπιγενέσθαι φασὶν ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος. ἐπῆλθε γάρ σφισιν ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς χώρας ἡ θάλασσα καὶ τὴν Ἑλίκην περιέλαβεν ἐν κύκλῳ πᾶσαν· καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐπέσχεν ὁ κλύδων ὡς τὰ ἄκρα τῶν δένδρων σύνοπτα εἶναι μόνον. σείσαντος δὲ ἐξαίφνης τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὁμοῦ τῷ σεισμῷ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀναδραμούσης, καθείλκυσεν αὔτανδρον τὸ κῦμα τὴν Ἑλίκην.
τοιοῦτό γε δὴ κατέλαβεν, ἕτερον τὴν ἰδέαν, ἐν Σιπύλῳ πόλιν ἐς χάσμα ἀφανισθῆναι· ἐξ ὅτου δὲ κατεάγη τοῦ ὄρους, ὕδωρ αὐτόθεν ἐρρύη, καὶ λίμνη τε ὀνομαζομένη Σαλόη τὸ χάσμα ἐγένετο καὶ ἐρείπια πόλεως δῆλα ἦν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ, πρὶν ἢ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπέκρυψεν αὐτὰ τοῦ χειμάρρου. σύνοπτα δὲ καὶ Ἑλίκης ἐστὶ τὰ ἐρείπια, οὐ μὴν ἔτι γε ὁμοίως, ἅτε ὑπὸ τῆς ἅλμης λελυμασμένα.
Beside the market-place at Aegium there is a temple sacred to Apollo and Artemis jointly; and in the market-place is a sanctuary of Artemis, where she is represented shooting an arrow. In the market-place, too, is the grave of the herald Talthybius. At Sparta also there is a barrow to Talthybius, and both cities sacrifice to him as to a hero. Beside the sea at Aegium is a sanctuary of Aphrodite, and after it there is one of Poseidon, and one of the Maid, the daughter of Demeter, and a fourth sanctuary of Homagyrian Zeus, with images of Zeus and Aphrodite and Athena.
Zeus got the surname of Homagyrian (‘assembler’), because on this spot Agamemnon assembled the chief men of Greece to consult how they should make war on the kingdom of Priam. It is one of Agamemnon’s titles to glory that he destroyed Ilium and its vassal towns with his original forces alone, without the help of any later reinforcements. Next to the sanctuary of Homagyrian Zeus is one of Panachaean Demeter. The beach at Aegium on which are the aforesaid sanctuaries possesses a copious spring, the water of which is pleasant both to the eye and to the taste. There is also a sanctuary of Safety at Aegium: none but the priests are allowed to see her image. They also perform the following ceremony: they take from the sanctuary some cakes of the country and fling them into the sea, and they say that they send them to Arethusa at Syracuse. There are other images at Aegium made of bronze: Zeus represented as a child, and Hercules also beardless, a work of Ageladas the Argive. Priests are chosen for them annually, and each of the two images remains in the house of the priest. In more ancient times the most beautiful boy was chosen to be priest to Zeus, but when his beard began to grow this meed of beauty was transferred to another boy. The Achaean diet still meets at Aegium, just as the Amphictyons meet at Thermopylae and at Delphi.
Going on you come to the river Selinus, and forty furlongs from Aegium is a place Helice on the coast.
Here there used to be a city Helice, and here the Ionians had a most holy sanctuary of Heliconian Poseidon. Their reverence for that god has survived to the present day, in spite of their expulsion by the Achaeans and their migration first to Athens, and afterwards to the coast of Asia. At Miletus, on the way to the spring of Biblis, there is an altar of Heliconian Zeus in front of the city; and in Teos, too, the Heliconian god has an enclosure and an altar which are worth seeing. Homer also refers to Helice and Heliconian Poseidon.
But in after time the Achaeans of Helice forced some suppliants from the sanctuary, and put them to death. The wrath of Poseidon did not tarry. The land was instantly visited by an earthquake, which swallowed up not only the buildings, but the very ground on which the city had stood.
Ominous signs, vouchsafed by the god, foretell the approach of great and far-reaching earthquakes. The nature of the signs is generally the same. For earthquakes are preceded either by heavy and continuous rains or long droughts. The weather, too, is unseasonable. If it is winter, the weather is sultry: if it is summer, there is a haze, and the sun’s disc appears of an unusual colour, slightly inclining either to red or dun. Springs of water mostly dry up. Sudden gusts sometimes sweep across the country, blowing the trees down. At times, too, the sky is shot with sheets of flame. Stars are seen of an aspect never known before, and strike consternation into beholders. Moreover, a mighty murmur is heard of winds blowing underground. And many more signs there are whereby the god gives warning of the approach of violent earthquakes. The character of the shock itself is not always the same. The original observers and persons instructed by them have been able to distinguish the following classes of earthquakes. The mildest form of earthquake —if so dire a calamity can be thought to admit of alleviation—is when the first shock, which levels the buildings with the ground, is counteracted by an opposite shock which raises up what the first had knocked down. In this kind of earthquake you may see columns, which had been all but hurled from their bases, rising to the perpendicular, and walls which had cracked closing up again ; and beams, which the shock had caused to slide out, return to their places ; and similarly rifts made in conduits and water-channels are cemented better than they could have been by a craftsman. The second kind of earthquake destroys everything that is the least unsteady : whatever it strikes it instantly overthrows, as with the blow of a battering-ram. The deadliest kind of earthquake is illustrated by the following comparison. In an unintermitting fever a man’s breathing is quick and laboured, as is shown by symptoms at various points of the body, but especially at the wrists ; and they say that in the same way the earthquake dives under buildings and upheaves their foundations, just as molehills are pushed up from the bowels of the earth. It is this kind of shock alone that leaves not a trace of human habitation behind. They say that the earthquake at Helice was of this last kind, the kind that levels with the ground ; and that, besides the earthquake, another disaster befell the doomed city in the winter-time. The sea advanced far over the land and submerged the whole of Helice, and in the grove of Poseidon the water was so deep that only the tops of the trees were visible. So what between the suddenness of the earthquake and the simultaneous rush of the sea, the billows sucked down Helice and every soul in the place.
A like fate befell a city on Mount Sipylus: it disappeared into a chasm, and from the fissure in the mountain water gushed forth, and the chasm became a lake named Saloe. The ruins of the city could still be seen in the lake until the water of the torrent covered them up. The ruins of Helice are also visible, but not so clearly as before, for they have been eaten away by the brine.
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