τὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἱκεσίου μήνιμα πάρεστι μὲν τοῖς ἐς τὴν Ἑλίκην, πάρεστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλοις διδαχθῆναι πολλοῖς ὡς ἔστιν ἀπαραίτητον· φαίνεται δὲ καὶ ὁ θεὸς παραινῶν ὁ ἐν Δωδώνῃ νέμειν ἐς ἱκέτας αἰδῶ. Ἀθηναίοις γὰρ ἐπὶ ἡλικίας μάλιστα τῆς Ἀφείδαντος ἀφίκετο παρὰ τοῦ ἐν Δωδώνῃ Διὸς τὰ ἔπη τάδε· φράζεο δʼ Ἄρειόν τε πάγον βωμούς τε θυώδεις / Εὐμενίδων, ὅθι χρὴ Λακεδαιμονίους σʼ ἱκετεῦσαι / δουρὶ πιεζομένους. τοὺς μὴ σὺ κτεῖνε σιδήρῳ, / μηδʼ ἱκέτας ἀδικεῖν· ἱκέται δʼ ἱεροί τε καὶ ἁγνοί. /
ταῦτα Ἕλλησιν ἦλθεν ἐς μνήμην, ὅτε ἀφίκοντο ἐπὶ Ἀθήνας Πελοποννήσιοι, τότε Κόδρου τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις τοῦ Μελάνθου βασιλεύοντος. ὁ μὲν δὴ ἄλλος στρατὸς τῶν Πελοποννησίων ἀπεχώρησεν ἐκ τῆς Ἀττικῆς, ἐπειδὴ ἐπύθοντο τοῦ Κόδρου τὴν τελευτὴν καὶ ὅντινα ἐγένετο αὐτῷ τρόπον· οὐ γὰρ εἶναι νίκην ἔτι σφίσι κατὰ τὸ ἐκ Δελφῶν μάντευμα ἤλπιζον· Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ ἄνδρες γενόμενοι μὲν ἐντὸς τείχους λανθάνουσιν ἐν τῇ νυκτί, ἅμα δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τούς τε ἑαυτῶν ἀπεληλυθότας αἰσθάνονται καὶ ἀθροιζομένων ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τῶν Ἀθηναίων καταφεύγουσιν ἐς τὸν Ἄρειον πάγον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θεῶν αἳ Σεμναὶ καλοῦνται τοὺς βωμούς.
Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ τότε μὲν διδόασι τοῖς ἱκέταις ἀπελθεῖν ἀζημίοις, χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον αὐτοὶ οἱ ἔχοντες τὰς ἀρχὰς διέφθειραν τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἱκέτας τῶν Κύλωνι ὁμοῦ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν κατειληφότων· καὶ αὐτοί τε οἱ ἀποκτείναντες ἐνομίσθησαν καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἐκείνων ἐναγεῖς τῆς θεοῦ. Λακεδαιμονίοις δέ, ἀποκτείνασι καὶ τούτοις ἄνδρας ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν καταπεφευγότας τὸ ἐπὶ Ταινάρῳ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος, οὐ μετὰ πολὺ ἐσείσθη σφίσιν ἡ πόλις συνεχεῖ τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἰσχυρῷ τῷ σεισμῷ, ὥστε οἰκίαν μηδεμίαν τῶν ἐν Λακεδαίμονι ἀντισχεῖν.
ἐγένετο δὲ τῆς Ἑλίκης ἀπώλεια Ἀστείου μὲν Ἀθήνῃσιν ἔτι ἄρχοντος, τετάρτῳ δὲ ἔτει τῆς πρώτης Ὀλυμπιάδος ἐπὶ ταῖς ἑκατόν, ἣν Δάμων Θούριος ἐνίκα τὸ πρῶτον. Ἑλικαέων δὲ οὐκέτι ὄντων νέμονται τὴν χώραν οἱ Αἰγιεῖς.
μετὰ δὲ Ἑλίκην ἀποτραπήσῃ τε ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἐς δεξιὰν καὶ ἥξεις ἐς πόλισμα Κερύνειαν· ᾤκισται δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν λεωφόρον ἐν ὄρει, καί οἱ τὸ ὄνομα ἢ δυνάστης ἐπιχώριος ἢ ὁ Κερυνίτης ποταμὸς πεποίηκεν, ὃς ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας καὶ ὄρους Κερυνείας ῥέων Ἀχαιοὺς τοὺς ταύτῃ παρέξεισι. παρὰ τούτους σύνοικοι Μυκηναῖοι κατὰ συμφορὰν ἀφίκοντο ἐκ τῆς Ἀργολίδος. Μυκηναίοις γὰρ τὸ μὲν τεῖχος ἁλῶναι κατὰ τὸ ἰσχυρὸν οὐκ ἐδύνατο ὑπὸ Ἀργείων, ἐτετείχιστο γὰρ κατὰ ταὐτὰ
τῷ ἐν Τίρυνθι ὑπὸ τῶν Κυκλώπων καλουμένων, κατὰ ἀνάγκην δὲ ἐκλείπουσι Μυκηναῖοι τὴν πόλιν ἐπιλειπόντων σφᾶς τῶν σιτίων, καὶ ἄλλοι μέν τινες ἐς Κλεωνὰς ἀποχωροῦσιν ἐξ αὐτῶν, τοῦ δήμου δὲ πλέον μὲν ἥμισυ ἐς Μακεδονίαν καταφεύγουσι παρὰ Ἀλέξανδρον, ᾧ Μαρδόνιος ὁ Γωβρύου τὴν ἀγγελίαν ἐπίστευσεν ἐς Ἀθηναίους ἀπαγγεῖλαι· ὁ δὲ ἄλλος δῆμος ἀφίκοντο ἐς τὴν Κερύνειαν, καὶ δυνατωτέρα τε ἡ Κερύνεια οἰκητόρων πλήθει καὶ ἐς τὸ ἔπειτα ἐγένετο ἐπιφανεστέρα διὰ τὴν συνοίκησιν τῶν Μυκηναίων.
ἐν Κερυνείᾳ δὲ ἱερόν ἐστιν Εὐμενίδων· ἱδρύσασθαι δὲ αὐτὸ Ὀρέστην λέγουσιν. ὃς δʼ ἂν ἐνταῦθα ἢ αἵματι ἢ ἄλλῳ τῳ μιάσματι ἔνοχος ἢ καὶ ἀσεβὴς ἐσέλθῃ θέλων θεάσασθαι, αὐτίκα λέγεται δείμασιν ἐκτὸς τῶν φρενῶν γίνεσθαι· καὶ τοῦδε ἕνεκα οὐ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἡ ἔσοδος οὐδὲ ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς ἐστι. τοῖς μὲν δὴ ἀγάλμασι ξύλων εἰργασμένοις μέγεθός εἰσιν οὐ μεγάλοι, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἔσοδον ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν γυναικῶν εἰκόνες λίθου τέ εἰσιν εἰργασμέναι καὶ ἔχουσαι τέχνης εὖ· ἐλέγοντο δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἱέρειαι ταῖς Εὐμενίσιν αἱ γυναῖκες γενέσθαι.
ἐκ Κερυνείας δὲ ἐπανελθόντι ἐς τὴν λεωφόρον καὶ ὁδεύσαντι οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺ δεύτερα ἔστιν ἐς Βοῦραν ἀποτραπέσθαι· θαλάσσης δὲ ἐν δεξιᾷ ἡ Βοῦρα ἐν ὄρει κεῖται. τεθῆναι δέ φασι τῇ πόλει τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ γυναικὸς Βούρας, θυγατέρα δʼ αὐτὴν Ἴωνος τοῦ Ξούθου καὶ Ἑλίκης εἶναι. ὅτε δὲ Ἑλίκην ἐποίησεν ἄδηλον ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ὁ θεός, τότε καὶ τὴν Βοῦραν σεισμὸς ἐπέλαβεν ἰσχυρός, ὡς μηδὲ τὰ ἀγάλματα ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ὑπολειφθῆναι τὰ ἀρχαῖα.
ὁπόσοι δὲ τηνικαῦτα ἀποδημοῦντες ἢ στρατείας ἕνεκα ἔτυχον ἢ κατὰ πρόφασιν ἀλλοίαν, μόνοι τε οὗτοι Βουρέων ἐλείφθησαν καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς Βούρας ἐγένοντο οἰκισταί. ναὸς ἐνταῦθα Δήμητρος, ὁ δὲ Ἀφροδίτης Διονύσου τέ ἐστι, καὶ ἄλλος Εἰλειθυίας· λίθου τοῦ Πεντελησίου τὰ ἀγάλματα, Ἀθηναίου δὲ ἔργα Εὐκλείδου· καὶ τῇ Δήμητρί ἐστιν ἐσθής. πεποίηται δὲ καὶ Ἴσιδι ἱερόν.
καταβάντων δὲ ἐκ Βούρας ὡς ἐπὶ θάλασσαν ποταμός τε Βουραϊκὸς ὀνομαζόμενος καὶ Ἡρακλῆς οὐ μέγας ἐστὶν ἐν σπηλαίῳ· ἐπίκλησις μὲν καὶ τούτου Βουραϊκός, μαντείας δὲ ἐπὶ πίνακί τε καὶ ἀστραγάλοις ἔστι λαβεῖν. εὔχεται μὲν γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ ἀγάλματος ὁ τῷ θεῷ χρώμενος, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ εὐχῇ λαβὼν ἀστραγάλους —οἱ δὲ ἄφθονοι παρὰ τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ κεῖνται—τέσσαρας ἀφίησιν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης· ἐπὶ δὲ παντὶ ἀστραγάλου σχήματι γεγραμμένα ἐν πίνακι ἐπίτηδες ἐξήγησιν ἔχει τοῦ σχήματος.
σταδίων ἐπὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα ὡς τριάκοντα ἐξ Ἑλίκης ὁδὸς ἡ εὐθεῖά ἐστι. προελθόντι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ποταμὸς ἐς θάλασσαν ἐκδίδωσιν ἀέναος ἐξ ὄρους Ἀρκαδικοῦ κατερχόμενος, ὄνομα δὲ αὐτῷ τε τῷ ποταμῷ Κρᾶθις καὶ ἔνθα αἱ πηγαὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τῷ ὄρει· ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς Κράθιδος καὶ πρὸς Κρότωνι τῇ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ ποταμὸς ὄνομα ἔσχηκε.
πρὸς δὲ τῇ Ἀχαϊκῇ Κράθιδι Ἀχαιῶν ποτε ᾠκεῖτο Αἰγαὶ πόλις· ἐκλειφθῆναι δὲ αὐτὴν ἀνὰ χρόνον ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας λέγουσι. τούτων δὲ καὶ Ὅμηρος τῶν Αἰγῶν ἐν Ἥρας λόγοις ἐποιήσατο μνήμην, οἱ δέ τοι εἰς Ἑλίκην τε καὶ Αἰγὰς δῶρʼ ἀνάγουσι, / δῆλον ὡς γέρα τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἐπʼ ἴσης ἔν τε Ἑλίκῃ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Αἰγαῖς ἔχοντος.
οὐ πολὺ δὲ ἀπωτέρω Κράθιδος σῆμά τε ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ ἄνδρα εὑρήσεις ἐπὶ τῷ μνήματι ἵππῳ παρεστῶτα, ἀμυδρὰν γραφήν. ὁδὸς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου σταδίων ὅσον τριάκοντα ἐπὶ τὸν καλούμενον Γαῖον· Γῆς δὲ ἱερόν ἐστιν ὁ Γαῖος ἐπίκλησιν Εὐρυστέρνου, ξόανον δὲ τοῖς μάλιστα ὁμοίως ἐστὶν ἀρχαῖον. γυνὴ δὲ ἡ ἀεὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην λαμβάνουσα ἁγιστεύει μὲν τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὰ πρότερα ἔσται πλέον ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐς πεῖραν ἀφιγμένη. πίνουσαι δὲ αἷμα ταύρου δοκιμάζονται· ἣ δʼ ἂν αὐτῶν τύχῃ μὴ ἀληθεύουσα, αὐτίκα ἐκ τούτου τὴν δίκην ἔσχεν. ἢν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀφίκωνται γυναῖκες ἐς ἀμφισβήτησιν πλέονες, ἡ τῷ κλήρῳ λαχοῦσα προτετίμηται.
The fate of Helice is one among many warnings that the wrath of the god who protects suppliants is not to be averted. The god at Dodona is also found recommending respect for suppliants. For about the time of Aphidas the following verses were sent to the Athenians by Zeus of Dodona :— Mark well the Areopagus and the smoking altars Of the Eumenides, where the Lacedaemonians shall supplicate thee When they are sore bestead in war. Slay them not with the steel, Nor wrong the suppliants. For suppliants are sacred and holy. These words were remembered by the Greeks when the Peloponnesians came against Athens in the reign of Codrus, son of Melanthus. When the Peloponnesians heard of the death of Codrus and the manner of it, their army retreated out of Attica, for the Delphic oracle left them no longer any hope of victory. But in the night some Lacedaemonians had made their way unobserved within the walls, and when at daybreak they perceived that their friends were gone, and that the Athenians were mustering to attack them, they fled for refuge to the Areopagus and to the altars of the goddesses called Venerable. On that occasion the Athenians suffered the suppliants to depart unharmed ; but in after time, when Cylon and his faction had seized the Acropolis, the magistrates of Athens themselves despatched the suppliants of Athena. So the slayers and their descendants were deemed to be accursed of the goddess. The Lacedaemonians also slew men who had taken refuge in the sanctuary of Poseidon at Taenarum ; and not long afterwards their city was shaken by so prolonged and severe an earthquake, that not a house in Lacedaemon stood the shock.
The destruction of Helice took place when Astius was archon at Athens, in the fourth year of the hundred and first Olympiad, in which Damon of Thurii was victorious for the first time. As none of the inhabitants survived, the territory now belongs to Aegium.
After Helice you will turn up from the sea to the right and come to a town Cerynea. It is built on a mountain, above the high road, and gets its name either from a native prince or from the river Cerynites which, issuing from Arcadia and Mount Cerynea, flows through this part of Achaia. To this district of Achaia came some settlers from Argolis, driven by stress of fortune. For though the walls of Mycenae, built like those of Tiryns by the Cyclopes, could not be stormed by the Argives, provisions gave out, and the inhabitants were forced to abandon the city. Some of them withdrew to Cleonae, and more than half betook themselves to Macedonia, where they placed themselves under the protection of Alexander, the man whom Mardonius, son of Gobryas, had entrusted with his message to the Athenians. The rest of the people came to Cerynea, which, by their accession, grew in numbers and in fame.
In Cerynea there is a sanctuary of the Eumenides, said to have been founded by Orestes. They say that if any bloodstained wretch, or any other defiled or impious person, enters the sanctuary to see what there is to be seen, he is straightway driven out of his wits with terror; and for that reason people are not admitted to the sanctuary indiscriminately. The images are made of wood ... they are not very large. At the entrance of the sanctuary are some fine statues of women made of stone: they were said by the natives to be portraits of the women who had been priestesses of the Eumenides. 5. Returning from Cerynea to the high road, and proceeding a little way along it, we turn off a second time from the sea to the right in order to reach Bura. The town stands on a mountain. They say it got its name from a woman, Bura, whose father was Ion, son of Xuthus, and whose mother was Helice. When the god blotted out Helice from among men, Bura also was overtaken by a severe earthquake which spared not even the ancient images in the sanctuaries. Such of the people as chanced at the time to be away at the wars or on other business were the only survivors, and they rebuilt Bura. There is here a temple of Demeter, another of Aphrodite and Dionysus, and another of Ilithyia. The images are of Pentelic marble, and are works of Euclides, an Athenian. The image of Demeter is clothed. There is also a sanctuary of Isis.
Having descended from Bura in the direction of the sea, we come to a river named Buraicus and to a small image of Hercules in a grotto. This image is also surnamed Buraicus, and there is a mode of divination by means of dice and a tablet. The person who inquires of the god prays before the image, and after praying he takes four dice and throws them on the table. There are plenty of dice lying beside the image. Each die has a certain figure marked on it, and the meaning of each figure is explained on the tablet.
The straight road from Helice to the Hercules is about thirty furlongs. Going on from the Hercules you come to the mouth of a river which comes down from a mountain in Arcadia, and never dries up. The river is called the Crathis, and Crathis, too, is the name of the mountain in which are its springs. From this Crathis the river beside Crotona in Italy got its name. On the bank of the Achaean Crathis once stood the city of Aegae: they say that in course of time it was deserted by its inhabitants, because they were a feeble folk. Aegae is mentioned by Homer in Hera’s speech :— They bring thee gifts to Helice and Aegae, where it is plainly assumed that Poseidon was equally revered at Helice and Aegae. Not far from the Crathis is a tomb on the right of the road: you will find on the tombstone a faded painting of a man standing beside a horse. From this grave it is about thirty furlongs to the Gaeus, as it is called, which is a sanctuary of Earth (Ge), who here bears the surname of Broadbosomed. The wooden image is very old. The woman who from time to time holds the priesthood, is bound from her entry on office to remain chaste, and previously she must not have known more than one man. The women are proved by drinking bull’s blood; and the ordeal brings down instant retribution on her who is not speaking the truth. If several women claim the priesthood, the one on whom the lot falls is preferred.
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