ἐς δὲ τὸ ἐπίνειον τὸ Αἰγειρατῶν—ὄνομα τὸ αὐτὸ ἥ τε πόλις καὶ τὸ ἐπίνειον ἔχει—, ἐς οὖν τὸ ἐπίνειον Αἰγειρατῶν δύο καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν Βουραϊκήν εἰσιν Ἡρακλέους στάδιοι. ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ μὲν δὴ Αἰγειράταις οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐς μνήμην, ὁδὸς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐπινείου δύο σταδίων καὶ δέκα ἐς τὴν ἄνω πόλιν.
Ὁμήρου δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν Ὑπερησία ὠνόμασται· τὸ δὲ ὄνομα τὸ νῦν ἐγένετο Ἰώνων ἐποικούντων, ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπʼ αἰτίᾳ τοιᾷδε. Σικυωνίων ἀφίξεσθαι στρατὸς ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς πολέμιος ἐς τὴν γῆν· οἱ δὲ —οὐ γὰρ ἐδόκουν ἀξιόμαχοι τοῖς Σικυωνίοις εἶναι— ἀθροίζουσιν αἶγας, ὁπόσαι σφίσιν ἦσαν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, συλλέξαντες δὲ ἔδησαν πρὸς τοῖς κέρασιν αὐτῶν δᾷδας, καὶ ὡς πρόσω νυκτὸς ἦν, ἐξάπτουσι τὰς δᾷδας.
Σικυώνιοι δὲ—ἰέναι γὰρ συμμάχους τοῖς Ὑπερησιεῦσιν ἤλπιζον καὶ εἶναι τὴν φλόγα ἐκ τοῦ ἐπικουρικοῦ πυρός—οἱ μὲν οἴκαδε ἐπανήρχοντο, Ὑπερησιεῖς δὲ τῇ τε πόλει τὸ ὄνομα τὸ νῦν μετέθεντο ἀπὸ τῶν αἰγῶν, καὶ καθότι αὐτῶν ἡ καλλίστη καὶ ἡγουμένη τῶν ἄλλων ὤκλασεν, Ἀρτέμιδος Ἀγροτέρας ἐποιήσαντο ἱερόν, τὸ σόφισμα ἐς τοὺς Σικυωνίους οὐκ ἄνευ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδός σφισιν ἐπελθεῖν νομίζοντες.
οὐ μὴν καὶ αὐτίκα γε ἐξενίκησεν Αἴγειραν ἀντὶ Ὑπερησίας καλεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ κατʼ ἐμὲ ἦσαν ἔτι οἳ Ὠρεὸν τὴν ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἑστίαιαν ἐκάλουν τῷ ἀρχαίῳ. παρείχετο δὲ ἡ Αἴγειρα ἐς συγγραφὴν ἱερὸν Διὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα καθήμενον λίθου τοῦ Πεντελησίου, Ἀθηναίου δὲ ἔργον Εὐκλείδου. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα ἕστηκε· πρόσωπόν τε καὶ ἄκραι χεῖρες ἐλέφαντος καὶ οἱ πόδες, τὸ δὲ ἄλλο ξόανον χρυσῷ τε ἐπιπολῆς διηνθισμένον ἐστὶ καὶ φαρμάκοις.
Ἀρτέμιδός τε ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα τέχνης τῆς ἐφʼ ἡμῶν· ἱερᾶται δὲ παρθένος, ἔστʼ ἂν ἐς ὥραν ἀφίκηται γάμου. ἕστηκε δὲ καὶ ἄγαλμα ἐνταῦθα ἀρχαῖον, Ἰφιγένεια ἡ Ἀγαμέμνονος, ὡς οἱ Αἰγειρᾶταί φασιν· εἰ δὲ ἀληθῆ λέγουσιν οὗτοι, δῆλός ἐστιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ἰφιγενείᾳ ποιηθεὶς ὁ ναός.
ἔστι καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερὸν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἀρχαῖον τό τε ἱερὸν αὐτὸ καὶ ὁπόσα ἐν τοῖς ἀετοῖς, ἀρχαῖον δὲ καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ξόανον, γυμνός, μεγέθει μέγας· τὸν ποιήσαντα δὲ εἶχεν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων εἰπεῖν· ὅστις δὲ ἤδη τὸν Ἡρακλέα τὸν ἐν Σικυῶνι ἐθεάσατο, τεκμαίροιτο ἂν καὶ ἐν Αἰγείρᾳ τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα ἔργον εἶναι τοῦ αὐτοῦ Φλιασίου Λαφάους.
Ἀσκληπιοῦ δὲ ἀγάλματα ὀρθά ἐστιν ἐν ναῷ καὶ Σαράπιδος ἑτέρωθι καὶ Ἴσιδος, λίθου καὶ ταῦτα Πεντελησίου. τὴν δὲ Οὐρανίαν σέβουσι μὲν τὰ μάλιστα, ἐσελθεῖν δὲ ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνθρώποις. θεοῦ δὲ ἣν Συρίαν ἐπονομάζουσιν, ἐς ταύτης τὸ ἱερὸν ἐσίασιν ἐν ἡμέραις ῥηταῖς, ἄλλα τε ὅσα νομίζουσι προκαθαριεύσαντες καὶ ἐς τὴν δίαιταν.
οἶδα καὶ οἴκημα ἐν Αἰγείρᾳ θεασάμενος· ἄγαλμα ἦν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι Τύχης, τὸ κέρας φέρουσα τὸ Ἀμαλθείας· παρὰ δὲ αὐτὴν Ἔρως πτερὰ ἔχων ἐστίν, ἐθέλει δὲ σημαίνειν ὅτι ἀνθρώποις καὶ τὰ ἐς ἔρωτα τύχῃ μᾶλλον ἢ ὑπὸ κάλλους κατορθοῦται. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν Πινδάρου τά τε ἄλλα πείθομαι τῇ ᾠδῇ καὶ Μοιρῶν τε εἶναι μίαν τὴν Τύχην καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰς ἀδελφάς τι ἰσχύειν·
ἐν Αἰγείρᾳ δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ οἰκήματι ἀνήρ τε ἤδη γέρων ἴσα καὶ ὀδυρόμενος καὶ γυναῖκες τρεῖς ἀφαιρούμεναι ψέλιά εἰσι καὶ ἴσοι νεανίσκοι ταῖς γυναιξί, ἐνδεδυκὼς δὲ θώρακα εἷς. τοῦτόν φασιν Ἀχαιοῖς γενομένου πολέμου μαχεσάμενον ἀνδρειότατα Αἰγειρατῶν τελευτῆσαι, καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν οἴκαδε ἀπήγγειλαν· καὶ τοῦδε ἕνεκα αἵ τε ἀδελφαὶ διὰ τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ πένθος ἀποκοσμοῦνται καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἐπονομάζουσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι Συμπαθῆ, ἅτε ἐλεεινὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι.
ὁδὸς δὲ ἐξ Αἰγείρας εὐθεῖα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ Διὸς διά τε ὀρῶν καὶ ἀνάντης ἐστί· μῆκος μὲν οὖν τῆς ὁδοῦ τεσσαράκοντά εἰσι στάδιοι, ἄγει δὲ ἐς Φελλόην, πόλισμα οὐκ ἐπιφανές, †οὐδὲ ὡς ἀεὶ ᾠκεῖτο καὶ Ἰώνων ἔτι ἐχόντων τὴν γῆν. τὰ δὲ περὶ τὴν Φελλόην ἐς φυτείαν ἀμπέλων ἐστὶν ἐπιτήδεια· καὶ ὅσα πετρώδη τῆς χώρας, δρῦς τέ εἰσι καὶ θηρία, ἔλαφοι καὶ ὗς ἄγριοι·
εἰ δέ τινα τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησι πολισματίων ἀφθόνῳ καταρρεῖται τῷ ὕδατι, ἀριθμεῖν καὶ τὴν Φελλόην ἔστιν ἐν τούτοις. θεῶν δὲ ἱερὰ Διονύσου καὶ Ἀρτέμιδός ἐστιν· ἡ μὲν χαλκοῦ πεποίηται, βέλος δὲ ἐκ φαρέτρας λαμβάνουσα· τῷ Διονύσῳ δὲ ὑπὸ κινναβάρεως τὸ ἄγαλμά ἐστιν ἐπηνθισμένον. ἐς δὲ τὸ ἐπίνειον καταβᾶσιν ἐξ Αἰγείρας καὶ αὖθις ἐς τὰ πρόσω βαδίζουσιν ἔστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς Ἀγροτέρας, ἔνθα τὴν αἶγα ὀκλάσαι λέγουσιν.
τῆς δὲ Αἰγειρατῶν ἔχονται Πελληνεῖς· πρὸς Σικυῶνος δὲ οὗτοι καὶ μοίρας τῆς Ἀργολίδος Ἀχαιῶν οἰκοῦσιν ἔσχατοι. τὸ δὲ ὄνομα ἐγένετο τῇ πόλει λόγῳ μὲν τῷ Πελληνέων ἀπὸ Πάλλαντος, τῶν Τιτάνων δὲ καὶ Πάλλαντα εἶναι λέγουσι, δόξῃ δὲ τῇ Ἀργείων ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς Ἀργείου Πέλληνος· Φόρβαντος δὲ εἶναι τοῦ Τριόπα παῖδα αὐτὸν λέγουσιν.
Αἰγείρας δὲ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ καὶ Πελλήνης πόλισμα ὑπήκοον Σικυωνίων Δονοῦσσα καλουμένη ἐγένετο μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν Σικυωνίων ἀνάστατος, μνημονεύειν δὲ καὶ Ὅμηρον ἐν καταλόγῳ τῶν σὺν Ἀγαμέμνονί φασιν αὐτῆς ποιήσαντα ἔπος οἵ θʼ Ὑπερησίην τε καὶ αἰπεινὴν Δονόεσσαν· / Πεισίστρατον δέ, ἡνίκα ἔπη τὰ Ὁμήρου διεσπασμένα τε καὶ ἄλλα ἀλλαχοῦ μνημονευόμενα ἤθροιζε, τότε αὐτὸν Πεισίστρατον ἢ τῶν τινα ἑταίρων μεταποιῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα ὑπὸ ἀγνοίας.
ἔστι δὲ Ἀριστοναῦται Πελληνεῦσιν ἐπίνειον. ἐς τοῦτο ἐξ Αἰγείρας τῆς ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ σταδίων ἐστὶν εἴκοσιν ὁδὸς καὶ ἑκατόν· ταύτης δὲ ἡμίσεια ἐς Πελλήνην ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐπινείου. ὄνομα δὲ Ἀριστοναύτας γενέσθαι τῷ ἐπινείῳ λέγουσιν, ὅτι καὶ ἐς τοῦτον τὸν λιμένα ὡρμίσαντο οἱ πλεύσαντες ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργοῦς.
From the Hercules which stands on the road to Bura it is a distance of seventy-two furlongs to the port of Aegira. The port is also called Aegira. There is nothing remarkable in the port-town. The upper city is twelve furlongs off.
In Homer the city is named Hyperesia: its present name dates from the Ionian settlement. The origin of the name was this. A hostile army of Sicyonians was about to invade their land, and the people deemed themselves no match for the foe. So they got together all the goats in the country and tied torches to their horns, and when the night was late they set fire to the torches. The Sicyonians, fancying that allies were marching to the help of the Hyperesians, and that the blaze was the light of their fires, returned home, and the Hyperesians called their city by its present name, after the goats (aiges) ; and where the handsomest goat, that led the rest, crouched down, there they made a sanctuary of Huntress Artemis. For they thought that she must have suggested to them the stratagem which they had employed against the Sicyonians. But no doubt the name Aegira did not oust the old name Hyperesia all at once: even in my time some people still called Oreus in Euboea by its old name of Hestiaea.
Among the notable things in Aegira is a sanctuary of Zeus, with a seated image of Pentelic marble, a work of Euclides, an Athenian. In this sanctuary there stands also an image of Athena. The face, hands, and feet of the image are of ivory: the rest is of wood adorned with gilding and colours. There is also a temple of Artemis, with an image in the style of art of the present day. The priesthood is held by a virgin till she attains a marriageable age. Here, too, stands an ancient image: the inhabitants say it represents Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon. If they are right, the temple must clearly have been made originally for Iphigenia. There is also a sanctuary of Apollo, which, with the sculptures in the gables, is exceedingly ancient. The wooden image of the god is also ancient: the god is represented naked and of colossal size. None of the natives could tell the sculptor’s name; but any one who has seen the image of Hercules at Sicyon would infer that the Apollo at Aegira is a work of the same artist, Laphaes the Phliasian. There are standing images of Aesculapius in a temple, and elsewhere there are images of Serapis and Isis, also of Pentelic marble. They pay the highest reverence to the Heavenly Goddess, but people are not allowed to enter her sanctuary. Into the sanctuary of the goddess whom they surname Syrian people enter on stated days, but before doing so they must observe certain rules of purity, especially as to diet. I observed also in Aegira a building in which was an image of Fortune bearing the horn of Amalthea. Beside her is a winged Love, signifying that even success in love is determined by fortune rather than by beauty. For my part I assent to Pindar’s ode, especially to his view that Fortune is one of the Fates, and is stronger than her sisters. In this building at Aegira there are also figures representing an old man in an attitude of lamentation, three women taking off their bracelets, as many young men, and a man clad in a corselet. They say that in a war in which the Achaeans were engaged this man fought more bravely than all the other men of Aegira, and was killed. His remaining brothers brought home the tidings of his death, and that is why his sisters, in mourning for him, are doffing their trinkets, and the figure of his father is called Sympathes by the natives, because the very statue has a melancholy air.
From Aegira a straight and steep road leads from the sanctuary of Zeus through the mountains to Phelloe, a distance of forty furlongs. Phelloe is an obscure town, which was not always inhabited even when the Ionians still dwelt in the land. The country round about Phelloe is well adapted for the cultivation of the vine; where the soil is stony, it is clothed with oak woods, the haunt of deer and wild boars. No town in Greece is more abundantly supplied with flowing water than Phelloe. There are sanctuaries of Dionysus and Artemis. The image of the latter is of bronze, and represents the goddess taking a shaft from her quiver: the image of Dionysus is painted vermilion. If we go down from Aegira to the port and walk on as before, we see on the right of the road the sanctuary of the Huntress, where they say the goat crouched down.
The territory of Aegira borders on that of Pellene, which is the farthest town of Achaia in the direction of Sicyon and Argolis. According to the people of Pellene the name of their city was derived from Pallas, one of the Titans; but the Argives opine that the name comes from an Argive man named Pellen, who was a son of Phorbas, who was a son of Triopas.
Between Aegira and Pellene there used to be a town called Donussa: it was subject to the Sicyonians, who destroyed it. They say that it was mentioned by Homer in the list of the host that followed Agamemnon : the verse ran thus :— And the men of Hyperesia and steep Donoessa. But they allege that when Pisistratus collected the scattered verses of Homer which were preserved, some here, some there, in oral tradition, he or one of his associates changed the name in ignorance.
Aristonautae is the port of Pellene. It is one hundred and twenty furlongs from the port of Aegira, and half that distance from Pellene. They say that the port got its name of Aristonautae (‘best sailors’) because the Argonauts anchored in the harbour.
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