Πελληνεῦσι δὲ ἡ πόλις ἐστὶν ἐπὶ λόφου κατὰ ἄκραν τὴν κορυφὴν ἐς ὀξὺ ἀνεστηκότος. τοῦτο μὲν δὴ ἀπότομον καὶ διʼ αὐτό ἐστιν ἀοίκητον· τῷ δὲ χθαμαλωτέρῳ πεπόλισταί σφισιν οὐ συνεχὴς ἡ πόλις, ἐς δὲ μοίρας νενεμημένη δύο ὑπὸ τῆς ἄκρας μεταξὺ ἀνεχούσης. ἰόντων δὲ ἐς Πελλήνην ἄγαλμά ἐστιν Ἑρμοῦ κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, ἐπίκλησιν μὲν Δόλιος, εὐχὰς δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἕτοιμος τελέσαι· σχῆμα δὲ αὐτῷ τετράγωνον, γένειά τε ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ πῖλον εἰργασμένον.
κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐς αὐτὴν τὴν πόλιν ἐστὶν Ἀθηνᾶς λίθου μὲν ἐπιχωρίου ναός, ἐλέφαντος δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα καὶ χρυσοῦ· Φειδίαν δὲ εἶναι τὸν εἰργασμένον φασὶ πρότερον ἔτι ἢ ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει τε αὐτὸν τῇ Ἀθηναίων καὶ ἐν Πλαταιαῖς ποιῆσαι τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς τὰ ἀγάλματα. λέγουσι δὲ οἱ Πελληνεῖς καὶ ἄδυτον τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς καθήκειν ἐς βάθος τῆς γῆς, εἶναι δὲ τὸ ἄδυτον τοῦτο ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγάλματος τῷ βάθρῳ, καὶ τὸν ἀέρα ἐκ τοῦ ἀδύτου νότιόν τε εἶναι καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ τῷ ἐλέφαντι ἐπιτήδειον.
ὑπὲρ δὲ τὸν ναὸν τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἐστιν ἄλσος περιῳκοδομημένον τείχει Σωτείρας ἐπίκλησιν Ἀρτέμιδος, καὶ ὀμνύουσιν ἐπὶ μεγίστοις αὐτήν· ἔσοδός τε πλὴν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἄλλῳ γε οὐδενὶ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπων. ἱερεῖς δὲ ἄνδρες τῶν ἐπιχωρίων εἰσὶ κατὰ δόξαν γένους μάλιστα αἱρούμενοι. τοῦ δὲ ἄλσους τῆς Σωτείρας ἱερὸν ἀπαντικρὺ Διονύσου Λαμπτῆρός ἐστιν ἐπίκλησιν· τούτῳ καὶ Λαμπτήρια ἑορτὴν ἄγουσι, καὶ δᾷδάς τε ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν κομίζουσιν ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ οἴνου κρατῆρας ἱστᾶσιν ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν πᾶσαν.
ἔστι καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος Θεοξενίου Πελληνεῦσιν ἱερόν, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα χαλκοῦ πεποίηται· καὶ ἀγῶνα ἐπιτελοῦσι Θεοξένια τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι, τιθέντες ἀργύριον ἆθλα τῆς νίκης, καὶ ἄνδρες ἀγωνίζονται τῶν ἐπιχωρίων. πλησίον δὲ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ναός ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος· τοξευούσης δὲ ἡ θεὸς παρέχεται σχῆμα. ᾠκοδόμηται δὲ καὶ ἔλυτρον κρήνης ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ, καὶ λουτρά ἐστιν αὐτοῖς τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐπεί τοι πίνειν πηγαί σφισιν ὑπὸ τὴν πόλιν εἰσὶν οὐ πολλαί· τὸ δὲ χωρίον, ἔνθα αἱ πηγαί, Γλυκείας ὀνομάζουσι.
γυμνάσιον δὲ ἀρχαῖον ἐς ἐφήβων μάλιστα ἀνεῖται μελέτην· οὐδὲ ἐς τὴν πολιτείαν ἐγγραφῆναι πρότερον καθέστηκεν οὐδενὶ πρὶν ἂν ἐφηβεύσωσιν. ἐνταῦθα ἀνὴρ Πελληνεὺς ἕστηκε Πρόμαχος ὁ Δρύωνος, ἀνελόμενος παγκρατίου νίκας, τὴν μὲν Ὀλυμπίασι, τρεῖς δʼ Ἰσθμίων καὶ Νεμέᾳ δύο· καὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰκόνας ποιήσαντες οἱ Πελληνεῖς τὴν μὲν ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν ἀνέθεσαν, τὴν δὲ ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ, λίθου ταύτην καὶ οὐ χαλκοῦ.
λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς Κορινθίου συνεστῶτος πολέμου Πελληνεῦσιν ἀποκτείνειεν ὁ Πρόμαχος πλείστους τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς Πουλυδάμαντος τοῦ Σκοτουσσαίου κρατήσειεν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ· τὸν δὲ Πουλυδάμαντα δεύτερα τότε ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀφῖχθαι τὸν Ὀλυμπικὸν παρὰ βασιλέως τοῦ Περσῶν ἀνασωθέντα οἴκαδε. Θεσσαλοὶ δὲ ἡσσηθῆναι Πουλυδάμαντα οὐχ ὁμολογοῦντες παρέχονται καὶ ἄλλα ἐς πίστιν καὶ ἐλεγεῖον ἐπὶ τῷ Πουλυδάμαντι· ὦ τροφὲ Πουλυδάμαντος ἀνικάτου Σκοτόεσσα. /
Πελληνεῖς δʼ οὖν Πρόμαχον τὰ μάλιστα ἄγουσιν ἐν τιμῇ. Χαίρωνα δὲ δύο ἀνελόμενον πάλης νίκας Ἰσθμικὰς καὶ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τέσσαρας οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν ἐθέλουσιν ὀνομάζειν, ὅτι κατέλυσε πολιτείαν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τὴν ἐν Πελλήνῃ, δῶρον τὸ ἐπιφθονώτατον παρὰ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Φιλίππου λαβών, τύραννος πατρίδος τῆς αὑτοῦ καταστῆναι.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ Εἰλειθυίας Πελληνεῦσιν ἱερόν· τοῦτο ἐν μοίρᾳ τῆς πόλεως τῇ ἐλάσσονί ἐστιν ἱδρυμένον. τὸ δὲ ὀνομαζόμενον Ποσείδιον τὰ μὲν ἀρχαιότερα ἦν δῆμος, ἔρημον δὲ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν. ἔστι μὲν δὴ τὸ Ποσείδιον τοῦτο ὑπὸ τὸ γυμνάσιον, διαμεμένηκε δὲ καὶ ἐς τόδε ἔτι αὐτῷ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερὸν νομίζεσθαι.
Πελλήνης δὲ ὅσον στάδια ἑξήκοντα ἀπέχει τὸ Μύσαιον, ἱερὸν Δήμητρος Μυσίας· ἱδρύσασθαι δὲ αὐτὸ Μύσιόν φασιν ἄνδρα Ἀργεῖον, ἐδέξατο δὲ οἴκῳ Δήμητρα καὶ ὁ Μύσιος λόγῳ τῷ Ἀργείων. ἔστι δὲ ἄλσος ἐν τῷ Μυσαίῳ, δένδρα ὁμοίως τὰ πάντα, καὶ ὕδωρ ἄφθονον ἄνεισιν ἐκ πηγῶν. ἄγουσι δὲ καὶ ἑορτὴν τῇ Δήμητρι ἐνταῦθα ἡμερῶν ἑπτά·
τρίτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἑορτῆς ὑπεξίασιν οἱ ἄνδρες ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, καταλειπόμεναι δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες δρῶσιν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ὁπόσα νόμος ἐστὶν αὐταῖς· ἀπελαύνονται δὲ οὐχ οἱ ἄνδρες μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν κυνῶν τὸ ἄρρεν. ἐς δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἀφικομένων ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν τῶν ἀνδρῶν, αἱ γυναῖκές τε ἐς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος ἐς τὰς γυναῖκας οἱ ἄνδρες γέλωτί τε ἐς ἀλλήλους χρῶνται καὶ σκώμμασιν.
ἀπωτέρω δὲ οὐ πολὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ Μυσαίου ἱερόν ἐστιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ καλούμενον Κῦρος, καὶ ἰάματα ἀνθρώποις παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γίνεται. ὕδωρ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀνέδην ἐστί, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ μεγίστῃ τῶν πηγῶν τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τὸ ἄγαλμα ἵδρυται. ποταμοὶ δὲ ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν κατέρχονται τῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν Πελλήνην, πρὸς μὲν Αἰγείρας καλούμενος Κριός· ἔχειν δὲ αὐτὸν τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ Τιτᾶνος Κριοῦ·
Κριὸς δὲ καὶ ἄλλος ὠνόμασται ποταμός, ὃς ἀρχόμενος ἐκ Σιπύλου τοῦ ὄρους ἐς τὸν Ἕρμον κάτεισι. καθότι δὲ Πελληνεῦσιν ὅροι τῆς χώρας πρὸς Σικυωνίους εἰσί, κατὰ τοῦτο ποταμός σφισι Σύθας, ἔσχατος ποταμῶν τῶν Ἀχαϊκῶν, ἐς τὴν Σικυωνίαν ἐκδίδωσι θάλασσαν.
The city of Pellene stands on a hill which rises at the summit into a sharp point. The top is precipitous and therefore uninhabited: the city is built on the lower slope, and is not continuous, but is divided into two parts by the peak which rises between them. On the road to Pellene there is an image of Hermes by the wayside: he bears the surname of Wily, and is ready to accomplish the prayers of men: the image is square and bearded, and has a cap on his head. At the entrance into the city is a temple of Athena built of native stone. The image is of ivory and gold: they say that it was made by Phidias before he made the images of Athena in the Acropolis of Athens and at Plataea. The people of Pellene also say that there is a shrine of Athena running down deep into the earth under the pedestal of the image, and that the air from this shrine is damp, and therefore good for the ivory. Above the temple of Athena is a grove surrounded by a wall: it is sacred to Artemis, surnamed Saviour: the most solemn oath of the people is by her. No man is allowed to enter the grove save the priests, and they are natives, chosen chiefly on the ground of their high birth. Opposite to the grove of the Saviour is a sanctuary of Dionysus, surnamed Torch: they hold a festival of torches in his honour, when they bring firebrands by night into the sanctuary, and set bowls of wine up and down the whole city. There is also at Pellene a sanctuary of Apollo, God of Strangers (Theoxenios) : his image is made of bronze. They hold games called Theoxenia in his honour: prizes of money are offered to the victors: the competitors are natives. Near the sanctuary of Apollo is a temple of Artemis: the goddess is represented shooting an arrow. A tank is built in the market-place, and the rain-water is used by the people for washing: their drinking-water is supplied by a few springs below the city. The place where the springs are they name Glyceae.
There is an old gymnasium which is chiefly devoted to the exercises of the lads: no one can be enrolled as a citizen who has not been on the register of the lads. Here stands a statue of a native of the town, Promachus, son of Dryon, who won prizes in the pancratium, one at Olympia, three at the Isthmus, and two at Nemea. The people of Pellene caused two statues of him to be made: one they set up at Olympia, and the other in the gymnasium: the latter is of stone, not bronze. It is said that in a war between Pellene and Corinth, Promachus made a great slaughter of the enemy. It is also said that he vanquished Pulydamas of Scotusa at Olympia, on the occasion when Pulydamas, after his return home from the court of the Persian king, appeared for the second time at the Olympian games. The Thessalians, however, do not admit that Pulydamas was beaten, and amongst other evidence they adduce a verse about Pulydamas :— Scotoessa, nurse of unconquered Pulydamas. However that may be, the people of Pellene hold Promachus in the highest honour. But as for Chaeron, who won two prizes for wrestling . . . and four at Olympia, they will not so much as name him, I presume because he abolished the free constitution of Pellene ; for Alexander, son of Philip, had bestowed on him the most invidious of all favours, in raising him up to be tyrant of his native land. There is also a sanctuary of Ilithyia at Pellene, situated in the lesser division of the city.
What they call the Posidium was of old a township, but at present it is uninhabited. It is below the gymnasium, and to this day it continues to be deemed sacred to Poseidon. About sixty furlongs from Pellene is the Mysaeum, a sanctuary of Mysian Demeter. They say that it was founded by Mysius, an Argive. According to the Argives, Mysius was one of those who received Demeter in his house. In the Mysaeum is a grove: trees of all kinds grow in it, and water wells up in plenty from springs. Here they keep a seven days’ festival in honour of Demeter. On the third day of the festival the men withdraw from the sanctuary, but the women stay behind and perform by night the rites which custom prescribes. Not only the men, but even dogs of the male sex are turned out of the sanctuary. Next day the men come to the sanctuary, and the women laugh and jeer at them, and they at the women.
Not far from the Mysaeum is a sanctuary of Aesculapius: it is called Cyrus, and cures are here effected by the god. Here, too, there is water in abundance, and at the largest of the springs there stands the image of Aesculapius. Rivers descend from the mountains above Pellene. The one in the direction of Aegira is called the Crius: it is said to be named after Crius, a Titan. Crius is also the name of a river which rises in Mount Sipylus, and flows into the Hermus. On the borders of Pellene and Sicyon is a river Sythas: it is the last river in Achaia, and falls into the Sicyonian Sea.
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