Σμύρναν δὲ ἐν ταῖς δώδεκα πόλεσιν οὖσαν Αἰολέων καὶ οἰκουμένην τῆς χώρας, καθʼ ἃ καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἔτι πόλιν καλοῦσιν ἀρχαίαν, Ἴωνες ἐκ Κολοφῶνος ὁρμηθέντες ἀφελόμενοι τοὺς Αἰολεῖς ἔσχον· χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ Ἴωνες μετέδοσαν Σμυρναίοις τοῦ ἐν Πανιωνίῳ συλλόγου. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ ὁ Φιλίππου τῆς ἐφʼ ἡμῶν πόλεως ἐγένετο οἰκιστὴς κατʼ ὄψιν ὀνείρατος·
Ἀλέξανδρον γὰρ θηρεύοντα ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Πάγῳ, ὡς ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας, ἀφικέσθαι πρὸς Νεμέσεων λέγουσιν ἱερόν, καὶ πηγῇ τε ἐπιτυχεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ πλατάνῳ πρὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, πεφυκυίᾳ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος. καὶ ὑπὸ τῇ πλατάνῳ καθεύδοντι κελεύειν φασὶν αὐτῷ τὰς Νεμέσεις ἐπιφανείσας πόλιν ἐνταῦθα οἰκίζειν καὶ ἄγειν ἐς αὐτὴν Σμυρναίους ἀναστήσαντα ἐκ τῆς προτέρας·
ἀποστέλλουσιν οὖν ἐς Κλάρον θεωροὺς οἱ Σμυρναῖοι περὶ τῶν παρόντων σφίσιν ἐρησομένους, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἔχρησεν ὁ θεός· τρὶς μάκαρες κεῖνοι καὶ τετράκις ἄνδρες ἔσονται, / οἳ Πάγον οἰκήσουσι πέρην ἱεροῖο Μέλητος. / οὕτω μετῳκίσαντο ἐθελονταὶ καὶ δύο Νεμέσεις νομίζουσιν ἀντὶ μιᾶς καὶ μητέρα αὐταῖς φασιν εἶναι Νύκτα, ἐπεὶ Ἀθηναῖοί γε τῇ ἐν Ῥαμνοῦντι θεῷ πατέρα λέγουσιν εἶναι Ὠκεανόν.
Ἴωσι δὲ ἔχει μὲν ἐπιτηδειότατα ὡρῶν κράσεως ἡ χώρα, ἔχει δὲ καὶ ἱερὰ οἷα οὐχ ἑτέρωθι, πρῶτον μὲν τὸ τῆς Ἐφεσίας μεγέθους τε ἕνεκα καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ἄλλῳ πλούτῳ, δύο δὲ οὐκ ἐξειργασμένα Ἀπόλλωνος, τό τε ἐν Βραγχίδαις τῆς Μιλησίας καὶ ἐν Κλάρῳ τῇ Κολοφωνίων. δύο δὲ ἄλλους ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ ναοὺς ἐπέλαβεν ὑπὸ Περσῶν κατακαυθῆναι, τόν τε ἐν Σάμῳ τῆς Ἥρας καὶ ἐν Φωκαίᾳ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς· θαῦμα δὲ ὅμως ἦσαν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς λελυμασμένοι.
ἡσθείης δʼ ἂν καὶ τῷ ἐν Ἐρυθραῖς Ἡρακλείῳ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς τῷ ἐν Πριήνῃ ναῷ, τούτῳ μὲν τοῦ ἀγάλματος ἕνεκα, Ἡρακλείῳ δὲ τῷ ἐν Ἐρυθραῖς κατὰ ἀρχαιότητα· τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα οὔτε τοῖς καλουμένοις Αἰγιναίοις οὔτε τῶν Ἀττικῶν τοῖς ἀρχαιοτάτοις ἐμφερές, εἰ δέ τι καὶ ἄλλο, ἀκριβῶς ἐστιν Αἰγύπτιον. σχεδία γὰρ ἦν ξύλων, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ ὁ θεὸς ἐκ Τύρου τῆς Φοινίκης ἐξέπλευσε· καθʼ ἥντινα δὲ αἰτίαν, οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ τοῦτο οἱ Ἐρυθραῖοι λέγουσιν.
ὡς δὲ ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν ἀφίκετο ἡ σχεδία τὴν Ἰώνων, φασὶν αὐτὴν ὁρμίσασθαι πρὸς ἄκρᾳ καλουμένῃ Μεσάτῃ· ἡ δὲ ἔστι μὲν τῆς ἠπείρου, τοῖς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Ἐρυθραίων λιμένος ἐς νῆσον τὴν Χίων πλέουσι τοῦτό ἐστι μεσαίτατον. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡ σχεδία κατὰ τὴν ἄκραν ἔσχεν, ἐνταῦθα πολὺν μὲν οἱ Ἐρυθραῖοι πόνον, οὐκ ἐλάσσονα δὲ ἔσχον οἱ Χῖοι ποιούμενοι σπουδὴν παρὰ σφᾶς καταγαγεῖν ἑκάτεροι τὸ ἄγαλμα·
τέλος δὲ Ἐρυθραῖος ἄνθρωπος, ᾧ βίος μὲν ἦν ἀπὸ θαλάσσης γεγονὼς καὶ ἄγρας ἰχθύων, διέφθαρτο δὲ ὑπὸ νόσου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, ὄνομα δέ οἱ Φορμίων ἦν, οὗτος ὁ ἁλιεὺς εἶδεν ὄψιν ὀνείρατος ὡς τὰς Ἐρυθραίων γυναῖκας ἀποκείρασθαι δέοι τὰς κόμας καὶ οὕτω τοὺς ἄνδρας πλεξαμένους κάλον ἐκ τῶν τριχῶν τὴν σχεδίαν παρὰ σφᾶς κατάξειν. αἱ μὲν δὴ ἀσταὶ τῶν γυναικῶν οὐδαμῶς ὑπακούειν τῷ ὀνείρατι ἐβούλοντο·
ὁπόσαι δὲ τοῦ Θρᾳκίου γένους ἐδούλευον καὶ οὔσαις σφίσιν ἐλευθέραις ἦν ἐνταῦθα βίος, ἀποκεῖραι παρέχουσιν αὑτάς· καὶ οὕτως οἱ Ἐρυθραῖοι τὴν σχεδίαν καθέλκουσιν. ἔσοδός τε δὴ ταῖς Θρᾴσσαις ἐς τὸ Ἡράκλειόν ἐστι γυναικῶν μόναις, καὶ τὸ καλῴδιον τὸ ἐκ τῶν τριχῶν καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἔτι οἱ ἐπιχώριοι φυλάσσουσι· καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸν ἁλιέα οἱ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι ἀναβλέψαι τε καὶ ὁρᾶν τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ βίου φασίν.
ἔστι δὲ ἐν Ἐρυθραῖς καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς Πολιάδος ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα ξύλου μεγέθει μέγα καθήμενόν τε ἐπὶ θρόνου καὶ ἠλακάτην ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν χειρῶν ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς πόλον· τοῦτο Ἐνδοίου τέχνην καὶ ἄλλοις ἐτεκμαιρόμεθα εἶναι καὶ ἐς τὴν ἐργασίαν ὁρῶντες ἔνδον τοῦ ἀγάλματος καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐπὶ ταῖς Χάρισί τε καὶ Ὥραις, αἳ πρὶν ἐσελθεῖν ἑστήκασιν ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ λίθου λευκοῦ. ἐποιήθη δὲ καὶ κατʼ ἐμὲ Σμυρναίοις ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ μεταξὺ Κορυφῆς τε ὄρους καὶ θαλάσσης ἀμιγοῦς ὕδατι ἀλλοίῳ.
ἡ δὲ Ἰωνία παρὲξ τῶν τε ἱερῶν καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀέρος κράσεως παρέχεται καὶ ἄλλα ἐς συγγραφήν, ἡ μέν γε Ἐφεσία χώρα τόν τε Κέγχριον ποταμὸν καὶ τοῦ Πίονος τοῦ ὄρους τὴν φύσιν καὶ πηγὴν τὴν Ἁλιταίαν· ἐν δὲ τῇ Μιλησίᾳ πηγή τέ ἐστι Βιβλὶς καὶ ὅσα ἐς τῆς Βιβλίδος τὸν ἔρωτα ᾄδουσιν· ἐν δὲ τῇ Κολοφωνίων ἄλσος τε τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, δένδρα μελίαι, καὶ οὐ πόρρω τοῦ ἄλσους Ἄλης ποταμὸς ψυχρότατος τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ.
Λεβεδίοις δὲ τὰ λουτρὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ θαῦμα ἀνθρώποις ὁμοῦ καὶ ὠφέλεια γίνεται· ἔστι δὲ καὶ Τηίοις ἐπὶ τῇ ἄκρᾳ λουτρὰ τῇ Μακρίᾳ, τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ κλύδωνι ἐν πέτρας χηραμῷ, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐς ἐπίδειξιν πλούτου πεποιημένα. Κλαζομενίοις δὲ λουτρά ἐστιν—ἐν δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἀγαμέμνων ἔχει τιμάς—καὶ ἄντρον μητρός σφισι Πύρρου καλούμενον, καὶ λόγον ἐπὶ τῷ Πύρρῳ λέγουσι τῷ ποιμένι·
Ἐρυθραίοις δὲ ἔστι μὲν χώρα Χαλκίς, ἀφʼ ἧς καὶ τῶν φυλῶν σφισιν ἡ τρίτη τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχηκεν, ἔστι δὲ τῆς Χαλκίδος κατατείνουσα ἐς τὸ πέλαγος ἄκρα καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ λουτρὰ θαλάσσια, μάλιστα τῶν ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ λουτρῶν ὠφέλιμα ἀνθρώποις. Σμυρναίοις δὲ ποταμὸς Μέλης ὕδωρ ἐστὶ κάλλιστον καὶ σπήλαιον ἐπὶ ταῖς πηγαῖς, ἔνθα Ὅμηρον ποιῆσαι τὰ ἔπη λέγουσι·
Χίοις δὲ ὁ τοῦ Οἰνοπίωνος τάφος θέαν τε παρέχεται καί τινας καὶ λόγους ἐς τοῦ Οἰνοπίωνος τὰ ἔργα· Σαμίοις δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐς τὸ Ἡραῖον τὸ Ῥαδίνης καὶ Λεοντίχου μνῆμά ἐστι, καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ ἔρωτος ἀνιωμένοις εὔχεσθαι καθέστηκεν ἰοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα. τὰ μὲν δὴ ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ θαύματα πολλά τε καὶ οὐ πολλῷ τινι τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι ἀποδέοντά ἐστιν·
Smyrna, one of the twelve Aeolian cities, built on the site which is still called the Old City, was wrested from the Aeolians by some Ionians from Colophon; but afterwards the Ionians allowed the Smyrnaeans to take part in the federal assembly at Panionium. The present city was founded by Alexander, son of Philip, in consequence of a vision which he had in a dream. They say he had been hunting on Mount Pagus, and when the chase was over he came to a sanctuary of the Nemeses, and there he lighted on a spring and a plane-tree before the sanctuary, the tree overhanging the water. As he slept under the plane-tree the Nemeses, they say, appeared to him, and bade him found a city there and transfer to it the Smyrnaeans from the old town. So the Smyrnaeans sent envoys to Clarus to inquire about the matter, and the god answered them :— Thrice blest, yea four times, shall they be Who shall inhabit Pagus beyond the sacred Meles. So they willingly removed, and they now believe in two Nemeses instead of one. They say that the mother of the two goddesses was Night, while the Athenians say that the father of the goddess (Nemesis) at Rhamnus was Ocean.
Ionia enjoys the finest of climates, and its sanctuaries are unmatched in the world. The first for size and wealth is the sanctuary of the Ephesian goddess. Next come two unfinished sanctuaries of Apollo: one at Branchidae, in the land of Miletus, the other at Clarus, in the land of Colophon. Two other temples in Ionia were burned down by the Persians, to wit, the temple of Hera in Samos, and the temple of Athena at Phocaea; but scathed as they are by the flames, they are still wonderful.
You would be charmed, too, with the sanctuary of Hercules at Erythrae, and with the temple of Athena at Priene. The attraction of the latter is its Image; the charm of the former is its antiquity. For the image of Hercules is like neither the so-called Aeginetan images, nor the most ancient Attic images: but if ever there was a purely Egyptian image, this is it. A wooden raft floated from Tyre in Phoenicia with the god upon it; but how this happened is more than even the Erythraeans can say. When the raft reached the Ionian sea, they say that it came to anchor at the cape called Mesate (‘middle’), which is on the mainland exactly mid-way on the voyage from the harbour of Erythrae to the island of Chios. The raft having come to rest at this cape, the Erythraeans on the one side, and the Chians on the other, strained every nerve to tow the image to their own shore. At last a man of Erythrae, Phormio by name, who got his livelihood by the sea and by catching fish, but had lost his eyesight by some disease, dreamed that the women of Erythrae must shear their hair, and that with a rope woven of the women’s tresses the men would be able to tow the raft ashore. The ladies of the burgesses would have none of the dream; but the Thracian women, bond and free alike, who dwelt in Erythrae, suffered their hair to be shorn. And thus the Erythraeans towed the raft ashore. So Thracian women are the only women who are free to enter the sanctuary of Hercules ; and the rope made of their tresses is preserved by the people of Erythrae to this day. And what is more, they say that the fisherman recovered his sight and kept it for the rest of his life.
There is also in Erythrae a temple of Athena Polias, and a colossal wooden image of the goddess seated on a throne, with a distaff in either hand and a firmament on her head. From various indications I judged the image to be a work of Endoeus, particularly from an inspection of the workmanship of the image [in the interior of the temple], and last, but not least, from the style of the images of the Graces and Seasons in white marble that stand in the open air before the entrance. In my time the Smyrnaeans made a sanctuary of Aesculapius betwixt Mount Coryphe and a sea into which no water flows. 5. Ionia is remarkable for other things besides its sanctuaries and its climate. Thus in the land of Ephesus there is the river Cenchrius, the peculiar mountain of Pion, and the spring Halitaea. In the land of Miletus there is the spring Biblis, associated with all the poetic legends of Biblis’ love. In the land of Colophon there is a grove of ash-trees sacred to Apollo, and not far from the grove is the Ales, the coldest river in all Ionia. The district of Lebedus can boast its wondrous and salubrious baths. Teos, too, has its baths at Cape Macria, some in the natural clefts of the rock beside the breakers, others built in a costly and showy style. The Clazomenians have also baths; moreover, they worship Agamemnon. They have also a cave called the cave of the mother of Pyrrhus, and they tell a tale of the shepherd Pyrrhus. The Erythraeans own a district called Chalcis, from which their third tribe takes its name. In Chalcis there is a cape stretching into the sea, and on this cape there are salt-water baths, which are the most salubrious of all the baths in Ionia.
The Smyrnaeans possess the river Meles, with its beautiful water, and at the springs of the Meles there is a grotto where they say that Homer composed his poems. One of the sights of Chios is the grave of Oenopion, whose deeds are the theme of stories that still linger on the spot. In Samos, on the road to the sanctuary of Hera, there is the tomb of Rhadine and Leontichus, and sad lovers go and offer their orisons at the tomb. In sooth Ionia is a land of many wonders that fall little short of the marvels of Greece itself.
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