ἐς δὲ Θέλπουσαν ἰόντι ἐκ Ψωφῖδος πρῶτα μὲν χωρίον Τρόπαιά ἐστιν ὀνομαζόμενον ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τοῦ Λάδωνος, Τροπαίων δὲ ἔχεται δρυμὸς Ἀφροδίσιον· τρίτα δέ ἐστιν ἀρχαῖα ἐν στήλῃ γράμματα, ὅροι Ψωφιδίοις πρὸς τὴν Θελπουσίαν χώραν. / ἐν δὲ τῇ γῇ τῇ Θελπουσίᾳ ποταμός ἐστιν Ἄρσην καλούμενος· τοῦτον οὖν διαβήσῃ καὶ ὅσον πέντε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ σταδίοις ἀφίξῃ καὶ εἴκοσι ἐπὶ ἐρείπια Καοῦντος κώμης καὶ ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ Καουσίου πεποιημένον ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.
τοῦ δὲ ἱεροῦ τούτου σταδίους τεσσαράκοντα μάλιστα ἀφέστηκεν ἡ πόλις· τεθῆναι δὲ αὐτῇ ὄνομα ἀπὸ νύμφης λέγουσι Θελπούσης, ταύτην δὲ θυγατέρα εἶναι Λάδωνος. τῷ δὲ Λάδωνι ἄρχεται μὲν τὸ ὕδωρ ἐν πηγαῖς τῆς Κλειτορίας, καθὰ ὁ λόγος ἐδήλωσεν ἤδη μοι· ῥεῖ δὲ πρῶτον μὲν παρὰ Λευκάσιον χωρίον καὶ Μεσόβοα καὶ διὰ τῶν Νάσων ἐπί τε Ὄρυγα τὸν καὶ Ἁλοῦντα ὀνομαζόμενον, ἐξ Ἁλοῦντος δὲ ἐπὶ Θαλιάδας τε καὶ ἐπὶ Δήμητρος ἱερὸν κάτεισιν Ἐλευσινίας.
τὸ δὲ ἱερὸν τοῦτο ἔστι μὲν Θελπουσίων ἐν ὅροις· ἀγάλματα δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ, ποδῶν ἑπτὰ οὐκ ἀποδέον ἕκαστον, Δήμητρός ἐστι καὶ ἡ παῖς καὶ ὁ Διόνυσος, τὰ πάντα ὁμοίως λίθου. μετὰ δὲ τῆς Ἐλευσινίας τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ Θέλπουσαν τὴν πόλιν ὁ Λάδων παρέξεισιν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, κειμένην μὲν ἐπὶ λόφου μεγάλου, τὰ πλείω δὲ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἔρημον, ὥστε καὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐπὶ τῷ πέρατι οὖσάν φασιν ἐν τῷ μεσαιτάτῳ ποιηθῆναι τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς. ἔστι δὲ ἐν Θελπούσῃ ναὸς Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ θεῶν ἱερὸν τῶν δώδεκα·
τούτου τὰ πολλὰ ἐς ἔδαφος ἔκειτο ἤδη. μετὰ δὲ Θέλπουσαν ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς Δήμητρος ὁ Λάδων κάτεισι τὸ ἐν Ὀγκείῳ· καλοῦσι δὲ Ἐρινὺν οἱ Θελπούσιοι τὴν θεόν, ὁμολογεῖ δέ σφισι καὶ Ἀντίμαχος ἐπιστρατείαν Ἀργείων ποιήσας ἐς Θήβας· καί οἱ τὸ ἔπος ἔχει, Δήμητρος τόθι φασὶν Ἐρινύος εἶναι ἔδεθλον. / ὁ μὲν δὴ Ὄγκιος Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστι κατὰ τὴν φήμην καὶ ἐν τῇ Θελπουσίᾳ περὶ τὸ χωρίον ἐδυνάστευε τὸ Ὄγκιον, τῇ θεῷ δὲ Ἐρινὺς γέγονεν ἐπίκλησις·
πλανωμένῃ γὰρ τῇ Δήμητρι, ἡνίκα τὴν παῖδα ἐζήτει, λέγουσιν ἕπεσθαί οἱ τὸν Ποσειδῶνα ἐπιθυμοῦντα αὐτῇ μιχθῆναι, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐς ἵππον μεταβαλοῦσαν ὁμοῦ ταῖς ἵπποις νέμεσθαι ταῖς Ὀγκίου, Ποσειδῶν δὲ συνίησεν ἀπατώμενος καὶ συγγίνεται τῇ Δήμητρι ἄρσενι ἵππῳ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰκασθείς.
τὸ μὲν δὴ παραυτίκα τὴν Δήμητρα ἐπὶ τῷ συμβάντι ἔχειν ὀργίλως, χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον τοῦ τε θυμοῦ παύσασθαι καὶ τῷ Λάδωνι ἐθελῆσαί φασιν αὐτὴν λούσασθαι· ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ ἐπικλήσεις τῇ θεῷ γεγόνασι, τοῦ μηνίματος μὲν ἕνεκα Ἐρινύς, ὅτι τὸ θυμῷ χρῆσθαι καλοῦσιν ἐρινύειν οἱ Ἀρκάδες, Λουσία δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ λούσασθαι τῷ Λάδωνι. τὰ δὲ ἀγάλματά ἐστι τὰ ἐν τῷ ναῷ ξύλου, πρόσωπα δέ σφισι καὶ χεῖρες ἄκραι καὶ πόδες εἰσὶ Παρίου λίθου·
τὸ μὲν δὴ τῆς Ἐρινύος τήν τε κίστην καλουμένην ἔχει καὶ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ δᾷδα, μέγεθος δὲ εἰκάζομεν ἐννέα εἶναι ποδῶν αὐτήν· ἡ Λουσία δὲ ποδῶν ἓξ ἐφαίνετο εἶναι. ὅσοι δὲ Θέμιδος καὶ οὐ Δήμητρος τῆς Λουσίας τὸ ἄγαλμα εἶναι νομίζουσι, μάταια ἴστωσαν ὑπειληφότες. τὴν δὲ Δήμητρα τεκεῖν φασιν ἐκ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος θυγατέρα, ἧς τὸ ὄνομα ἐς ἀτελέστους λέγειν οὐ νομίζουσι, καὶ ἵππον τὸν Ἀρείονα· ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ παρὰ σφίσιν Ἀρκάδων πρώτοις Ἵππιον Ποσειδῶνα ὀνομασθῆναι.
ἐπάγονται δὲ ἐξ Ἰλιάδος ἔπη καὶ ἐκ Θηβαΐδος μαρτύριά σφισιν εἶναι τῷ λόγῳ, ἐν μὲν Ἰλιάδι ἐς αὐτὸν Ἀρείονα πεποιῆσθαι, οὐδʼ εἴ κεν μετόπισθεν Ἀρείονα δῖον ἐλαύνοι, / Ἀδρήστου ταχὺν ἵππον, ὃς ἐκ θεόφιν γένος ἦεν· / ἐν δὲ τῇ Θηβαΐδι ὡς Ἄδραστος ἔφευγεν ἐκ Θηβῶν εἵματα λυγρὰ φέρων σὺν Ἀρείονι κυανοχαίτῃ. / αἰνίσσεσθαι οὖν ἐθέλουσι τὰ ἔπη Ποσειδῶνα Ἀρείονι εἶναι πατέρα, Ἀντίμαχος δὲ παῖδα εἶναι Γῆς φησιν·
Ἄδρηστος Ταλαὼ υἱὸς Κρηθηιάδαο / πρώτιστος Δαναῶν ἑὼ αἰνέτω ἤλασεν ἵππω, / Καιρόν τε κραιπνὸν καὶ Ἀρείονα Θελπουσαῖον, / τόν ῥά τʼ Ἀπόλλωνος σχεδὸν ἄλσεος Ὀγκαίοιο / αὐτὴ Γαῖʼ ἀνέδωκε, σέβας θνητοῖσιν ἰδέσθαι. /
δύναιτο δʼ ἂν καὶ ἀναφύντι ἐκ γῆς τῷ ἵππῳ ἐκ θεοῦ τε εἶναι τὸ γένος καὶ αἱ τρίχες οἱ τὴν χρόαν ἐοικέναι κυανῷ. λέγεται δὲ καὶ τοιάδε, Ἡρακλέα πολεμοῦντα Ἠλείοις αἰτῆσαι παρʼ Ὄγκου τὸν ἵππον καὶ ἑλεῖν τὴν Ἦλιν ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀρείονι ὀχούμενον ἐς τὰς μάχας, δοθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους ὕστερον Ἀδράστῳ τὸν ἵππον. ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ ἐς τὸν Ἀρείονα ἐποίησεν Ἀντίμαχος ὅς ῥά ποτʼ Ἀδρήστῳ τριτάτῳ δέδμηθʼ ὑπʼ ἄνακτι. /
ὁ δὲ Λάδων τῆς Ἐρινύος τὸ ἱερὸν ἀπολιπὼν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ, παρέξεισιν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ μὲν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Ὀγκαιάτου τὸν ναόν, τὰ δὲ ἐν δεξιᾷ παρὰ Ἀσκληπιοῦ Παιδὸς ἱερόν, ἔνθα Τρυγόνος μνῆμά ἐστι · τροφὸν δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τὴν Τρυγόνα εἶναι λέγουσιν· ἐν γὰρ τῇ Θελπούσῃ τῷ Ἀσκληπιῷ παιδὶ ἐκκειμένῳ φασὶν ἐπιτυχόντα Αὐτόλαον Ἀρκάδος υἱὸν νόθον ἀνελέσθαι τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ παῖδα Ἀσκληπιὸν εἰκότα εἶναι μᾶλλον ἡγούμην, ὃ καὶ ἐδήλωσα ἐν τοῖς Ἐπιδαυρίων.
ἔστι δὲ Τουθόα ποταμός· ἐμβάλλει δὲ ἐς τὸν Λάδωνα καὶ ἡ Τουθόα κατὰ τὸν Θελπουσίων ὅρον πρὸς Ἡραιεῖς, καλούμενον δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀρκάδων Πεδίον. καθότι δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Λάδων ἐκδίδωσιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν, Κοράκων ὠνόμασται νᾶσος. οἱ δὲ ἥγηνται τὴν Ἐνίσπην καὶ Στρατίην τε καὶ Ῥίπην τὰς ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου κατειλεγμένας γενέσθαι νήσους ποτὲ ἐν τῷ Λάδωνι ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένας, ἃ οἱ πεπιστευκότες μάταια ἴστωσαν·
οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε οὐδὲ νηὶ παρισουμένας πορθμίδι παράσχοιτο ὁ Λάδων νήσους. κάλλους μὲν γὰρ ἕνεκα οὐδενὸς ποταμῶν δεύτερος οὔτε τῶν βαρβαρικῶν ἐστιν οὔτε Ἕλληνος, μέγεθος δὲ οὐ τοσοῦτος ὡς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ νήσους ἀναφαίνεσθαι καθάπερ ἐν Ἴστρῳ τε καὶ Ἠριδανῷ.
On the way from Psophis to Thelpusa there is first a place called Tropaea on the left of the Ladon; next to Tropaea is the oak forest of Aphrodisium; and, thirdly, there is a monument with the following inscription in old letters :—‘Boundary between the territories of Psophis and Thelpusa.’ In the district of Thelpusa there is a river called Arsen: this you will cross, and about five-and-twenty furlongs from it you will come to the ruins of a village Caus, and to a sanctuary of Causian Aesculapius, standing in the road. 2. Just forty furlongs from this sanctuary is the city: it is said to have received its name from a nymph Thelpusa, a daughter of Ladon. As I have already shown, the water of the Ladon has its source in the territory of Clitor. It flows first past a place Leucasium and Mesoboa, and through Nasi to Oryx and Halus, and from Halus it descends to Thaliades and a sanctuary of Eleusinian Demeter. This sanctuary is at the Thelpusian boundaries, and contains images, each not less than seven feet high, of Demeter, her daughter, and Dionysus, all of them of stone. After the sanctuary of the Eleusinian goddess the Ladon flows past the city of Thelpusa, which lies on a great hill on the left bank of the river. Most of the city is at present uninhabited, so that the market-place, which now stands at the end of the town, is said originally to have stood in the very middle of it.
In Thelpusa there is a temple of Aesculapius, and a sanctuary of the Twelve Gods: most of this sanctuary is now level with the ground. After Thelpusa the Ladon descends to the sanctuary of Demeter in Onceum. The Thelpusians call the goddess Fury, and with them agrees Antimachus, the poet who celebrated the expedition of the Argives against Thebes. His verse runs thus :— They say that there is a seat of Demeter Fury in that place. Oncius, according to common fame, was a son of Apollo, and he reigned at Onceum in the land of Thelpusa.
The goddess received the surname of Fury on this wise. When Demeter was seeking her daughter, they say that in her wanderings she was followed by Poseidon, who desired to gain her favours. So she turned herself into a mare, and grazed with the mares of Oncius; but Poseidon, detecting the deception, likewise took the form of a horse, and so enjoyed Demeter. They say that at first Demeter was wroth, but that in time she relented, and was fain to bathe in the Ladon. Hence the goddess received two surnames: that of Fury (Erinus) on account of her wrath, because the Arcadians call a fit of anger erinuein ; and that of Lusia, because she bathed (lousasthai) in the Ladon. The images in the temple are of wood, but the faces, hands, and feet, are of Parian marble. The image of the Fury holds the so-called cista (sacred basket), and in her right hand a torch: the height of the image we guessed to be nine feet. The Lusia appeared to be six feet high. Some think that the image represents Themis, and not Demeter Lusia; but this is an idle fancy, and so I would have them know.
They say that Demeter had by Poseidon a daughter, whose name they are not wont to divulge to uninitiated persons, and that she also gave birth to the horse Arion; and it was for this reason, they say, that they gave Poseidon the surname of Hippius (‘of horses’), and they were first of the Arcadians who did so. In proof of their story they quote verses from the Iliad and the Thebaid. In the Iliad there is a reference to Arion :— Not even if he drove at thy back divine Arion, Swift steed of Adrastus, that sprung from the gods. And in the Thebaid it is said that Adrastus fled from Thebes Wearing sorry garments, and with him dark-haired Arion. They accordingly maintain that the verses hint that Poseidon was father to Arion. But Antimachus says he was a child of Earth:—Adrastus, son of Talaus, of the stock of Cretheus, Was the first of the Danai that drove two high-praised steeds, Fleet Caerus and Thelpusian Arion, Whom near the Oncean grove of Apollo Earth herself brought forth, a wonder for mortals to see. But even if the horse were sprung from the earth his lineage might still be divine, and his hair might still be blue. It is also said that when Hercules was warring on the Eleans he begged the loan of the horse from Oncus, and conquered Elis, riding on the back of Arion to the fights, and that afterwards he gave the horse to Adrastus. Therefore Antimachus says of Arion :— The third who mastered him was Lord Adrastus.
The Ladon, after leaving the sanctuary of the Fury on the left, passes on the left the temple of Oncaeatian Apollo, and on the right a sanctuary of the Boy Aesculapius, where is the tomb of Trygon. They say that Trygon was a woman who nursed Aesculapius ; for they relate that Aesculapius, as a child, was left to perish at Thelpusa, but was found and reared by Autolaus, a bastard son of Arcas, and therefore the Boy Aesculapius . . . I consider the account which I gave in the section on Epidaurus as more probable.
There is a river Tuthoa, which falls into the Ladon at the boundary between Thelpusa and Heraea: this boundary is called by the Arcadians Pedium (‘plain’). At the point where the Ladon itself falls into the Alpheus there is an island named the Isle of Crows. Some people think that Enispe, Stratia, and Rhipe, which are mentioned by Homer, were once on a time inhabited islands in the Ladon. It is an idle belief, and so I would have them know; for the Ladon never could have islands as big as a ferry-boat. There is indeed no fairer river either in Greece or in foreign land, but it is not broad enough to have islands on its bosom, like the Danube and the Eridanus.
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