μεταξὺ δὲ τοῦ Πηνειοῦ καὶ τῆς Σελλήεντος ἐμβολῆς Πύλος ᾠκεῖτο κατὰ τὸ Σκόλλιον, οὐχ ἡ τοῦ Νέστορος πόλις, ἀλλʼ ἑτέρα τις, ᾗ πρὸς τὸν Ἀλφειὸν οὐδέν ἐστι κοινώνημα, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν Παμισόν, εἴτε Ἄμαθον χρὴ καλεῖν. βιάζονται δʼ ἔνιοι μνηστευόμενοι τὴν Νέστορος δόξαν καὶ τὴν εὐγένειαν· τριῶν γὰρ Πύλων ἱστορουμένων ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ (καθότι καὶ τὸ ἔπος εἴρηται τουτί ἔστι Πύλος πρὸ Πύλοιο· Πύλος γε μέν ἐστι καὶ ἄλλος / )τούτου τε καὶ τοῦ Λεπρεατικοῦ τοῦ ἐν τῇ Τριφυλίᾳ καὶ τῇ Πισάτιδι, τρίτου δὲ τοῦ Μεσσηνιακοῦ τοῦ κατὰ Κορυφάσιον, ἕκαστοι τὸν παρά σφισιν ἠμαθόεντα πειρῶνται δεικνύναι, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Νέστορος πατρίδα τοῦτον ἀποφαίνουσιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν πολλοὶ τῶν νεωτέρων καὶ συγγραφέων καὶ ποιητῶν Μεσσήνιόν φασι τὸν Νέστορα, τῷ σωζομένῳ μέχρι εἰς αὐτοὺς προστιθέμενοι· οἱ δʼ Ὁμηρικώτεροι τοῖς ἔπεσιν ἀκολουθοῦντες τοῦτον εἶναί φασι τὸν τοῦ Νέστορος Πύλον, οὗ τὴν χώραν διέξεισιν ὁ Ἀλφειός· διέξεισι δὲ τὴν Πισᾶτιν καὶ τὴν Τριφυλίαν. οἱ δʼ οὖν ἐκ τῆς κοίλης Ἤλιδος καὶ τοιαύτην φιλοτιμίαν προσετίθεσαν τῷ παρʼ αὐτοῖς Πύλῳ, καὶ γνωρίσματα δεικνύντες Γέρηνον τόπον καὶ Γέροντα ποταμὸν καὶ ἄλλον Γεράνιον, εἶτʼ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐπιθέτως Γερήνιον εἰρῆσθαι πιστούμενοι τὸν Νέστορα. τοῦτο δὲ ταὐτὸ καὶ οἱ Μεσσήνιοι πεποιήκασι, καὶ πιθανώτεροί γε φαίνονται· μᾶλλον γὰρ γνώριμά φασιν εἶναι τὰ παρʼ ἐκείνοις Γέρηνα, συνοικουμένην ποτὲ εὖ. τοιαῦτα μὲν τὰ περὶ τὴν κοίλην Ἦλιν ὑπάρχοντα νυνί.
There existed between the mouths of the Peneius and the Selleis near Scollis, a Pylus, not the city of Nestor, but another of that name, having nothing in common with that on the Alpheius, nor even with that on the Pamisus, or, if we must so call it, the Amathus. Some writers, through their solicitude for the fame and noble descent of Nestor, give a forced meaning to these words. Since there are three places in Peloponnesus of the name of Pylus, (whence the saying originated, There is a Pylus in front of Pylus, and still there is another Pylus,) / namely, this and the Lepreatic Pylus in Triphylia, and a third, the Messeniac near Coryphasium, the advocates for each place endeavour to show that the river in his own country is (Emathois) ήμαθόεις, or sandy, and declare that to be the country of Nestor.
The greater number of other writers, both historians and poets, say, that Nestor was a Messenian, assigning as his birthplace the Pylus, which continued to exist to their times. Those, however, who adhere to Homer and follow his poem as their guide, say, that the Pylus of Nestor is where the territory is traversed by the Alpheius. Now this river passes through the Pisatis and Triphylia. The inhabitants of the Hollow Elis were emulous of the same honour respecting the Pylus in their own country, and point out distinctive marks, as a place called Gerenus, and a river Geron, and another river Geranius, and endeavour to confirm this opinion by pretending that Nestor had the epithet Gerenius from these places.
The Messenians argue in the very same manner, but apparently with more probability on their side. For they say, that in their territory there is a place better known, called Gerena, and once well inhabited.
Such then is the present state of the Hollow Elis.
ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς εἰς τέτταρα μέρη διελὼν τήνδε τὴν χώραν, τέτταρας δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας εἰπών, οὐ σαφῶς εἴρηκεν οἳ δʼ ἄρα Βουπράσιόν τε καὶ Ἤλιδα δῖαν ἔναιον, / ὅσσον ἐφʼ Ὑρμίνη καὶ Μύρσινος ἐσχατόωσα / πέτρη τʼ Ὠλενίη καὶ Ἀλείσιον ἐντὸς ἐέργει, / τῶν αὖ τέσσαρες ἀρχοὶ ἔσαν, δέκα δʼ ἀνδρὶ ἑκάστῳ / νῆες ἕποντο θοαί· πολέες δʼ ἔμβαινον Ἐπειοί. / τῷ μὲν γὰρ Ἐπειοὺς ἀμφοτέρους προσαγορεύειν τούς τε Βουπρασιεῖς καὶ τοὺς Ἠλείους, Ἠλείους δὲ μηκέτι καλεῖν τοὺς Βουπρασιεῖς, οὐ τὴν Ἠλείαν δόξειεν ἂν εἰς τέτταρα μέρη διαιρεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν Ἐπειῶν, ἣν εἰς δύο μέρη διεῖλε πρότερον· οὐδʼ ἂν μέρος εἴη τῆς Ἤλιδος τὸ Βουπράσιον, ἀλλὰ τῶν Ἐπειῶν μᾶλλον. ὅτι γὰρ Ἐπειοὺς καλεῖ τοὺς Βουπρασίους, δῆλον ὡς ὁπότε κρείοντʼ Ἀμαρυγκέα θάπτον Ἐπειοὶ / Βουπρασίῳ. / πάλιν δὲ τῷ συγκαταριθμεῖσθαι Βουπράσιόν τε καὶ Ἤλιδα δῖαν λέγοντα, εἶτʼ εἰς τέτταρας διαιρεῖν μερίδας, ὡς ἂν κοινῷ δοκεῖ τῷ τε Βουπρασίῳ καὶ τῇ Ἤλιδι αὐτὰς ὑποτάττειν. ἦν δʼ, ὡς ἔοικε, κατοικία τῆς Ἠλείας τὸ Βουπράσιον ἀξιόλογος, ἣ νῦν οὐκέτʼ ἐστίν· ἡ δὲ χώρα καλεῖται μόνον οὕτως ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἐπὶ Δύμην ἐξ Ἤλιδος τῆς νῦν πόλεως. ὑπολάβοι δʼ ἄν τις καὶ ὑπεροχήν τινα ἔχειν τότε τὸ Βουπράσιον παρὰ τὴν Ἦλιν, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ Ἐπειοὶ παρὰ τούτους· ὕστερον δʼ ἀντʼ Ἐπειῶν Ἠλεῖοι ἐκλήθησαν. καὶ τὸ Βουπράσιον μὲν δὴ μέρος ἦν τῆς Ἤλιδος. ποιητικῷ δέ τινι σχήματι συγκαταλέγειν τὸ μέρος τῷ ὅλῳ φασὶ τὸν Ὅμηρον, ὡς τό ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα καὶ μέσον Ἄργος / καί ἀνʼ Ἑλλάδα τε Φθίην τε; καὶ Κουρῆτές τʼ ἐμάχοντο καὶ Αἰτωλοί, / καὶ οἱ δʼ ἐκ Δουλιχίοιο Ἐχινάων θʼ ἱεράων. / καὶ γὰρ τὸ Δουλίχιον τῶν Ἐχινάδων. χρῶνται δὲ καὶ οἱ νεώτεροι· Ἱππῶναξ μέν Κυπρίων βέκος φαγοῦσι καὶ Ἀμαθουσίων πυρόν· / Κύπριοι γὰρ καὶ οἱ Ἀμαθούσιοι· καὶ Ἀλκμὰν δέ Κύπρον ἱμερτὰν λιποῖσα καὶ Πάφον περιρρύταν / καὶ Αἰσχύλος Κύπρου Πάφου τʼ ἔχουσα πάντα κλῆρον. / εἰ δʼ οὐκ εἴρηκεν Ἠλείους τοὺς Βουπρασίους, οὐδʼ ἄλλα πολλὰ τῶν ὄντων, φήσομεν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπόδειξις τοῦ μὴ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὴ εἰπεῖν μόνον.
The poet however, after having divided the country into four parts, and mentioned the four chiefs, does not clearly express himself, when he says: those who inhabit Buprasium and the sacred Elis, all whom Hyrminë and Myrsinus, situated at the extremity of the territory and the Olenian rock, and Aleisium contain, these were led by four chiefs; ten swift vessels accompanied each, and multitudes of Epeii were embarked in them. For, by applying the name Epeii to both people, the Buprasians and the Eleii, and by never applying the name Eleii to the Buprasians, he may seem to divide, not Eleia, but the country of the Epeii, into four parts, which he had before divided into two; nor would Buprasium then be a part of Elis, but rather of the country of the Epeii. For that he terms the Buprasians Epeii, is evident from these words: As when the Epeii were burying King Amarynces at Buprasium. Again, by enumerating together Buprasium and sacred Elis, and then by making a fourfold division, he seems to arrange these very four divisions in common under both Buprasium and Elis.
Buprasium, it is probable, was a considerable settlement in Eleia, which does not exist at present. But the territory only has this name, which lies on the road to Dyme from Elis the present city. It might be supposed that Buprasium had at that time some superiority over Elis, as the Epeii had over the Eleii, but afterwards they had the name of Eleii instead of Epeii.
Buprasium then was a part of Elis, and they say, that Homer, by a poetical figure, speaks of the whole and of the part together, as in these lines: through Greece and the middle of Argos; through Greece and Pthia; the Curetes and the Aetoli were fighting those from Dulichium and the sacred Echinades; for Dulichium is one of the Echinades. Modern writers also use this figure, as Hipponax, they eat the bread of the Cyprians and the wheat of the Amathusii; for the Amathusii are Cyprians: and Alcman; leaving the beloved Cyprus, and Paphos, washed on all sides by the sea: and Aeschylus; possessing as your share by lot the whole of Cyprus and Paphos. /
If Homer has not called the Buprasii by the name of Eleii, we shall reply, nor has he mentioned many other places and things which exist. For this is not a proof that they did not exist, but only that he has not mentioned them.
Ἑκαταῖος δʼ ὁ Μιλήσιος ἑτέρους λέγει τῶν Ἠλείων τοὺς Ἐπειούς· τῷ γοῦν Ἡρακλεῖ συστρατεῦσαι τοὺς Ἐπειοὺς ἐπὶ Αὐγέαν καὶ συνανελεῖν αὐτῷ τόν τε Αὐγέαν καὶ τὴν Ἦλιν· φησὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν Δύμην Ἐπειίδα καὶ Ἀχαιίδα. πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ μὴ ὄντα λέγουσιν οἱ ἀρχαῖοι συγγραφεῖς, συντεθραμμένοι τῷ ψεύδει διὰ τὰς μυθογραφίας· διὰ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ οὐχ ὁμολογοῦσι πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν. οὐ μέντοι ἄπιστον οὐδʼ εἴ ποτε διάφοροι τοῖς Ἠλείοις ὄντες οἱ Ἐπειοὶ καὶ ἑτεροεθνεῖς εἰς ταὐτὸ συνήρχοντο κατʼ ἐπικράτειαν, καὶ κοινὴν ἔνεμον τὴν πολιτείαν· ἐπεκράτουν δὲ καὶ μέχρι Δύμης. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ποιητὴς οὐκ ὠνόμακε τὴν Δύμην, οὐκ ἀπεικὸς δʼ ἐστὶ τότε μὲν αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τοῖς Ἐπειοῖς ὑπάρξαι, ὕστερον δὲ τοῖς Ἴωσιν, ἢ μηδʼ ἐκείνοις ἀλλὰ τοῖς τὴν ἐκείνων χώραν κατασχοῦσιν Ἀχαιοῖς· τῶν δὲ τεττάρων μερίδων, ὧν ἐντός ἐστι καὶ τὸ Βουπράσιον, ἡ μὲν Ὑρμίνη καὶ ἡ Μύρσινος τῆς Ἠλείας ἐστίν, αἱ λοιπαὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ὅρων ἤδη τῆς Πισάτιδος, ὡς οἴονταί τινες.
But Hecataeus of Miletus says, that the Epeii are a different people from the Eleii; that the Epeii accompanied Hercules in his expedition against Augeas, and joined him in destroying Elis, and defeating Augeas. He also says, that Dyme was both an Epeian and an Achaean city.
The ancient historians, accustomed from childhood to falsehood through the tales of mythologists, speak of many things that never existed. Hence they do not even agree with one another, in their accounts of the same things. Not that it is improbable that the Epeii, although a different people and at variance with the Eleii, when they had gained the ascendency, united together, forming a common state, and their power extended even as far as Dyme. The poet does not mention Dyme, but it is not improbable that at that time it was subject to the Epeii, and afterwards to the ones, or perhaps not even to this people, but to the Achsaei, who were in possession of the country of the Iones.
Of the four portions, which include Buprasium, Hyrminē and Myrsinus belong to the territory of Eleia. The rest, according to the opinion of some writers, are situated close on the borders of the Pisatis.
Ὑρμίνη μὲν οὖν πολίχνιον ἦν, νῦν δʼ οὐκ ἔστιν· ἀλλʼ ἀκρωτήριον πλησίον Κυλλήνης ὀρεινόν ἐστι, καλούμενον Ὅρμινα ἢ Ὕρμινα· Μύρσινος δὲ τὸ νῦν Μυρτούντιον, ἐπὶ θάλατταν καθήκουσα κατὰ τὴν ἐκ Δύμης εἰς Ἦλιν ὁδὸν κατοικία, στάδια τῆς Ἠλείων πόλεως διέχουσα ἑβδομήκοντα. πέτρην δʼ Ὠλενίην εἰκάζουσι τὴν νῦν Σκόλλιν· ἀνάγκη γὰρ εἰκότα λέγειν, καὶ τῶν τόπων καὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων μεταβεβλημένων, ἐκείνου τε μὴ σφόδρα ἐπὶ πολλῶν σαφηνίζοντος· ἔστι δʼ ὄρος πετρῶδες κοινὸν Δυμαίων τε καὶ Τριταιέων καὶ Ἠλείων, ἐχόμενον ἑτέρου τινὸς Ἀρκαδικοῦ ὄρους Λαμπείας, ὃ τῆς Ἤλιδος μὲν διέστηκεν ἑκ τριάκοντα σταδίους, Τριταίας δὲ ἑκατόν, τοὺς ἴσους, Ἀχαϊκῶν πόλεων. τὸ δʼ Ἀλείσιον ἔστι τὸ νῦν Ἀλεσιαῖον, χώρα περὶ τὴν Ἀμφιδολίδα, ἐν ᾗ καὶ κατὰ μῆνα ἀγορὰν συνάγουσιν οἱ περίοικοι· κεῖται δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ὀρεινῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἐξ Ἤλιδος εἰς Ὀλυμπίαν· πρότερον δʼ ἦν πόλις τῆς Πισάτιδος, ἄλλοτʼ ἄλλως τῶν ὅρων ἐπαλλαττόντων διὰ τὰς τῶν ἡγεμόνων μεταβολάς· τὸ δʼ Ἀλείσιον καὶ Ἀλεισίου κολώνην ὁ ποιητὴς καλεῖ ὅταν φῇ μέσφʼ ἐπὶ Βουπρασίου πολυπύρου βήσαμεν / ἵππους πέτρης τʼ Ὠλενίης καὶ Ἀλεισίου ἔνθα κολώνη κέκληται. / ὑπερβατῶς γὰρ δεῖ δέξασθαι ἴσον τῷ καὶ ἔνθʼ Ἀλεισίου κολώνη κέκληται. ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ ποταμὸν δεικνύουσιν Ἀλείσιον.
Hyrminë was a small town, which exists no longer, but there is a mountainous promontory near Cyllene, called Hormina or Hyrmina.
Myrsinus is the present Myrtuntium, a settlement extending to the sea, and situated on the road from Dyme to Elis, at the distance of 70 stadia from the city of the Eleii.
It is conjectured that the Olenian rock is the present Scollis. For we might mention probable conjectures, since both places and names have undergone changes, and the poet himself does not explain his meaning clearly in many passages. Scollis is a rocky mountain, common to the Dymaei, and Tritaeenses, and Eleii, situated close to Lampeia, another mountain in Arcadia, which is distant from Elis 130 stadia, from Tritaea 100, and an equal number [from Dyme] Achaean cities.
Aleisium is the present Alesiaeum, a place near Amphidolis, where the neighbouring people hold a market every month. It is situated upon the mountain road leading from Elis to Olympia. Formerly, it was a city of the Pisatis, the boundaries of the country being different at different times on account of the change of masters. The poet also calls Aleisium, the hill of Aleisius, when he says, Till we brought our horses to Buprasium rich in grain, and to the Olenian rock, and to the place which is called the hill of Aleisium, for we must understand the words by the figure hyperbaton. Some also point out a river Aleisius.
λεγομένων δέ τινων ἐν τῇ Τριφυλίᾳ Καυκώνων πρὸς τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ, λεγομένης δὲ καὶ τῆς Δύμης Καυκωνίδος ὑπό τινων, ὄντος δὲ καὶ ποταμοῦ ἐν τῇ Δυμαίᾳ μεταξὺ Δύμης καὶ Τριταίας ὃς καλεῖται Καύκων, ζητοῦσι περὶ τῶν Καυκώνων μὴ διττοὶ λέγονται, οἱ μὲν περὶ τὴν Τριφυλίαν οἱ δὲ περὶ Δύμην καὶ Ἦλιν καὶ τὸν Καύκωνα· ἐμβάλλει δʼ οὗτος εἰς ἕτερον, ὃς Τευθέας ἀρσενικῶς καλεῖται, ὁμώνυμος πολίχνῃ τινὶ τῶν εἰς τὴν Δύμην συνῳκισμένων, πλὴν ὅτι χωρὶς τοῦ σίγμα Τευθέα λέγεται θηλυκῶς αὕτη, ἐκτεινόντων τὴν ἐσχάτην συλλαβήν, ὅπου τὸ τῆς Νεμυδίας Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερόν. ὁ δὲ Τευθέας εἰς τὸν Ἀχελῶον ἐμβάλλει τὸν κατὰ Λύμην ῥέοντα, ὁμώνυμον τῷ κατὰ Ἀκαρνανίαν, καλούμενον καὶ Πεῖρον. τοῦ δʼ Ἡσιόδου εἰπόντος ᾤκεε δʼ Ὠλενίην πέτρην ποταμοῖο παρʼ ὄχθας / εὐρεῖος Πείροιο, / μεταγράφουσί τινες Πώροιο οὐκ εὖ. οὔτε γὰρ τὴν Δύμην ὁπόθεν Καυκωνίδα εἰρῆσθαι συμβέβηκε παραλιπεῖν ἄξιον, οὔτε τὸν ποταμὸν ὁπόθεν Καύκων εἴρηται, διὰ τὸ τοὺς Καύκωνας παρέχειν ζήτησιν, οἵ τινές ποτέ εἰσιν, ὅπου φησὶν ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ βαδίζειν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ χρέους κομιδήν. εἰ γὰρ δὴ δεχοίμεθα τοὺς ἐν τῇ Τριφυλίᾳ λέγεσθαι τοὺς περὶ Λέπρειον, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως πιθανὸς ἔσται ὁ λόγος· διὸ καὶ γράφουσί τινες ἔνθα χρεῖός μοι ὀφείλεται Ἤλιδι δίῃ, / οὐκ ὀλίγον. / σαφεστέραν δʼ ἕξει τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τοῦτο, ἐπειδὰν τὴν ἑξῆς χώραν περιοδεύσωμεν τήν τε Πισᾶτιν καὶ τὴν Τριφυλίαν μέχρι τῆς τῶν Μεσσηνίων μεθορίας.
Since a tribe of Caucones is mentioned in Triphylia near Messenia, and as Dyme is called by some writers Cauconis, and since between Dyme and Tritaea in the Dymaean district there is also a river called Caucon, a question arises respecting the Caucones, whether there are two nations of this name, one situate about Triphylia, and another about Dyme, Elis, and Caucon. This river empties itself into another which is called Teutheas, in the masculine gender, and is the name of a small town that was one of those that composed Dyme; except that the town is of the feminine gender, and is pronounced Teuthea, without the s, and the last syllable is long.
There is a temple of Diana Nemydia (Nemeaema?). The Teutheas discharges itself into the Achelous, which runs by Dyme, and has the same name as that in Acarnania, and the name also of Peirus. In the lines of Hesiod, he lived near the Olenian rock on the banks of the broad Peirus, / some change the last word πείροιο to πώροιο but improperly.
[But it is the opinion of some writers, who make the Caucones a subject of inquiry, that when Minerva in the Odyssey, who has assumed the form of Mentor, says to Nestor; At sun-rise I go to the magnanimous Caucones, where a debt neither of a late date nor of small amount is owing to me. When Telemachus comes to thy house send him with thy son, thy chariot, and thy horses; a certain district in the territory of the Epeii appears to be designated, which the Caucones, a different nation from that in Triphylia, possessed, and who perhaps extended even as far as the Dymean territory.] But it was not proper to omit, whence Dyme had the name Cauconitis, nor why the river was called Caucon, because the question is, who the Caucones were, to whom Minerva says, she is going to recover a debt. For if we understand the poet to mean those in Triphylia about Lepreum, I know not how this is probable; whence some persons even write the passage, where a large debt is owing to me in the sacred Elis. / This will appear more clearly, when we describe the Pisatis, and after it Triphylia as far as the confines of Messenia.
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