Pausanias Analysis

Let these things stand as described. In the forecourt at Delphi are inscribed sayings beneficial to human life, written by men whom the Greek tradition calls wise. Of these men, Thales of Miletus and Bias from Priene came from Ionia; Pittacus of Mytilene came from the Aeolian Greeks of Lesbos; Cleobulus of Lindus from the Dorian Greeks settled in Asia; Solon from Athens; and Chilon from Sparta. Concerning the seventh wise man, Plato son of Ariston replaced Periander, the son of Cypselus, with Myson of Chenae. The village of Chenae was located on Mount Oeta. These were the men who, having arrived at Delphi, dedicated to Apollo the well-known sayings: "Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess."

Here indeed these words are inscribed; and you might also see a bronze statue of Homer upon a pedestal, with an inscription containing the oracle said to have been given to Homer: "Fortunate and yet unfortunate—for you were born to both—you seek your native land; but yours is a mother's land, not a father's. The island of Ios is your mother's homeland, and it will receive you after death. But beware the riddle of the young children." The people of Ios also show a tomb of Homer on the island, and elsewhere that of Clymene; they say that this Clymene was Homer's mother.

The Cypriots—for they also claim Homer as their own—say that his mother was Themisto, a woman of their country, and allege that the following oracle of Euclus foretells the birth of Homer: "And then in sea-girt Cyprus shall arise a great singer, Whom Themisto, noble among women, shall bear in the fields, Far from wealthy and renowned Salamis. Leaving Cyprus, and lifted over the waves by fate, First and alone bringing songs of woes of wide-bound Greece, He shall ever remain immortal and ageless all his days." These oracles I have myself heard and carefully examined, but personally I give no credence to any of them regarding either the homeland or the age of Homer.

In the temple there is an altar dedicated to Poseidon, because the most ancient oracle had once belonged also to Poseidon; and there stand images of two of the Fates. Instead of the third Fate, Zeus Moiragetes and Apollo Moiragetes are standing beside them. You may also see there the hearth upon which the priest of Apollo slew Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. But concerning the death of Neoptolemus, I have spoken elsewhere.

Not far from the hearth stands the throne of Pindar. The throne itself is made of iron, and they say that whenever Pindar came to Delphi he would sit upon it and sing whatever hymns he had composed in honor of Apollo. As for the innermost part of the temple, few enter into it, and inside there is set up another statue of Apollo, made of gold.

Upon exiting the temple and turning to the left, there is an enclosure, and within it lies the tomb of Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles; annually, the Delphians offer sacrifices to him. When one ascends from the tomb, there is a stone, not large; upon this stone they pour olive oil every day, and on each festival they place unworked wool upon it. There is also a tradition that this stone was given to Cronus instead of his child, and that Cronus later vomited it back up.

As you go again to the temple with the stone, there is on the way a spring called Cassotis which is worth seeing. A small wall stands upon it, and one ascends through this wall to reach the spring. They say that the water from Cassotis sinks underground and, inside the sanctuary of the god, causes the women to prophesy. They say that Cassotis, who gave the spring its name, is one of the nymphs around Parnassus.