Pausanias Analysis

The temple of Hera Antheia is to the right of the sanctuary of Leto, and in front of it is the tomb of certain women. These women died in battle against the Argives and Perseus, having come from the islands of the Aegean to fight alongside Dionysus. For this reason they are called "the women of the sea" (Haliai). Opposite the tomb of these women is a sanctuary of Demeter, surnamed Pelasgian after Pelasgus, son of Triopas, who founded it; and not far from the sanctuary is the tomb of Pelasgus himself.

Beyond the tomb there is a bronze structure, not large, which supports ancient images of Artemis, Zeus, and Athena. Lyceas, indeed, in his verses stated that the image of Zeus was the work of Mechanes, and said that at this place the Argives who marched against Ilium took an oath to persevere fighting until they either captured Ilium or death seized them in battle. Others have reported that the bones of Tantalus lie within this bronze structure.

As to whether the Tantalus who was the son either of Thyestes or of Broteas—for both accounts are given—and who lived together with Clytemnestra before Agamemnon married her, was buried here, I will not argue the matter. But concerning the other Tantalus said to be a son of Zeus and Pluto, I myself have seen his tomb on Mount Sipylus—it is indeed worthy of viewing. Moreover, it was not even necessary for this Tantalus to flee from Sipylus, as it later befell Pelops to flee when Ilus the Phrygian drove against him in war. Let these inquiries suffice to this point. It is also related that Nicostratus, a local man, established the rites performed at the nearby pit; even now they continue to throw burning torches into this pit to Kore, the daughter of Demeter.

Here there is a sanctuary of Poseidon surnamed Prosklystios ("Flooder"), for they say Poseidon flooded the greater part of the land because Inachus and his fellow judges decided that the territory belonged to Hera rather than to him. Hera succeeded in obtaining from Poseidon the withdrawal of the sea; and the Argives built a sanctuary to Poseidon Prosklystios at the place from which the wave had withdrawn.

Proceeding a short distance further, there is a tomb said to belong to Argos, reputedly the son of Zeus, and also to Niobe, daughter of Phoroneus; beyond this lies a temple of the Dioscuri. The statues in it represent themselves and their sons, Anaxis and Mnasinous, along with their mothers, Hilaeira and Phoebe. These statues, carved from ebony, are the work of Dipoenus and Scyllis. The horses also are mostly made of ebony, but with certain parts having been fashioned from ivory.

Near the shrine of the Anakes is a sanctuary of Eileithyia, dedicated by Helen. This occurred when Theseus had departed with Peirithous for the Thesprotians, and Aphidna was captured by the Dioskouroi, and Helen was taken back to Lacedaemon. For they say she was pregnant at the time, and that when she gave birth in Argos, she erected a sanctuary for Eileithyia. The child whom she bore she gave to Clytemnestra—since Clytemnestra was already married to Agamemnon—while Helen herself afterward married Menelaus.

On this matter Euphorion of Chalcis and Alexander of Pleuron, who composed poems, as well as Stesichorus of Himera even earlier, agree with the Argives, claiming similarly that Iphigenia was the daughter of Theseus. Beyond the sanctuary of Eileithyia stands a temple of Hecate, with a statue by Scopas; this one is of stone. Opposite it are bronze statues, also representations of Hecate; one made by Polycleitus, the other by Polycleitus' brother Naucydes of Argos.

Going along the straight road toward the gymnasium called Cylarabis—named after the son of Sthenelus—you find the grave of Licymnius, son of Electryon. Homer says Licymnius was killed by Tlepolemus, the son of Heracles, and for this murder Tlepolemus fled from Argos. Not far from the gate on the road to Cylarabis, turning aside slightly from here, is the tomb of Sacadas, who was the first to perform the Pythian flute-melody at Delphi.

The longstanding hostility Apollo bore toward flute-players ever since Marsyas' contest, the silenus, is believed to have ceased because of this Sacadas. In the gymnasium of Cylarabus there is also an image of Athena called Pania, and the tomb of Sthenelus is shown there, as well as that of Cylarabus himself. Not far from the gymnasium stands a common tomb of those Argives who sailed with the Athenians against Sicily, aiming to reduce Syracuse and the whole island under their power.