Pausanias Analysis

Zarax lies about a hundred stades from Epidaurus. The place otherwise has a good harbor, but it has suffered most among the towns of the Eleutherolaconians; indeed, Cleonymus, son of Cleomenes and grandson of Agesipolis, made this alone of the Laconian towns desolate. I have elsewhere told the story concerning Cleonymus. At Zarax there is nothing further noteworthy except a temple of Apollo at the extremity of the harbor, containing a statue holding a lyre.

About one hundred stades after setting out from Zarax along the seacoast, turning from there inland and ascending roughly ten stades, one finds the ruins of a place called Kyphanta. Among these ruins is a cave sacred to Asclepius, and within stands an image made of stone. Here, too, a spring of cold water gushes forth from the rock. They say that Atalanta, while hunting in this place and suffering from thirst, struck the rock with her spear, and thus caused the water to flow.

Brasiae is the last city toward the sea in this direction belonging to the Eleutherolakonians; it is situated two hundred stadia by sea from Cyphanta. The inhabitants here recount a tradition not endorsed by any other Greeks, that Semele bore a child by Zeus, and having been discovered by Cadmus, both she and Dionysus were cast into a chest. They say this chest, carried away by the waves, washed ashore in their territory. Semele, having already died and no longer living when they found her, was buried honourably, while Dionysus, they say, was brought up by them.

Because of this event, the city—previously called Oreiatae—was renamed Brasiai, from the landing of the chest upon their shores. Even in our own time, most people continue to call things cast ashore by the waves "ekbebrasthai" ("washed ashore"). The people of Brasiai also add this story: they say Ino came wandering into their land, and upon arriving, she willingly became the nurse of Dionysus. Moreover, they point out the cave in which Ino nursed Dionysus, and the plain they continue to call the Garden of Dionysus.

There are sanctuaries here, one of Asclepius, the other of Achilles; they also celebrate a festival for Achilles each year. At Brasiai there is a small promontory, gently extending into the sea. Upon it stand bronze figures of foot-high size, wearing caps upon their heads. I do not know whether the locals consider them Dioscuri or Corybantes—there are indeed three of them, and a fourth statue represents Athena.

On the right side of Gytheion lies Las, situated ten stades from the sea and forty stades from Gytheion. Currently, the town occupies the space between the mountains called Ilion, Asia, and Knakadion; previously it was located upon the summit of Mount Asia. Even now there remain ruins of the ancient city, and before the walls stands a statue of Heracles and a trophy commemorating a victory over Macedonians. These Macedonians belonged to Philip's army, when he invaded Laconia; turning away from the rest of the force, they had been raiding the coastal area of the country.

Among the ruins stands a temple of Athena surnamed "Asia," which Polydeuces and Castor are said to have constructed after their safe return from Colchis; for the Colchians also possess a sanctuary of Athena Asia. Now, I certainly know that the sons of Tyndareus joined Jason in the expedition; but concerning the Colchian worship of Athena Asia, I write from information obtained from the Lacedaemonians. Near the currently inhabited town there is a fountain, named Galako due to the appearance of its water, and close to the fountain is a gymnasium. There also stands an ancient statue of Hermes.

On the mountains, there is a sanctuary of Dionysus upon Mount Ilius, and on the very summit stands a temple dedicated to Asclepius. Near the Knakadium is Apollo called Karneios. About thirty stades from the sanctuary of Karneios, at a place called Hypsoi on the Spartan frontier, there is a sanctuary of Asclepius and of Artemis who bears the epithet Daphnaia.

By the sea, upon a promontory, is a temple dedicated to Artemis Diktynna, where they hold a festival every year. On the left side of this headland, the river Smenos flows out into the sea. Its water is sweeter to drink than that provided by almost any other river. It has its sources upon Mount Taygetos, and lies not more than five stades from the city.

In a place called Arainos there is the tomb of Las and upon the tomb stands a statue. The people there say this Las was their founder, and they claim he was killed by Achilles, who came to their country to court Helen as his wife from Tyndareus. But, according to the truth of the matter, it was Patroclus who slew Las; for it was he who in fact had been Helen's suitor. The fact that Achilles is not listed among Helen's suitors in the "Catalogue of Women" should not be taken as proof that he had not sought Helen in marriage.

Homer, indeed, wrote at the beginning of his poem that Achilles came to Troy as a favor to the sons of Atreus and was not bound by the oath sworn to Tyndareus. Furthermore, he depicted Antilochus during the funeral games stating that Odysseus is older than himself by a generation, and he has Odysseus narrating to Alcinous, among other accounts of his experiences in Hades, how he desired to see Theseus and Peirithous, men who belonged to an earlier generation than his own. We know that Theseus had carried off Helen. It is therefore impossible even on chronological grounds that Achilles should have been a suitor for Helen.