Pausanias Analysis

Behind the colonnade built from the spoils taken from Corcyra stands a temple of Aphrodite, with an open-air precinct situated not far from the temple itself. The Aphrodite within the temple is called Urania, made of ivory and gold, a work of Pheidias. She is depicted with one foot resting upon a tortoise. The precinct is surrounded by a low wall; within it there is a platform, upon which a bronze statue of Aphrodite is seated, riding upon a bronze goat. This is a work of Scopas, and they call this Aphrodite "Pandemos." As for the significance of the tortoise and the goat, I leave it to those who wish to speculate on these matters.

The sacred precinct and temple of Hades—for the Eleans indeed have both a precinct and temple dedicated to Hades—is opened once each year, but even then entrance is permitted to none except the appointed priest. The Eleans alone, of all the people known to us, worship Hades, and for the following reason: When Heracles was leading an army against the city of Pylos in Elis, Athena, it is said, came to his aid. Then, out of hatred for Heracles, Hades himself arrived to assist the Pylians, owing to the honors he held in Pylos.

They also cite Homer as a witness to this story, since in the Iliad he says: "And mighty Hades endured among them a swift arrow, When the same man, the son of Zeus who bears the aegis, Struck him at Pylos among the shades, and gave him over to pains." (Hom. Il. 5.395-397) If then, during the expedition of Agamemnon and Menelaus against Ilium, Poseidon, according to Homer’s narrative, stood by the Greeks as an ally, it should not seem unreasonable for Hades too, according to the same poet, to have aided the Pylians. Thus, the Eleans made this sanctuary for Hades, considering that the god was friendly to themselves and hostile toward Heracles. They think it proper to open it only once each year, because, I suppose, men too descend to the realm of Hades only once.

The Eleans also have a sanctuary dedicated to Fortune. In the portico of the sanctuary stands a very large image, a wooden statue covered with gold, except on the face, the extremities of the hands, and the feet, which are made of white marble. Sosipolis is also honoured here, situated at the left side of Fortune within a small chamber. The god is depicted according to the appearance he had in a dream: as a child in age, he is clothed in a cloak spangled with stars and holds in one hand the horn of Amaltheia.

And as the city of the Eleans is especially populous, accordingly they have a bronze statue of a man no greater in size than life, who has not yet grown a beard, and who rests one foot crossed over the other and leans with both his hands upon a spear. They clothe this statue with garments made of wool as well as linen and fine flax.

This statue was said to be of Poseidon and originally received honors at Samicum in Triphylia. After its transfer to Elis, it attained even greater recognition, but there they call it Satrapes rather than Poseidon, having learned the name Satrapes following the settlement of the people from Patrae. Satrapes is also surnamed Corybantes.