Pausanias Analysis

This Elisson river rises from a village of the same name—for indeed the village is also called Elisson—and flows through the territories of the Dipaeans and the Lycaeatae, and thirdly passing through the city of Megale, it joins the Alpheios twenty stadia from the city of the Megalopolitans. Near the city is a temple dedicated to Poseidon Epoptês; the head of his statue was missing.

The city called Megalopolis is divided by the river Helisson, just as canals similarly divide cities like Cnidus and Mytilene. On the northern side (the part to the right when looking downstream along the river), the inhabitants have made their marketplace. Here there stands an enclosure made of stone, and within it is a sanctuary of Zeus Lycaeus, although there is no entry to it. Everything inside is clearly visible: there are altars dedicated to the god, two tables, eagles upon the tables of equal size, and a stone statue of Pan.

His epithet is Sinoeis, and they say this epithet came to Pan from the nymph Sinoe, who, along with other nymphs, was said particularly to have been his nurse. And before this sanctuary stands a bronze statue of Apollo, worthy of viewing, twelve feet high. It was brought as an offering from the Phigalians for the adornment of Megalopolis.

The place where the statue was originally set up by the people of Phigaleia is called Bassae. The god adopted the surname according to the appellation given by the Phigaleians; however, the reason why he obtained the name Epikourios ("Helper") will become clear to me in my account of the Phigaleians. At the right side of Apollo there stands a small statue of the Mother of the Gods. Besides the columns, nothing else remains of the temple.

In front of the temple of the Mother, there stand no statues, but clearly visible were the pedestals upon which statues once stood. An elegiac inscription written on one of these pedestals says it once supported the statue of Diophanes, son of Diaeus, the first man who united the whole Peloponnese into the confederation named the Achaean League.

The portico in the marketplace called the Philippeion was not built by Philip, son of Amyntas, but the Megalopolitans, wishing to honor him, gave the structure his name. Near it had once been a temple of Hermes Acacesius, which had fallen into complete ruin so that nothing remained except the stone foundation. Next to this Philippeion stands another portico, smaller in size: here the archives of the Megalopolitans were built, consisting of six separate chambers. In one of these chambers is a statue of Ephesian Artemis, and in another a bronze statue of Pan about a cubit tall, known by the surname Scoleitas.

It was brought from the hill called Skoleitas, and this hill is within the city wall; from it there flows water from a spring down into the Elisson. Behind the government offices stands a temple of Tyche, and an image of stone has been created, not far short of five feet tall. The portico they call Myropolis is situated in the marketplace, and was built from spoils taken at the time of the defeat suffered by Acrotatus son of Cleomenes and the Spartans who fought alongside him, when they engaged in battle with Aristodemus, who at that time held the tyranny of Megalopolis.

The Megalopolitans have in their market-place, behind the enclosure sacred to Zeus Lycaeus, a statue upon a pillar, portraying Polybius, the son of Lycortas. Elegiac verses are inscribed on it, saying that he had traveled over all earth and sea, that he had become an ally of the Romans, and that he had appeased their anger towards Greece. This Polybius composed other works as well, among them an account of the deeds of the Romans, recording how war arose between them and the Carthaginians, the reason behind this conflict, and how it happened at a late stage.

Not without great dangers did the Romans bring the Carthaginian war to an end through that Scipio whom they call "Africanus," and reduce Carthage entirely to the ground. Whenever the Roman followed Polybius' advice, his actions turned out successfully; but, whenever he failed to heed Polybius' guidance, it is said he committed errors. As for all the Greek cities that belonged to the Achaean League, these obtained permission from the Romans for Polybius himself to organize their constitutions and establish laws. The council-chamber, with Polybius' statue, stands on the left.

This place, then, is situated here. They say that a citizen named Aristandros built the portico in the marketplace, which is called Aristandreion after him. Nearest to this portico, toward the rising sun, is a temple of Zeus surnamed Soter ("Savior"), adorned with columns around it. The statue of Zeus is seated upon a throne. Standing beside him are personifications—on one side, the goddess Megale Polis ("Great City"), and on his left a statue of Artemis Soteira ("Savior"). These figures, made from Pentelic marble, are the work of the Athenians Kephisodotos and Xenophon.