Pausanias Analysis

From Megalopolis, on the road to Messene, after advancing about seven stades, there is situated on the left side of the highway a sanctuary dedicated to goddesses. Both the goddesses themselves and the district around their sanctuary are called Maniai ("Madnesses"). It seems to me that this epithet refers to the Eumenides, and they say that it was at this very place that Orestes became mad because of the murder of his mother.

Not far from the temple is a small earthen mound bearing on it a stone carved to resemble a finger; indeed, the mound itself is known as the "Tomb of the Finger." Here, people say, Orestes, being driven mad, bit off one of the fingers of his own hand. Immediately next to this spot is another place called Ake ("Healing"), so named because there Orestes recovered from his illness; and here too a sanctuary has been established for the Eumenides.

These goddesses, they say, appeared black to Orestes when they were about to drive him into madness. But when he had bitten off his finger, they suddenly appeared white again to him, and at the sight of them he regained his sanity. Then he offered sacrifices to the dark ones to avert their anger, and sacrificed also to the white ones. It is customary, moreover, to sacrifice to them at the same time with the Graces. Near the place called Akesai is another sanctuary named Koureion, the "place of haircutting," because there Orestes cut off his hair after he had recovered his reason.

But among the Peloponnesians, those who recall ancient traditions claim that Orestes' experiences in Arcadia at the hands of Clytemnestra's Erinyes happened prior to his trial on the Areopagus; and that not Tyndareus—who no longer survived—but Perilaus accused Orestes, bringing a charge against him for his mother's blood, since Perilaus was the cousin of Clytemnestra; for Perilaus was the son of Icarius, and Icarius later also had daughters.

From Maniae there is a road leading to the Alpheios of about fifteen stades. At this point, the river Gatheatas flows into the Alpheios, and earlier still the Karnion descends into the Gatheatas. The springs of this Karnion lie in the territory of Aigytis, below the sanctuary of Apollo Kereatas, while the springs of the Gatheatas are located in the district of Kromitis, at Gatheai.

Cromitis lies about forty stades from the Alpheios, and in this area the ruins of the city Cromi were still not altogether erased. From Cromi it is about twenty stades to Nymphas, a place flowing with water and dense with trees. About twenty stades from Nymphas lies the Hermaion, which marks the boundary between the Messenians and the Megalopolitans; here they have set up an image of Hermes upon a pillar.