Pausanias Analysis

Not far away is a temple of Ammon; its statue was dedicated by Pindar, but is the work of Kalamis. Pindar also sent to the Ammonians of Libya a hymn in honor of Ammon. Even down to my own time, this hymn remained inscribed on a triangular stele beside the altar, which Ptolemy, the son of Lagos, dedicated to Ammon. Near the sanctuary of Ammon the Thebans also have the place called the Oracle of Tiresias and, close by, a shrine of Tyche.

She indeed carries as child Plutus; and as the Thebans relate, the hands and face of the statue were made by the Athenian Xenophon, but the remainder by the local artist Callistonikos. Wise indeed was their conception also, in setting Plutus in the hands of Tyche as if she were his mother or nurse; no less wise was that of Cephisodotus, who similarly made for the Athenians the statue of Eirene holding Plutus.

The Thebans have wooden images (xoana) of Aphrodite so ancient that they even claim they were dedicated by Harmonia, saying that they were fashioned from the wooden figureheads upon Cadmus' ships. They call one of these Urania, another Pandemos, and the third Apostrophia ("She who averts"). Harmonia gave Aphrodite these appellations, naming Urania after pure and heavenly love.

One (Aphrodite Urania), who is free from bodily desire; another, Pandemos, concerned with physical unions; and thirdly, Apostrophia, whose function is to turn away humankind from unlawful passions and impious deeds. For Harmonia knew of many such things among the barbarians, and some already dared by the Greeks—of the kind that were later sung about regarding the mother of Adonis, Phaedra the daughter of Minos, and the Thracian Tereus.

They say that the sanctuary of Demeter Thesmophoros was once the house of Cadmus and his descendants. The image of Demeter standing there is visible only down to the chest. In this place bronze shields are also dedicated, said to belong to those Spartan commanders who fell in the battle at Leuctra.

Near the gates known as the Proetidian, a theatre has been built, and very close to this theatre stands a temple dedicated to Dionysus, surnamed Lysius ("the Deliverer"). For the god delivered certain Theban men who had been taken prisoner by Thracians; as they were passing through the lands of Haliartus, the god freed them and delivered over to them the Thracians whom they slew as they lay asleep. The Thebans assert that one of the statues here represents Semele, and say that this sanctuary is opened only once each year, upon fixed days.

There are also the ruins of Lycus' house and the tomb of Semele; but there is no tomb of Alcmena. They say that upon her death she was transformed from human form into stone. The Megarians, however, tell a different story concerning her; indeed, the Greeks generally differ greatly in their accounts about such matters. Here the Thebans have also erected tombs for the children of Amphion—separate tombs for the males and a separate tomb for the maidens.