Pausanias Analysis

Another road leads from Tithorea to Ledon. Ledon also was once considered a city, but in my time the Ledontians had deserted it due to its weakness. About seventy people were then living by the Cephisus river. Their settlement is still called Ledon, and these people, like those of Panopeus, are admitted into the common assembly of the Phocians and participate in their sacrifices. Approximately forty stades upstream from the inhabitants by the Cephisus lie the ruins of ancient Ledon. They say that the city took its name from a native-born man.

Other cities too have suffered incurable evils because of wrongdoing by their local men. Entire destruction befell Ilium through Alexander's insolence toward Menelaus, and the Milesians as a result of Histiaeus's readiness to indulge his desires—his eagerness at times for the city in Edonian territory, at others to serve as an adviser to Darius, and at another moment to return to Ionia. Likewise, Philomelus brought down impiety publicly upon the Ledontians, causing their utter ruin.

Lilaea is about one day's journey from Delphi in wintertime, descending through Parnassus; measured in stades, we assessed the distance to be one hundred and eighty. After the inhabitants rebuilt their city, they were destined to suffer a second calamity caused by Macedonia. Having been besieged by Philip, son of Demetrius, they surrendered on agreed terms, and a Macedonian garrison was introduced into their city. This lasted until a certain local man, named Patron, rallied citizens of military age against the garrison, defeated the Macedonians in battle, and compelled them to depart under a truce. In gratitude for this service, the people of Lilaea dedicated a statue of Patron at Delphi.

In Lilaea there are a theater, a marketplace, and baths; there are also sanctuaries of the gods, one of Apollo and one of Artemis. Upright statues are set up there, made in Attic style from Pentelic marble. They say that Lilaea was one of those called Naiads, a daughter of Cephisus, and that the city received its name from this nymph.

Here the river has its sources. It rises from the earth, not always quietly, but mostly—especially when midday draws near—it produces a sound as it wells upward, which resembles the bellowing of a bull. Lilaia possesses a climate suitably temperate during the various seasons—in autumn, summer, and spring—but the mountain Parnassos prevents its winter from being equally mild.

Charadra is situated twenty stadia farther on, standing above a high cliff. The inhabitants here suffer a shortage of water, and their drinking water comes from the Charadrus, a river three stadia away, down toward which they must descend. This river flows into the Cephisus, and it seems to me that the city derived its name from this river, Charadrus. The Charadrians have altars in their marketplace dedicated to those called the Heroes; some say that they are altars of the Dioscuri, others claim they belong to local heroes.

The land by the Cephisus is distinctly the best portion of Phocis, suited equally for planting, sowing, and for pasture. It is therefore the most cultivated part of the region, so that there even exists a tradition claiming the city called Parapotamii did not originally bear this name, but rather the Homeric line— "They who dwelt beside the divine river Cephisus" (Il. 2.522) —was originally composed concerning those who farmed the land along the river Cephisus.

In this account there are differences compared with the history of Herodotus, as well as discrepancies regarding the records commemorated for victories in the Pythian Games. For it was the Amphictyons who first established the Pythian contests, and Aechmeas of Parapotamii was victorious in boys' boxing. Moreover, Herodotus, enumerating the cities in Phocis burned by King Xerxes, includes Parapotamii among them. However, the Parapotamians were not afterward restored by the Athenians and Boeotians; instead, their people were dispersed into other cities due to weakness and poverty. Indeed, no ruins of Parapotamii remain, nor is it remembered at what place in the land their city originally stood.

The road from Lilaea to Amphicleia is sixty stades in length. This Amphicleia has had its name corrupted by the local inhabitants. Herodotus, following the most ancient tradition, called the city "Amphicaea," but when the Amphictyonic council passed their decree upon the destruction of the Phocian towns, they gave it the name Amphicleia. The local people relate the following story about it: A certain powerful ruler, suspecting enemy plots against his infant child, placed the child in a jar and concealed him in that part of the country where he believed him safest. A wolf attempted to attack the child, but a serpent wrapped itself tightly around the jar, giving strong protection.

When the child's father arrived, thinking that the serpent was intending harm to his son, he hurled his spear, and slew both the serpent and his child along with it. Afterwards, having been informed by the herdsmen that he had killed the creature which had acted as guardian and benefactor to his child, he constructed a common funeral pyre for both the serpent and the boy. Even to this day, they say, the spot resembles a burning pyre, and they wish to believe that it was from this very serpent that the city received its name, Ophiteia.

†They perform rites held to be particularly fitting for Dionysus, but there is no entrance into the inner sanctuary for them, nor is there a publicly visible cult image†. According to the people of Amphicleia, this god has become for them both a prophet and a helper against sicknesses; he heals the diseases of both the Amphicleians themselves and their neighbors through dreams. The priest acts as interpreter of the prophecies; he is inspired by the god and utters oracles while possessed.

Fifteen stades farther from Amphicleia lies Tithronion, situated on a plain, but it offers nothing worthy of mention. From Tithronion it is twenty stades to Drymaia. At the point where this road and the straight road from Amphicleia to Drymaia join near the river Cephisus, there is a grove and altars of Apollo, who is known here as Tithronean. A temple has also been built, but it contains no image. Drymaia lies about eighty stades distant from Amphicleia, if one follows a leftward route. According to Herodotus, the ancient inhabitants of Drymaia were called Nauboleis, and they themselves say that their founder was a son of Aeacus named Phocus. The Drymaians have an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Demeter Thesmophoros, containing an upright statue made of stone. Each year the festival known as Thesmophoria is celebrated there in honor of the goddess.