Pausanias Analysis

As one makes one's way up to the summit of Ithome—the acropolis of the Messenians—there is a spring called Klepsydra. Now, it would be difficult even for someone highly enthusiastic to fully enumerate all those who claim Zeus was born and reared among them; yet the Messenians too have their own tradition. For they say that the god was raised among them, and that Ithome and Neda were the nurses who cared for him. They assert that the river received its name from Neda, while Ithome lent her name to the mountain. They relate that here the nymphs bathed Zeus, who had been stolen away by the Curetes because of fear of his father; and the spring took its name Klepsydra ("Stolen Water") from this theft by the Curetes. Even to this day they carry water daily from the spring to the sanctuary of Zeus Ithomatas.

The statue of Zeus is the work of Ageladas, originally made for the Messenians who inhabited Naupactus. Each year they elect a priest for the image, and he keeps the statue in his own home. They also hold an annual festival, the Ithomaia, and in ancient times they established a competition in music as well. Among other evidence for this are the verses of Eumelus; indeed, he composed these lines too in the Processional Hymn to Delos: "For the Muse who delights in Ithome came with pure lyre and free sandals." Thus it seems to me clear that, since he composed such poetry, he was aware of their musical competition.

When you go towards Arcadia, at the gate into Megalopolis there is a statue of Hermes in the Attic style. For the Athenians represented their Herms with a square shape, and other peoples have learned this from them. Thirty stades below the gate flows the river Balyra. They say that the river received its name from Thamyris casting his lyre into it at the time of his blinding. Thamyris was said to be a son of Philammon and the nymph Argiope. This Argiope lived at first around Parnassus, but when she became pregnant, they say that she moved to the Odrysae, for Philammon did not wish to bring her into his house. For this reason Thamyris was called Odrysian and Thracian. The rivers Leukasia and Amphitos join their waters together.

After crossing these places there is a plain called Stenyklerikos; they say that it is named after a hero, Stenykleros. Opposite this plain is the place formerly called Oichalia, but in my time the grove Karnasion, filled especially with cypresses. Statues of gods there include Apollo Karneios, Hagne, and Hermes carrying a ram. Hagne is an epithet for Kore, the daughter of Demeter. Near the statue itself, water rises from a spring.

As for the rites of the Great Goddesses—for they conduct their mysteries also at Karnasion—let these remain secret to me; for I rank them second in sanctity only after the mysteries at Eleusis. But my dream has not prevented me from openly disclosing to everyone that the bronze water-jar, discovered by the Argive general, and the bones of Eurytos, son of Melaneus, were kept there. By Karnasion flows the river Charadros, and going onward, at a distance of eight stadia on the left...

The ruins of Andania are especially noteworthy. It is agreed among the guides that the city derived its name from a woman named Andania; however, I am unable to speak precisely concerning her parentage or to whom she was married. Going from Andania toward Cyparissiae, there is a place called Polichne, and rivers named Electra and Coeus flow there. Perhaps one might relate these names to Electra, daughter of Atlas, and Coeus, father of Leto; or else Electra and Coeus could have been local heroes.

After crossing the river Elektra, there is a spring called Achaia and the ruins of the city Dorium. Homer has described Dorium as the place where the calamity befell Thamyris, because he boasted that he could surpass even the Muses in singing. Prodicus of Phocaea—if indeed the verses belonging to the "Minyad" are his—relates that Thamyris in Hades endured punishment for his boastfulness against the Muses. As it seems to me, Thamyris lost his sight due to illness, the same misfortune that later befell Homer himself. But Homer continued to compose poetry throughout his life, as he in no way yielded to his misfortune, whereas Thamyris, overwhelmed by his adversity, ceased entirely from song.