Pausanias Analysis

Next, it remains for me to describe the temple of Hera and all that is within the temple worthy of mention. The Eleans themselves say that the people of Skillous, a city in Triphylia, built this temple, about eight years after Oxylus had gained the kingship in Elis. The style of the temple is Doric, with columns standing all around it; however, one of the columns in the opisthodomos is made of oak. The length of the temple is one hundred and sixty-nine feet, its breadth is sixty-three feet, and its height nearly fifty feet. The name of the architect who built it is not remembered.

Every fifth year sixteen women weave a robe for Hera; these same women also arrange a contest called the Heraia. The contest is a footrace for virgins, though not all competitors are of the same age. First run the youngest girls, after them those of middle age, and finally the oldest of the maidens run.

They run as follows: their hair hangs loose down, their tunics reach a little above the knee, and their right shoulder is bared as far as the breast. For these women too, the Olympic stadium is reserved for their contest, but in their running the course is shortened by about one-sixth of the length of the stadium. To the victors they give crowns of olive and a share of the ox sacrificed to Hera. Furthermore, they are allowed to dedicate statues with their names inscribed. There are also women appointed to organize the competitions, who serve the sixteen women in the same manner as those who manage the male games.

They also trace the maidens' contest back to ancient times, saying that Hippodameia, to express her gratitude to Hera for her marriage to Pelops, gathered together sixteen women and with them first established the Heraea games. They also recall that Chloris, the daughter of Amphion, was victorious, the one woman alone who remained alive of her household. Along with her, they claim, a single male from the family also survived. Whatever I was able to discover about the children of Niobe, I have detailed in my account concerning the Argives.

Regarding the sixteen women, another account is related, connected to the preceding story. They say that Damophon, when ruling as a tyrant in Pisa, committed many grievous acts against the Eleans. After Damophon's death—the Pisaeans did not publicly consent to share in the tyrant's wrongdoing, and it was found agreeable even to the Eleans to have the charges against them settled—each of the sixteen cities still inhabited in Elis at that time chose a woman to settle their disputes, selecting from each city the woman who was the eldest in age and distinguished foremost among women in reputation and honor.

The cities, from which they took wives, were Elis. These women from the cities made peace between the Pisatans and the Eleans; later, they were entrusted by the Eleans themselves both with conducting the contest called the Heraea and with weaving the robe for Hera. These sixteen women organize two choruses, naming one of the choruses after Physcoa, the other after Hippodameia. They say Physcoa was from Elis in the region called Hollow Elis, and that the community where she lived was called Orthia.

They say that Dionysus was united with this Physkoa, and that Physkoa bore from Dionysus a son, Narkaios. When this Narkaios grew up, he waged war against his neighbors and grew greatly in power; moreover, he established a sanctuary of Athena, giving her the epithet Narkaia. Furthermore, they say that honors were first given to Dionysus by Narkaios and Physkoa. Indeed, Physkoa received other privileges and especially a chorus named after her, consisting of sixteen women; the Eleans still preserve this chorus, despite the destruction of the other cities. For having been divided into eight tribes, they select two women from each tribe.

All those duties appointed either to the sixteen women or to the Eleian judges are not performed before they purify themselves with a suitable pig used for cleansing rites and water. Their purification ceremonies take place at the Pierian spring, which is encountered by one who travels from Olympia across the plain toward Elis.