Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.26.1 Class: Skeptical

Μεσσηνίων δὲ τῶν Δωριέων οἱ Ναύπακτόν ποτε παρὰ Ἀθηναίων λαβόντες ἄγαλμα ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ Νίκης ἐπὶ τῷ κίονι ἀνέθεσαν· τοῦτό ἐστιν ἔργον μὲν Μενδαίου Παιωνίου , πεποίηται δὲ ἀπὸ ἀνδρῶν πολεμίων, ὅτε Ἀκαρνᾶσι καὶ Οἰνιάδαις ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἐπολέμησαν. Μεσσήνιοι δὲ αὐτοὶ λέγουσι τὸ ἀνάθημά σφισιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργου τοῦ ἐν τῇ Σφακτηρίᾳ νήσῳ μετὰ Ἀθηναίων πραχθέντος εἶναι , καὶ οὐκ ἐπιγράψαι τὸ ὄνομα τῶν πολεμίων σφᾶς τῷ ἀπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων δείματι, ἐπεὶ Οἰνιαδῶν γε καὶ Ἀκαρνάνων οὐδένα ἔχειν φόβον.

Proper Nouns:

Δωριεῖς Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μένδαιος Μεσσήνιοι Νίκη Ναύπακτος Οἰνιάδαι Οἰνιάδαι Παιώνιος Σφακτηρία Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀκαρνᾶνες Ἀκαρνᾶνες Ὀλυμπία

The Messenians, who are Dorians, once received Naupactus from the Athenians, and dedicated at Olympia upon a pillar an image of Victory. This statue is a work by Paeonius of Mende, and was made from spoils taken from enemy forces—I believe at the time they fought against the Acarnanians and the Oeniadae. But the Messenians themselves say that the dedication is connected with the action carried out together with the Athenians on the island of Sphacteria. They say further that their omission of their enemies' name in the inscription was due to fear of the Spartans, while they felt no such fear concerning the Oeniadae or Acarnanians.

Passage 5.26.2 Class: Non-skeptical

τὰ δὲ ἀναθήματα Μικύθου πολλά τε ἀριθμὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐφεξῆς ὄντα εὕρισκον, ἀλλὰ Ἰφίτου μὲν τοῦ Ἠλείου καὶ Ἐκεχειρίας στεφανούσης τὸν Ἴφιτον, τούτων μὲν τῶν εἰκόνων ἔχεται τοσάδε ἀναθήματα τῶν Μικύθου, Ἀμφιτρίτη καὶ Ποσειδῶν τε καὶ Ἑστία· Γλαῦκος δὲ ὁ ποιήσας ἐστὶν Ἀργεῖος. παρὰ δὲ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου τὴν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ πλευρὰν ἀνέθηκεν ἄλλα, Κόρην τὴν Δήμητρος καὶ Ἀφροδίτην Γανυμήδην τε καὶ Ἄρτεμιν, ποιητῶν δὲ Ὅμηρον καὶ Ἡσίοδον, καὶ θεοὺς αὖθις Ἀσκληπιὸν καὶ Ὑγείαν.

Proper Nouns:

Γανυμήδης Γλαῦκος Δήμητρα Κόρη Μίθυκος Ποσειδῶν Ἀμφιτρίτη Ἀργεῖος Ἀσκληπιός Ἀφροδίτη Ἄρτεμις Ἐκεχειρία Ἑστία Ἠλεῖος Ἡσίοδος Ἴφιτος Ἴφιτος Ὅμηρος Ὑγεία

The offerings dedicated by Mikythos I found to be both numerous and not consecutively arranged. But near the images of Iphitos of Elis and Ekecheiria ("Truce") crowning Iphitos are situated the following dedications of Mikythos: Amphitrite, Poseidon, and Hestia. The artist who made them was Glaukos of Argos. Beside the great temple on the left-hand side Mikythos dedicated other statues: Kore, daughter of Demeter, and Aphrodite, Ganymede, and Artemis, as well as statues of the poets Homer and Hesiod, and again statues of the gods Asklepios and Hygieia.

Passage 5.26.3 Class: Non-skeptical

Ἀγών τε ἐν τοῖς ἀναθήμασίν ἐστι τοῖς Μικύθου φέρων ἁλτῆρας, οἱ δὲ ἁλτῆρες οὗτοι παρέχονται σχῆμα τοιόνδε· κύκλου παραμηκεστέρου καὶ οὐκ ἐς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον περιφεροῦς εἰσιν ἥμισυ, πεποίηται δὲ ὡς καὶ τοὺς δακτύλους τῶν χειρῶν διιέναι καθάπερ διʼ ὀχάνων ἀσπίδος. τούτων μὲν δὴ σχῆμά ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον· παρὰ δὲ τοῦ Ἀγῶνος τὴν εἰκόνα Διόνυσος καὶ ὁ Θρᾷξ ἐστιν Ὀρφεὺς καὶ ἄγαλμα Διός, οὗ δὴ καὶ ὀλίγῳ πρότερον ἐπεμνήσθην. ταῦτα ἔργα ἐστὶν Ἀργείου Διονυσίου · τεθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Μικύθου καὶ ἄλλα ὁμοῦ τούτοις λέγουσι, Νέρωνα δὲ ἀφελέσθαι φασὶ καὶ ταῦτα.

Proper Nouns:

Διονύσιος ὁ Ἀργεῖος Διόνυσος Ζεύς Θρᾷξ Μίκυθος Νέρων Ἀγών Ὀρφεύς

Among the dedications of Mikythos there stands an Agon carrying jumping-weights. These jumping-weights have a shape as follows: they resemble a somewhat elongated circle rather than a perfectly round shape, and they are fashioned so that the fingers of a hand may be inserted into them as through the handles of a shield. Such, then, is the stated form of these objects. Beside the statue of Agon are figures of Dionysus, of the Thracian Orpheus, and a statue of Zeus, which I have mentioned a little earlier. These works are by Dionysius of Argos. It is said that Mikythos dedicated additional objects along with these as well, but Nero is reported to have taken even these away.

Passage 5.26.4 Class: Non-skeptical

τοῖς δὲ ἐργασαμένοις αὐτά, γένος οὖσιν Ἀργείοις, Διονυσίῳ τε καὶ Γλαύκῳ, διδάσκαλόν σφισιν οὐδένα ἐπιλέγουσιν· ἡλικίαν δὲ αὐτῶν ὁ τὰ ἔργα ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν ἀναθεὶς ἐπιδείκνυσιν ὁ Μίκυθος. τὸν γὰρ δὴ Μίκυθον τοῦτον Ἡρόδοτος ἔφη ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, ὡς Ἀναξίλα τοῦ ἐν Ῥηγίῳ τυραννήσαντος γενόμενος δοῦλος καὶ ταμίας τῶν Ἀναξίλα χρημάτων ὕστερον τούτων ἀπιὼν οἴχοιτο ἐς Τεγέαν τελευτήσαντος Ἀναξίλα.

Proper Nouns:

Γλαῦκος Διονύσιος Μίκυθος Τεγέα Ἀναξίλας Ἀργεῖοι Ἡρόδοτος Ὀλυμπία Ῥήγιον

As to those who created these works—two Argives by birth, Dionysius and Glaucus—they mention no teacher at all. Micythus, who dedicated the artists' works at Olympia, indicates their approximate period. About this very Micythus, Herodotus mentions in his account that he was a slave of Anaxilas, the tyrant of Rhegium, and steward of the wealth of Anaxilas. Later, after Anaxilas' death, Micythus departed from there and went to Tegea.

Passage 5.26.5 Class: Non-skeptical

τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀναθήμασιν ἐπιγράμματα καὶ πατέρα Μικύθῳ Χοῖρον καὶ Ἑλληνίδας αὐτῷ πόλεις Ῥήγιόν τε πατρίδα καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ πορθμῷ Μεσσήνην δίδωσιν· οἰκεῖν δὲ τὰ μὲν ἐπιγράμματα ἐν Τεγέᾳ φησιν αὐτόν, τὰ δὲ ἀναθήματα ἀνέθηκεν ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν εὐχήν τινα ἐκτελῶν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ παιδὸς νοσήσαντος νόσον φθινάδα.

Proper Nouns:

Μίκυθος Μεσσήνη Τεγέα Χοῖρος Ὀλυμπία Ῥήγιον

The inscriptions upon the offerings name Choerus as the father of Micythus, and they attribute to him the Greek cities of Rhegium, his homeland, and Messene by the strait. According to the inscriptions, Micythus was then living in Tegea; the offerings he dedicated at Olympia were made in fulfillment of a vow he undertook for the recovery of his son from a wasting illness.

Passage 5.26.6 Class: Skeptical

πλησίον δὲ τῶν μειζόνων ἀναθημάτων Μικύθου, τέχνης δὲ τοῦ Ἀργείου Γλαύκου, Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα ἕστηκε κράνος ἐπικειμένη καὶ αἰγίδα ἐνδεδυκυῖα· Νικόδαμος μὲν εἰργάσατο ὁ Μαινάλιος, Ἠλείων δέ ἐστιν ἀνάθημα. παρὰ δὲ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν πεποίηται Νίκη· ταύτην Μαντινεῖς ἀνέθεσαν, τὸν πόλεμον δὲ οὐ δηλοῦσιν ἐν τῷ ἐπιγράμματι· Κάλαμις δὲ οὐκ ἔχουσαν πτερὰ ποιῆσαι λέγεται ἀπομιμούμενος τὸ Ἀθήνῃσι τῆς Ἀπτέρου καλουμένης ξόανον.

Proper Nouns:

Γλαῦκος Κάλαμις Μίκυθος Μαινάλιος Μαντινεῖς Νίκη Νικόδαμος Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀθῆναι Ἀπτερὸς Ἀργεῖος Ἠλεῖοι

Near to the larger votive offerings of Mikythos, which are the work of Glaukos of Argos, there stands a statue of Athena, wearing a helmet and clad in an aegis. It was made by Nikodamos of Mainalos, but it was dedicated by the Eleans. Beside the Athena has been set up a statue of Victory, dedicated by the Mantineans, though the inscription does not indicate to which war it refers. They say that Kalamis made this figure without wings, imitating the wooden image at Athens known as Wingless Victory.

Passage 5.26.7 Class: Non-skeptical

πρὸς δὲ τοῖς ἐλάσσοσιν ἀναθήμασι τοῦ Μικύθου, ποιηθεῖσι δὲ ὑπὸ Διονυσίου, πρὸς τούτοις Ἡρακλέους ἐστὶ τῶν ἔργων τὸ ἐς τὸν λέοντα τὸν ἐν Νεμέᾳ καὶ ὕδραν τε καὶ ἐς τὸν κύνα τοῦ Ἅιδου καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ Ἐρυμάνθῳ ποταμῷ κάπρον· ἐκόμισαν δὲ αὐτὰ ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν Ἡρακλεῶται Μαριανδυνῶν ὁμόρων βαρβάρων καταδραμόντες τὴν χώραν. ἡ δὲ Ἡράκλεια πεπόλισται μὲν ἐπὶ Εὐξείνῳ πόντῳ, ἀπῳκίσθη δὲ ἐκ Μεγάρων· μετέσχον δὲ καὶ Βοιωτῶν Ταναγραῖοι τοῦ οἰκισμοῦ.

Proper Nouns:

Βοιωτοί Διονύσιος Εὔξεινος πόντος Μέγαρα Μίκυθος Μαριανδυνοί Νεμέα Ταναγραῖοι Ἅιδης Ἐρύμανθος Ἡράκλεια Ἡρακλεῶται Ἡρακλῆς Ὀλυμπία

Near the smaller offerings dedicated by Mikythos, which were made by Dionysios, are representations of Herakles' labors: against the lion in Nemea, the Hydra, the dog of Hades, and the boar at the River Erymanthos. These were carried off to Olympia by the Herakleots after they had ravaged the land of the neighboring barbarian tribe of the Mariandynoi. Herakleia itself is a city established on the Euxine Sea, colonized originally from Megara, with the Tanagraians of Boeotia taking part in the founding expedition.

Legend:

Chapter 5.26