Pausanias Analysis

After the river Charadros are the indistinct ruins of the city Argyras, as well as the spring Argyra, situated to the right of the main road, and the river Selemnos flowing down into the sea. The local inhabitants relate a story regarding this river, saying that a handsome young shepherd named Selemnos used to pasture his flock here, and that Argyra, one of the sea-nymphs, fell in love with him, and, enamored of Selemnos, she frequently came up from the sea to visit him and would sleep at his side.

But soon after, Selemnus no longer appeared handsome nor likely that the nymph would visit him again. Having become lonely and dying from love after Argyra left him, Selemnus was transformed by Aphrodite into a river. I recount here what is told by the people of Patrae. And even as water he still loved Argyra, just as the tale is told that Alpheios continues still to love Arethusa. Aphrodite granted Selemnus an additional gift:

The Argyra river leads into forgetfulness. I have also heard another story concerning this river, that the water of the Selemnos is beneficial both for men and for women as a remedy for love, and that those who bathe in the river experience forgetfulness of passion. If there is any truth to this story, the water of the Selemnos would be more precious to humankind than much wealth.

Further on is the river Argyra, also called Bolinaeus, and beside it once stood a city called Bolina. They say Apollo fell in love with Bolina, a maiden, and as she fled from him threw herself into the sea here, thereafter becoming immortal through Apollo's favor. Next there is a headland projecting into the sea, and the story is told about it that Kronos cast into the sea at this spot the sickle with which he mutilated his father, Ouranos; for this reason they also call the promontory Drepanon ("Sickle"). A short distance off the road lie the ruins of Rhypes. From Rhypes to Aigion the distance is about thirty stades.

Through the territory of Aigion flows the river Phoenix, as also another river, the Meiganites; both rivers flow into the sea. Close to the city is a portico built in honor of Straton, an athlete who won victories in the pancration and wrestling contests at Olympia on the same day. This portico was constructed to serve as a place of exercise for that man. The people of Aigion have an ancient sanctuary of Eileithyia; the image of Eileithyia is entirely covered from head to foot with a finely woven garment, the wooden statue concealed except for the face, the tips of the hands, and the feet.

It is made of Pentelic marble; one hand is stretched straight forward, while the other holds up a torch. One might suppose the torches are symbolic of Eileithyia, because childbirth pangs are, for women, like the flame of fire. Another interpretation of torches in this context would be that Eileithyia is she who brings children into the light. The statue is the work of Damophon of Messene.

Not far from the sanctuary of Eileithyia is a precinct of Asclepius, containing statues of Hygieia and Asclepius. An inscription in verse on the pedestal states that the work was done by Damophon the Messenian. While visiting this temple of Asclepius, I became involved in a disagreement with a certain Sidonian man, who asserted that Phoenicians had superior knowledge of divine matters and especially surpassed the Greeks in this field. In particular, he claimed that it was among themselves customary that Asclepius' father was Apollo, but that no mortal woman was named as his mother.

For they say that Asklepios is air, existing for the race of humans and equally conducive to health for all living beings, and Apollo is the sun, being very rightly called father to Asklepios, because the sun, by making its annual path in harmony with the seasons, imparts health even to the air. For my part, I accept what has been said, yet I maintain that this explanation belongs to Greeks as much as to Phoenicians. Indeed, in Titane of the Sikyonians, the same statue is called both Hygeia and—it was clear even to a child—showing that the course of the sun creates health upon the earth for humankind.

The Aigians have a temple of Athena and a grove of Hera. Inside Athena's temple stand two statues made of white stone; but the image of Hera may not be viewed by anyone, except women—and then only the woman who holds the priesthood. Near the theater, they have built a sanctuary and statue of Dionysos, which is represented without a beard. In the marketplace there is also a precinct sacred to Zeus surnamed Soter (the Savior), and on the left as one enters are two bronze statues; of these two statues, the beardless one appeared to me to be the more ancient.

And within a building directly along the road there are also bronze statues: Poseidon and Heracles, and Zeus with Athena. They call these gods "from Argos," according to the Argive tradition, because their statues were fashioned in the city of Argos; but according to the Aegians themselves, the images were deposited with them in trust by the Argives.

They say that the following additional command was also placed upon them—to offer sacrifice daily to the statues. But they devised a clever trick, for although they sacrificed a great deal indeed, they feasted together upon the sacrificial animals, with the result that there was no expense incurred by them for these sacrifices. Eventually, however, the Argives demanded payment from them, and in turn they demanded to be reimbursed for the expenses incurred from the sacrifices. But, as the Argives were unable to pay, they left the statues themselves in their possession.