Pausanias Analysis

Lykaon, son of Pelasgos, invented these things, or else his father invented wiser ones. For he founded the city Lykosoura on Mount Lykaion, gave Zeus the name Lykaios, and established the festival Lykaia. I hold that the Panathenaia, celebrated among the Athenians, were not instituted earlier. This festival formerly bore the name Athenaia; they say that it was called Panathenaia in the time of Theseus because all the Athenians had by then been gathered into a single city.

The Olympic contest—for indeed they carry it back into ages earlier than the human race, saying that Cronus and Zeus wrestled there and that the Curetes first ran races—for these reasons let it be aside from my present account. I believe myself that Cecrops, who ruled the Athenians, and Lycaon were contemporaries, although they did not have the same wisdom concerning divine matters.

For he was the first to name Zeus the Supreme, and judged none of the creatures possessing life worthy to be sacrificed to him; rather, he consecrated upon the altar certain local cakes, which the Athenians even to our day call "pelanoi." But Lycaon brought to the altar of Zeus Lycaeus an infant human, slew the child as a sacrifice, and poured its blood out upon the altar; immediately upon performing the sacrifice, they say, he himself changed from human into a wolf.

This account persuades me, for it has been transmitted from ancient times by the Arcadians, and it seems reasonable. At that time, indeed, men were guests and companions at table to the gods by virtue of their righteousness and piety, and it was clear that honors were given to them from the gods when they were virtuous, just as wrath came to them openly when they acted unjustly. For even gods in those days arose from among mortals, and some of these still now retain honors, such as Aristaeus and Britomartis of Crete, Heracles son of Alcmene, Amphiaraus son of Oicles, and moreover, Polydeuces and Castor.

Thus one might well be persuaded that Lycaon became a beast, and Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, was turned to stone. But in my own day—when indeed wickedness has increased greatly and spread throughout all lands and cities—no one ever becomes a god from among men any longer, except insofar as they are honored through words and flattery toward those in power. As for the unjust, the wrath from the gods awaits them, though late, even after they have departed from this life.

Throughout all history, many stories from ancient times, and indeed some events still occurring even now, have been rendered unbelievable to most people by those who add falsehoods onto true facts. For example, they say that ever since the time of Lykaon, at each sacrifice to Lykaian Zeus, a certain man would always change from a human into a wolf—but not permanently. Yet, whenever he was a wolf, if he restrained himself from human flesh, in the tenth year afterward he would become human again; but if he tasted it, he remained forever an animal.

Similarly, they say Niobe, on Mount Sipylus, weeps during summertime. Besides this, I have also heard accounts of griffins having spots like those of leopards, and that Tritons utter sounds in human speech; some even say they blow through a pierced conch shell. People who delight in mythical tales naturally tend themselves toward wonders, and thus have corrupted truths by blending them with falsehoods.