Pausanias Analysis

The founder of Heraea was Heraeus, son of Lycaon. The city lies on the right bank of the Alpheius river, for the most part occupying gently rising slopes, though in some places descending right down to the Alpheius itself. Alongside the river there are promenades planted with myrtle trees and other cultivated trees. Here also are baths, and temples dedicated to Dionysus; one of them they call Polites ("the Citizen"), the other Auxites ("the Growth-Giver"). They have, moreover, a building in which they hold festivities for Dionysus.

They conduct mysteries here. Within Heraea there is also a temple dedicated to Pan, as he is native to the Arcadians; of the temple of Hera, other ruins together with its columns still remain. Among all those athletes who have arisen among the Arcadians, Damaretos of Heraea surpassed the rest in fame, as he was the first to win the hoplite race at Olympia.

Going down into Elis from Heraia, after proceeding about fifteen stades from Heraia, you cross the Ladon, and from there you arrive at the Erymanthos after approximately twenty stades. According to the Arcadians’ account, the boundary separating Heraia from Elis is the river Erymanthos, but the Eleans claim that the tomb of Koroibos marks the border of their territory.

When Iphitus renewed the Olympic contests after they had been discontinued for a long period and recommenced holding the Olympic Games from the beginning, at first only prizes for running were offered, and Coroebus was victorious. There is an inscription on his tomb stating that Coroebus was the first of men to win at Olympia, and that his grave is situated at the boundary of Elis.

Aliphera is a small settlement; for it was abandoned by many of its inhabitants during the gathering of the Arcadians into the Great City (Megalopolis). Coming to this town from Heraia, you cross the Alpheios, and after traveling across a plain for about ten stades, you reach a mountain. Then, you ascend the mountain about thirty stades until you arrive at the town itself.

The city of Aliphera received its name from Alipherus, son of Lycaon. It has sanctuaries dedicated to Asclepius and to Athena, whom the inhabitants honor above all the gods, maintaining that she was born and reared among them. They have also erected an altar to Zeus Lecheates, because they say it was there that he begot Athena, and they call a spring Tritonis, thus associating their account with that concerning the river Triton.

The statue of Athena is made of bronze, a work of Hypatodorus, and is worthy of inspection both for its size and its artistry. They hold a festival in honor—I think—of Athena; and during this festival they first sacrifice to Myagros, offering victims and praying to the hero, invoking him under the name Myagros. After performing these rites, flies no longer trouble them.

Along the road leading from Heraea towards Megalopolis are the Melaineai settlements, founded by Melaineus, the son of Lycaon; but in my day these places were deserted, having been flooded by water. About forty stadia above Melaineai is Buphagium, where the river Buphagus, descending into the Alpheius, has its sources. Around the springs of the Buphागुस river are boundary markers between the Megalopolitans and the Heraeans.