Listed 25 sub titles with search on: Monuments reported by ancient authors for wider area of: "OLYMPIA Province ILIA" .
ALIFIRA (Ancient city) ILIA
They also set up an altar of Zeus Lecheates (In child-bed), because here he gave birth to Athena.
SAMIKON (Ancient city) ILIA
There is in Samicum a cave not far from the river, and called the Cave of the Anigrid Nymphs. Whoever enters it suffering from alphos or leuke first has to pray to the nymphs and to promise some sacrifice or other, after which he wipes the unhealthy parts of his body. Then, swimming through the river, he leaves his old uncleanness in its water, coming up sound and of one color.
At the base of these mountains, on the seaboard, are two caves. One is the cave of the nymphs called Anigriades; the other is the scene of the stories of the daughters of Atlas and of the birth of Dardanus. And here, too, are the sacred precincts called the Ionaeum and the Eurycydeium.
STOMIO (Village) FIGALIA
Mount Elaius has a cave sacred to Demeter surnamed Black. The Phigalians accept the account of the people of Thelpusa about the mating of Poseidon and Demeter. Afterwards, they say, angry with Poseidon and grieved at the rape of Persephone, she put on black apparel and shut herself up in this cavern for a long time. But when all the fruits of the earth were perishing, and the human race dying yet more through famine, no god, it seemed, knew where Demeter was in hiding, until Pan, they say, visited Arcadia. Roaming from mountain to mountain as he hunted, he came at last to Mount Elaius and spied Demeter, the state she was in and the clothes she wore. So Zeus learnt this from Pan, and sent the Fates to Demeter, who listened to the Fates and laid aside her wrath, moderating her grief as well. For these reasons, the Phigalians say, they concluded that this cavern was sacred to Demeter and set up in it a wooden image.
ALIFIRA (Ancient city) ILIA
The city of Aliphera has received its name from Alipherus, the son of Lycaon, and there are sanctuaries here of Asclepius and Athena.
EPITALION (Ancient city) ILIA
The Alpheius, after receiving the waters of the Ladon, the Erymanthus,
and other rivers of less significance, flows through Phrixa, Pisatis, and Triphylia
past Olympia itself to the Sicilian Sea, into which it empties between Pheia and
Epitalium. Near the outlet of the river is the sacred precinct of Artemis Alpheionia
or Alpheiusa (for the epithet is spelled both ways), which is about eighty stadia
distant from Olympia (Strab. 8.3.12).
FIGALIA (Ancient city) ILIA
Here there is a sanctuary of Artemis Saviour with a standing image of stone. From this sanctuary it is their custom to start their processions.
Where the Lymax falls into the Neda is the sanctuary of Eurynome,
a holy spot from of old and difficult of approach because of the roughness of
the ground. Eurynome is believed by the people of Phigalia to be a surname of
Artemis. Those of them, however, to whom have descended ancient traditions, declare
that Eurynome was a daughter of Ocean. On the same day in each year they open
the sanctuary of Eurynome, but at any other time it is a transgression for them
to open it.On this occasion sacrifices also are offered by the state and by individuals.
I did not arrive at the season of the festival, and I did not see the image of
Eurynome; but the Phigalians told me that golden chains bind the wooden image,
which represents a woman as far as the hips, but below this a fish. If she is
a daughter of Ocean, and lives with Thetis in the depth of the sea, the fish may
be regarded as a kind of emblem of her. But there could be no probable connection
between such a shape and Artemis.
LEPREON (Ancient city) ILIA
But as far as I could see they had no tomb of distinction, and no sanctuary of any deity save one of Demeter. Even this was built of unburnt brick, and contained no image.
SAMIKON (Ancient city) ILIA
Then comes the mountain of Triphylia that separates Macistia
from Pisatis; then another river called Chalcis, and a spring called Cruni, and
a settlement called Chalcis, and, after these, Samicum, where is the most highly
revered temple of the Samian Poseidon. About the temple is a sacred precinct full
of wild olive trees. The people of Macistum used to have charge over it; and it
was they, too, who used to proclaim the armistice day called "Samian." But all
the Triphylians contribute to the maintenance of the temple.
TYPANEES (Ancient city) ILIA
The Acheron has been so named by virtue of its close relation
to Hades; for, as we know, not only the temples of Demeter and Core have been
held in very high honor there, but also those of Hades, perhaps because of "the
contrariness of the soil," to use the phrase of Demetrius of Scepsis. For while
Triphylia brings forth good fruit, it breeds red-rust and produces rush; and therefore
in this region it is often the case that instead of a large crop there is no crop
at all.
FIGALIA (Ancient city) ILIA
The image of Hermes in the gymnasium is like to one dressed in a cloak; but the statue does not end in feet, but in the square shape.
STOMIO (Village) FIGALIA
The image was seated on a rock, like to a woman in all respects save the head. She had the head and hair of a horse, and there grew out of it images of serpents and other beasts. Her tunic reached right to her feet; on one of her hands was a dolphin, on the other a dove. This old image was destroyed, and the Phigalians neglected for the most part Demeter’s festivals and sacrifices, until barrenness fell on the land. Then they went as suppliants to the Pythian priestess. When they heard the oracle that was brought back, they held Demeter in greater honor than before, and persuaded Onatas of Aegina to make them an image of Demeter at a price. That image no longer existed in my time. The oldest of the inhabitants I met said that three generations before his time some stones had fallen on the image out of the roof; these crushed the image, destroying it utterly.
BASSAE (Ancient sanctuary) ILIA
On the mountain is a place called Bassae, and the temple of
Apollo the Helper, which, including the roof, is of stone. Of the temples in the
Peloponnesus, this might be placed first after the one at Tegea for the beauty
of its stone and for its symmetry. Apollo received his name from the help he gave
in time of plague, just as the Athenians gave him the name of Averter of Evil
for turning the plague away from them.
FIGALIA (Ancient city) ILIA
A temple also of Dionysus is here, who by the inhabitants is surnamed Acratophorus, but the lower part of the image cannot be seen for laurel-leaves and ivy. As much of it as can be seen is painted . . . with cinnabar to shine. It is said to be found by the Iberians along with the gold.
FRIZA (Ancient city) SKILOUNTA
In this district is a hill rising to a sharp peak, on which are the ruins of the city of Phrixa, as well as a temple of Athena surnamed Cydonian. This temple is not entire, but the altar is still there. The sanctuary was founded for the goddess, they say, by Clymenus.
LEPREON (Ancient city) ILIA
The Lepreans told me that in their city once was a temple of Zeus Leucaeus (Of the White Poplar), the grave of Lycurgus, son of Aleus, and the grave of Caucon, over which was the figure of a man holding a lyre. But as far as I could see they had no tomb of distinction, and no sanctuary of any deity save one of Demeter.
MINTHI (Mountain) ILIA
Furthermore, near the mountain is a precinct sacred to Hades, which is revered by the Macistians too.
SKILLOUS (Ancient city) ILIA
Xenophon having made Scillus his home built in honor of Ephesian Artemis a temple with a sanctuary and a sacred enclosure.
The temple of Athene Scilluntia at Scillus, in the neighborhood of Olympia near Phellon, is one of the famous temples.
FIGALIA (Ancient city) ILIA
In the market-place of Phigalia there is also a common tomb of the picked men of Oresthasium, and every year they sacrifice to them as to heroes.
LEPREON (Ancient city) ILIA
The Lepreans told me that in their city once was a temple of Zeus Leucaeus (Of the White Poplar), the grave of Lycurgus, son of Aleus, and the grave of Caucon, over which was the figure of a man holding a lyre. But as far as I could see they had no tomb of distinction, and no sanctuary of any deity save one of Demeter. (Paus. 5,5,5)
It is said that there is a tomb of Caucon in the territory of Lepreum--whether Caucon was a progenitor of the tribe or one who for some other reason had the same name as the tribe. (Strabo 8,3,16)
The Lepreans told me that in their city once was a temple of Zeus Leucaeus (Of the White Poplar), the grave of Lycurgus, son of Aleus, and the grave of Caucon, over which was the figure of a man holding a lyre. But as far as I could see they had no tomb of distinction, and no sanctuary of any deity save one of Demeter.
SKILLOUS (Ancient city) ILIA
At a little distance from the sanctuary was shown a tomb, and upon the grave is a statue of marble from the Pentelic quarry. The neighbors say that it is the tomb of Xenophon.
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