Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/161

 TROPHONIUS AND AGAMEDES. 129 The Orchomenian power was now at its height : both Minyaa and Orchomenos had been princes of surpassing wealth, and the former had built a spacious and durable edifice which he had filled with gold and silver. But the success of Erginus against Thebes was soon terminated and reversed by the hand of the irresistible Herakles, who rejected with disdain the claim of tribute, and even mutilated the envoys sent to demand it : he not only emancipated Thebes, but broke down and impoverished Orchomenos. 1 Erginus in his old age married a young wife, from which match sprang the illustrious heroes, or gods, Tro- phonius and Agamedes ; though many (amongst whom is Pausa- nius himself) believed Trophonius to be the son of Apollo. 3 Trophonius, one of the most memorable persons in Grecian mythology, was worshipped as a god in various places, but with especial sanctity as Zeus Trophonius at Lebadeia : in his temple at this town, the prophetic manifestations outlasted those of Del- phi itself. 3 Trophonius and Agamedes, enjoying matchless renown as architects, built 4 the temple of Delphi, the thalamua of Amphitryon at Thebes, as well as the inaccessible vault of Hyrieus at Hyria, in w r hich they are said to have left one stone removable at pleasure, so as to reserve for themselves a secret entrance. They entered so frequently, and stole so much gold and silver, that Hyrieus, astonished at his losses, at length spread & fine net, in which Agamedes was inextricably caught : Tropho- nius cut off his brother's head and carried it away, so that the 1 Pausan. ix. 37,2. Apollod. ii. 4, 11. Diodor. iv. 10. The two latter tell us that Erginus was slain. Klymene is among the wives and daughters of the heroes seen by Odysseus in Hades : she is termed by the Schol. daughter of Minyas (Odyss. xi. 325). ' 2 Pausan. ix. 37, 1-3. Aeyerai 6c 6 Tpo&viof 'ATro^/luvof elvai, KOI OVK 'Epylvov KOI iyij re rce'ido/nai, Kal otmf Trapu Tpouvtov fade Si) pavr 3 Plutarch, De Defectu Oracul. c. 5, p. 411. Strabo, ix. p. 414. The mention of the honeyed cakes, both in Aristophanes (Nub. 508) and Pausa- aias (ix. 39, 5), indicates that the curious preliminary ceremonies, for those who consulted the oracle of Trophonius, remained the same after a lapse of 550 years. Pausanias consulted it himself. There had been at one time an oracle of Teiresias at Orchomenos : but it had become silent at an earlj period (Plutarch. Defect. Oracul. c. 44, p. 434). 4 Homer. Hymn. Apoll. 296. Pausan. ix. 11, 1. VOL. i. 6* 9oc.