The Description of Greece, vol. 1

parents buried him in a tomb which they raised at the gate leading to Olympia and the temple of Jupiter. They buried him there in obedience to an oracle that commanded them to bury him neither inside nor outside the city. Even today, the governor of the gymnasium performs funeral sacrifices to Ætolus every year. After Oxylus, Laias obtained the government. However, I could never find any evidence that any of his descendants reigned, and therefore I shall intentionally pass them by, as it is not proper for my account to dwell on private citizens.

In later times, Iphitus, who descended from Oxylus and was a contemporary of the Lacedæmonian legislator Lycurgus, established the games at Olympia and restored the Olympic public festival known as the Panegyris, along with the associated periods of peace, all of which had been neglected for some time. I shall explain the cause of this neglect when I relate the particulars pertaining to Olympia. Because Greece was then torn apart by internal strife and pestilence, Iphitus thought they should consult the Delphic Apollo regarding how to be freed from the evils oppressing them. The god answered that it was proper for Iphitus and the Eleans to restore the Olympic games. Iphitus also persuaded the Eleans to sacrifice to Hercules, even though they had previously considered him their enemy. The inscription in Olympia asserts that Iphitus was the son of Hæmon, though most Greeks say he was the son of Praxonidas. The ancient writings of the Eleans also refer to Iphitus having a father of the same name.