Iphitus
Also known as: Iphitus of Elis · Family: Elis · Role: restorer of the Olympic games · First appears: Book 5 · Chapter 4
At Elis, Iphitus persuaded the people to sacrifice to Hercules, whom they had considered hostile to them. He was the sole umpire, and after him that stewardship passed to the posterity of Oxylus. The account describes him as of the same family as Oxylus and contemporary with Lycurgus; sources differ on his father, naming Hæmon, Praxonides, or another Iphitus.
At Olympia, his wife Ecechiria crowned him. Iphitus later restored the Olympian games after they had long been discontinued, with Corœbus winning the racing victory. The account also depicts Truce crowning him.
Relationship record
Life events
- Iphitus persuaded Elis to sacrifice to Hercules.(Book 5 · Chapter 4 · 📍 Elis)
- With: Hercules
- “Iphitus also persuaded the people of Elis to sacrifice to Hercules”
- Umpire stewardship passed from Iphitus to the posterity of Oxylus.(Book 5 · Chapter 9 · 📍 Elis)
- With: Oxylus
- “Iphitus was the only umpire, and after Iphitus the posterity of Oxylus”
- Ecechiria crowned Iphitus.(Book 5 · Chapter 10 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Ecechiria
- “Iphitus being crowned by his wife Ecechiria”
- Iphitus restored the discontinued Olympian games, and Corœbus won the racing victory.(Book 8 · Chapter 26 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Corœbus
- “who was victor when Iphitus restored the Olympian games that had been for a long time discontinued”
Book 5 · Chapter 4
- with Oxylus (They belonged to the same family.) “Iphitus, who was of the same family as Oxylus, and a contemporary of Lycurgus the Lacedæmonian legislator”
- with Lycurgus (They were contemporaries.) “Iphitus, who was of the same family as Oxylus, and a contemporary of Lycurgus the Lacedæmonian legislator”
- with Hercules (Iphitus promoted sacrificial worship of Hercules.) “Iphitus also persuaded the people of Elis to sacrifice to Hercules, for before this they had an idea that Hercules was hostile to them.”
- parent: Hæmon “And the inscription at Olympia says that Iphitus was the son of Hæmon”
- parent: Praxonides “but most of the Greeks say he was the son of Praxonides and not of Hæmon.”
- parent: Iphitus (father) “But the ancient records of the people of Elis trace him up to a father of the same name as himself viz. Iphitus.”
Book 5 · Chapter 9
- with Oxylus (Iphitus was followed in the umpire succession by the posterity of Oxylus.) “for Iphitus was the only umpire, and after Iphitus the posterity of Oxylus”
Book 5 · Chapter 10
- married with Ecechiria “as you enter the brazen doors on the right in front of the pillar is Iphitus being crowned by his wife Ecechiria, as the inscription in verse states.”
Book 5 · Chapter 26
- with Truce (Truce is depicted crowning Iphitus.) “next to the statue of Iphitus of Elis and Truce crowning him”
- with Truce (Truce is depicted crowning Iphitus.) “next to the statue of Iphitus of Elis and Truce crowning him”
Book 8 · Chapter 26
- with Corœbus (Iphitus restored the games in which Corœbus was victor.) “who was victor when Iphitus restored the Olympian games that had been for a long time discontinued”
- with Corœbus (Corœbus was victor when Iphitus restored the Olympian games.) “The boundary between Heræa and Elis is according to the Arcadian account the Erymanthus, but the people of Elis say that the boundary is the tomb of Corœbus, who was victor when Iphitus restored the Olympian games that had been for a long time discontinued, and offered prizes only for racing.”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.