so called from Nemea, a village between the cities of Cleonae and Philus, where they were celebrated every third year. The exercises were chariot-races, and all the parts of the Pentathlum. These games were instituted in memory of Opheltes or Archemorus, the son of Euphletes and Creoëa, and who was nursed by Hypsipyle; who leaving him in a meadow while she went to shew the besiegers of Thebes a fountain, at her return found him dead, and a serpent twined about his neck: whence the fountain, before called Langia, was named Archemorus; and the captains, to comfort Hypsipyle, instituted these games. Others ascribe their institution to Hercules, after his victory over the Nemean lion. Others allow, that they were instituted first in honour of Archemorus; Nemeanus but intermitted, and revived again by Hercules. The victors were crowned with parsley, an herb used at funerals, and feigned to have sprung from Archemorus's blood.