The city of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Iasus&groupId=643&placeId=1177">Iasus</a> lies on the coast of Asia on the gulf situated between the Milesian Poseidon and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Myndus&groupId=780&placeId=1414">Myndus</a>, called by some the gulf of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Iasus&groupId=643&placeId=1177">Iasus</a>, but usually known as the gulf of Bargylia after the names of the cities at the head of it.
It claims to have been originally a colony of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Argos&groupId=361&placeId=689">Argos</a> recolonized from Miletus, the son of Neleus the founder of Miletus having been invited there by the ancient inhabitants owing to the losses they had suffered in their war with the Carians. The town has a circumference of ten stades. It is reported and believed that at Bargylia no snow nor rain ever falls on the statue of Artemis Kindyas, although it stands in the open air,
and the same story is told of that of Artemis Astias at <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Iasus&groupId=643&placeId=1177">Iasus</a>. But I myself throughout my whole work have consistently viewed such statements by historians with a certain opposition and repugnance.
For I think that to believe things which are not only beyond the limits of probability but beyond those of possibility shows quite a childish simplicity.
For instance it is a sign of a blunted intelligence to say that some solid bodies when placed in the light cast no shadow, as Theopompus does when he tells us that those who enter the holy of holies of Zeus in Arcadia become shadowless.
The statement about these statues is very much of the same nature.
In cases indeed where such statements contribute to maintain a feeling of piety to the gods among the common people we must excuse certain writers for reporting marvels and tales of the kind, but we should not tolerate what goes too far.
Perhaps in all matters it is difficult to draw a limit, but a limit must be drawn.
Therefore, in my opinion at least, while we should pardon slight errors and slight falsity of opinion, every statement that shows excess in this respect should be uncompromisingly rejected.
Walbank Commentary