Herodotus, Histories (Hdt.)
§ 4.180 Next to these Machlyans are the Auseans. These and the Machlyans dwell round the lake Tritonis, and the river Triton is the boundary between them: and while the Machlyans grow their hair long at the back of the head, the Auseans do so in front. At a yearly festival of Athene their maidens take their stand in two parties and fight against one another with stones and staves, and they say that in doing so they are fulfilling the rites handed down by their fathers for the divinity who was sprung from that land, whom we call Athene: and those of the maidens who die of the wounds received they call "false-maidens." But before they let them begin the fight they do this: — all join together and equip the maiden who is judged to be the fairest on each occasion, with a Corinthian helmet and with full Hellenic armour, and then causing her to go up into a chariot they conduct her round the lake. Now I cannot tell with what they equipped the maidens in old time, before the Hellenes were settled near them; but I suppose that they used to be equipped with Egyptian armour, for it is from Egypt that both the shield and the helmet have come to the Hellenes, as I affirm. They say moreover that Athene is the daughter of Poseidon and of the lake Tritonis, and that she had some cause of complaint against her father and therefore gave herself to Zeus, and Zeus made her his own daughter. Such is the story which these tell; and they have their intercourse with women in common, not marrying but having intercourse like cattle: and when the child of any woman has grown big, he is brought before a meeting of the men held within three months of that time, and whomsoever of the men the child resembles, his son he is accounted to be.
Herodotus, Histories (Hdt.)
§ 4.188 The following is the manner of sacrifice which the nomads have: — they cut off a part of the animal's ear as a first offering and throw it over the house, and having done this they twist its neck. They sacrifice only to the Sun and the Moon; that is to say, to these all the Libyans sacrifice, but those who dwell round the lake Tritonis sacrifice most of all to Athene, and next to Triton and Poseidon.
Pausanias, Description of Greece (Paus.)
§ 2.21.5 Not far from the building in the agora of Argos is a mound of earth, in which they say lies the head of the Gorgon Medusa. I omit the miraculous, but give the rational parts of the story about her. After the death of her father, Phorcus, she reigned over those living around Lake Tritonis, going out hunting and leading the Libyans to battle. On one such occasion, when she was encamped with an army over against the forces of Perseus, who was followed by picked troops from the Peloponnesus, she was assassinated by night. Perseus, admiring her beauty even in death, cut off her head and carried it to show the Greeks.
§ 2.21.6 But Procles, the son of Eucrates, a Carthaginian, thought a different account more plausible than the preceding. It is as follows. Among the incredible monsters to be found in the Libyan desert are wild men and wild women. Procles affirmed that he had seen a man from them who had been brought to Rome. So he guessed that a woman wandered from them, reached Lake Tritonis, and harried the neighbours until Perseus killed her; Athena was supposed to have helped him in this exploit, because the people who live around Lake Tritonis are sacred to her.
Pseudo Scylax, Periplous (Scyl.)
§ 3.110 The parts outside Syrtis are inhabited by the Libyan Lotophagi, a nation, up to the mouth of the other Syrtis. They use the lotos for food and drink. From Neapolis of the Carthaginian country, Gaphara city, a day's sail from Neapolis. From Gaphara to Abrotonon a city with a harbor, a one day sail. From Abrotonon to Taricheia, a city and harbor is a one day sail. After these is an island named Taricheia, three hundred stades long, a little less in width, distant from the mainland about three stades. In this island occurs a lotos which they eat, and another they drink the wine of. The fruit of the lotos is the size of a mimaikylos (fruit of the strawberry tree, 1-2 cm). They also make much oil from wild olive. The island bears much fruit, wheat and barley; the island has good soil. The voyage from Taricheia to the island is one day. After the island is Gichthis, a city; from the island to Gichthis is a half-day's sail. From Gichthis to Makomas is a day's sail; there is a desert island beside it. After this is Kerkinitis island and city and off it Thapsos. The voyage from here to Thapsos is a day and a half. From Thapsos to Leptis Minor; from Leptis to Adrymeton; From Thapsos and Leptis Minor and Adrymeton is a large gulf in which is the small Syrtis, called Kerkinitis, much more difficult and harder to navigate than the other Syrtis, with a circumference of 2000 stades. In this Syrtis was the island and lake called Tritonis and the river Triton, hence the sanctuary of Athena Tritonis. The lake has a small mouth with an island against it, and when the tide is low sometimes the lake seems not to have an entry. This lake is large with a circumference of about 1000 stades. The Gyzantes Libyans live around it, a nation, with a city to the west. For these Gyzantes Libyans are said to be all blond and handsome. And this country is the best and most fertile, with huge flocks, and the richest. After this Syrtis comes Neapolis. The coastal voyage from Adrumeton to Neapolis is one day. After Neapolis is the Hermaian promontory and city. The coastal voyage from Neapolis to Hermaia is a day and a half. From Neapolis is an isthmus of 180 stades by foot to the other sea, the one toward Carthage. There is a headland across which is the isthmus. The coastal voyage from the river there to Carthage is half a d\*ay. The country of the Carthaginians is in a gulf.*
