Xenophon resided here more than twenty years, and probably composed the Anabasis here, but was expelled from it by the Eleians soon after the Battle of Leuctra, in 371 BCE.
He has left us a description of the place, which he says was situated 20 stadia (approximately 2 1/4 miles] from the Sacred Grove of Zeus, on the road to Olympia from Sparta, It stood upon the river Selinus, which was also the name of the river flowing by the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and like the latter it abounded in fish and shell-fish.
From a portion of the spoils he had acquired in the campaign he had joined against Artaxerxes II (recounted in his work The Anabasis), Xenophon dedicated a temple to Artemis, in imitation of the celebrated temple at Ephesus, and instituted a yearly festival to the goddess.
Scillus stood amidst woods and meadows, and afforded abundant pasture for cattle; while the neighbouring mountains supplied wild hogs, roebucks, and stags.
[3] When Pausanias visited Scillus five centuries afterwards the temple of Artemis still remained, and a statue of Xenophon, made of Pentelic marble.