Pausanias Analysis

Current sentence-level mythic, historical, and other tags

Chapter 5.13

PassageSentenceBucketConfidenceGreekEnglishRationale
5.13.1 1 mythic high ἔστι δὲ ἐντὸς τῆς Ἄλτεως καὶ Πέλοπι ἀποτετμημένον τέμενος· Within the Altis there is also a precinct set apart for Pelops. A precinct set apart for Pelops refers to a cultic monument tied to a mythic hero.
5.13.1 2 mythic high ἡρώων δὲ τῶν ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ τοσοῦτον προτετιμημένος ἐστὶν ὁ Πέλοψ ὑπὸ Ἠλείων ὅσον Ζεὺς θεῶν τῶν ἄλλων. Among all the heroes honored at Olympia, Pelops is held by the Eleans in as great esteem as Zeus himself is among the other gods. Pelops is a mythic hero, and the sentence concerns his cultic honor at Olympia.
5.13.1 3 mythic high ἔστιν οὖν τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Διὸς κατὰ δεξιὰν τῆς ἐσόδου πρὸς ἄνεμον Βορέαν τὸ Πελόπιον, The Pelopion is situated to the right of the entrance to the temple of Zeus, toward the north wind. Pelopion is a cultic monument tied to Pelops, a mythic figure, and this is a location description within the sanctuary.
5.13.1 4 other high ἀφεστηκὸς μὲν τοῦ ναοῦ τοσοῦτον ὡς μεταξὺ καὶ ἀνδριάντας καὶ ἀναθήματα ἄλλα ἀνακεῖσθαι, παρήκει δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸν ὀπισθόδομον ἀπὸ μέσου μάλιστα ἀρξάμενον τοῦ ναοῦ· It stands at such a distance from the temple that statues and other dedications can be placed between the two; it extends from approximately the middle of the temple roughly to the rear chamber (opisthodomos). Purely spatial description of the temple and adjoining structures; no mythic or historical event.
5.13.1 5 other high καὶ λίθων τε θριγκῷ περιέχεται καὶ δένδρα ἐντὸς πεφυκότα καὶ ἀνδριάντες εἰσὶν ἀνακείμενοι, It is enclosed by a perimeter wall of stones, and inside grow trees and stand statues set up as dedications. Purely descriptive: gives the physical enclosure, trees, and dedications inside.
5.13.2 1 other high ἔσοδος δὲ ἐς αὐτὸ πρὸς δυσμῶν ἐστιν ἡλίου. The entrance to it is toward the setting of the sun. Purely directional/geographical description of an entrance, with no mythic or historical event.
5.13.2 2 mythic high τοῦτο ἀπονεῖμαι τῷ Πέλοπι Ἡρακλῆς ὁ Ἀμφιτρύωνος λέγεται· τέταρτος γὰρ δὴ ἀπόγονος καὶ οὗτος ἦν Πέλοπος, λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς ἔθυσεν ἐς τὸν βόθρον τῷ Πέλοπι. Heracles, son of Amphitryon, is said to have assigned this spot to Pelops; for he himself was descended from Pelops in the fourth generation; it is also related that he sacrificed to Pelops into the pit. Refers to Heracles and Pelops, both mythic figures, and to a sacrifice attributed to Heracles.
5.13.2 3 mythic high θύουσι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ νῦν ἔτι οἱ κατὰ ἔτος τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχοντες· τὸ δὲ ἱερεῖόν ἐστι κριὸς μέλας. Even now those who annually hold office offer sacrifice to Pelops, the sacrificial victim being a black ram. Annual sacrifice to Pelops is a cultic practice tied to a mythic hero and his influence on the landscape/tradition.
5.13.2 4 other high ἀπὸ ταύτης οὐ γίνεται τῷ μάντει μοῖρα τῆς θυσίας, τράχηλον δὲ μόνον δίδοσθαι τοῦ κριοῦ καθέστηκε τῷ ὀνομαζομένῳ ξυλεῖ. From this offering no portion is allotted to the seer; it is established custom to give only the neck of the ram to the one called the "woodman." Describes a ritual custom and distribution of sacrificial portions, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.3 1 other high ἔστι δὲ ὁ ξυλεὺς ἐκ τῶν οἰκετῶν τοῦ Διός, ἔργον δὲ αὐτῷ πρόσκειται τὰ ἐς τὰς θυσίας ξύλα τεταγμένου λήμματος καὶ πόλεσι παρέχειν καὶ ἀνδρὶ ἰδιώτῃ· The Woodman is among the servants of Zeus, and his appointed duty is to provide wood of specific, prescribed type for the sacrifices, both to the cities and to any private individual. Describes a cultic office and practical sacrificial provisioning, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.3 2 other high τὰ δὲ λεύκης μόνης ξύλα καὶ ἄλλου δένδρου ἐστὶν οὐδενός· He supplies only poplar wood, and no other tree at all. Purely descriptive note about the type of wood supplied; no mythic or historical event.
5.13.3 3 mythic high ὃς δʼ ἂν ἢ αὐτῶν Ἠλείων ἢ ξένων τοῦ θυομένου τῷ Πέλοπι ἱερείου φάγῃ τῶν κρεῶν, οὐκ ἔστιν οἱ ἐσελθεῖν παρὰ τὸν Δία. Whoever, whether one of the Eleans themselves or a foreigner, eats of the meat from the sacrificial victim offered to Pelops, is not permitted to enter the sanctuary of Zeus. Refers to a cult rule tied to Pelops, a mythic figure, and the sanctuary restriction derives from that mythic cult.
5.13.3 4 mythic medium τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν τῇ Περγάμῳ τῇ ὑπὲρ ποταμοῦ Καΐκου πεπόνθασιν οἱ τῷ Τηλέφῳ θύοντες· The same restriction occurs in Pergamum beyond the river Caïcus for those who sacrifice to Telephus. Telephus is a mythic figure, and the sentence concerns ritual practice for him at Pergamum.
5.13.3 5 other high ἔστι γὰρ δὴ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἀναβῆναι πρὸ λουτροῦ παρὰ τὸν Ἀσκληπιόν. For neither are these permitted to ascend to the sanctuary of Asclepius without having first bathed. Describes a cultic rule about bathing before entering Asclepius' sanctuary, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.4 1 mythic high λέγεται δὲ καὶ τοιοῦτον· μηκυνομένου τοῦ πρὸς Ἰλίῳ πολέμου τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, προαγορεῦσαι δὲ αὐτοῖς τοὺς μάντεις ὡς αἱρήσουσιν οὐ πρότερον τὴν πόλιν, πρὶν ἂν τὰ Ἡρακλέους τόξα καὶ ὀστοῦν ἐπαγάγωνται Πέλοπος. It is also said as follows: when the war against Ilium dragged on for the Greeks, their seers declared to them that they would not capture the city until they had brought to themselves the bow of Heracles and a bone of Pelops. Refers to the Trojan War and a seer’s oracle involving Heracles’ bow and Pelops’ bone, both mythic material.
5.13.4 2 mythic high οὕτω δὴ μεταπέμψασθαι μὲν Φιλοκτήτην φασὶν αὐτοὺς ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἀχθῆναι δὲ καὶ τῶν ὀστῶν ὠμοπλάτην σφίσιν ἐκ Πίσης τῶν Πέλοπος· Thus, it is said, they summoned Philoctetes to the camp and brought from Pisa for themselves a bone, namely the shoulder-blade of Pelops. Philoctetes and Pelops are mythic figures, and the sentence recounts a legendary event involving them.
5.13.4 3 mythic high ὡς δὲ οἴκαδε ἐκομίζοντο, ἀπόλλυται περὶ Εὔβοιαν καὶ ἡ ναῦς ὑπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἡ τὸ ὀστοῦν φέρουσα τὸ Πέλοπος. However, on their voyage home, the ship bearing the bone of Pelops was wrecked in a storm near Euboea. Pelops's bone and its transport are part of a mythic episode; the shipwreck is the mythic aftermath impacting the landscape near Euboea.
5.13.5 1 mythic high ἔτεσι δὲ ὕστερον πολλοῖς μετὰ ἅλωσιν Ἰλίου Δαμάρμενον ἁλιέα ἐξ Ἐρετρίας ἀφέντα δίκτυον ἐς θάλασσαν τὸ ὀστοῦν ἑλκύσαι, θαυμάσαντα δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγεθος ἔχειν ἀποκρύψαντα ὑπὸ τὴν ψάμμον. Many years later, after the capture of Troy, Damarmenos, a fisherman from Eretria, cast a net into the sea and drew up the bone; astonished by its great size, he concealed it beneath the sand. The sentence is dated explicitly to after the capture of Troy and concerns a relic of the Trojan myth cycle.
5.13.5 2 mythic high τέλος δὲ αὐτὸν ἀφικέσθαι καὶ ἐς Δελφούς, ὅτου τε ἀνδρὸς τὸ ὀστοῦν εἴη καὶ ὅ τι χρηστέον αὐτῷ διδαχθῆναι δεησόμενον. In the end, he journeyed also to Delphi, wishing to learn from the oracle whose bone it was and what he ought to do with it. Delphi oracle consultation about the identity of a bone belongs to mythic narrative and divine consultation.
5.13.6 1 other high καί πως κατὰ πρόνοιαν τοῦ θεοῦ τηνικαῦτα πρεσβεία παρῆν Ἠλείων ἐπανόρθωμα αἰτούντων νόσου λοιμώδους· And as though through divine providence, at that very time an embassy of Eleans was present, seeking relief from a devastating plague. Describes an embassy and a plague in a historical setting, but the sentence mainly reports a circumstance of timing and divine providence rather than a specific historical event.
5.13.6 2 mythic high ἀνεῖπεν οὖν σφισιν ἡ Πυθία, τοῖς μὲν ἀνασώσασθαι Πέλοπος τὰ ὀστᾶ, Δαμαρμένῳ δὲ ἀποδοῦναι τὰ εὑρημένα αὐτῷ Ἠλείοις. Thus, the Pythia instructed them to recover the bones of Pelops, and commanded Damarmenos to return to the Eleans the relics he had discovered. The sentence concerns an oracle directing the recovery of Pelops' bones, a heroic/mythic cult action.
5.13.6 3 historical high καί οἱ ταῦτα ποιήσαντι ἄλλα τε ἀντέδοσαν Ἠλεῖοι καὶ Δαμάρμενόν τε αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπογόνους τοὺς ἐκείνου φύλακας σφᾶς εἶναι τοῦ ὀστοῦ. Having obeyed this, the Eleans gave him many gifts in return, and established Damarmenos himself and his descendants after him as guardians of the bone. An institutional reward and hereditary guardianship arrangement among the Eleans; this is a post-mythic civic/antiquarian detail.
5.13.6 4 mythic high ἡ δὲ ὠμοπλάτη τοῦ Πέλοπος ἠφάνιστο ἤδη κατʼ ἐμέ, ὅτι ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἐκέκρυπτο ἐπὶ πολὺ κατὰ τοῦ βυθοῦ καὶ ὁμοῦ τῷ χρόνῳ προσέκαμνεν οὐχ ἥκιστα ὑπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης. The shoulder-blade of Pelops, however, had vanished already by my time; as I see it, this was because it had remained hidden deep under the sea for generations, and over time had suffered extensive decay, particularly from the effects of the saltwater. Pelops is a mythic figure, and the sentence concerns the fate of his relic in the landscape.
5.13.7 1 mythic high Πέλοπος δὲ καὶ Ταντάλου τῆς παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐνοικήσεως σημεῖα ἔτι καὶ ἐς τόδε λείπεται, Ταντάλου μὲν λίμνη τε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ καλουμένη καὶ οὐκ ἀφανὴς τάφος, Πέλοπος δὲ ἐν Σιπύλῳ μὲν θρόνος ἐν κορυφῇ τοῦ ὄρους ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ τῆς Πλαστήνης μητρὸς τὸ ἱερόν, διαβάντι δὲ Ἕρμον ποταμὸν Ἀφροδίτης ἄγαλμα ἐν Τήμνῳ πεποιημένον ἐκ μυρσίνης τεθηλυίας· Evidence of the residence of Pelops and Tantalus among us remains even now: there is the lake called after Tantalus himself and his clearly visible tomb; and for Pelops, on Sipylus there is a throne placed on the peak of the mountain, above the sanctuary of his mother Plastene; beyond the river Hermus, in Temnus, there is a statue of Aphrodite fashioned from living myrtle-wood. References Pelops and Tantalus, both mythic figures, and their surviving traces in the landscape.
5.13.7 2 mythic high ἀναθεῖναι δὲ Πέλοπα αὐτὸ παρειλήφαμεν μνήμῃ, προϊλασκόμενόν τε τὴν θεὸν καὶ γενέσθαι οἱ τὸν γάμον τῆς Ἱπποδαμείας αἰτούμενον. Tradition records that Pelops dedicated this image as a memorial, appeasing the goddess and requesting her favor to marry Hippodameia. Pelops and Hippodameia belong to mythic tradition; the sentence recounts his dedication and marriage request.
5.13.8 1 other high ἔστι δὲ ὁ τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου βωμὸς ἴσον μὲν μάλιστα τοῦ Πελοπίου τε καὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τῆς Ἥρας ἀπέχων, προκείμενος μέντοι καὶ πρὸ ἀμφοτέρων· The altar of Olympian Zeus is situated at roughly equal distances from the Pelopion and the sanctuary of Hera, but lies somewhat in front of both. Purely topographical description of the altar’s location relative to nearby monuments.
5.13.8 2 mythic high κατασκευασθῆναι δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ μὲν ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους τοῦ Ἰδαίου λέγουσιν, οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ ἡρώων τῶν ἐπιχωρίων γενεαῖς δύο ὕστερον τοῦ Ἡρακλέους. Some say it was built by Idaean Heracles, while others claim it was constructed two generations later by local heroes, subsequent to Heracles. Attributes construction to Heracles and local heroes in a legendary timeframe.
5.13.8 3 other high πεποίηται δὲ ἱερείων τῶν θυομένων τῷ Διὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τέφρας τῶν μηρῶν, καθάπερ γε καὶ ἐν Περγάμῳ· This altar is formed from the ashes of the thighs of sacrificial victims offered to Zeus, just as is also the case at Pergamum. Describes the altar's construction and a comparison with Pergamum; this is geographical/religious description, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.8 4 other high τέφρας γὰρ δή ἐστι καὶ τῇ Ἥρᾳ τῇ Σαμίᾳ βωμὸς οὐδέν τι ἐπιφανέστερος ἢ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῇ Ἀττικῇ ἃς αὐτοσχεδίας Ἀθηναῖοι καλοῦσιν ἐσχάρας. Similarly, the altar dedicated to Hera of Samos is also composed of ashes, though it is no more outstanding than those found in Attica, which the Athenians call "improvised hearths." Descriptive antiquarian comparison of altars and local terminology; no event.
5.13.9 1 other high τοῦ βωμοῦ δὲ τοῦ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ κρηπῖδος μὲν τῆς πρώτης, προθύσεως καλουμένης, πόδες πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατόν ἐστι περίοδος, τοῦ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ προθύσει περίμετρος ἐπακτοῦ πόδες δύο καὶ τριάκοντα· Regarding the altar at Olympia, the circumference of its first base, known as the prothysis (foundation), is one hundred and twenty-five feet; the perimeter of the platform placed upon this foundation measures thirty-two feet. Purely architectural measurement of the altar at Olympia; descriptive/topographical, not mythic or historical.
5.13.9 2 other high τὸ δὲ ὕψος τοῦ βωμοῦ τὸ σύμπαν ἐς δύο καὶ εἴκοσιν ἀνήκει πόδας. The total height of the altar amounts to twenty-two feet. A plain architectural measurement of the altar; descriptive and non-historical.
5.13.9 3 other high αὐτὰ μὲν δὴ τὰ ἱερεῖα ἐν μέρει τῷ κάτω, τῇ προθύσει, καθέστηκεν αὐτοῖς θύειν· τοὺς μηροὺς δὲ ἀναφέροντες ἐς τοῦ βωμοῦ τὸ ὑψηλέστατον καθαγίζουσιν ἐνταῦθα. It is established custom for sacrifices themselves to be offered at the lower part, the prothysis, while the thighs of the sacrificial victims are carried up onto the highest part of the altar and there offered as burnt sacrifice. Describes ritual practice and altar layout, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.10 1 other high ἀναβασμοὶ δὲ ἐς μὲν τὴν πρόθυσιν ἀνάγουσιν ἐξ ἑκατέρας τῆς πλευρᾶς λίθου πεποιημένοι· τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς προθύσεως ἐς τὸ ἄνω τοῦ βωμοῦ τέφρας παρέχεται καὶ ἀναβασμούς. Steps made of stone on each of the two sides lead up to the lowest platform; from this platform upward the ascent to the higher part of the altar is composed of ashes and also provides steps. Purely architectural description of altar steps and materials; no mythic or historical event.
5.13.10 2 other high ἄχρι μὲν δὴ τῆς προθύσεως ἔστιν ἀναβῆναι καὶ παρθένοις καὶ ὡσαύτως γυναιξίν, ἐπειδὰν τῆς Ὀλυμπίας μὴ ἐξείργωνται· ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ ἐς τὸ ἀνωτάτω τοῦ βωμοῦ μόνοις ἔστιν ἀνδράσιν ἀνελθεῖν. Up to this lower platform maidens and women are permitted to ascend, provided they are not excluded from Olympia; but from this point upward to the highest level of the altar men alone may ascend. Describes access rules and the altar's layout, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.10 3 other high θύεται δὲ τῷ Διὶ καὶ ἄνευ τῆς πανηγύρεως ὑπό τε ἰδιωτῶν καὶ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ὑπὸ Ἠλείων. Sacrifices to Zeus are performed even apart from the festival, both by private individuals and daily by the Eleans. Describes regular cult practice and local ritual observance, not a mythic event or post-500 BC historical event.
5.13.11 1 other high κατʼ ἔτος δὲ ἕκαστον φυλάξαντες οἱ μάντεις τὴν ἐνάτην ἐπὶ δέκα τοῦ Ἐλαφίου μηνὸς κομίζουσιν ἐκ τοῦ πρυτανείου τὴν τέφραν, φυράσαντες δὲ τῷ ὕδατι τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ κονιῶσιν οὕτω τὸν βωμόν. Each year, on the nineteenth day of the month Elaphius, the seers take ashes from the Prytaneion, mix them with water from the Alpheios river, and thus plaster the altar. Ritual procedure and altar maintenance; descriptive/religious practice rather than a mythic or post-500 BC historical event.
5.13.11 2 other high ὑπὸ δὲ ἄλλου τὴν τέφραν ὕδατος ποιηθῆναι πηλὸν οὐ μή ποτε ἐγγένηται· It is never permitted that this ash be mixed into mud with water from another. Descriptive cultic/ritual prescription about ash and water, not a mythic or historical event.
5.13.11 3 mythic high καὶ τοῦδε ἕνεκα ὁ Ἀλφειὸς νενόμισται τῷ Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ ποταμῶν δὴ μάλιστα εἶναι φίλος. For this reason, the Alpheios has come to be regarded as the river most dear to Olympian Zeus. Explains a river's special relation to Olympian Zeus, reflecting mythic significance rather than a historical event.
5.13.11 4 mythic high ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἐν Διδύμοις τῶν Μιλησίων βωμός, ἐποιήθη δὲ ὑπὸ Ἡρακλέους τοῦ Θηβαίου, καθὰ οἱ Μιλήσιοι λέγουσιν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερείων τοῦ αἵματος· There is also at Didyma among the Milesians an altar they say was constructed by Heracles of Thebes, made from the blood of sacrificial animals. Attributes the altar’s construction to Heracles of Thebes, a mythic figure, and explains its origin.
5.13.11 5 other high ἐς δὲ τὰ ὕστερα τὸ αἷμα τῶν θυμάτων οὐκ ἐς ὑπέρογκον ηὔξηκεν αὐτὸν μέγεθος. The blood of sacrifices offered afterward, however, has not increased the altar's size significantly. Describes the altar's physical condition and size, a descriptive/antiquarian observation rather than a mythic or historical event.