Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.13.1 Class: Historical

βίσωνος δὲ ταύρου τῶν Παιονικῶν χαλκοῦ πεποιημένην κεφαλὴν Δρωπίων Λέοντος ἔπεμψεν ἐς Δελφοὺς βασιλεὺς Παιόνων. οὗτοι οἱ βίσωνες χαλεπώτατοι θηρίων εἰσὶν ἁλίσκεσθαι ζῶντες, καὶ δίκτυα οὐκ ἂν οὕτω γένοιτο ἰσχυρὰ ὡς ἀντισχεῖν τῇ ἐμβολῇ. θηρεύονται δὲ οὗτοι τρόπον τοιόνδε. ἐπειδὰν χωρίον οἱ ἀγρεύοντες πρανὲς εὕρωσι καθῆκον ἐς κοιλότητα, πρῶτα μὲν φράγματι ἰσχυρῷ πέριξ ὠχυρώσαντο, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ κάταντες καὶ τὸ περὶ τῷ πέρατι ὁμαλὸν αὐτοῦ νεοδάρτοις βύρσαις κατεστόρεσαν· ἢν δὲ τύχωσιν ἀποροῦντες βυρσῶν, τότε καὶ τὰ αὖα τῶν δερμάτων ὑπὸ ἐλαίου σφίσιν ὀλισθηρὰ ποιεῖται.

Proper Nouns:

Δελφοί Δρωπίων Λέων Παίονες Παιονικός

A head made from bronze, depicting a Paeonian bull known as the bison, was sent to Delphi by Dropion son of Leon, king of the Paeonians. These bisons are the hardest of all beasts to capture alive, and there is no net strong enough to withstand their charge. They are hunted in the following way. The hunters first look for a place sloping downward into a hollow; having found this, they build a strong fence around it. Then they lay freshly-flayed hides over the downward slope and the level ground at its foot. If they are unable to obtain fresh hides, they soak dry skins in olive oil and thus make them slippery.

Passage 10.13.2 Class: Historical

τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν οἱ μάλιστα ἱππεύειν ἀγαθοὶ συνελαύνουσιν ἐς τὸ εἰρημένον χωρίον τοὺς βίσωνας· οἱ δὲ εὐθὺς ἐν ταῖς πρώταις τῶν βυρσῶν ὀλισθόντες κατὰ τοῦ πρανοῦς κυλίνδονται, ἕως κατενεχθῶσιν ἐς τὸ ὁμαλόν. ἐρριμμένοι δὲ ἐνταῦθα ἠμέληνται κατʼ ἀρχάς· τετάρτῃ δὲ ἢ πέμπτῃ μάλιστα ἡμέρᾳ τῶν μὲν ἤδη τοῦ θυμοῦ τὸ πολὺ ὁ λιμὸς ἀφαιρεῖ καὶ ἡ ταλαιπωρία, οἱ δέ σφισιν, οἷς

Proper Nouns:

βίσωνας

From there those most skilled at riding drive the bisons into the aforementioned place; immediately slipping on the first hides, the animals roll down the slope until they are carried down onto level ground. Initially they lie there neglected; but around the fourth or fifth day at most, hunger and exhaustion have already largely subdued their spirit. Then those among them who...

Passage 10.13.3 Class: Historical

τέχνη τιθασεύειν, προσφέρουσιν ἔτι κειμένοις πίτυος τῆς ἡμέρου καρπὸν προεκλέξαντες ἐκ τῶν ἐλαχίστων ἐλύτρων· ἑτέρας δὲ οὐκ ἂν τροφῆς τό γε παραυτίκα ἅψαιτο τὰ θηρία· τέλος δὲ διαλαβόντες δεσμοῖς ἄγουσι.

They have a skill for taming them: they offer, while the animals still lie on the ground, selected kernels of the fruit of the cultivated pine, carefully picked from their smallest husks. Indeed, at that particular moment, the beasts would touch no other sort of food. Finally, after tying them up securely, they lead them away.

Passage 10.13.4 Class: Historical

καὶ τοὺς μὲν τρόπον αἱροῦσι τὸν εἰρημένον, τοῦ βίσωνος δὲ τῆς κεφαλῆς καταντικρὺ τῆς χαλκῆς ἀνδριάς ἐστι θώρακά τε ἐνδεδυκὼς καὶ χλαμύδα ἐπὶ τῷ θώρακι· Ἀνδρίων δὲ ἀνάθημα οἱ Δελφοὶ λέγουσιν Ἀνδρέα εἶναι τὸν οἰκιστήν. τό τε ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς τε καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος Φωκέων ἀναθήματά ἐστιν ἀπὸ Θεσσαλῶν ὁμόρων τε---πλὴν ὅσον οἱ Λοκροὶ σφᾶς οἱ Ἐπικνημίδιοι διείργουσι---καὶ ἀεὶ πολεμίων ὄντων.

Proper Nouns:

Δελφοί Θεσσαλοί Λοκροί Φωκεῖς Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀνδρέας Ἀπόλλων Ἀρτέμις Ἐπικνημίδιοι

These adopt the mode described above; opposite the bronze head of the bison is a bronze statue of a man armed with both a breastplate and a cloak over the breastplate. The Delphians say the statue is a dedication from the Andrians representing Andreus, their founder. The statues of Apollo, Athena, and Artemis are offerings from the Phokians, who continually suffered hostilities from their neighbors the Thessalians, except in so far as the Epicnemidian Locrians separated them.

Passage 10.13.5 Class: Mythic

ἀνέθεσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐν Φαρσάλῳ Θεσσαλοὶ καὶ Μακεδόνων οἱ ὑπὸ τῇ Πιερίᾳ πόλιν Δῖον οἰκοῦντες Κυρηναῖοί τε τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ τοῦ ἐν Λιβύῃ, οὗτοι μὲν τὸ ἅρμα καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ἅρματι ἄγαλμα Ἄμμωνος, Μακεδόνες δὲ οἱ ἐν Δίῳ τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα ὃς εἰλημμένος ἐστὶ τῆς ἐλάφου, Φαρσάλιοι δὲ Ἀχιλλέα τε ἐπὶ ἵππῳ καὶ ὁ Πάτροκλος συμπαραθεῖ ν οἱ καὶ τῷ ἵππῳ. Κορίνθιοι δὲ οἱ Δωριεῖς ᾠκοδόμησαν θησαυρὸν καὶ οὗτοι·

Proper Nouns:

Δωριεῖς Δῖον Δῖον Θεσσαλοί Κορίνθιοι Κυρηναῖοι Λιβύη Μακεδόνες Πάτροκλος Πιερία Φάρσαλοι Φαρσάλιοι Ἀπόλλων Ἀχιλλεύς Ἄμμων Ἑλληνικόν

The Thessalians of Pharsalus and the Macedonians dwelling in the city of Dion beneath Pieria and the Cyrenaeans from the Greek colony in Libya also made dedications. The Cyrenaeans dedicated a chariot with an image of Ammon riding upon it; the Macedonians of Dion offered an Apollo who is depicted as grasping a deer; and the people of Pharsalus set up Achilles mounted upon a horse, with Patroclus standing beside Achilles and alongside the horse. The Dorian Corinthians, too, built a treasury.

Passage 10.13.6 Class: Historical

καὶ ὁ χρυσὸς ὁ ἐκ Λυδῶν ἀνέκειτο ἐνταῦθα. τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἀνάθημά ἐστι Θηβαίων, ὅτε Φωκεῦσιν ἐπολέμησαν τὸν ἱερὸν καλούμενον πόλεμον. εἰσὶ καὶ εἰκόνες χαλκαῖ Φωκέων ἀναθέντων, ἡνίκα δευτέρᾳ συμβολῇ τὸ ἱππικὸν ἐτρέψαντο τὸ ἐκ Θεσσαλίας. Φλιάσιοι δὲ ἐκόμισαν ἐς Δελφοὺς Δία τε χαλκοῦν καὶ ὁμοῦ τῷ Διὶ ἄγαλμα Αἰγίνης. ἐκ δὲ Μαντινείας τῆς Ἀρκάδων Ἀπόλλων χαλκοῦς ἐστιν ἀνάθημα· οὗτος οὐ πόρρω τοῦ Κορινθίων ἐστὶ θησαυροῦ.

Proper Nouns:

Αἴγινα Δελφοί Ζεύς Ζεύς Θεσσαλία Θῆβαι Κορίνθιοι Λυδοί Μαντίνεια Φλιάσιοι Φωκεῖς Φωκεῖς Ἀπόλλων Ἀρκάδες Ἡρακλῆς

Here also was dedicated the gold sent by the Lydians. The statue of Heracles is an offering of the Thebans, dedicated when they fought against the Phokians in the war called the Sacred War. There are also bronze figures dedicated by the Phokians themselves, at the time when, in a second engagement, they routed the cavalry that came from Thessaly. The Phliasians brought to Delphi a bronze Zeus, along with a statue of Aegina set up beside Zeus. From Mantineia in Arcadia there is a bronze Apollo, another offering situated not far from the treasury of the Corinthians.

Passage 10.13.7 Class: Mythic

Ἡρακλῆς δὲ καὶ Ἀπόλλων ἔχονται τοῦ τρίποδος καὶ ἐς μάχην περὶ αὐτοῦ καθίστανται· Λητὼ μὲν δὴ καὶ Ἄρτεμις Ἀπόλλωνα, Ἀθηνᾶ δὲ Ἡρακλέα ἐπέχουσι τοῦ θυμοῦ. Φωκέων καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀνάθημα, ὅτε σφίσιν ἐπὶ τοὺς Θεσσαλοὺς Τελλίας ἡγήσατο Ἠλεῖος. τὰ μὲν δὴ ἄλλα ἀγάλματα Δίυλλός τε ἐν κοινῷ καὶ Ἀμυκλαῖος , τὴν δὲ Ἀθηνᾶν καὶ Ἄρτεμιν Χίονίς ἐστιν εἰργασμένος· Κορινθίους δὲ εἶναί φασιν αὐτούς.

Proper Nouns:

Δίυλλος Θεσσαλοί Κορίνθιοι Λητώ Τελλίας Φωκῆς Χίονίς Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀμυκλαῖος Ἀπόλλων Ἄρτεμις Ἄρτεμις Ἠλεῖος Ἡρακλῆς

Heracles and Apollo are gripping the tripod and preparing to fight over it. Leto and Artemis hold Apollo back, while Athena restrains Heracles' anger. This offering, too, is from the Phokians, dedicated when Tellias the Elean led them against the Thessalians. The rest of the statues were, on the whole, made by Diyllos and Amyklaios, but Athena and Artemis are the work of Chionis; these sculptors are said to have been Corinthians.

Passage 10.13.8 Class: Mythic

λέγεται δὲ ὑπὸ Δελφῶν Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἐλθόντι ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστήριον τὴν πρόμαντιν Ξενόκλειαν οὐκ ἐθελῆσαί οἱ χρᾶν διὰ τοῦ Ἰφίτου τὸν φόνον· τὸν δὲ ἀράμενον τὸν τρίποδα ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ φέρειν ἔξω, εἰπεῖν τε δὴ τὴν πρόμαντιν· ἄλλος ἄρʼ Ἡρακλέης Τιρύνθιος, οὐχὶ Κανωβεύς· πρότερον γὰρ ἔτι ὁ Αἰγύπτιος Ἡρακλῆς ἀφίκετο ἐς Δελφούς. τότε δὲ ὁ Ἀμφιτρύωνος τόν τε τρίποδα ἀποδίδωσι τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι καὶ παρὰ τῆς Ξενοκλείας ὁπόσα ἐδεῖτο ἐδιδάχθη. παραδεξάμενοι δὲ οἱ ποιηταὶ τὸν λόγον μάχην Ἡρακλέους πρὸς Ἀπόλλωνα ὑπὲρ τρίποδος ᾄδουσιν.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγύπτιος Δελφοί Δελφοί Κανωβεύς Ξενόκλεια Ξενόκλεια Τιρύνθιος Ἀμφιτρύων Ἀπόλλων Ἀπόλλων Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἰφῖτος

It is said by the Delphians that when Heracles, the son of Amphitryon, came to consult the oracle, Xenocleia, the priestess, refused to give him an oracle on account of the murder of Iphitos. Heracles then seized the tripod from the sanctuary and began carrying it outside, upon which the priestess declared: "Then indeed there is another Heracles, the Tirynthian, not the Canopian," for the Egyptian Heracles had come to Delphi earlier. Thereupon, Amphitryon's son returned the tripod to Apollo, and Xenocleia gave him the responses he wished for. Poets, adopting this tale, sing about the combat between Heracles and Apollo for the tripod.

Passage 10.13.9 Class: Historical

ἐν κοινῷ δὲ ἀνέθεσαν ἀπὸ ἔργου τοῦ Πλαταιᾶσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες χρυσοῦν τρίποδα δράκοντι ἐπικείμενον χαλκῷ. ὅσον μὲν δὴ χαλκὸς ἦν τοῦ ἀναθήματος, σῶον καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἔτι ἦν· οὐ μέντοι κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ τὸν χρυσὸν οἱ Φωκέων ὑπελίποντο ἡγεμόνες.

Proper Nouns:

Πλαταιαί Φωκεῖς Ἕλληνες

Together as a common dedication from the spoils of the battle at Plataea, the Greeks set up a golden tripod mounted upon a bronze serpent. As for the bronze portion of this offering, it remained intact even down to my own times; however, the Phocian leaders did not leave the gold similarly untouched.

Passage 10.13.10 Class: Mythic

Ταραντῖνοι δὲ καὶ ἄλλην δεκάτην ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀπὸ βαρβάρων Πευκετίων ἀπέστειλαν· τέχνη μὲν τὰ ἀναθήματα Ὀνάτα τοῦ Αἰγινήτου καὶ Ἀγελάδα ἐστὶ τοῦ Ἀργείου, εἰκόνες δὲ καὶ πεζῶν καὶ ἱππέων, βασιλεὺς Ἰαπύγων Ὦπις ἥκων τοῖς Πευκετίοις σύμμαχος. οὗτος μὲν δὴ εἴκασται τεθνεῶτι ἐν τῇ μάχῃ, οἱ δὲ αὐτῷ κειμένῳ ἐφεστηκότες ὁ ἥρως Τάρας ἐστὶ καὶ Φάλανθος ὁ ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος, καὶ οὐ πόρρω τοῦ Φαλάνθου δελφίς· πρὶν γὰρ δὴ ἐς Ἰταλίαν ἀφικέσθαι, καὶ ναυαγίᾳ τε ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῷ Κρισαίῳ τὸν Φάλανθον χρήσασθαι καὶ ὑπὸ δελφῖνος ἐκκομισθῆναί φασιν ἐς τὴν γῆν.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγινήτης Δελφοί Κρισαῖον Λακεδαίμων Πευκέτιοι Πευκέτιοι Τάρας Ταραντῖνοι Φάλανθος Ἀγελάδας Ἀργεῖος Ἰάπυγες Ἰταλία Ὀνάτας Ὦπις

The Tarentines also dedicated another tithe to Delphi from their spoils taken from the barbarian Peucetians. These offerings were the work of Onatas of Aegina and Ageladas of Argos, representing figures of infantry and cavalry. Among them is depicted Opis, the king of the Iapygians, who had come as an ally to the Peucetians. He is portrayed as having fallen in battle. Standing over his body are the hero Taras and Phalanthus the Lacedaemonian, and near Phalanthus is a dolphin; for it is said that before arriving in Italy, Phalanthus suffered a shipwreck in the Crisaean Sea and was saved by a dolphin, which carried him safely ashore.

Legend:

Chapter 10.13