Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.29.1 Class: Mythic

τῶν δὲ ἤδη μοι κατειλεγμένων εἰσὶν ἀνώτεροι τούτων ἱερεῖα καὶ οἱ ἑταῖροι τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως Περιμήδης καὶ Εὐρύλοχος φέροντες· τὰ δέ ἐστι μέλανες κριοὶ τὰ ἱερεῖα. μετὰ δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀνήρ ἐστι καθήμενος, ἐπίγραμμα δὲ Ὄκνον εἶναι λέγει τὸν ἄνθρωπον· πεποίηται μὲν πλέκων σχοινίον, παρέστηκε δὲ θήλεια ὄνος ἐπεσθίουσα τὸ πεπλεγμένον ἀεὶ τοῦ σχοινίου. τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν Ὄκνον φίλεργόν φασιν ἄνθρωπον, γυναῖκα δὲ ἔχειν δαπανηράν· καὶ ὁπόσα συλλέξαιτο ἐργαζόμενος, οὐ πολὺ δὴ ὕστερον ὑπὸ ἐκείνης ἀνήλωτο.

Proper Nouns:

Εὐρύλοχος Περιμήδης Ὀδυσσεύς Ὄκνος

Higher up than the figures I have already mentioned are sacrifices and the companions of Odysseus, Perimedes and Eurylochus, bringing them forward; these sacrifices are black rams. Near them sits a figure whose inscription identifies him as Ocnus. He is represented occupied in plaiting a rope, and beside him stands a she-ass constantly devouring the rope as quickly as he weaves it. They say this Ocnus was a hardworking man who had an extravagant wife, and whatever he earned by labor was shortly thereafter lavishly spent by her.

Passage 10.29.2 Class: Historical

τὰ οὖν ἐς τοῦ Ὄκνου τὴν γυναῖκα ἐθέλουσιν αἰνίξασθαι τὸν Πολύγνωτον. οἶδα δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ Ἰώνων, ὁπότε ἴδοιέν τινα πονοῦντα ἐπὶ οὐδενὶ ὄνησιν φέροντι, ὑπὸ τούτων εἰρημένον ὡς ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος συνάγει τοῦ Ὄκνου τὴν θώμιγγα. ὄκνον δʼ οὖν καὶ μάντεων οἱ ὁρῶντες τοὺς οἰωνοὺς καλοῦσί τινα ὄρνιθα· καὶ ἔστιν οὗτος ὁ ὄκνος μέγιστος μὲν καὶ κάλλιστος ἐρωδιῶν, εἰ δὲ ἄλλος τις ὀρνίθων σπάνιός ἐστι καὶ οὗτος.

Proper Nouns:

Πολύγνωτος Ἴωνες Ὄκνος

Thus regarding the woman of Oknos, they want to suggest that Polygnotos is speaking allegorically. Indeed I know that the Ionians, whenever they see someone laboring at work which brings no profit whatsoever, say of him, “this man is weaving the rope of Oknos.” Moreover, the bird watchers among the seers also call a certain bird "oknos." This "oknos" is the largest and most beautiful species of heron, and if there is any other exceptionally rare bird, this one too is rare.

Passage 10.29.3 Class: Mythic

γέγραπται δὲ καὶ Τιτυὸς οὐ κολαζόμενος ἔτι, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ συνεχοῦς τῆς τιμωρίας ἐς ἅπαν ἐξανηλωμένος, ἀμυδρὸν καὶ οὐδὲ ὁλόκληρον εἴδωλον. ἐπιόντι δὲ ἐφεξῆς τὰ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ, ἔστιν ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ στρέφοντος τὸ καλῴδιον Ἀριάδνη· κάθηται μὲν ἐπὶ πέτρας, ὁρᾷ δὲ ἐς τὴν ἀδελφὴν Φαίδραν, τό τε ἄλλο αἰωρουμένην σῶμα ἐν σειρᾷ καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις ἑκατέρωθεν τῆς σειρᾶς ἐχομένην· παρεῖχε δὲ τὸ σχῆμα καίπερ ἐς τὸ εὐπρεπέστερον πεποιημένον συμβάλλεσθαι τὰ ἐς τῆς Φαίδρας τὴν τελευτήν.

Proper Nouns:

Τιτυός Φαίδρα Φαίδρα Ἀριάδνη

Also depicted is Tityus, no longer undergoing punishment, but having been utterly consumed over time by the continuous torment, now reduced to a faint and incomplete shade. Advancing in sequence through the painting, nearest to the figure winding the thread sits Ariadne upon a rock, gazing at her sister Phaedra, whose body is suspended by a rope, her hands gripping it on either side. Although the pose has been arranged with more elegance, it nevertheless clearly suggests the circumstances of Phaedra's death.

Passage 10.29.4 Class: Mythic

τὴν δὲ Ἀριάδνην ἢ κατά τινα ἐπιτυχὼν δαίμονα ἢ καὶ ἐπίτηδες αὐτὴν λοχήσας ἀφείλετο Θησέα ἐπιπλεύσας Διόνυσος στόλῳ μείζονι, οὐκ ἄλλος κατὰ ἐμὴν δόξαν, ἀλλὰ ὁ πρῶτος μὲν ἐλάσας ἐπὶ Ἰνδοὺς στρατείᾳ, πρῶτος δὲ Εὐφράτην γεφυρώσας ποταμόν· Ζεῦγμά τε ὠνομάσθη πόλις καθʼ ὅ τι ἐζεύχθη τῆς χώρας ὁ Εὐφράτης, καὶ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα ὁ κάλως καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἐν ᾧ τὸν ποταμὸν ἔζευξεν, ἀμπελίνοις ὁμοῦ πεπλεγμένος καὶ κισσοῦ κλήμασι.

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Εὐφράτης Ζεῦγμα Θησεύς Ἀριάδνη Ἰνδοί

Dionysus, either chancing upon Ariadne through some divine fortune, or deliberately laying a trap for her, carried her off from Theseus by attacking with a stronger fleet. This Dionysus was not another, in my opinion, but the very same who first waged war against the Indians and first bridged the river Euphrates. Indeed, the city was named "Zeugma" from this bridging of the Euphrates, and even today the cable that bound together the river banks still remains there, braided from intertwined grapevines and ivy tendrils.

Passage 10.29.5 Class: Mythic

τὰ μὲν δὴ ἐς Διόνυσον πολλὰ ὑπό τε Ἑλλήνων λεγόμενα καὶ ὑπὸ Αἰγυπτίων ἐστίν· ὑπὸ δὲ τὴν Φαίδραν ἐστὶν ἀνακεκλιμένη Χλῶρις ἐπὶ τῆς Θυίας γόνασιν. οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται μὲν δὴ οὐδὲ ὅστις φησὶ φιλίαν εἶναι ἐς ἀλλήλας, ἡνίκα ἔτυχον αἱ γυναῖκες ζῶσαι· ἦσαν γὰρ δὴ ἡ μὲν ἐξ Ὀρχομενοῦ τοῦ ἐν Βοιωτίᾳ ἡ Χλῶρις, ἡ δὲ Κασταλίου θυγάτηρ ἀπὸ τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ. εἶπον δʼ ἂν καὶ ἄλλοι τὸν ἐς αὐτὰς λόγον, τῇ μὲν συγγενέσθαι Ποσειδῶνα τῇ Θυίᾳ, Χλῶριν δὲ Ποσειδῶνος παιδὶ Νηλεῖ συνοικῆσαι.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγύπτιοι Βοιωτία Διόνυσος Θυία Κασταλία Νηλεύς Παρνασσός Ποσειδῶν Φαίδρα Χλῶρις Ἕλληνες Ὀρχομενός

There are many stories concerning Dionysus, told by both Greeks and Egyptians; below Phaedra stands Chloris, leaning upon the knees of Thyia. He who says there was friendship between these two women when they were alive will not be wrong. Chloris was from Orchomenus in Boeotia, while Thyia, daughter of Castalius, came from Parnassus. Others may also recount a tradition concerning them: that Poseidon was intimate with Thyia, and that Chloris was married to Neleus, the son of Poseidon.

Passage 10.29.6 Class: Mythic

παρὰ δὲ τὴν Θυίαν Πρόκρις τε ἕστηκεν ἡ Ἐρεχθέως καὶ μετʼ αὐτὴν Κλυμένη· ἐπιστρέφει δὲ αὐτῇ τὰ νῶτα ἡ Κλυμένη. ἔστι δὲ πεποιημένα ἐν Νόστοις Μινύου μὲν τὴν Κλυμένην θυγατέρα εἶναι, γήμασθαι δὲ αὐτὴν Κεφάλῳ τῷ Δηίονος καὶ γενέσθαι σφίσιν Ἴφικλον παῖδα. τὰ δὲ ἐς τὴν Πρόκριν καὶ οἱ πάντες ᾄδουσιν, ὡς προτέρα Κεφάλῳ ἢ Κλυμένη συνῴκησε καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐτελεύτησεν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρός.

Proper Nouns:

Δήιων Θυία Κέφαλος Κλυμένη Μίνυς Νόστοι Πρόκρις Ἐρεχθεύς Ἴφικλος

Next to Thyia stands Procris, daughter of Erechtheus, and beside her is Clymene, who has her back turned to her. In the poem "Nostoi," it is said that Clymene was the daughter of Minyas, that she married Cephalus, son of Deion, and bore him a son, Iphiclus. But concerning Procris, everyone tells the same story: that she lived with Cephalus before Clymene did, and they relate the manner in which she met her death at the hands of her husband.

Passage 10.29.7 Class: Mythic

ἐσωτέρω δὲ τῆς Κλυμένης Μεγάραν τὴν ἐκ Θηβῶν ὄψει· ταύτην γυναῖκα ἔσχεν Ἡρακλῆς τὴν Μεγάραν καὶ ἀπεπέμψατο ἀνὰ χρόνον, ἅτε παίδων τε ἐστερημένος τῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ αὐτὴν ἡγούμενος οὐκ ἐπὶ ἀμείνονι τῷ δαίμονι γῆμαι . γυναικῶν δὲ τῶν κατειλεγμένων ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἥ τε Σαλμωνέως θυγάτηρ ἐστὶν ἐπὶ πέτρας καθεζομένη καὶ Ἐριφύλη παρʼ αὐτὴν ἐστιν ἑστῶσα, διὰ μὲν τοῦ χιτῶνος ἀνέχουσα ἄκρους παρὰ τὸν τράχηλον τοὺς δακτύλους, τοῦ χιτῶνος δὲ ἐν τοῖς κοίλοις εἰκάσεις τῶν χειρῶν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ὅρμον αὐτὴν ἔχειν.

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Κλυμένη Μεγάρα Σαλμωνεύς Ἐριφύλη Ἡρακλῆς

Further inward from Clymene you will see Megara from Thebes. This Megara was Heracles' wife, whom he married but eventually dismissed, since he was deprived of the children he had by her and judged that his marriage to her was not favored by fate. Among the women depicted above their heads is the daughter of Salmoneus, seated upon a rock, and beside her stands Eriphyle, who grasps the hem of her garment at the neck with the tips of her fingers, and through the folds of the robe in her other hand you imagine her holding that famous necklace.

Passage 10.29.8 Class: Mythic

ὑπὲρ δὲ τὴν Ἐριφύλην ἔγραψεν Ἐλπήνορά τε καὶ Ὀδυσσέα ὀκλάζοντα ἐπὶ τοῖς ποσίν, ἔχοντα ὑπὲρ τοῦ βόθρου τὸ ξίφος· καὶ ὁ μάντις Τειρεσίας πρόεισιν ἐπὶ τὸν βόθρον. μετὰ δὲ τὸν Τειρεσίαν ἐπὶ πέτρας ἡ Ὀδυσσέως μήτηρ Ἀντίκλειά ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ Ἐλπήνωρ ἀμπέχεται φορμὸν ἀντὶ ἐσθῆτος, σύνηθες τοῖς ναύταις φόρημα.

Proper Nouns:

Τειρεσίας Ἀντίκλεια Ἐλπήνωρ Ἐλπήνωρ Ἐριφύλη Ὀδυσσεύς Ὀδυσσεύς

Above Eriphyle he has painted Elpenor and Odysseus crouching at his feet, holding his sword over the trench; and the seer Teiresias advances toward the trench. After Teiresias, upon a rock, stands Anticleia, Odysseus' mother; Elpenor wears a mat wrapped around him instead of a garment, a customary covering worn by sailors.

Passage 10.29.9 Class: Mythic

κατωτέρω δὲ τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως ἐπὶ θρόνων καθεζόμενοι Θησεὺς μὲν τὰ ξίφη τό τε Πειρίθου καὶ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ταῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις ἔχει, ὁ δὲ ἐς τὰ ξίφη βλέπων ἐστὶν ὁ Πειρίθους· εἰκάσαις ἂν ἄχθεσθαι τοῖς ξίφεσιν αὐτὸν ὡς ἀχρείοις καὶ ὄφελός σφισιν οὐ γεγενημένοις ἐς τὰ τολμήματα. Πανύασσις δὲ ἐποίησεν ὡς Θησεὺς καὶ Πειρίθους ἐπὶ τῶν θρόνων παράσχοιντο σχῆμα οὐ κατὰ δεσμώτας, προσφύεσθαι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς ἀντὶ δεσμῶν σφισιν ἔφη τὴν πέτραν.

Proper Nouns:

Θησεύς Πανύασσις Πειρίθοος Πειρίθοος Ὀδυσσεύς

Lower than Odysseus, seated upon thrones, are Theseus and Peirithous: Theseus holds in both hands the swords, both that of Peirithous and his own, while Peirithous gazes down upon the swords. One might infer that he is vexed by the weapons, regarding them as useless and of no avail to their daring exploits. Panyassis wrote that Theseus and Peirithous were not seated upon the thrones as prisoners normally would be; rather, he claimed, the rock itself adhered to their flesh instead of bonds.

Passage 10.29.10 Class: Mythic

Θησέως δὲ καὶ Πειρίθου τὴν λεγομένην φιλίαν ἐν ἀμφοτέραις ἐδήλωσεν Ὅμηρος ταῖς ποιήσεσι, καὶ Ὀδυσσεὺς μὲν πρὸς Φαίακας λέγων ἐστὶ καί νύ κʼ ἔτι προτέρους ἴδον ἀνέρας οὓς ἔθελόν περ, Θησέα Πειρίθοόν τε, θεῶν ἐρικυδέα τέκνα· Hom. Od. 11.631 foll. πεποίηται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν Ἰλιάδι ὁ Νέστωρ ἄλλα τε ἐπὶ Ἀγαμέμνονος καὶ Ἀχιλλέως νουθεσίᾳ καὶ ἔπη τάδε εἰρηκώς· οὐ γάρ πω τοίους ἴδον ἀνέρας οὐδὲ ἴδωμαι οἷον Πειρίθοόν τε Δρύαντά τε ποιμένα λαῶν Καινέα τʼ Ἐξάδιόν τε καὶ ἀντίθεον Πολύφημον Θησέα τʼ Αἰγείδην ἐπιείκελον ἀθανάτοισιν. Hom. Il. 1.262 foll.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγεῖδης Δρύας Θησεύς Θησεύς Καινεύς Νέστωρ Πειρίθους Πειρίθους Πολύφημος Φαίακες θεοί Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀχιλλεύς Ἐξάδιος Ἰλιάς Ὀδυσσεύς Ὅμηρος

Homer has made clear the famous friendship between Theseus and Peirithous in both his poems. Odysseus, speaking among the Phaeacians, says: "And now I would have seen still earlier men, whom I wished indeed to behold—Theseus and Peirithous, illustrious sons of gods." (Homer, Odyssey 11.631ff.) Moreover, Nestor in the Iliad is portrayed as giving counsel to Agamemnon and Achilles, and there he speaks these words as well: "For never yet have I seen, nor shall I see, men such as Peirithous, Dryas, shepherd of the people, Kaineus, Exadios, godlike Polyphemus, and Theseus, son of Aegeus, resembling the immortals." (Homer, Iliad 1.262ff.)

Legend:

Chapter 10.29