Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.15.1 Class: Mythic

Φλιασίοις μὲν δὴ τοσαῦτα λόγου μάλιστα ἦν ἄξια· ἐκ Κορίνθου δʼ ἐς Ἄργος ἐρχομένῳ Κλεωναὶ πόλις ἐστὶν οὐ μεγάλη. παῖδα δὲ εἶναι Πέλοπος Κλεώνην λέγουσιν, οἱ δὲ τῷ παρὰ Σικυῶνα ῥέοντι Ἀσωπῷ θυγατέρα ἐπὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις Κλεώνην γενέσθαι· τὸ δʼ οὖν ὄνομα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου τούτων ἐτέθη τῇ πόλει. ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα Σκύλλιδος τέχνη καὶ Διποίνου · μαθητὰς δὲ εἶναι Δαιδάλου σφᾶς, οἱ δὲ καὶ γυναῖκα ἐκ Γόρτυνος ἐθέλουσι λαβεῖν Δαίδαλον καὶ τὸν Δίποινον καὶ Σκύλλιν ἐκ τῆς γυναικός οἱ ταύτης γενέσθαι. ἐν Κλεωναῖς δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ μνῆμα Εὐρύτου καὶ Κτεάτου· θεωροὺς γὰρ ἐξ Ἤλιδος ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἰόντας τῶν Ἰσθμίων αὐτοὺς ἐνταῦθα Ἡρακλῆς κατετόξευσεν, ἔγκλημα ποιούμενος ὅτι οἱ πρὸς Αὐγείαν πολεμοῦντι ἀντετάχθησαν.

Proper Nouns:

Αὐγείας Γόρτυς Δίποινος Δίποινος Δαίδαλος Εὔρυτος Κλεωναί Κλεωναί Κτεάτης Κόρινθος Πέλοψ Σικυών Σκύλλις Σκύλλις Φλιασίοι Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀσωπός Ἄργος Ἡρακλῆς Ἦλις Ἰσθμία

These were the most noteworthy matters concerning the Phliasians. On the road from Corinth towards Argos lies the city Cleonae, which is not large. They say that Cleonae was a child of Pelops; others assert that, along with his other daughters, Cleonae was born to Asopus, the river flowing by Sicyon; thus, the city received its name from one of these figures. There is here a sanctuary of Athena, and the image within it is a work of the art of Scyllis and Dipoenus. They themselves are said to have been pupils of Daedalus, though others even claim that Daedalus took a wife from Gortyn and that Dipoenus and Scyllis were born to him by this woman. At Cleonae stand this temple and also the tomb of Eurytus and Cteatus. For it was here that Heracles shot arrows and slew them, as they were journeying from Elis as sacred ambassadors to attend the Isthmian Games. He accused them of having sided against him in his war against Augeas.

Passage 2.15.2 Class: Mythic

ἐκ Κλεωνῶν δέ εἰσιν ἐς Ἄργος ὁδοὶ δύο, ἡ μὲν ἀνδράσιν εὐζώνοις καὶ ἔστιν ἐπίτομος, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ καλουμένου Τρητοῦ, στενὴ μὲν καὶ αὐτὴ περιεχόντων ὀρῶν, ὀχήμασι δέ ἐστιν ὅμως ἐπιτηδειοτέρα. ἐν τούτοις τοῖς ὄρεσι τὸ σπήλαιον ἔτι δείκνυται τοῦ λέοντος, καὶ ἡ Νεμέα τὸ χωρίον ἀπέχει σταδίους πέντε που καὶ δέκα. ἐν δὲ αὐτῇ Νεμείου τε Διὸς ναός ἐστι θέας ἄξιος, πλὴν ὅσον κατερρυήκει τε ὁ ὄροφος καὶ ἄγαλμα οὐδὲν ἔτι ἐλείπετο· κυπαρίσσων τε ἄλσος ἐστὶ περὶ τὸν ναόν, καὶ τὸν Ὀφέλτην ἐνταῦθα ὑπὸ τῆς τροφοῦ τεθέντα ἐς τὴν πόαν διαφθαρῆναι λέγουσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ δράκοντος.

Proper Nouns:

Κλεωναί Νεμέα Νεμείος Ζεύς Τρητός Ἄργος Ὀφέλτης

From Cleonae to Argos there are two roads: one is shorter and suitable for lightly equipped men, while the other passes through the place called Tretus; although narrow itself, being hemmed in by mountains, it is nonetheless more convenient for vehicles. Among these mountains there is still shown the cave of the lion, and the place called Nemea is situated about fifteen stades distant. At Nemea itself is a temple of Nemean Zeus, worthy of being seen, although its roof has collapsed and no statue remains. Around the temple is a grove of cypresses, and here, they say, Opheltes, laid down by his nurse on the grass, was killed by the serpent.

Passage 2.15.3 Class: Mythic

θύουσι δὲ Ἀργεῖοι τῷ Διὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ Νεμέᾳ καὶ Νεμείου Διὸς ἱερέα αἱροῦνται, καὶ δὴ καὶ δρόμου προτιθέασιν ἀγῶνα ἀνδράσιν ὡπλισμένοις Νεμείων πανηγύρει τῶν χειμερινῶν. ἐνταῦθα ἔστι μὲν Ὀφέλτου τάφος, περὶ δὲ αὐτὸν θριγκὸς λίθων καὶ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου βωμοί· ἔστι δὲ χῶμα γῆς Λυκούργου μνῆμα τοῦ Ὀφέλτου πατρός. τὴν δὲ πηγὴν Ἀδράστειαν ὀνομάζουσιν εἴτε ἐπʼ ἄλλῃ τινὶ αἰτίᾳ εἴτε καὶ ἀνευρόντος αὐτὴν Ἀδράστου· τὸ δὲ ὄνομα λέγουσι τῇ χώρᾳ Νεμέαν δοῦναι θυγατέρα Ἀσωποῦ καὶ ταύτην. καὶ ὄρος Ἀπέσας ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ τὴν Νεμέαν, ἔνθα Περσέα πρῶτον Διὶ θῦσαι λέγουσιν Ἀπεσαντίῳ. ---

Proper Nouns:

Ζεύς Λυκοῦργος Νεμέα Νεμέα Νεμέα Νεμεῖος Ζεύς Περσεύς Ἀδράστεια Ἀπέσσας Ἀπεσαντίος Ζεύς Ἀργεῖοι Ἀσωπός Ἄδραστος Ὀφέλτης

The Argives sacrifice to Zeus also at Nemea, where they appoint a priest of Nemean Zeus, and indeed during the winter festival of the Nemea they hold a race for fully armed men. Here stands the tomb of Opheltes surrounded by a stone enclosure, and within this precinct there are altars; there is also an earthen mound—the monument of Lycurgus, the father of Opheltes. The spring is called Adrasteia, either for some other reason or because Adrastus himself discovered it. It is said that the region was named Nemea after another daughter of Asopus, who bore that name. Above Nemea rises Mount Apesas, where, it is said, Perseus first sacrificed to Zeus Apesantius.

Passage 2.15.4 Class: Mythic

ἀνελθοῦσι δὲ ἐς τὸν Τρητὸν καὶ αὖθις τὴν ἐς Ἄργος ἰοῦσίν ἐστι Μυκηνῶν ἐρείπια ἐν ἀριστερᾷ. καὶ ὅτι μὲν Περσεὺς ἐγένετο Μυκηνῶν οἰκιστής, ἴσασιν Ἕλληνες· ἐγὼ δὲ αἰτίαν τε γράψω τοῦ οἰκισμοῦ καὶ διʼ ἥντινα πρόφασιν Ἀργεῖοι Μυκηναίους ὕστερον ἀνέστησαν. ἐν γὰρ τῇ νῦν Ἀργολίδι ὀνομαζομένῃ τὰ μὲν ἔτι παλαιότερα οὐ μνημονεύουσιν, Ἴναχον δὲ βασιλεύοντα τόν τε ποταμὸν ἀφʼ αὑτοῦ λέγουσιν ὀνομάσαι καὶ θῦσαι τῇ Ἥρᾳ.

Proper Nouns:

Μυκῆναι Περσεύς Τρητός Ἀργεῖοι Ἀργολίς Ἄργος Ἕλληνες Ἥρα Ἴναξ

As you ascend to Tretus and again return towards Argos, you find on the left the ruins of Mycenae. The Greeks well know that Perseus was the founder of Mycenae; however, I shall write down both the reason why the city was founded and the particular cause on account of which the Argives later expelled the Mycenaeans. In the area now called the Argolid they have no memory of the oldest events, but of the time when Inachus was king they say that he gave his name to the river and was the first to make sacrifice to Hera.

Passage 2.15.5 Class: Mythic

λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὧδε λόγος· Φορωνέα ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ γενέσθαι πρῶτον, Ἴναχον δὲ οὐκ ἄνδρα ἀλλὰ τὸν ποταμὸν πατέρα εἶναι Φορωνεῖ· τοῦτον δὲ Ποσειδῶνι καὶ Ἥρᾳ δικάσαι περὶ τῆς χώρας, σὺν δὲ αὐτῷ Κηφισόν τε καὶ Ἀστερίωνα καὶ τὸν Ἴναχον ποταμόν· κρινάντων δὲ Ἥρας εἶναι τὴν γῆν, οὕτω σφίσιν ἀφανίσαι τὸ ὕδωρ Ποσειδῶνα. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὔτε Ἴναχος ὕδωρ οὔτε ἄλλος παρέχεται τῶν εἰρημένων ποταμῶν ὅτι μὴ ὕσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ· θέρους δὲ αὖά σφισίν ἐστι τὰ ῥεύματα πλὴν τῶν ἐν Λέρνῃ. Φορωνεὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰνάχου τοὺς ἀνθρώπους συνήγαγε πρῶτον ἐς κοινόν, σποράδας τέως καὶ ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν ἑκάστοτε οἰκοῦντας· καὶ τὸ χωρίον ἐς ὃ πρῶτον ἠθροίσθησαν ἄστυ ὠνομάσθη Φορωνικόν.

Proper Nouns:

Κηφισός Λέρνη Ποσειδῶν Ποσειδῶν Φορωνεύς Φορωνεύς Φορωνεύς Φορωνικόν Ἀστερίων Ἥρα Ἥρα Ἴναχος Ἴναχος

The story is also told thus: that Phoroneus was the first to be born in this land, and that his father, Inachus, was not a man, but rather the river itself. They say that Phoroneus was chosen to arbitrate between Poseidon and Hera concerning the country, with Cephisus, Asterion, and the river Inachus himself as co-judges. When these ruled the land to belong to Hera, Poseidon in anger dried up their waters. For this reason neither Inachus nor any of these rivers provides water unless it rains, and in summer their streams run dry, except those in the district of Lerna. Phoroneus, the son of Inachus, was the first to gather mankind into a community, whereas before this people had lived scattered and separate from one another. The place into which they first assembled was called the city of Phoroneus.

Legend:

Chapter 2.15