Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.23.1 Class: Mythic

ἐντεῦθεν ἐρχομένοις ὁδὸν καλουμένην Κοίλην ναός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ Διονύσου· τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα εἶναι λέγουσιν ἐξ Εὐβοίας. συμβάσης γὰρ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν, ὡς ἐκομίζοντο ἐξ Ἰλίου, τῆς πρὸς τῷ Καφηρεῖ ναυαγίας, τοὺς δυνηθέντας ἐς τὴν γῆν διαφυγεῖν τῶν Ἀργείων ῥῖγός τε πιέζει καὶ λιμός. εὐξαμένοις δὲ θεῶν τινα ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν ἀπόροις γενέσθαι σωτῆρα, αὐτίκα ὡς προῄεσαν ἐφάνη σφίσι Διονύσου σπήλαιον, καὶ ἄγαλμα ἦν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ· τότε δὲ αἶγες ἄγριαι φεύγουσαι τὸν χειμῶνα ἐς αὐτὸ ἦσαν ἠθροισμέναι. ταύτας οἱ Ἀργεῖοι σφάξαντες τά τε κρέα ἐδείπνησαν καὶ δέρμασιν ἐχρήσαντο ἀντὶ ἐσθῆτος. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ χειμὼν ἐπαύσατο καὶ ἐπισκευάσαντες τὰς ναῦς οἴκαδε ἐκομίζοντο, ἐπάγονται τὸ ἐκ τοῦ σπηλαίου ξόανον·

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Εὔβοια Καφηρεύς Κοίλη Ἀργεῖοι Ἕλληνες Ἴλιος

From here, as you proceed along the road known as Koile, there is a temple to Dionysus on the right-hand side; they say the statue is from Euboea. For as the Greeks were returning from Troy, a shipwreck occurred near Cape Caphereus: after those Argives who managed to escape to land had reached shore, they were afflicted by cold and hunger. When they prayed to the gods for help in their present desperate situation, immediately as they advanced, a cave of Dionysus appeared to them, and within the cave was a statue of the god. At that time wild goats, fleeing from the winter, had gathered inside. The Argives slaughtered these goats, feasted upon the meat, and used the skins as clothing. Once the storm had ceased and they repaired their ships and sailed again toward their homes, they took with them the wooden image from the cave.

Passage 2.23.2 Class: Mythic

καὶ διατελοῦσιν ἐς τόδε τιμῶντες ἔτι. τοῦ Διονύσου δὲ ἐγγυτάτω οἰκίαν ὄψει τὴν Ἀδράστου καὶ ἀπωτέρω ταύτης ἱερὸν Ἀμφιαράου καὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ πέραν Ἐριφύλης μνῆμα. ἑξῆς δὲ τούτων ἐστὶν Ἀσκληπιοῦ τέμενος καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἱερὸν Βάτωνος. ἦν δὲ ὁ Βάτων γένους Ἀμφιαράῳ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τῶν Μελαμποδιδῶν καὶ ἐς μάχην ἐξιόντι ἡνιόχει τοὺς ἵππους· γενομένης δὲ τῆς τροπῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θηβαίων τείχους χάσμα γῆς Ἀμφιάραον καὶ τὸ ἅρμα ὑποδεξάμενον ἠφάνισεν ὁμοῦ καὶ τοῦτον τὸν Βάτωνα.

Proper Nouns:

Βάτων Βάτων Διόνυσος Θῆβαι Μελαμποδίδαι Ἀμφιάραος Ἀμφιάραος Ἀσκληπιός Ἄδραστος Ἐριφύλη

And they continue even to this day to pay him honors. Closest to the temple of Dionysus you will see the house of Adrastus, and farther from it is a sanctuary of Amphiaraus, and beyond this sanctuary the tomb of Eriphyle. Next to these places there is a sacred precinct of Asclepius, and after that a temple of Baton. This Baton was of the same lineage as Amphiaraus, belonging to the family of Melampus, and served as charioteer for the horses as Amphiaraus went forth into battle. Now when the defeat occurred, a chasm in the earth opened near the wall of Thebes, which swallowed up Amphiaraus along with his chariot and at the same time caused this Baton also to vanish.

Passage 2.23.3 Class: Mythic

ἐπανιόντι δὲ ἐκ τῆς Κοίλης Ὑρνηθοῦς τάφον λέγουσιν εἶναι. εἰ μὲν δὴ κενὸν καὶ ἄλλως ἐς μνήμην τῆς γυναικός, εἰκότα λέγουσιν· εἰ δὲ τῆς Ὑρνηθοῦς κεῖσθαι τὸν νεκρὸν νομίζουσιν ἐνταῦθα, ἐγὼ μέν σφισιν οὐ πείθομαι, πειθέσθω δὲ ὅστις τὰ Ἐπιδαυρίων οὐ πέπυσται.

Proper Nouns:

Κοίλη Ἐπίδαυρος Ὑρνηθοῦ

On returning from Koile, they say there is a tomb of Hyrnetho. Now, if they mean it is empty and erected simply as a memorial to the woman, they speak plausibly; but if they believe that the body of Hyrnetho lies buried here, then I for my part do not trust them; yet let anyone who has not learned the traditions of the Epidaurians accept their belief.

Passage 2.23.4 Class: Mythic

τὸ δʼ ἐπιφανέστατον Ἀργείοις τῶν Ἀσκληπιείων ἄγαλμα ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἔχει καθήμενον Ἀσκληπιὸν λίθου λευκοῦ, καὶ παρʼ αὐτὸν ἕστηκεν Ὑγεία· κάθηνται δὲ καὶ οἱ ποιήσαντες τὰ ἀγάλματα Ξενόφιλος καὶ Στράτων . ἐξ ἀρχῆς δὲ ἱδρύσατο Σφῦρος τὸ ἱερόν, Μαχάονος μὲν υἱός, ἀδελφὸς δὲ Ἀλεξάνορος τοῦ παρὰ Σικυωνίοις ἐν Τιτάνῃ τιμὰς ἔχοντος.

Proper Nouns:

Μαχάων Ξενόφιλος Σικυώνιοι Στράτων Σφῦρος Τιτάνη Ἀλέξανδρος Ἀργεῖοι Ἀσκληπιεῖον Ἀσκληπιός Ὑγεία

The most famous of the statues of Asclepius among the Argives in our day depicts Asclepius seated and is made of white stone. Beside him stands Hygieia, and also seated are the makers of these statues, Xenophilus and Straton. The sanctuary was originally founded by Sphyrus, son of Machaon and brother of Alexanor, who receives honours from the Sicyonians in Titane.

Passage 2.23.5 Class: Mythic

τῆς δὲ Ἀρτέμιδος τῆς Φεραίας---σέβουσι γὰρ καὶ Ἀργεῖοι Φεραίαν Ἄρτεμιν κατὰ ταὐτὰ Ἀθηναίοις καὶ Σικυωνίοις---τὸ ἄγαλμα καὶ οὗτοί φασιν ἐκ Φερῶν τῶν ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ κομισθῆναι. τάδε δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐχ ὁμολογῶ· λέγουσι γὰρ Ἀργεῖοι Δηιανείρας ἐν Ἄργει μνῆμα εἶναι τῆς Οἰνέως τό τε Ἑλένου τοῦ Πριάμου, καὶ ἄγαλμα κεῖσθαι παρὰ σφίσιν Ἀθηνᾶς τὸ ἐκκομισθὲν ἐξ Ἰλίου καὶ ἁλῶναι ποιῆσαν Ἴλιον. τὸ μὲν δὴ Παλλάδιον---καλεῖται γὰρ οὕτω---δῆλόν ἐστιν ἐς Ἰταλίαν κομισθὲν ὑπὸ Αἰνείου· Δηιανείρᾳ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν περὶ Τραχῖνα ἴσμεν καὶ οὐκ ἐν Ἄργει γενομένην, καὶ ἔστιν ὁ τάφος αὐτῇ πλησίον Ἡρακλείας τῆς ὑπὸ τῇ Οἴτῃ.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰνείας Δηιανείρα Δηιανείρα Θεσσαλία Οἰνεύς Οἴτη Παλλάδιον Πρίαμος Σικυώνιοι Τραχίν Φεραί Φεραία Φεραία Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀργεῖος Ἄργος Ἄρτεμις Ἄρτεμις Ἕλενος Ἡράκλεια Ἰταλία Ἴλιον Ἴλιον

Concerning Artemis Pheraia—for the Argives also worship Artemis of Pherai, just as the Athenians and Sikyonians do—they likewise claim that the statue was brought from Pherai in Thessaly. However, I cannot agree with some of their claims; for the Argives also say that in Argos there is the tomb of Deianeira daughter of Oineus, as well as that of Helenos son of Priam, and that they have among them the statue of Athena which was carried off from Troy and whose removal caused Troy's capture. But this Palladion—as it is called—is clearly known to have been brought by Aeneas to Italy. Furthermore, we know that Deianeira died near Trachis and not at Argos, and her tomb is situated near Herakleia beneath Mount Oite.

Passage 2.23.6 Class: Mythic

τὰ δὲ ἐς Ἕλενον τὸν Πριάμου δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος ἤδη μοι, μετὰ Πύρρου τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ἐς Ἤπειρον καὶ ἐπιτροπεῦσαί τε τοὺς Πύρρου παῖδας συνοικοῦντα Ἀνδρομάχῃ καὶ τὴν Κεστρίνην καλουμένην ἀπὸ Κεστρίνου τοῦ Ἑλένου λαβεῖν τὸ ὄνομα. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ αὐτῶν λέληθεν Ἀργείων τοὺς ἐξηγητὰς ὅτι μὴ πάντα ἐπʼ ἀληθείᾳ λέγεταί σφισι, λέγουσι δὲ ὅμως· οὐ γάρ τι ἕτοιμον μεταπεῖσαι τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐναντία ὧν δοξάζουσιν.

Proper Nouns:

Κεστρίνη Κεστρῖνος Πρίαμος Πύρρος Ἀνδρομάχη Ἀργεῖοι Ἀχιλλεύς Ἕλενος Ἕλενος Ἤπειρος

The tradition concerning Helenus, the son of Priam, has already been explained by me: that he went with Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, to Epirus, served as guardian of Pyrrhus' children while living together with Andromache, and that the region called Cestrine derived its name from Helenus's son Cestrinus. Nevertheless, even the Argive guides themselves are aware that not everything they are saying is true; however, they continue to relate it nonetheless, for it is by no means easy to persuade the majority away from the opinions they already hold.

Passage 2.23.7 Class: Mythic

ἄλλα δέ ἐστιν Ἀργείοις θέας ἄξια· κατάγαιον οἰκοδόμημα, ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δὲ ἦν ὁ χαλκοῦς θάλαμος, ὃν Ἀκρίσιός ποτε ἐπὶ φρουρᾷ τῆς θυγατρὸς ἐποίησε· Περίλαος δὲ καθεῖλεν αὐτὸν τυραννήσας. τοῦτό τε οὖν τὸ οἰκοδόμημά ἐστι καὶ Κροτώπου μνῆμα καὶ Διονύσου ναὸς Κρησίου. Περσεῖ γὰρ πολεμήσαντα αὐτὸν καὶ αὖθις ἐλθόντα ἐς λύσιν τοῦ ἔχθους τά τε ἄλλα τιμηθῆναι μεγάλως λέγουσιν ὑπὸ Ἀργείων καὶ τέμενός οἱ δοθῆναι τοῦτο ἐξαίρετον·

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Κρήσιος Κρότωψ Περίλαος Περσεύς Ἀκρίσιος Ἀργεῖοι Ἀργεῖοι

The Argives possess other sights worthy of viewing: an underground structure, upon which formerly stood the bronze chamber that Acrisius had made to guard his daughter, but Perilaus demolished it when he gained power as a tyrant. There is also this same edifice, the tomb of Crotopus, and the temple of Dionysus Cresius. For they say that Dionysus, after waging war against Perseus and later returning to seek reconciliation of their feud, was greatly honored by the Argives in various ways; among other distinctions, this remarkable precinct was allotted to him.

Passage 2.23.8 Class: Mythic

Κρησίου δὲ ὕστερον ὠνομάσθη, διότι Ἀριάδνην ἀποθανοῦσαν ἔθαψεν ἐνταῦθα. Λυκέας δὲ λέγει κατασκευαζομένου δεύτερον τοῦ ναοῦ κεραμέαν εὑρεθῆναι σορόν, εἶναι δὲ Ἀριάδνης αὐτήν· καὶ αὐτός τε καὶ ἄλλους Ἀργείων ἰδεῖν ἔφη τὴν σορόν. πλησίον δὲ τοῦ Διονύσου καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ναός ἐστιν Οὐρανίας.

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Κρήσιος Λυκέας Οὐρανία Ἀργεῖοι Ἀριάδνη Ἀφροδίτη

Later the place was named Cretan, because Ariadne, at her death, was buried there. Lyceas says that, while the temple was being reconstructed for a second time, an earthen coffin was discovered, and this coffin was identified as that of Ariadne. He himself declared that he, along with other Argives, had seen the coffin. Near the temple of Dionysus there is also a temple of Aphrodite Urania.

Legend:

Chapter 2.23