Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.7.1 Class: Historical

ἀφικομένῳ δὲ ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν ἐνταῦθα ἤδη τὸ ὕδωρ ἐστὶ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ πλήθει τε πολὺ ἰδόντι καὶ ἥδιστον, ἅτε ποταμῶν καὶ ἄλλων καὶ λόγου μάλιστα ἀξίων ἑπτὰ ἐς αὐτὸν ῥεόντων. διὰ Μεγάλης μέν γε πόλεως Ἑλισσὼν ἐρχόμενος ἐκδίδωσιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν, Βρενθεάτης δὲ ἐκ τῆς Μεγαλοπολιτῶν γῆς, παρὰ δὲ Γόρτυναν ἔνθα ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ, παρὰ δὴ ταῦτα Γορτύνιος ῥέων, ἐκ δὲ Μελαινεῶν Βουφάγος τῆς Μεγαλοπολίτιδος μεταξὺ καὶ Ἡραιίτιδος χώρας, ἐκ δὲ τῆς Κλειτορίων Λάδων, ἐκ δὲ Ἐρυμάνθου τοῦ ὄρους ὁμώνυμος τῷ ὄρει. οὗτοι μὲν ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας κατίασιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν, Κλάδεος δὲ ἐρχόμενος ἐκ τῆς Ἠλείας συμμίσγει οἱ τὸ ῥεῦμα· αὐτῷ δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀρκάδων τῷ Ἀλφειῷ καὶ οὐχὶ ἐκ τῆς Ἠλείας εἰσὶν αἱ πηγαί.

Proper Nouns:

Βουφάγος Βρενθεάτης Γορτύνιος Γόρτυνα Κλάδεος Κλειτορίαι Λάδων Μεγάλη πόλις Μεγαλοπολίτις Μεγαλοπολῖται Μελαινεαί Ἀλφειός Ἀλφειός Ἀρκάδες Ἀσκληπιός Ἐρύμανθος Ἑλισσών Ἡραιίτις Ἤλις Ὀλυμπία

Upon arriving at Olympia, you find here that the water of the Alpheios is already abundant and very pleasant to look upon, being especially sweet because seven rivers flow into it, rivers remarkable among others and particularly worthy of mention. The Helisson flows through Megalopolis and empties into the Alpheios; the Brentheates comes from the territory of the Megalopolitans; the Gortynios river passes near Gortys, where the sanctuary of Asklepios is; the Bouphagos river rises from Melaineai, located between the Megalopolitan and Heraean lands; the Ladon flows from the district of Kleitor; and the Erymanthos, flowing from the mountain of the same name. All these rivers descend from Arkadia into the Alpheios, while the Kladeos, flowing from Elis, mingles its stream with it. The sources of the Alpheios itself are in Arkadian territory, not in Elis.

Passage 5.7.2 Class: Mythic

λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τοιάδε ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν, ὡς ἀνὴρ εἴη θηρευτής, ἐρασθῆναι δὲ αὐτὸν Ἀρεθούσης, κυνηγετεῖν δὲ καὶ ταύτην. καὶ Ἀρέθουσαν μὲν οὐκ ἀρεσκομένην γήμασθαι περαιωθῆναί φασιν ἐς νῆσον τὴν κατὰ Συρακούσας, καλουμένην δὲ Ὀρτυγίαν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐξ ἀνθρώπου γενέσθαι πηγήν· συμβῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἔρωτος καὶ Ἀλφειῷ τὴν ἀλλαγὴν ἐς τὸν ποταμόν.

Proper Nouns:

Συρακοῦσαι Ἀλφειός Ἀλφειός Ἀρέθουσα Ἀρέθουσα Ὀρτυγία

Other tales about Alpheios are as follows: they say he was a hunter who fell in love with Arethousa, herself a huntress; but Arethousa, unwilling to marry him, crossed over to the island near Syracuse called Ortygia, and there was transformed from a human into a spring. Through love, Alpheios too experienced the same transformation and became a river.

Passage 5.7.3 Class: Mythic

ταῦτα μὲν λόγου τοῦ ἐς Ἀλφειὸν †ἐς τὴν Ὀρτυγίαν †· τὸ δὲ διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης ἰόντα ἐνταῦθα ἀνακοινοῦσθαι τὸ ὕδωρ πρὸς τὴν πηγὴν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως ἀπιστήσω, τὸν θεὸν ἐπιστάμενος τὸν ἐν Δελφοῖς ὁμολογοῦντά σφισιν, ὃς Ἀρχίαν τὸν Κορίνθιον ἐς τὸν Συρακουσῶν ἀποστέλλων οἰκισμὸν καὶ τάδε εἶπε τὰ ἔπη· Ὀρτυγίη τις κεῖται ἐν ἠεροειδέι πόντῳ, Θρινακίης καθύπερθεν, ἵνʼ Ἀλφειοῦ στόμα βλύζει. μισγόμενον πηγαῖσιν ἐυρρείτης Ἀρεθούσης. κατὰ τοῦτο οὖν, ὅτι τῇ Ἀρεθούσῃ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ μίσγεται, καὶ τοῦ ἔρωτος τὴν φήμην τῷ ποταμῷ πείθομαι γενέσθαι.

Proper Nouns:

Δελφοί Θρινακία Κορίνθιος Συρακούσαι Ἀλφειός Ἀλφειός Ἀρέθουσα Ἀρέθουσα Ἀρχίας Ὀρτυγία Ὀρτυγίη

So much for the story regarding Alpheios and Ortygia. However, that the river passing through the sea arrives there and mixes its water with the spring, this I find impossible to disbelieve, knowing that the god at Delphi himself confirmed such a thing. For it was he who, when sending Archias the Corinthian to found the settlement at Syracuse, delivered these verses: "An isle called Ortygia lies on the misty sea, above Thrinacia, where the mouth of Alpheios gushes forth, mingling with the streams of wide-flowing Arethousa." Thus, because the waters of Alpheios indeed mingle with Arethousa, I accept also the tradition of the river's love.

Passage 5.7.4 Class: Historical

ὅσοι δὲ Ἑλλήνων ἢ Αἰγυπτίων ἐς Αἰθιοπίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ Συήνης καὶ ἐς Μερόην Αἰθιόπων πόλιν ἀναβεβήκασι, λέγουσιν οὗτοι τὸν Νεῖλον, ἐσιόντα ἐς λίμνην καὶ διʼ αὐτῆς διεξιόντα ὥσπερ ἐκ χέρσου, μετὰ τοῦτο ἤδη διʼ Αἰθιοπίας τῆς κάτω καὶ ἐς Αἴγυπτον ῥεύσαντα ἐπὶ Φάρον καὶ τὴν ταύτῃ θάλασσαν κατέρχεσθαι. ἐν δὲ τῇ γῇ ποταμὸν τῇ Ἑβραίων Ἰάρδανον καὶ αὐτὸς οἶδα λίμνην Τιβεριάδα ὀνομαζομένην διοδεύοντα, ἐς δὲ λίμνην ἑτέραν καλουμένην θάλασσαν Νεκράν, ἐς ταύτην ἐσιόντα καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς λίμνης αὐτὸν ἀναλούμενον.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγύπτιοι Αἰθίοπες Αἰθιοπία Αἰθιοπία Αἴγυπτος Μερόη Νεκρά Νεῖλος Συήνη Τιβεριάς Φάρος Ἑβραῖοι Ἕλληνες Ἰάρδανος

As many Greeks or Egyptians as have ascended to Ethiopia beyond Syene, and to Meroë, the Ethiopian city, these say that the Nile, having entered a lake and having passed through it, as though traversing a dry land, afterwards flows through Lower Ethiopia and Egypt, and descends into the sea near Pharos and the waters around it. And I myself know in the land of the Hebrews a river called the Jordan, flowing through a lake named Tiberias, then entering another lake called the Dead Sea, where its waters are consumed in this lake.

Passage 5.7.5 Class: Historical

ἡ δὲ θάλασσα ἡ Νεκρὰ πάσχει παντὶ ὕδατι ἄλλῳ τὰ ἐναντία· ἐν ᾗ γε τὰ μὲν ζῶντα πέφυκεν οὐ νηχόμενα ἐποχεῖσθαι, τὰ δὲ θνήσκοντα ἐς βυθὸν χωρεῖν. ταύτῃ ἄκαρπος καὶ ἰχθύων ἡ λίμνη· ἅτε ἀπὸ τοῦ φανερωτάτου κινδύνου ἐπὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀναφεύγουσιν ὀπίσω τὸ οἰκεῖον. τῷ δὲ Ἀλφειῷ τὸ αὐτὸ πάσχει καὶ ὕδωρ ἄλλο ἐν Ἰωνίᾳ· τούτου δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος πηγὴ μέν ἐστιν ἐν Μυκάλῃ τῷ ὄρει, διεξελθὸν δὲ θάλασσαν τὴν μεταξὺ ἄνεισιν αὖθις κατὰ Βραγχίδας πρὸς λιμένι ὀνομαζομένῳ Πανόρμῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Βράγχιδαι Μυκάλη Νεκρά Πάνορμος Ἀλφειός Ἰωνία

But the Dead Sea has properties exactly opposite those of all other waters; for creatures naturally float upon it without swimming, whereas dead bodies sink to the depths. The lake is barren and devoid even of fish, for fleeing from the most obvious danger, they retreat back into their native waters. Similar to the Alpheus is another water in Ionia. This water has its source on Mount Mycale; after traversing the intervening sea, it emerges again at Branchidae, near the harbor called Panormus.

Passage 5.7.6 Class: Mythic

ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ἔχει τρόπον τὸν εἰρημένον· ἐς δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν Ὀλυμπικὸν λέγουσιν Ἠλείων οἱ τὰ ἀρχαιότατα μνημονεύοντες Κρόνον τὴν ἐν οὐρανῷ σχεῖν βασιλείαν πρῶτον καὶ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ ποιηθῆναι Κρόνῳ ναὸν ὑπὸ τῶν τότε ἀνθρώπων, οἳ ὠνομάζοντο χρυσοῦν γένος· Διὸς δὲ τεχθέντος ἐπιτρέψαι Ῥέαν τοῦ παιδὸς τὴν φρουρὰν τοῖς Ἰδαίοις Δακτύλοις, καλουμένοις δὲ τοῖς αὐτοῖς τούτοις καὶ Κούρησιν· ἀφικέσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐξ Ἴδης τῆς Κρητικῆς, πρὸς Ἡρακλέα καὶ Παιωναῖον καὶ Ἐπιμήδην καὶ Ἰάσιόν τε καὶ Ἴδαν·

Proper Nouns:

Ζεύς Κούρες Κρήτη Κρόνος Κρόνος Οὐρανός Παιωναῖος Ἐπιμήδης Ἠλεῖοι Ἡρακλῆς Ἰάσιός Ἰδαῖοι Δάκτυλοι Ἴδας Ἴδη Ὀλυμπία Ὀλυμπία Ῥέα

These matters then stand as I have described. Concerning the Olympic games, those Eleans who are most versed in ancient traditions say that Cronus was the first to hold sovereignty in heaven, and that a temple to Cronus was erected at Olympia by the men of that age, who were called the Golden Race. When Zeus was born, Rhea entrusted the child's protection to the Idaean Dactyls, who are also called Curetes. They came from Ida in Crete, and their names were Heracles, Paeonaeus, Epimedes, Iasius, and Idas.

Passage 5.7.7 Class: Mythic

τὸν δὲ Ἡρακλέα παίζοντα---εἶναι γὰρ δὴ αὐτὸν πρεσβύτατον ἡλικίᾳ---συμβαλεῖν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐς ἅμιλλαν δρόμου καὶ τὸν νικήσαντα ἐξ αὐτῶν κλάδῳ στεφανῶσαι κοτίνου· παρεῖναι δὲ αὐτοῖς πολὺν δή τι οὕτω τὸν κότινον ὡς τὰ χλωρὰ ἔτι τῶν φύλλων ὑπεστρῶσθαι σφᾶς καθεύδοντας. κομισθῆναι δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ὑπερβορέων γῆς τὸν κότινόν φασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἐς Ἕλληνας, εἶναι δὲ ἀνθρώπους οἳ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἄνεμον οἰκοῦσι τὸν Βορέαν.

Proper Nouns:

Βορέας Ἕλληνες Ἡρακλῆς Ὑπερβόρεοι

While Heracles was playing—since he was indeed the eldest by age—he set his brothers to compete in a running race, and crowned the victor among them with a branch of wild olive. They had an abundance of olive leaves so great that they covered themselves still fresh while they slept. It is said that this olive was brought from the land of the Hyperboreans by Heracles to the Greeks, and that these people live beyond the North Wind.

Passage 5.7.8 Class: Mythic

πρῶτος μὲν ἐν ὕμνῳ τῷ ἐς Ἀχαιίαν ἐποίησεν Ὠλὴν Λύκιος ἀφικέσθαι τὴν Ἀχαιίαν ἐς Δῆλον ἐκ τῶν Ὑπερβορέων τούτων· ἔπειτα δὲ ᾠδὴν Μελάνωπος Κυμαῖος ἐς Ὦπιν καὶ Ἑκαέργην ᾖσεν, ὡς ἐκ τῶν Ὑπερβορέων καὶ αὗται πρότερον ἔτι τῆς Ἀχαιίας ἀφίκοντο καὶ ἐς Δῆλον·

Proper Nouns:

Δῆλος Κυμαῖος Λύκιος Μελάνωψ Ἀχαιία Ἑκαέργη Ὑπερβόρεοι Ὠλήν Ὦπις

First, Olen the Lycian, in the hymn he composed to Achaia, sang that Achaia came to Delos from these Hyperboreans. After this, Melanopus of Cyme composed a song about Opis and Hekaerge, telling that these women, too, came from the Hyperboreans to Delos even earlier than Achaia.

Passage 5.7.9 Class: Mythic

Ἀριστέας δὲ γὰρ ὁ Προκοννήσιος---μνήμην γὰρ ἐποιήσατο Ὑπερβορέων καὶ οὗτος---τάχα τι καὶ πλέον περὶ αὐτῶν πεπυσμένος ἂν εἴη παρὰ Ἰσσηδόνων, ἐς οὓς ἀφικέσθαι φησὶν ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν. Ἡρακλεῖ οὖν πρόσεστι τῷ Ἰδαίῳ δόξα τὸν τότε ἀγῶνα διαθεῖναι πρώτῳ καὶ Ὀλύμπια ὄνομα θέσθαι· διὰ πέμπτου οὖν ἔτους αὐτὸν κατεστήσατο ἄγεσθαι, ὅτι αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ πέντε ἦσαν ἀριθμόν.

Proper Nouns:

Προκοννῆσιος Ἀριστέας Ἡρακλῆς Ἰδαῖος Ἰσσηδόνες Ὀλύμπια Ὑπερβόρεοι

Aristeas of Proconnesus—for he also made mention of the Hyperboreans—likely learned even more about them from the Issedonians, whom he claims in his poem to have visited. Thus, the tradition attributes to Heracles the Idaean the first establishment of the contest at that time, as well as its naming as "Olympic." He ordained that it should be held every fifth year because he himself and his brothers numbered five in all.

Passage 5.7.10 Class: Mythic

Δία δὴ οἱ μὲν ἐνταῦθα παλαῖσαι καὶ αὐτῷ Κρόνῳ περὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ κατειργασμένῳ ἀγωνοθετῆσαί φασιν αὐτόν· νικῆσαι δὲ ἄλλοι τε λέγονται καὶ ὅτι Ἀπόλλων παραδράμοι μὲν ἐρίζοντα Ἑρμῆν, κρατήσαι δὲ Ἄρεως πυγμῇ. τούτου δὲ ἕνεκα καὶ τὸ αὔλημα τὸ Πυθικόν φασι τῷ πηδήματι ἐπεισαχθῆναι τῶν πεντάθλων, ὡς τὸ μὲν ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τὸ αὔλημα ὄν, τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα δὲ ἀνῃρημένον Ὀλυμπικὰς νίκας.

Proper Nouns:

Ζεύς Κρόνος Πύθιον Ἀπόλλων Ἀπόλλων Ἄρης Ἑρμῆς Ὀλυμπία

Some say that it was here that Zeus wrestled with Cronus himself for sovereignty, but others say that Zeus established the games after he had already secured rule. Among those reputed as victors is Apollo, who is said to have defeated Hermes in a footrace and to have overcome Ares in boxing. For this reason, they say, the Pythian flute melody was introduced into the pentathlon during the long jump, as the flute melody was sacred to Apollo, who had himself won victories at Olympia.

Legend:

Chapter 5.7