Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.11.1 Class: Mythic

ἐν ἀριστερᾷ δὲ τῶν πυλῶν, ἃς ὀνομάζουσιν Ἠλέκτρας, οἰκίας ἐστὶν ἐρείπια ἔνθα οἰκῆσαί φασιν Ἀμφιτρύωνα διὰ τὸν Ἠλεκτρύωνος θάνατον φεύγοντα ἐκ Τίρυνθος· καὶ τῆς Ἀλκμήνης ἐστὶν ἔτι ὁ θάλαμος ἐν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις δῆλος. οἰκοδομῆσαι δὲ αὐτὸν τῷ Ἀμφιτρύωνι Τροφώνιόν φασι καὶ Ἀγαμήδην , καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἐπιγραφῆναι τόδε· Ἀμφιτρύων ὅτʼ ἔμελλʼ ἀγαγέσθαι δεῦρο γυναῖκα Ἀλκμήνην, θάλαμόν γʼ εἱλίξατο τοῦτον ἑαυτῷ· Ἀγχάσιος δʼ ἐποίησε Τροφώνιος ἠδʼ Ἀγαμήδης.

Proper Nouns:

Τίρυνς Τροφώνιος Ἀγαμήδη Ἀγκάσιος Ἀλκμήνη Ἀμφιτρύων Ἠλέκτρα Ἠλεκτρύων

On the left of the gates called Electran Gates, there are the ruins of a house where, they say, Amphitryon dwelt when he fled from Tiryns on account of the death of Electryon. The bedchamber of Alcmena is still discernible among these ruins. They say that Trophonius and Agamedes built it for Amphitryon, and the following inscription was engraved upon it: "When Amphitryon was about to bring here Alcmena as his wife, he prepared this bridal chamber for himself; Trophonius and Agamedes of the land of Anchasia built it."

Passage 9.11.2 Class: Mythic

τοῦτο μὲν ἐνταῦθα οἱ Θηβαῖοι γραφῆναι λέγουσιν· ἐπιδεικνύουσι δὲ Ἡρακλέους τῶν παίδων τῶν ἐκ Μεγάρας μνῆμα, οὐδέν τι ἀλλοίως τὰ ἐς τὸν θάνατον λέγοντες ἢ Στησίχορος ὁ Ἱμεραῖος καὶ Πανύασσις ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν ἐποίησαν. Θηβαῖοι δὲ καὶ τάδε ἐπιλέγουσιν, ὡς Ἡρακλῆς ὑπὸ τῆς μανίας καὶ Ἀμφιτρύωνα ἔμελλεν ἀποκτιννύναι, πρότερον δὲ ἄρα ὕπνος ἐπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ λίθου τῆς πληγῆς· Ἀθηνᾶν δὲ εἶναι τὴν ἐπαφεῖσάν οἱ τὸν λίθον τοῦτον ὅντινα Σωφρονιστῆρα ὀνομάζουσιν.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖος Μεγάρα Πανύασσις Στησίχορος Σωφρονιστήρ Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀμφιτρύων Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἱμεραῖος

This, say the Thebans, was painted here. And they also show the tomb of Herakles' children by Megara, relating the story of their death in no way differently than how Stesichorus of Himera and Panyassis described it in their poems. Further, the Thebans add that in his madness Herakles also intended to kill Amphitryon himself, but before this happened he was overcome by sleep because of the blow of a stone; and they say that Athena threw upon him this stone, which they call "the Saviour."

Passage 9.11.3 Class: Mythic

ἐνταῦθά εἰσιν ἐπὶ τύπου γυναικῶν εἰκόνες· ἀμυδρότερα ἤδη τὰ ἀγάλματα· ταύτας καλοῦσιν οἱ Θηβαῖοι Φαρμακίδας, πεμφθῆναι δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς Ἤρας φασὶν ἐμπόδια εἶναι ταῖς ὠδῖσιν Ἀλκμήνης. αἱ μὲν δὴ ἐπεῖχον Ἀλκμήνην μὴ τεκεῖν· Τειρεσίου δὲ θυγατρὶ Ἱστορίδι σόφισμα ἔπεισιν ἐς τὰς Φαρμακίδας, ἐς ἐπήκοον αὐτῶν ὀλολύξαι, τετοκέναι γὰρ τὴν Ἀλκμήνην· οὕτω τὰς μὲν ἀπατηθείσας ἀπελθεῖν, τὴν δὲ Ἀλκμήνην τεκεῖν φασιν.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖος Τειρεσίας Φαρμακίδες Ἀλκμήνη Ἥρα Ἱστορίς

Here there are images shaped like women; the figures are already somewhat indistinct. The Thebans call these statues Pharmakides ("Sorceresses"), and say they were sent by Hera to obstruct the birth pangs of Alcmene. Indeed, these beings delayed Alcmene from giving birth, until Historis, the daughter of Teiresias, devised a clever trick against the Pharmakides. She cried out loudly in their hearing, saying that Alcmene had already given birth; deceived in this way, they departed, and thus—according to the story—Alcmene was able to bear her child.

Passage 9.11.4 Class: Mythic

ἐνταῦθα Ἡρακλεῖόν ἐστιν, ἄγαλμα δὲ τὸ μὲν λίθου λευκοῦ Πρόμαχος καλούμενον, ἔργον δὲ Ξενοκρίτου καὶ Εὐβίου Θηβαίων· τὸ δὲ ξόανον τὸ ἀρχαῖον Θηβαῖοί τε εἶναι Δαιδάλου νενομίκασι καὶ αὐτῷ μοι παρίστατο ἔχειν οὕτω. τοῦτον ἀνέθηκεν αὐτός, ὡς λέγεται, Δαίδαλος ἐκτίνων εὐεργεσίας χάριν. ἡνίκα γὰρ ἔφευγεν ἐκ Κρήτης πλοῖα οὐ μεγάλα αὑτῷ καὶ τῷ παιδὶ Ἰκάρῳ ποιησάμενος, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ταῖς ναυσίν, ὃ μή πω τοῖς τότε ἐξεύρητο, ἱστία ἐπιτεχνησάμενος, ὡς τοῦ Μίνω ναυτικοῦ τὴν εἰρεσίαν φθάνοιεν ἐπιφόρῳ τῷ ἀνέμῳ χρώμενοι, τότε αὐτὸς μὲν σώζεται Δαίδαλος,

Proper Nouns:

Δαίδαλος Δαίδαλος Εὔβιος Θῆβαι Θῆβαι Κρήτη Μίνως Ξενοκρίτης Πρόμαχος Ἡρακλεῖον Ἴκαρος

Here there is a sanctuary of Heracles. The statue called Promachos, made of white stone, is the work of Xenocritus and Eubius of Thebes. As for the ancient wooden image, the Thebans consider it to have been made by Daedalus, and it appeared thus to me as well. This image was, they say, dedicated by Daedalus himself, as payment for a favor done to him. When he fled from Crete, he built small ships for himself and his son Icarus, and moreover invented sails for these vessels—a thing not yet discovered at that time—so that by using the wind blowing steadily they might outrun the rowing vessels of Minos' fleet. Thus Daedalus himself was saved.

Passage 9.11.5 Class: Mythic

Ἰκάρῳ δὲ κυβερνῶντι ἀμαθέστερον ἀνατραπῆναι τὴν ναῦν λέγουσιν· ἀποπνιγέντα δὲ ἐξήνεγκεν ὁ κλύδων ἐς τὴν ὑπὲρ Σάμου νῆσον ἔτι οὖσαν ἀνώνυμον. ἐπιτυχὼν δὲ Ἡρακλῆς γνωρίζει τὸν νεκρόν, καὶ ἔθαψεν ἔνθα καὶ νῦν ἔτι αὐτῷ χῶμα οὐ μέγα ἐπὶ ἄκρας ἐστὶν ἀνεχούσης ἐς τὸ Αἰγαῖον. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ἰκάρου τούτου ὄνομα ἥ τε νῆσος καὶ ἡ περὶ αὐτὴν θάλασσα ἔσχηκε.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγαῖον Σάμος Ἡρακλῆς Ἴκαρος Ἴκαρος

They say that due to Icarus steering incompetently, the ship capsized; after he drowned, the waves carried his body ashore onto an island beyond Samos that was then nameless. Heracles happened upon the corpse, recognized him, and buried him there. Even now a small mound for him remains on a headland projecting into the Aegean Sea. Thus, from this Icarus both the island and the surrounding sea received their names.

Passage 9.11.6 Class: Mythic

Θηβαίοις δὲ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἀετοῖς Πραξιτέλης ἐποίησε τὰ πολλὰ τῶν δώδεκα καλουμένων ἄθλων· καί σφισι τὰ ἐς τὰς ὄρνιθας ἐνδεῖ τὰς ἐπὶ Στυμφάλῳ καὶ ὡς ἐκάθηρεν Ἡρακλῆς τὴν Ἠλείαν χώραν, ἀντὶ τούτων δὲ ἡ πρὸς Ἀνταῖον πάλη πεποίηται. Θρασύβουλος δὲ ὁ Λύκου καὶ Ἀθηναίων οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τυραννίδα τὴν τῶν τριάκοντα καταλύσαντες---ὁρμηθεῖσι γάρ σφισιν ἐκ Θηβῶν ἐγένετο ἡ κάθοδος---Ἀθηνᾶν καὶ Ἡρακλέα κολοσσοὺς ἐπὶ λίθου τύπου τοῦ Πεντελῆσιν, ἔργα δὲ Ἀλκαμένους , ἀνέθηκαν ἐς τὸ Ἡρακλεῖον.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖοι Θρασύβουλος Θῆβαι Λύκος Πεντελη Πραξιτέλης Στύμφαλος Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀλκαμένεις Ἀνταῖος Ἡρακλεῖον Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἤλις

For the Thebans, Praxiteles fashioned at the sanctuary called "The Eagles" most of the so-called twelve labors; however, the birds from Stymphalus and the manner in which Heracles purified the land of Elis are missing among these, and instead the wrestling contest with Antaeus is depicted. Thrasybulus, son of Lycus, and those Athenians with him who overthrew the tyranny of the Thirty—since their return march was embarked upon from Thebes—dedicated colossal statues of Athena and Heracles carved from Pentelic marble, works of Alcamenes, in the sanctuary of Heracles.

Passage 9.11.7 Class: Historical

τοῦ δὲ Ἡρακλείου γυμνάσιον ἔχεται καὶ στάδιον, ἀμφότερα ἐπώνυμα τοῦ θεοῦ. ὑπὲρ δὲ τὸν Σωφρονιστῆρα λίθον βωμός ἐστιν Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπίκλησιν Σποδίου, πεποίηται δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τέφρας τῶν ἱερείων. μαντικὴ δὲ καθέστηκεν αὐτόθι ἀπὸ κληδόνων, ᾗ δὴ καὶ Σμυρναίους μάλιστα Ἑλλήνων χρωμένους οἶδα· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ Σμυρναίοις ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν κατὰ τὸ ἐκτὸς τοῦ τείχους Κληδόνων ἱερόν.

Proper Nouns:

Κληδόνες Σμυρναῖοι Σμυρναῖοι Σμύρνη Σποδίος Σωφρονιστήρ θεός Ἀπόλλων Ἕλληνες Ἡρακλεῖον

Next to the sanctuary of Heracles there is a gymnasium and a stadium, both named after the god. Above the stone called the "Sophronister," there stands an altar of Apollo, called Spodios, made from the ashes of sacrificial victims. At this place there is established a form of divination through sounds and utterances, of which the Smyrnaeans, among all the Greeks, I know to make most use; for indeed, the Smyrnaeans also have a sanctuary of utterances outside their city, beyond the walls.

Legend:

Chapter 9.11