Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.30.1 Class: Historical

ταῖς Μούσαις δὲ ἀγάλματα τὰ μὲν πρῶτά ἐστι Κηφισοδότου τέχνη πάσαις, προελθόντι δὲ οὐ πολὺ τρεῖς μέν εἰσιν αὖθις Κηφισοδότου, Στρογγυλίωνος δὲ ἕτερα τοσαῦτα, ἀνδρὸς βοῦς καὶ ἵππους ἄριστα εἰργασμένου· τὰς δὲ ὑπολοίπους τρεῖς ἐποίησεν Ὀλυμπιοσθένης . καὶ Ἀπόλλων χαλκοῦς ἐστιν ἐν Ἑλικῶνι καὶ Ἑρμῆς μαχόμενοι περὶ τῆς λύρας, καὶ Διόνυσος ὁ μὲν Λυσίππου , τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα ἀνέθηκε Σύλλας τοῦ Διονύσου τὸ ὀρθόν, ἔργον τῶν Μύρωνος θέας μάλιστα ἄξιον μετά γε τὸν Ἀθήνῃσιν Ἐρεχθέα· ἀνέθηκε δὲ οὐκ οἴκοθεν, Ὀρχομενίους δὲ ἀφελόμενος τοὺς Μινύας. τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων λεγόμενον θυμιάμασιν ἀλλοτρίοις τὸ θεῖον σέβεσθαι.

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Διόνυσος Κηφισόδοτος Λύσιππος Μινύαι Μοῦσαι Μύρων Στρογγύλιος Σύλλας Ἀθῆναι Ἀπόλλων Ἐρεχθεύς Ἑλικών Ἑρμῆς Ἕλληνες Ὀλυμπιοσθένης Ὀρχομενός

The first set of statues of the Muses are all the work of Cephisodotus. A little further on, there are three more again made by Cephisodotus, and as many others by Strongylion, a sculptor especially skilled in making statues of oxen and horses. The remaining three were crafted by Olympiosthenes. On Helicon, there is also a bronze representation of Apollo and Hermes disputing about the lyre, and a statue of Dionysus by Lysippus. Another statue of Dionysus standing upright was dedicated by Sulla. This is the work of Myron and is especially worth seeing, after the Erechtheus statue in Athens. However, Sulla did not dedicate this statue from his own possessions, but took it from the Minyae of Orchomenus. This illustrates the Greek saying of worshipping the divine with incense belonging to others.

Passage 9.30.2 Class: Mythic

ποιητὰς δὲ ἤ καὶ ἄλλως ἐπιφανεῖς ἐπὶ μουσικῇ, τοσῶνδε εἰκόνας ἀνέθεσαν· Θάμυριν μὲν αὐτόν τε ἤδη τυφλὸν καὶ λύρας κατεαγυίας ἐφαπτόμενον, Ἀρίων δὲ ὁ Μηθυμναῖός ἐστιν ἐπὶ δελφῖνος. ὁ δὲ Σακάδα τοῦ Ἀργείου τὸν ἀνδριάντα πλάσας, οὐ συνεὶς Πινδάρου τὸ ἐς αὐτὸν προοίμιον, ἐποίησεν οὐδὲν ἐς τὸ μῆκος τοῦ σώματος εἶναι τῶν αὐλῶν μείζονα τὸν αὐλητήν.

Proper Nouns:

Θάμυρις Μηθυμναῖος Πίνδαρος Σακάδας Ἀρίων Ἀργεῖος

Statues were dedicated of poets and others distinguished in music, as follows: Thamyris already blind, holding broken lyres; Arion of Methymna is mounted on a dolphin. But the sculptor who made the statue of Sacadas the Argive misunderstood the introduction by Pindar devoted to him, and thus depicted the flute-player as in no way taller in stature than his pipes.

Passage 9.30.3 Class: Historical

κάθηται δὲ καὶ Ἡσίοδος κιθάραν ἐπὶ τοῖς γόνασιν ἔχων, οὐδέν τι οἰκεῖον Ἡσιόδῳ φόρημα· δῆλα γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν ἐπῶν ὅτι ἐπὶ ῥάβδου δάφνης ᾖδε. περὶ δὲ Ἡσιόδου τε ἡλικίας καὶ Ὁμήρου πολυπραγμονήσαντι ἐς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον οὔ μοι γράφειν ἡδὺ ἦν, ἐπισταμένῳ τὸ φιλαίτιον ἄλλων τε καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ὅσοι κατʼ ἐμὲ ἐπὶ ποιήσει τῶν ἐπῶν καθεστήκεσαν.

Proper Nouns:

Ἡσίοδος Ἡσίοδος Ἡσίοδος Ὅμηρος

Hesiod also sits here, holding a lyre upon his knees—an instrument which is in no way appropriate to Hesiod; for it is clear from his own poems that he sang with a laurel staff. Concerning the chronological relationship of Hesiod and Homer, although I have looked carefully into the matter, it was not pleasant for me to write exact details, knowing full well the contentiousness of others, especially of those who in my own day have undertaken the composition of epic poetry.

Passage 9.30.4 Class: Mythic

Ὀρφεῖ δὲ τῷ Θρᾳκὶ πεποίηται μὲν παρεστῶσα αὐτῷ Τελετή, πεποίηται δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν λίθου τε καὶ χαλκοῦ θηρία ἀκούοντα ᾄδοντος. πολλὰ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἄλλα πιστεύουσιν οὐκ ὄντα Ἕλληνες καὶ δὴ καὶ Ὀρφέα Καλλιόπης τε εἶναι Μούσης καὶ οὐ τῆς Πιέρου καί οἱ τὰ θηρία ἰέναι πρὸς τὸ μέλος ψυχαγωγούμενα, ἐλθεῖν δὲ καὶ ἐς τὸν Ἅιδην ζῶντα αὐτὸν παρὰ τῶν κάτω θεῶν τὴν γυναῖκα αἰτοῦντα. ὁ δὲ Ὀρφεὺς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ὑπερεβάλετο ἐπῶν κόσμῳ τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ μέγα ἦλθεν ἰσχύος οἷα πιστευόμενος εὑρηκέναι τελετὰς θεῶν καὶ ἔργων ἀνοσίων καθαρμοὺς νόσων τε ἰάματα καὶ τροπὰς μηνιμάτων θείων.

Proper Nouns:

Θρᾷξ Καλλιόπη Μοῦσα Πίερος Τελετή Ἅιδης Ἕλλην Ὀρφεύς Ὀρφεύς Ὀρφεύς

Beside Orpheus the Thracian there stands a figure representing Initiation, and around Orpheus are animals, sculpted in stone and bronze, listening to his singing. The Greeks indeed believe many other improbable things as well; among these are the claims that Orpheus was a son of Calliope the Muse rather than of the daughter of Pierus, that animals were attracted and charmed by his music, and that, while still alive, he descended into Hades to ask the gods of the Underworld to return to him his wife. In my opinion, Orpheus excelled beyond all poets who preceded him in elegance of verse and achieved such remarkable influence because he was believed to have devised rites concerned with the gods, purifications for impious deeds, cures for diseases, and ways of averting divine wrath.

Passage 9.30.5 Class: Mythic

τὰς δὲ γυναῖκάς φασι τῶν Θρᾳκῶν ἐπιβουλεύειν μὲν αὐτῷ θάνατον, ὅτι σφῶν τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀκολουθεῖν ἔπεισεν αὐτῷ πλανωμένῳ, φόβῳ δὲ τῶν ἀνδρῶν οὐ τολμᾶν· ὡς δὲ ἐνεφορήσαντο οἴνου, ἐξεργάζονται τὸ τόλμημα, καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἀπὸ τούτου κατέστη μεθυσκομένους ἐς τὰς μάχας χωρεῖν. εἰσὶ δὲ οἵ φασι κεραυνωθέντι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ συμβῆναι τὴν τελευτὴν Ὀρφεῖ· κεραυνωθῆναι δὲ αὐτὸν τῶν λόγων ἕνεκα ὧν ἐδίδασκεν ἐν τοῖς μυστηρίοις οὐ πρότερον ἀκηκοότας ἀνθρώπους.

Proper Nouns:

Θρᾷκες Ὀρφεύς

The Thracian women, it is said, plotted to bring about his death, because he persuaded their husbands to follow him on his wanderings; yet, in fear of the men, they did not dare to act at first. When, however, they became inflamed with wine, they carried out the audacious deed. This event thus influenced their husbands thereafter to enter battle while intoxicated. According to another tradition, Orpheus met his end by the thunderbolt of the god, struck down on account of the teachings he imparted in the mysteries, revealing to people knowledge previously unheard.

Passage 9.30.6 Class: Mythic

ἄλλοις δὲ εἰρημένον ἐστὶν ὡς προαποθανούσης οἱ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπὶ τὸ Ἄορνον διʼ αὐτὴν τὸ ἐν τῇ Θεσπρωτίδι ἀφίκετο· εἶναι γὰρ πάλαι νεκυομαντεῖον αὐτόθι· νομίζοντα δέ οἱ ἕπεσθαι τῆς Εὐρυδίκης τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ἁμαρτόντα ὡς ἐπεστράφη, αὐτόχειρα αὐτὸν ὑπὸ λύπης αὑτοῦ γενέσθαι. λέγουσι δὲ οἱ Θρᾷκες, ὅσαι τῶν ἀηδόνων ἔχουσι νεοσσιὰς ἐπὶ τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ Ὀρφέως, ταύτας ἥδιον καὶ μεῖζόν τι ᾄδειν.

Proper Nouns:

Εὐρυδίκη Θεσπρωτίς Θρᾷκες Ἄορνον Ὀρφεύς

But others narrate that when his wife died before him, he journeyed on her account to Aornos in Thesprotia, for there was in ancient times a necromantic oracle there. Believing that Eurydice's soul followed behind him, and erring in turning around, he killed himself from grief. The Thracians claim that those nightingales who nest upon Orpheus' tomb sing sweeter and more powerfully than others.

Passage 9.30.7 Class: Mythic

Μακεδόνων δὲ οἱ χώραν τὴν ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος τὴν Πιερίαν ἔχοντες καὶ πόλιν Δῖον, φασὶν ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν γενέσθαι τὴν τελευτὴν ἐνταῦθα τῷ Ὀρφεῖ· ἰόντι δὲ ἐκ Δίου τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος καὶ στάδια προεληλυθότι εἴκοσι κίων τέ ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ καὶ ἐπίθημα ἐπὶ τῷ κίονι ὑδρία λίθου, ἔχει δὲ τὰ ὀστᾶ τοῦ Ὀρφέως ἡ ὑδρία, καθὰ οἱ ἐπιχώριοι λέγουσι.

Proper Nouns:

Δῖον Δῖον Μακεδόνες Πιερία Ὀρφεύς Ὀρφεύς

The Macedonians who dwell in the region below Mount Pieria and possess the city of Dium say that it was here that Orpheus met his end at the hands of women. Traveling from Dium towards the mountain, after going forward about twenty stades, there is a pillar on the right side with a stone urn resting upon it; this urn contains the bones of Orpheus, according to local tradition.

Passage 9.30.8 Class: Mythic

ῥεῖ δὲ καὶ ποταμὸς Ἑλικών· ἄχρι σταδίων ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε προελθόντι τὸ ῥεῦμα ἀφανίζεται τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου κατὰ τῆς γῆς· διαλιπὸν δὲ μάλιστα δύο καὶ εἴκοσι στάδια ἄνεισι τὸ ὕδωρ αὖθις, καὶ ὄνομα Βαφύρας ἀντὶ Ἑλικῶνος λαβὼν κάτεισιν ἐς θάλασσαν ναυσίπορος. τοῦτον οἱ Διασταὶ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐπιρρεῖν διὰ παντὸς τῇ γῇ τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς φασι· τὰς γυναῖκας δὲ αἳ τὸν Ὀρφέα ἀπέκτειναν ἐναπονίψασθαί οἱ θελῆσαι τὸ αἷμα, καταδῦναί τε ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὸν ποταμὸν ἐς τὴν γῆν, ἵνα δὴ μὴ τοῦ φόνου καθάρσια τὸ ὕδωρ παράσχηται.

Proper Nouns:

Βαφύρας Διασταί Ἑλικών Ὀρφεύς

The river Helicon also flows here. After advancing roughly seventy-five stadia, its stream disappears from sight, sinking beneath the ground. Then, after an interval of about twenty-two stadia, the water emerges again, now bearing the name Baphyras instead of Helicon, and flows on as a navigable river into the sea. The people of Dium declare that the river originally flowed continuously over the earth. However, when the women who had killed Orpheus sought to wash off his blood in its water, the river sank underground so that it might not cleanse them of their murder.

Passage 9.30.9 Class: Mythic

ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλον ἐν Λαρίσῃ λόγον, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ὀλύμπῳ. πόλις οἰκοῖτο Λίβηθρα, ᾗ ἐπὶ Μακεδονίας τέτραπται τὸ ὄρος, καὶ εἶναι οὐ πόρρω τῆς πόλεως τὸ τοῦ Ὀρφέως μνῆμα· ἀφικέσθαι δὲ τοῖς Λιβηθρίοις παρὰ τοῦ Διονύσου μάντευμα ἐκ Θρᾴκης, ἐπειδὰν ἴδῃ τὰ ὀστᾶ τοῦ Ὀρφέως ἥλιος, τηνικαῦτα ὑπὸ συὸς ἀπολεῖσθαι Λιβηθρίοις τὴν πόλιν. οἱ μὲν διʼ οὐ πολλῆς φροντίδος ἐποιοῦντο τὸν χρησμόν, οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι θηρίον οὕτω μέγα καὶ ἄλκιμον ἔσεσθαι νομίζοντες ὡς ἑλεῖν σφισι τὴν πόλιν, συὶ δὲ θρασύτητος μετεῖναι μᾶλλον ἢ ἰσχύος.

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Θρᾴκη Λάρισα Λίβηθρα Λιβήθριοι Μακεδονία Ὀρφεύς Ὄλυμπος

I also heard in Larisa another tale concerning Olympus—that at the foot of the mountain facing Macedonia there once existed a city called Libethra, and not far from that city stood the tomb of Orpheus. The Libethrians had received from Dionysus an oracle from Thrace, declaring that whenever the sun should behold the bones of Orpheus, then their city Libethra would be destroyed by a boar. They paid little heed to this prophecy, simply deeming that no creature, certainly no animal so mighty and strong, would ever be able to capture their city, and supposing that a boar was more likely known for bold rashness rather than actual strength.

Passage 9.30.10 Class: Mythic

ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐδόκει τῷ θεῷ, συνέβαινέ σφισι τοιάδε. ποιμὴν περὶ μεσοῦσαν μάλιστα τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπικλίνων αὑτὸν πρὸς τοῦ Ὀρφέως τὸν τάφον, ὁ μὲν ἐκάθευδεν ὁ ποιμήν, ἐπῄει δέ οἱ καὶ καθεύδοντι ἔπη τε ᾄδειν τῶν Ὀρφέως καὶ μέγα καὶ ἡδὺ φωνεῖν. οἱ οὖν ἐγγύτατα νέμοντες ἢ καὶ ἀροῦντες ἕκαστοι τὰ ἔργα ἀπολείποντες ἠθροίζοντο ἐπὶ τοῦ ποιμένος τὴν ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ ᾠδήν· καί ποτε ὠθοῦντες ἀλλήλους καὶ ἐρίζοντες ὅστις ἐγγύτατα ἔσται τῷ ποιμένι ἀνατρέπουσι τὸν κίονα, καὶ κατεάγη τε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ πεσοῦσα ἡ θήκη καὶ εἶδεν ἥλιος ὅ τι ἦν τῶν ὀστῶν τοῦ Ὀρφέως λοιπόν.

Proper Nouns:

θεός ἥλιος Ὀρφεύς

When the god planned it, these events occurred as follows. A shepherd, around midday especially, would lean himself down by the tomb of Orpheus; and while the shepherd slept, he would begin, even in sleep, to sing verses of Orpheus, uttering a voice both loud and sweet. Those nearby who were grazing flocks or ploughing fields abandoned their various tasks and gathered near the shepherd to listen to his song in sleep. Once upon a time, pushing and competing with one another as to who would stand closest to the shepherd, they overturned the pillar; and as the tomb fell, it broke open due to the collapse, and the sun beheld whatever remained of the bones of Orpheus.

Passage 9.30.11 Class: Mythic

αὐτίκα δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐπερχομένῃ νυκτὶ ὅ τε θεὸς κατέχει πολὺ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ ὁ ποταμὸς ὁ Σῦς---τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸν Ὄλυμπον χειμάρρων καὶ ὁ Σῦς ἐστι---, τότε οὖν οὗτος ὁ ποταμὸς κατέβαλε μὲν τὰ τείχη Λιβηθρίοις, θεῶν δὲ ἱερὰ καὶ οἴκους ἀνέτρεψεν ἀνθρώπων, ἀπέπνιξε δὲ τούς τε ἀνθρώπους καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ πόλει ζῷα ὁμοίως τὰ πάντα. ἀπολλυμένων δὲ ἤδη Λιβηθρίων, οὕτως οἱ ἐν Δίῳ Μακεδόνες κατά γε τὸν λόγον τοῦ Λαρισαίου ξένου ἐς τὴν ἑαυτῶν τὰ ὀστᾶ κομίζουσι τοῦ Ὀρφέως.

Proper Nouns:

Δῖον Λαρισαῖος Λιβήθριοι Μακεδόνες Σῦς θεός Ὀρφεύς Ὄλυμπος

Indeed, on the very next night, the god sent down vast quantities of water from heaven, and the river Sys—one of the torrents flowing around Olympus is called Sys— burst forth. At that time this river destroyed the walls of Libethra, toppled both the sanctuaries of the gods and the dwellings of men, and equally drowned all the human beings and animals in the city. And when Libethra had been thus destroyed, the Macedonians in Dion, according to the account given by the guest from Larisa, thereafter carried away the bones of Orpheus into their own territory.

Passage 9.30.12 Class: Mythic

ὅστις δὲ περὶ ποιήσεως ἐπολυπραγμόνησεν ἤδη, τοὺς Ὀρφέως ὕμνους οἶδεν ὄντας ἕκαστόν τε αὐτῶν ἐπὶ βραχύτατον καὶ τὸ σύμπαν οὐκ ἐς ἀριθμὸν πολὺν πεποιημένους· Λυκομίδαι δὲ ἴσασί τε καὶ ἐπᾴδουσι τοῖς δρωμένοις. κόσμῳ μὲν δὴ τῶν ἐπῶν δευτερεῖα φέροιντο ἂν μετά γε Ὁμήρου τοὺς ὕμνους, τιμῆς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ θείου καὶ ἐς πλέον ἐκείνων ἥκουσι.

Proper Nouns:

Λυκομίδαι Ὀρφεύς Ὅμηρος

Whoever has previously devoted close attention to poetry knows that the hymns of Orpheus are each extremely brief, and that altogether they are composed of no great number; the Lycomidae both know these hymns and chant them during their sacred rites. In literary elegance these hymns would be considered second only after those of Homer, yet in terms of divine honor and sacredness, they surpass even those.

Legend:

Chapter 9.30