Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.38.1 Class: Skeptical

οἱ δὲ Ῥειτοὶ καλούμενοι ῥεῦμα μόνον παρέχονται ποταμῶν, ἐπεὶ τό γε ὕδωρ θάλασσά ἐστί σφισι· πείθοιτο δὲ ἄν τις καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ Χαλκιδέων Εὐρίπου ῥέουσιν ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐς θάλασσαν κοιλοτέραν ἐμπίπτοντες. λέγονται δὲ οἱ Ῥειτοὶ Κόρης ἱεροὶ καὶ Δήμητρος εἶναι, καὶ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἐξ αὐτῶν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἔστιν αἱρεῖν μόνοις. οὗτοι τὸ ἀρχαῖον, ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι, πρὸς Ἀθηναίους τοὺς ἄλλους ὅροι τῆς γῆς Ἐλευσινίοις ἦσαν, καὶ διαβᾶσι τοὺς Ῥειτοὺς πρῶτος ᾤκει

Proper Nouns:

Δήμητρα Εὔριπος Κόρη Χαλκίδες Ἀθῆναι Ἐλευσῖς Ῥειτοί

The streams called Rheitoi provide only a current of rivers, since their water is actually seawater. Indeed, one might be persuaded also that they flow underground from the Euripus channel at Chalkis, emptying into a deeper sea. The Rheitoi are said to be sacred to Kore and Demeter, and only the priests are permitted to catch the fish from them. As I learn, these Rheitoi streams, in ancient times, formed the boundary between the territory of Eleusis and the rest of Athens, and the first settlement beyond the Rheitoi was inhabited...

Passage 1.38.2 Class: Skeptical

Κρόκων, ἔνθα καὶ νῦν ἔτι βασίλεια καλεῖται Κρόκωνος. τοῦτον Ἀθηναῖοι τὸν Κρόκωνα Κελεοῦ θυγατρί συνοικῆσαι Σαισάρᾳ λέγουσι· λέγουσι δὲ οὐ πάντες, ἀλλʼ ὅσοι τοῦ δήμου τοῦ Σκαμβωνιδῶν εἰσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ Κρόκωνος μὲν ἀνευρεῖν τάφον οὐχ οἷός τε ἐγενόμην, τὸ δὲ Εὐμόλπου μνῆμα κατὰ ταὐτὰ Ἐλευσινίοις ἀπέφαινον καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι. τοῦτον τὸν Εὔμολπον ἀφικέσθαι λέγουσιν ἐκ Θρᾴκης Ποσειδῶνος παῖδα ὄντα καὶ Χιόνης· τὴν δὲ Χιόνην Βορέου θυγατέρα τοῦ ἀνέμου καὶ Ὠρειθυίας φασὶν εἶναι. Ὁμήρῳ δὲ ἐς μὲν τὸ γένος ἐστὶν οὐδὲν αὐτοῦ πεποιημένον, ἐπονομάζει δὲ ἀγήνορα ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι τὸν Εὔμολπον.

Proper Nouns:

Βορῆς Εὔμολπος Εὔμολπος Θρᾴκη Κελεός Κρόκων Κρόκων Ποσειδῶν Σαισάρα Σκαμβωνίδαι Χιόνη Χιόνη Ἀθηναῖοι Ἐλευσίνιοι Ὅμηρος Ὠρείθυια

Krokon, where even now the place of Krokon is still called the King's House. The Athenians say that this Krokon married Saisara, daughter of Keleos; however, not all Athenians say this, only those belonging to the deme of Skambonidae. I myself was unable to find the tomb of Krokon, but the tomb of Eumolpos was pointed out as identical by both the Eleusinians and the Athenians. They say that this Eumolpos came from Thrace and was the son of Poseidon and Chione; and Chione, according to them, was the daughter of the wind-god Boreas and Oreithyia. Homer did not compose anything concerning his genealogy, but in his verses he does call Eumolpos "lordly."

Passage 1.38.3 Class: Skeptical

γενομένης δὲ Ἐλευσινίοις μάχης πρὸς Ἀθηναίους ἀπέθανε μὲν Ἐρεχθεὺς Ἀθηναίων βασιλεύς, ἀπέθανε δὲ Ἰμμάραδος Εὐμόλπου· καταλύονται δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖσδε τὸν πόλεμον, ὡς Ἐλευσινίους ἐς τὰ ἄλλα Ἀθηναίων κατηκόους ὄντας ἰδίᾳ τελεῖν τὴν τελετήν. τὰ δὲ ἱερὰ τοῖν θεοῖν Εὔμολπος καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες δρῶσιν αἱ Κελεοῦ, καλοῦσι δὲ σφᾶς Πάμφως τε κατὰ ταὐτὰ καὶ Ὅμηρος Διογένειαν καὶ Παμμερόπην καὶ τρίτην Σαισάραν· τελευτήσαντος δὲ Εὐμόλπου Κήρυξ νεώτερος λείπεται τῶν παίδων, ὃν αὐτοὶ Κήρυκες θυγατρὸς Κέκροπος Ἀγλαύρου καὶ Ἑρμοῦ παῖδα εἶναι λέγουσιν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ Εὐμόλπου.

Proper Nouns:

Διογένεια Εὔμολπος Εὔμολπος Κέκροψ Κήρυκες Κήρυξ Κελεός Πάμφως Παμμέροπη Σαισάρα Ἀθῆναι Ἀθῆναι Ἄγλαυρος Ἐλευσῖναι Ἐλευσῖναι Ἐρεχθεύς Ἑρμῆς Ἰμμάραδος Ὅμηρος

When the Eleusinians engaged in battle with the Athenians, Erechtheus, king of the Athenians, was slain, and Immaradus, son of Eumolpus, also fell. Following these events they made peace under conditions whereby the Eleusinians, while in all other matters subject to Athens, would celebrate their mysteries independently. Concerning the sacred rites of the two goddesses, these were conducted by Eumolpus and the daughters of Celeus, whom both Pamphos and Homer alike call Diogeneia, Pammerope, and the third, Saesara. After the death of Eumolpus, his youngest son, Ceryx, was left behind, though the Ceryces themselves assert that he was not a son of Eumolpus but rather the child of Hermes and Aglauros, daughter of Cecrops.

Passage 1.38.4 Class: Skeptical

ἔστι δὲ Ἱπποθόωντος ἡρῷον, ἀφʼ οὗ τὴν φυλὴν ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ πλησίον Ζάρηκος. τοῦτον μαθεῖν παρὰ Ἀπόλλωνι μουσικήν φασιν, ἐγὼ δὲ ξένον μὲν ἀφικόμενον ἐς τὴν γῆν Λακεδαιμόνιόν τε εἶναι δοκῶ καὶ Ζάρακα ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ πόλιν ἀπὸ τούτου πρὸς θαλάσσῃ καλεῖσθαι· εἰ δέ τις Ζάρηξ ἐπιχώριος Ἀθηναίοις ἥρως, οὐδὲν ἐς αὐτὸν ἔχω λέγειν.

Proper Nouns:

Ζάραξ Ζάρηξ Ζάρηξ Λακεδαίμων Λακωνική Ἀθῆναι Ἀπόλλων Ἱπποθόων

There is also a hero-shrine of Hippothoön, from whom the tribe takes its name, and beside it one of Zarex. They say that he learned music from Apollo, but I myself am inclined to think that he was a foreigner who came to this land, and was originally a Laconian, and that the town called Zarex by the sea in Laconia was named after him. However, if there is any native Attic hero named Zarex, I have nothing to say concerning him.

Passage 1.38.5 Class: Non-skeptical

---ῥεῖ δὲ Κηφισὸς πρὸς Ἐλευσῖνι βιαιότερον παρεχόμενος τοῦ προτέρου ῥεῦμα· καὶ παρʼ αὐτῷ καλοῦσιν Ἐρινεόν, λέγοντες τὸν Πλούτωνα ὅτε ἥρπασε τὴν Κόρην καταβῆναι ταύτῃ. πρὸς τούτῳ τῷ Κηφισῷ λῃστὴν Πολυπήμονα ὄνομα, Προκρούστην δὲ ἐπίκλησιν, Θησεὺς ἀπέκτεινεν.

Proper Nouns:

Θησεύς Κηφισός Κηφισός Κόρη Πλούτων Πολυπήμων Προκρούστης Ἐλευσίς Ἐρινεόν

Near Eleusis the Kephisos river flows with a stronger current than before, and beside it they have a place called Erineos, for they say that here Pluto descended when he carried off the Maiden. Near this Kephisos Theseus slew a robber named Polypemon, known also by the surname Prokrustes.

Passage 1.38.6 Class: Non-skeptical

Ἐλευσινίοις δὲ ἔστι μὲν Τριπτολέμου ναός, ἔστι δὲ Προπυλαίας Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Ποσειδῶνος Πατρός, φρέαρ τε καλούμενον Καλλίχορον, ἔνθα πρῶτον Ἐλευσινίων αἱ γυναῖκες χορὸν ἔστησαν καὶ ᾖσαν ἐς τὴν θεόν. τὸ δὲ πεδίον τὸ Ῥάριον σπαρῆναι πρῶτον λέγουσι καὶ πρῶτον αὐξῆσαι καρπούς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐλαῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρῆσθαί σφισι καὶ ποιεῖσθαι πέμματα ἐς τὰς θυσίας καθέστηκεν. ἐνταῦθα ἅλως καλουμένη Τριπτολέμου καὶ βωμὸς δείκνυται·

Proper Nouns:

Καλλίχορον Ποσειδῶν Τριπτόλεμος Ἄρτεμις Ἐλευσίνιοι Ἐλευσίς Ῥάριον

The Eleusinians have a temple of Triptolemos, as well as temples of Artemis Propylaia and Poseidon Patēr. There is also a well called Kallichoron ("Beautiful Dancing"), where the women of Eleusis first gathered in a dance and sang hymns to the goddess. They say that the Rharian plain was the first land ever sown, and that it first produced crops. For this reason, it has become customary for them to use barley from this plain and to make cakes from it for their sacrifices. Here is shown the threshing-floor called the Haloa of Triptolemos and his altar.

Passage 1.38.7 Class: Skeptical

τὰ δὲ ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους τοῦ ἱεροῦ τό τε ὄνειρον ἀπεῖπε γράφειν, καὶ τοῖς οὐ τελεσθεῖσιν, ὁπόσων θέας εἴργονται, δῆλα δήπου μηδὲ πυθέσθαι μετεῖναί σφισιν. Ἐλευσῖνα δὲ ἥρωα, ἀφʼ οὗ τὴν πόλιν ὀνομάζουσιν, οἱ μὲν Ἑρμοῦ παῖδα εἶναι καὶ Δαείρας Ὠκεανοῦ θυγατρὸς λέγουσι, τοῖς δέ ἐστι πεποιημένα Ὤγυγον εἶναι πατέρα Ἐλευσῖνι· οἱ γὰρ ἀρχαῖοι τῶν λόγων ἅτε οὐ προσόντων σφίσιν ἐπῶν ἄλλα τε πλάσασθαι δεδώκασι καὶ μάλιστα ἐς τὰ γένη τῶν ἡρώων.

Proper Nouns:

Δάειρα τεῖχος Ἐλευσῖν Ἐλευσῖν Ἑρμῆς Ὠγυγος Ὠκεανός

Concerning what lies within the wall of the sanctuary, a dream forbade me to write of it, and certainly those who are not initiated are forbidden from seeing many things there; clearly, then, it is not permitted for them even to hear about these things. Regarding Eleusis, the hero from whom the city derives its name, some say he was the son of Hermes and Daeira, a daughter of Oceanus; according to others, it has been invented that Ogygus was the father of Eleusis. For the ancients, lacking poetic accounts, permitted themselves liberty in fashioning various stories, particularly concerning the lineage of heroes.

Passage 1.38.8 Class: Non-skeptical

ἐκ δὲ Ἐλευσῖνος τραπομένοις ἐπὶ Βοιωτῶν, ἐστὶν ὅμορος Ἀθηναίοις ἡ Πλαταιίς. πρότερον μὲν γὰρ Ἐλευθερεῦσιν ὅροι πρὸς τὴν Ἀττικὴν ἦσαν· προσχωρησάντων δὲ Ἀθηναίοις τούτων, οὕτως ἤδη Βοιωτίας ὁ Κιθαιρών ἐστιν ὅρος. προσεχώρησαν δὲ Ἐλευθερεῖς οὐ πολέμῳ βιασθέντες, ἀλλὰ πολιτείας τε ἐπιθυμήσαντες παρὰ Ἀθηναίων καὶ κατʼ ἔχθος τὸ Θηβαίων. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πεδίῳ ναός ἐστι Διονύσου, καὶ τὸ ξόανον ἐντεῦθεν Ἀθηναίοις ἐκομίσθη τὸ ἀρχαῖον· τὸ δὲ ἐν Ἐλευθεραῖς τὸ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἐς μίμησιν ἐκείνου πεποίηται.

Proper Nouns:

Βοιωτία Βοιωτοί Διόνυσος Θηβαῖοι Κιθαιρών Πλάταια Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀττική Ἐλευθερεῖς Ἐλευσίς Ἐλεύθεραι Ἐλεύθεραι

After leaving Eleusis and turning towards the land of the Boeotians, Plataean territory borders the Athenians. For previously the boundaries of Attica lay next to the Eleutherians; but after these people became allies of the Athenians, Mount Cithaeron came to mark the boundary with Boeotia. The Eleutherians joined the Athenians not through compulsion of war, but because they desired Athenian citizenship and felt hatred toward the Thebans. In this plain there is a temple of Dionysus, and it was from here that the ancient wooden image of the god was carried away to Athens; the statue which exists in Eleutherae in our time is an imitation of that original.

Passage 1.38.9 Class: Non-skeptical

ἀπωτέρω δὲ ὀλίγον σπήλαιόν ἐστιν οὐ μέγα, καὶ παρʼ αὐτὸ ὕδατος πηγὴ ψυχροῦ· λέγεται δὲ ἐς μὲν τὸ σπήλαιον ὡς Ἀντιόπη τεκοῦσα κατάθοιτο ἐς αὐτὸ τοὺς παῖδας, περὶ δὲ τῆς πηγῆς τὸν ποιμένα εὑρόντα τοὺς παῖδας ἐνταῦθα σφᾶς λοῦσαι πρῶτον ἀπολύσαντα τῶν σπαργάνων. Ἐλευθερῶν δὲ ἦν μὲν ἔτι τοῦ τείχους, ἦν δὲ καὶ οἰκιῶν ἐρείπια· δήλη δὲ τούτοις ἐστὶ πόλις ὀλίγον ὑπὲρ τοῦ πεδίου πρὸς τῷ Κιθαιρῶνι οἰκισθεῖσα.

Proper Nouns:

Κιθαιρών Ἀντιόπη Ἐλευθεραι

A little further on there is a cave, not large, and beside it a spring of cold water. It is said that Antiope, when she had given birth, placed her children in this cave, and that at the spring the shepherd, having found the infants, first washed them after releasing them from their swaddling clothes. As for Eleutherae, some of the city wall still remains, as well as ruins of houses. From these it is clear that this city was built slightly above the plain, towards Mount Cithaeron.

Legend:

Chapter 1.38