Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.27.9

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Passage 1.27.9: Theseus and the Cretan Bull sent by Poseidon

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

ἀνέθεσαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλο Θησέως ἔργον, καὶ ὁ λόγος οὕτως ἐς αὐτὸ ἔχει. Κρησὶ τήν τε ἄλλην γῆν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ ποταμῷ Τεθρίνι ταῦρος ἐλυμαίνετο. πάλαι δὲ ἄρα τὰ θηρία φοβερώτερα ἦν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὡς ὅ τʼ ἐν Νεμέᾳ λέων καὶ ὁ Παρνάς ς ιος καὶ δράκοντες τῆς Ἑλλάδος πολλαχοῦ καὶ ὗς περί τε Καλυδῶνα καὶ Ἐρύμανθον καὶ τῆς Κορινθίας ἐν Κρομ μ υῶνι, ὥστε καὶ ἐλέγετο τὰ μὲν ἀνιέναι τὴν γῆν, τὰ δὲ ὡς ἱερὰ εἴη θεῶν, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐς τιμωρίαν ἀνθρώπων ἀφεῖσθαι. καὶ τοῦτον οἱ Κρῆτες τὸν ταῦρον ἐς τὴν γῆν πέμψαι σφίσι Ποσειδῶνά φασιν, ὅτι θαλάσσης ἄρχων Μίνως τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς οὐδενὸς Ποσειδῶνα ἦγεν ἄλλου θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἐν τιμῇ.

English Translation

They also dedicated another deed of Theseus; and the account runs thus. In Crete a bull was ravaging both the main land and the region around the river Tethris. In olden times, indeed, wild beasts were more terrifying to men, such as the lion at Nemea, the serpent of Parnassus, and dragons in many places throughout Greece, and the boars around Calydon and Erymanthus, and at Crommyon in the territory of Corinth. Therefore it was said that some beasts appeared to torment the land, others were sacred to gods, and still others were sent forth as punishments upon mortals. And the Cretans say that Poseidon sent this bull upon their land, because although Minos ruled the sea, he honored no other deity among the Greeks more than Poseidon himself.

Proper Nouns

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Theseus (Θησεύς) person
Cretans (Κρῆτες) person
Minos (Μίνως) person
Calydon (Καλυδών) place Q750313
Corinthia (Κορινθία) place Q12899460
Kromyon (Κρομυών) place Q1789784
Also in: 2.1.3
Nemea (Νεμέα) place Q748108
Parnassus (Παρνασσός) place Q105261
Tethrinis (Τεθρῖνις) place
Erymanthos (Ἐρύμανθος) place Q1363703
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
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