Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.38.6

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Passage 1.38.6: Eleusis: temple of Triptolemos, Kallichoron well, and Rharian plain rituals

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

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·

English Translation

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.

Proper Nouns

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Artemis (Ἄρτεμις) deity
Eleusinians (Ἐλευσίνιοι) other
Triptolemus (Τριπτόλεμος) person
Kallichoron (Καλλίχορον) place Q572441
Eleusis (Ἐλευσίς) place Q11918833
Rharion (Ῥάριον) place Q2750628
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