Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.12.10

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Passage 10.12.10: Phaennis and the Dodona Peleiades, early prophetic women

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Φαεννὶς δὲ θυγάτηρ βασιλεύσαντος ἀνδρὸς ἐν Χάοσι καὶ αἱ Πέλειαι παρὰ Δωδωναίοις ἐμαντεύσαντο μὲν ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ αὗται, Σίβυλλαι δὲ ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἐκλήθησαν. τῆς μὲν δὴ πυθέσθαι τὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ ἐπιλέξασθαι τοὺς χρησμούς Ἀντιόχου γὰρ μετὰ τὸ ἁλῶναι Δημήτριον αὐτίκα ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν καθισταμένου γέγονε Φαεννίς. τὰς Πελειάδας δὲ Φημονόης τε ἔτι προτέρας γενέσθαι λέγουσι καὶ ᾆσαι γυναικῶν πρώτας τάδε τὰ ἔπη· Ζεὺς ἦν, Ζεὺς ἐστίν, Ζεὺς ἔσσεται· ὦ μεγάλε Ζεῦ. Γᾶ καρποὺς ἀνίει, διὸ κλῄζετε Ματέρα γαῖαν.

English Translation

Phaennis, daughter of a king who ruled among the Chaonians, and also the doves at Dodona, made prophecy inspired by the god; yet none of these was ever called Sibyl by men. As for Phaennis, we may determine her lifetime by examining her oracles, for she lived when Antiochus succeeded immediately to the throne after Demetrius had been captured. They say the Peleiades lived even earlier than Phemonoe, and that these women were the first to sing these verses: "Zeus was, Zeus is, Zeus shall be; O mighty Zeus. Earth produces fruits, so proclaim Earth as mother."

Proper Nouns

Ge (Earth) (Γῆ) deity
Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Mother Earth (Μήτηρ Γῆ) deity
Demetrius (Δημήτριος) person
Peliades (Πελειάδες) person
Sibyl (Σίβυλλα) person
Phaennis (Φαεννίς) person
Also in: 10.15.2
Phemonoe (Φημονόη) person
Also in: 10.5.7 10.6.7
Antiochus (Ἀντίοχος) person
Dodonaeans (Δωδωναῖοι) place
Chaos (Χάος) place
Also in: 2.24.6
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