Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.12.5

← 10.12.4 10.12.6 →

Passage 10.12.5: Herophile, the Samian Sibyl

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὴν δὲ Ἡροφίλην οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ταύτῃ νεωκόρον τε τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος γενέσθαι τοῦ Σμινθέως καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνείρατι τῷ Ἑκάβης χρῆσαί φασιν αὐτὴν ἃ δὴ καὶ ἐπιτελεσθέντα ἴσμεν. αὕτη ἡ Σίβυλλα ᾤκησε μὲν τὸ πολὺ τοῦ βίου ἐν Σάμῳ, ἀφίκετο δὲ καὶ ἐς Κλάρον τὴν Κολοφωνίων καὶ ἐς Δῆλόν τε καὶ ἐς Δελφούς· ὁπότε δὲ ἀφίκοιτο, ἐπὶ ταύτης ἱσταμένη τῆς πέτρας ᾖδε.

English Translation

The people of Alexandria say that this Herophile became attendant of Apollo Smintheus, and that she prophesied regarding the dream of Hecuba; we know these things were fulfilled. This Sibyl spent most of her life on Samos, but came also to Clarus in the land of the Colophonians, as well as to Delos and Delphi. Whenever she arrived at Delphi, she would stand upon this very rock and sing her prophecies.

Proper Nouns

Smintheus (Σμινθεύς) deity
Also in: 10.12.6
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Sibyl (Σίβυλλα) person
Hecabe (Ἑκάβη) person
Herophile (Ἡροφίλη) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Delos (Δῆλος) place Q173148
Claros (Κλάρος) place Q1933754
Colophon (Κολοφών) place Q1142488
Samos (Σάμος) place Q13580795
Alexandria (Ἀλεξάνδρεια) place
← 10.12.4 10.12.6 →