Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.13.8

← 10.13.7 10.13.9 →

Passage 10.13.8: Heracles seizes the Delphic tripod.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

λέγεται δὲ ὑπὸ Δελφῶν Ἡρακλεῖ τῷ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἐλθόντι ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστήριον τὴν πρόμαντιν Ξενόκλειαν οὐκ ἐθελῆσαί οἱ χρᾶν διὰ τοῦ Ἰφίτου τὸν φόνον· τὸν δὲ ἀράμενον τὸν τρίποδα ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ φέρειν ἔξω, εἰπεῖν τε δὴ τὴν πρόμαντιν· ἄλλος ἄρʼ Ἡρακλέης Τιρύνθιος, οὐχὶ Κανωβεύς· πρότερον γὰρ ἔτι ὁ Αἰγύπτιος Ἡρακλῆς ἀφίκετο ἐς Δελφούς. τότε δὲ ὁ Ἀμφιτρύωνος τόν τε τρίποδα ἀποδίδωσι τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι καὶ παρὰ τῆς Ξενοκλείας ὁπόσα ἐδεῖτο ἐδιδάχθη. παραδεξάμενοι δὲ οἱ ποιηταὶ τὸν λόγον μάχην Ἡρακλέους πρὸς Ἀπόλλωνα ὑπὲρ τρίποδος ᾄδουσιν.

English Translation

It is said by the Delphians that when Heracles, the son of Amphitryon, came to consult the oracle, Xenocleia, the priestess, refused to give him an oracle on account of the murder of Iphitus. Heracles then seized the tripod from the sanctuary and began carrying it outside, upon which the priestess declared: "Then indeed there is another Heracles, the Tirynthian, not the Canopian," for the Egyptian Heracles had come to Delphi earlier. Thereupon, Amphitryon's son returned the tripod to Apollo, and Xenocleia gave him the responses he wished for. Poets, adopting this tale, sing about the combat between Heracles and Apollo for the tripod.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Egyptian (Αἰγύπτιος) other
Canobus/Canobean (Κανωβεύς) other
Tirynthian (Τιρύνθιος) other
Xenocleia (Ξενόκλεια) person
Amphitryon (Ἀμφιτρύων) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Iphitus (Ἰφῖτος) person
Also in: 5.8.5 5.20.1
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
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