Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.14.5

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Passage 10.14.5: Persian war spoils dedicated at Olympia and Delphi.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Ἕλληνες δὲ οἱ ἐναντία βασιλέως πολεμήσαντες ἀνέθεσαν μὲν Δία ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν χαλκοῦν, ἀνέθεσαν δὲ καὶ ἐς Δελφοὺς Ἀπόλλωνα ἀπὸ ἔργων τῶν ἐν ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐπί τε Ἀρτεμισίῳ καὶ ἐν Σαλαμῖνι. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὡς Θεμιστοκλῆς ἀφίκοιτο ἐς Δελφοὺς λαφύρων τῶν Μηδικῶν κομίζων τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι· ἐρωτήσαντα δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀναθημάτων εἰ ἐντὸς ἀναθήσει τοῦ ναοῦ, ἐκέλευεν αὐτὸν ἡ Πυθία τὰ παράπαν ἀποφέρειν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ. καὶ ἔχει οὕτω τὰ ἐς τοῦ τοῦ χρησμοῦ· μή μοι Περσῆος σκύλων περικαλλέα κόσμον νηῷ ἐγκαταθῇς· οἶκόνδʼ ἀπόπεμπε τάχιστα.

English Translation

The Greeks who fought against the king dedicated a bronze Zeus at Olympia, and also an Apollo at Delphi from the spoils of the naval battles at Artemisium and at Salamis. It is also said that Themistocles came to Delphi bringing some of the Median spoils for Apollo; but upon his inquiry whether he should dedicate these offerings within the temple, the Pythia commanded him to carry them out entirely from the sanctuary. The oracle's words were thus: "Do not place the beautiful adornments of Persian spoils within my temple; send them away homeward as quickly as possible!"

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Themistocles (Θεμιστοκλῆς) person
Medes (Μῆδοι) person
Perseus (Περσεύς) person
Pythia (Πυθία) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Salamis (Σαλαμίς) place Q767089
Artemision (Ἀρτεμίσιον) place Q25105448
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
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