Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.37.3

← 10.37.2 10.37.4 →

Passage 10.37.3: Boulis: a coastal town with sanctuaries, shellfish fishing, and worship of Zeus Megistos

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

κάτεισι δὲ καὶ ποταμὸς ἐς θάλασσαν ταύτῃ χείμαρρος, ὃν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι ὀνομάζουσιν Ἡράκλειον. κεῖται δὲ ἐπὶ ὑψηλοῦ τε ἡ Βοῦλις καὶ ἐν παράπλῳ περαιουμένοις ἐξ Ἀντικύρας ἐς Λέχαιον τὸ Κορινθίων· οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ἐνταῦθα πλέον ἡμίσεις κόχλων ἐς βαφὴν πορφύρας εἰσὶν ἁλιεῖς. κατασκευὴ δὲ ἡ ἐν τῇ Βούλιδι οὔτε ἡ ἄλλη θαύματος πολλοῦ καὶ ἱερὰ θεῶν ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος, τὸ δὲ αὐτῶν Διονύσου· τὰ δὲ ἀγάλματα ξύλου μέν ἐστιν εἰργασμένα, ὅστις δὲ ἦν ὁ ποιήσας οὐχ οἷοί τε ἐγενόμεθα συμβαλέσθαι. θεῶν δὲ ὅντινα οἱ Βούλιοι σέβουσι μάλιστα, Μέγιστον μὲν ὀνομάζουσι, Διὸς δὲ κατὰ ἡμετέραν δόξαν ἐστὶν ἐπίκλησις. καὶ πηγὴ Βουλίοις ἐστὶ καλουμένη Σαύνιον.

English Translation

A river also flows down into the sea here—a winter torrent, called by the locals the Heracleios. Boulis is situated upon high ground, facing those who sail across from Antikyra to Lechaion, the harbor of Corinth. Most of the inhabitants there make their living as fishermen of shellfish used in purple dyeing. As for the construction of Boulis, neither this nor anything else about it is particularly remarkable. There are sanctuaries dedicated to Artemis and to Dionysus; their statues are fashioned out of wood, though I was not able to discover who made them. The god whom the people of Boulis especially honor is called Megistos ("Greatest"); to my judgment, this name is an epithet of Zeus. The Boulians also have a spring named Saunion.

Proper Nouns

Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity
Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Megistos (Μέγιστος) deity
Artemis (Ἄρτεμις) deity
Bouloi (Βοῦλιοι) other
Corinthians (Κορίνθιοι) other
Also in: 2.2.5 2.5.5 8.5.6
Boulis (Βοῦλις) place Q895095
Also in: 10.37.2
Lechaion (Λέχαιον) place Q57961021
Saunion (Σαύνιον) place Q108547640
Antikyra (Ἀντικύρα) place Q680099 Pleiades
Also in: 10.36.9
Herakleion (Ἡράκλειον) place Q134037648
Also in: 7.5.8
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