Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.5.12

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Passage 10.5.12: Temple of Hephaestus with golden singing-birds and uncertain fate

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὰ μέντοι ἄλλα με οὐκ ἔπειθεν ὁ λόγος ἢ Ἡφαίστου τὸν ναὸν τέχνην εἶναι ἢ τὰ ἐς τὰς ᾠδοὺς τὰς χρυσᾶς, ἃ δὴ Πίνδαρος ᾖσεν ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ τῷ ναῷ· χρύσειαι δʼ ἐξύπερθʼ αἰετοῦ ἄειδον Κηληδόνες. Pindar, work unknown οὗτος μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ἐς μίμησιν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τῶν παρʼ Ὁμήρῳ Σειρήνων ἐποίησεν· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τρόπον ὅντινα ἀφανισθῆναι συνέπεσε τῷ ναῷ, κατὰ ταὐτὰ εἰρημένα εὕρισκον· καὶ γὰρ ἐς χάσμα γῆς ἐμπεσεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπὸ πυρὸς τακῆναι λέγουσιν.

English Translation

However, the story did not convince me concerning either the temple being a work of Hephaestus' skill, or about the golden singing-birds, on account of which Pindar composed verses addressing this temple, saying: "And golden swallows sang above the eagle." But Pindar, as it appears to me, fashioned these lines in imitation of Homer's account of the Sirens. Nor have I found consistency even regarding the manner in which the temple vanished; for it is reported both to have fallen into a chasm in the earth and also to have melted away due to fire.

Proper Nouns

Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστος) deity
Sirens (Σειρῆνες) other
Also in: 10.6.5
Pindar (Πίνδαρος) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
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