Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.7.1

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Passage 10.7.1: Attacks on the sanctuary at Delphi

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔοικε δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβεβουλεῦσθαι πλείστων ἤδη. οὗτός τε ὁ Εὐβοεὺς λῃστὴς καὶ ἔτεσιν ὕστερον τὸ ἔθνος τὸ Φλεγυῶν, ἔτι δὲ Πύρρος ὁ Ἀχιλλέως ἐπεχείρησεν αὐτῷ, καὶ δυνάμεως μοῖρα τῆς Ξέρξου, καὶ οἱ χρόνον τε ἐπὶ πλεῖστον καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ θεοῦ τοῖς χρήμασιν ἐπελθόντες οἱ ἐν Φωκεῦσι δυνάσται, καὶ ἡ Γαλατῶν στρατιά. ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα οὐδὲ τῆς Νέρωνος ἐς πάντα ὀλιγωρίας ἀπειράτως ἕξειν, ὃς τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα πεντακοσίας θεῶν τε ἀναμὶξ ἀφείλετο καὶ ἀνθρώπων εἰκόνας χαλκᾶς.

English Translation

From the very beginning, it seems, the sanctuary at Delphi has been the target of numerous human attacks. This Euboean pirate was among them; afterward, the tribe of the Phlegyae, and later Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, also attempted it. Similarly, part of Xerxes' army tried to seize it, as did the Phocian leaders, who went the furthest and for the longest period in plundering the god's property. The Galatian army also made such an attempt. Nor, it seems, was even Nero, who was contemptuous of all things, going to remain ignorant of this impulse; indeed, he carried away from Apollo five hundred bronze statues of gods and mortals alike.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Gauls (Γαλάται) other
Phlegyans (Φλεγύες) other
Phocians (Φωκεῖς) other
Euboean (Εὐβοεύς) person
Nero (Νέρων) person
Xerxes (Ξέρξης) person
Pyrrhus (Πύρρος) person
Achilles (Ἀχιλλεύς) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
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