Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.11.7

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Passage 2.11.7: Sacrifices to Alexanor, Euamerion (called Telesphoros/Akesis), and Koronis

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τῷ δὲ Ἀλεξάνορι καὶ Εὐαμερίωνι---καὶ γὰρ τούτοις ἀγάλματά ἐστι---τῷ μὲν ὡς ἥρωι μετὰ ἥλιον δύναντα ἐναγίζουσιν, Εὐαμερίωνι δὲ ὡς θεῷ θύουσιν. εἰ δὲ ὀρθῶς εἰκάζω, τὸν Εὐαμερίωνα τοῦτον Περγαμηνοὶ Τελεσφόρον ἐκ μαντεύματος, Ἐπιδαύριοι δὲ Ἄκεσιν ὀνομάζουσι. τῆς δὲ Κορωνίδος ἔστι μὲν καὶ ταύτης ξόανον, καθίδρυται δὲ οὐδαμοῦ τοῦ ναοῦ· θυομένων δὲ τῷ θεῷ ταύρου καὶ ἀρνὸς καὶ ὑὸς ἐς Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν τὴν Κορωνίδα μετενεγκόντες ἐνταῦθα τιμῶσιν. ὁπόσα δὲ τῶν θυομένων καθαγίζουσιν, οὐδὲ ἀποχρᾷ σφισιν ἐκτέμνειν τοὺς μηρούς· χαμαὶ δὲ καίουσι πλὴν τοὺς ὄρνιθας, τούτους δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ.

English Translation

To Alexanor and Euamerion—for there are statues of these as well—they perform sacrifices: to the former as to a hero, offering libations after sunset, but to Euamerion as to a god they sacrifice. And if my conjecture is correct, this Euamerion is the same whom the Pergamenes, following an oracle, call Telesphoros, and whom the Epidaurians call Akesis. There is also an image of Koronis, although it is not placed anywhere within the temple itself. But when sacrifices are offered to the god, consisting of a bull, a ram, and a pig, they carry Koronis to the sanctuary of Athena, and there they honor her. Whatever portions of the sacrifices they burn entirely, it is not sufficient for them merely to cut out the thighs; rather, they burn the sacrifices on the ground, except the birds, which they burn upon the altar.

Proper Nouns

Telesphorus (Τελεσφόρος) deity
Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Acesis (Ἄκεσις) deity
Euamerion (Εὐαμερίων) person
Koronis (Κορωνίς) person
Alexanor (Ἀλέξανος) person
Pergamene (Pergamon) (Περγαμηνός) place Q12883361
Epidaurus (Ἐπίδαυρος) place Q233576
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