Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.17.7

← 2.17.6 2.18.1 →

Passage 2.17.7: Fire at Hera's temple caused by priestess Chrysis; her statue still stands before the ruins.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ ὑπὲρ τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον τοῦ προτέρου ναοῦ θεμέλιά τε καὶ εἰ δή τι ἄλλο ὑπελίπετο ἡ φλόξ. κατεκαύθη δὲ τὴν ἱέρειαν τῆς Ἥρας Χρυσηίδα ὕπνου καταλαβόντος, ὅτε ὁ λύχνος πρὸ τῶν στεφανωμάτων ἥπτετο. καὶ Χρυσηὶς μὲν ἀπελθοῦσα ἐς Τεγέαν τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν τὴν Ἀλέαν ἱκέτευεν· Ἀργεῖοι δὲ καίπερ κακοῦ τηλικούτου παρόντος σφίσι τὴν εἰκόνα οὐ καθεῖλον τῆς Χρυσηίδος, ἀνάκειται δὲ καὶ ἐς τόδε τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ κατακαυθέντος ἔμπροσθεν.

English Translation

Above this temple are the foundations of a previous temple, along with whatever else was left untouched by the fire. The fire was caused by Chrysis, the priestess of Hera, who fell asleep when the lamp was burning in front of the wreaths. Afterwards, Chrysis herself moved away to Tegea and there sought refuge with Athena Alea. The Argives, despite the magnitude of such a disaster, did not remove Chrysis' statue; it remains to this day placed in front of the burned temple.

Proper Nouns

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Hera (Ἥρα) deity
temple (ναός) other
Alea (Ἀλέα) other
Also in: 8.9.6 8.23.1
Chryseis (Χρυσηίς) person
Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) person
Tegea (Τεγέα) place Q645234 Pleiades
← 2.17.6 2.18.1 →