Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.19.5

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Passage 2.19.5: Statue of Biton bearing a bull

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐνταῦθα ἀνάκειται μὲν θρόνος Δαναοῦ, κεῖται δὲ εἰκὼν Βίτωνος, ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων φέρων ταῦρον· ὡς δὲ Λυκέας ἐποίησεν, ἐς Νεμέαν Ἀργείων ἀγόντων θυσίαν τῷ Διὶ ὁ Βίτων ὑπὸ ῥώμης τε καὶ ἰσχύος ταῦρον ἀράμενος ἤνεγκεν. ἑξῆς δὲ τῆς εἰκόνος ταύτης πῦρ καίουσιν ὀνομάζοντες Φορωνέως εἶναι· οὐ γάρ τι ὁμολογοῦσι δοῦναι πῦρ Προμηθέα ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ ἐς Φορωνέα τοῦ πυρὸς μετάγειν ἐθέλουσι τὴν εὕρεσιν.

English Translation

Here stands the throne of Danaus, and here also is a statue of Biton, a man carrying a bull upon his shoulders. As Lyceas has shown, when the Argives were holding a sacrifice to Zeus at Nemea, Biton, because of his exceptional strength and vigor, lifted a bull and bore it there on his shoulders. Next to this image they keep burning a fire, claiming it as having belonged to Phoroneus. For they do not admit that Prometheus gave fire to mankind, but prefer rather to attribute the discovery of fire to Phoroneus.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Biton (Βίτων) person Q3640496
Also in: 2.20.3
Danaus (Δαναός) person
Lykeas (Λυκέας) person
Prometheus (Προμηθεύς) person
Phoroneus (Φορωνεύς) person
Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) person
Nemea (Νεμέα) place Q748108
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