Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.23.5

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Passage 2.23.5: Argive worship of Artemis Pheraia

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τῆς δὲ Ἀρτέμιδος τῆς Φεραίας---σέβουσι γὰρ καὶ Ἀργεῖοι Φεραίαν Ἄρτεμιν κατὰ ταὐτὰ Ἀθηναίοις καὶ Σικυωνίοις---τὸ ἄγαλμα καὶ οὗτοί φασιν ἐκ Φερῶν τῶν ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ κομισθῆναι. τάδε δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐχ ὁμολογῶ· λέγουσι γὰρ Ἀργεῖοι Δηιανείρας ἐν Ἄργει μνῆμα εἶναι τῆς Οἰνέως τό τε Ἑλένου τοῦ Πριάμου, καὶ ἄγαλμα κεῖσθαι παρὰ σφίσιν Ἀθηνᾶς τὸ ἐκκομισθὲν ἐξ Ἰλίου καὶ ἁλῶναι ποιῆσαν Ἴλιον. τὸ μὲν δὴ Παλλάδιον---καλεῖται γὰρ οὕτω---δῆλόν ἐστιν ἐς Ἰταλίαν κομισθὲν ὑπὸ Αἰνείου· Δηιανείρᾳ δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν περὶ Τραχῖνα ἴσμεν καὶ οὐκ ἐν Ἄργει γενομένην, καὶ ἔστιν ὁ τάφος αὐτῇ πλησίον Ἡρακλείας τῆς ὑπὸ τῇ Οἴτῃ.

English Translation

Concerning Artemis Pheraia—for the Argives also worship Artemis of Pherai, just as the Athenians and Sicyonians do—they likewise claim that the statue was brought from Pherai in Thessaly. However, I cannot agree with some of their claims; for the Argives also say that in Argos there is the tomb of Deianeira daughter of Oeneus, as well as that of Helenus son of Priam, and that they have among them the statue of Athena which was carried off from Troy and whose removal caused Troy's capture. But this Palladion—as it is called—is clearly known to have been brought by Aeneas to Italy. Furthermore, we know that Deianeira died near Trachis and not at Argos, and her tomb is situated near Herakleia beneath Mount Oite.

Proper Nouns

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity Q37122
Artemis (Ἄρτεμις) deity Q39503
Pheraia (Φεραία) deity
Palladion (Παλλάδιον) other Q12882658
Also in: 1.28.9
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Aeneas (Αἰνείας) person
Argive (Ἀργεῖος) person Q11906448
Deianeira (Δηιανείρα) person
Helenus (Ἕλενος) person Q3721758
Oeneus (Οἰνεύς) person
Priam (Πρίαμος) person Q1803
Sicyonians (Σικυώνιοι) person
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
Heraclea (Ἡράκλεια) place
Thessaly (Θεσσαλία) place Q1247568
Ilium (Ἴλιον) place Q22647
Italy (Ἰταλία) place Q913582
Oeta (Οἴτη) place Q132378
Trachis (Τραχίν) place Q1057414
Pherai (Φεραί) place Q1330631
Also in: 1.13.2 2.10.7
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