Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.24.2

← 2.24.1 2.24.3 →

Passage 2.24.2: Shrine of Athena Oxyderkes dedicated by Diomedes.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τοῦ Δειραδιώτου δὲ Ἀπόλλωνος ἔχεται μὲν ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς Ὀξυδερκοῦς καλουμένης, Διομήδους ἀνάθημα, ὅτι οἱ μαχομένῳ ποτὲ ἐν Ἰλίῳ τὴν ἀχλὺν ἀφεῖλεν ἡ θεὸς ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν· ἔχεται δὲ τὸ στάδιον, ἐν ᾧ τὸν ἀγῶνα τῷ Νεμείῳ Διὶ καὶ τὰ Ἡραῖα ἄγουσιν. ἐς δὲ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἰοῦσίν ἐστιν ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῶν Αἰγύπτου παίδων καὶ ταύτῃ μνῆμα. χωρὶς μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν σωμάτων ἐνταῦθα αἱ κεφαλαί, χωρὶς δὲ ἐν Λέρνῃ σώματα τὰ λοιπά· ἐν Λέρνῃ γὰρ καὶ ὁ φόνος ἐξειργάσθη τῶν νεανίσκων, ἀποθανόντων δὲ ἀποτέμνουσιν αἱ γυναῖκες τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀπόδειξιν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὧν ἐτόλμησαν.

English Translation

Next to the sanctuary of Apollo Deiradiotes stands a shrine to Athena, called Oxyderkes ("Keen-sighted"), dedicated by Diomedes, because once, when he was fighting at Troy, the goddess removed the mist from his eyes. Near it lies the stadium, in which they celebrate both the contest held in honor of Zeus Nemeios and the Heraia festival. On the left of the road leading up to the Acropolis, there is also a grave of the children of Aigyptos. The heads alone lie buried here separate from the bodies, while the rest of the bodies are in Lerna. For it was in Lerna that the youths were murdered, and after their deaths, the women cut off the heads and brought them as proof to their father of the deeds they had dared to commit.

Proper Nouns

Deiradios (Δειράδιος) deity
Nemean Zeus (Νεμέα, Ζεύς) deity
Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Oxyderces (Ὀξυδερκής) deity
Heraia (Ἡραῖα) other
Diomedes (Διομήδης) person
Egypt (Αἴγυπτος) place Q79 Pleiades
Lerna (Λέρνα) place Q1236078
Also in: 2.4.5 2.36.7
Ilion (Ἴλιος) place Q22647
← 2.24.1 2.24.3 →