Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.30.2

← 2.30.1 2.30.3 →

Passage 2.30.2: The temple and cult image of Hecate on Aegina

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

θεῶν δὲ Αἰγινῆται τιμῶσιν Ἑκάτην μάλιστα καὶ τελετὴν ἄγουσιν ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος Ἑκάτης, Ὀρφέα σφίσι τὸν Θρᾷκα καταστήσασθαι τὴν τελετὴν λέγοντες. τοῦ περιβόλου δὲ ἐντὸς ναός ἐστι, ξόανον δὲ ἔργον Μύρωνος , ὁμοίως ἓν πρόσωπόν τε καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν σῶμα. Ἀλκαμένης δὲ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν πρῶτος ἀγάλματα Ἑκάτης τρία ἐποίησε προσεχόμενα ἀλλήλοις, ἣν Ἀθηναῖοι καλοῦσιν Ἐπιπυργιδίαν· ἕστηκε δὲ παρὰ τῆς Ἀπτέρου Νίκης τὸν ναόν.

English Translation

Of the gods, the Aeginetans honor especially Hecate, and celebrate annually a rite in her honor, saying that Orpheus the Thracian was the one who instituted this celebration for them. Within the enclosure is a temple, and the wooden image there is a work of Myron; it has one face and a single body. Alcamenes, in my opinion, first fashioned images of Hecate as three figures joined to one another, which the Athenians call Epipyrgidia ("On the Tower"); this stands beside the temple of Wingless Victory.

Proper Nouns

Aphteros Nike (Wingless Victory) (Ἀπτερὰ Νίκη) deity
Epipyrgidia (Ἐπιπυργιδία) deity
Hecate (Ἑκάτη) deity
Aeginetan (Αἰγινήτης) person
Thracian (Θρᾷξ) person
Myron (Μύρων) person
Athenian (Ἀθηναῖος) person
Alcamenes (Ἀλκαμένης) person
Orpheus (Ὀρφεύς) person
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