Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.33.2

← 2.33.1 2.33.3 →

Passage 2.33.2: Calaureia: once sacred to Apollo, now Poseidon's sanctuary with a maiden priestess

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Καλαύρειαν δὲ Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερὰν τὸ ἀρχαῖον εἶναι λέγουσιν, ὅτε περ ἦσαν καὶ οἱ Δελφοὶ Ποσειδῶνος· λέγεται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ἀντιδοῦναι τὰ χωρία σφᾶς ἀλλήλοις. φασὶ δὲ ἔτι καὶ λόγιον μνημονεύουσιν· ἶσόν τοι Δῆλόν τε Καλαύρειάν τε νέμεσθαι Πυθώ τʼ ἠγαθέην καὶ Ταίναρον ἠνεμόεσσαν. Unknown ἔστι δʼ οὖν Ποσειδῶνος ἱερὸν ἐνταῦθα ἅγιον, ἱερᾶται δὲ αὐτῷ παρθένος, ἔστʼ ἂν ἐς ὥραν προέλθῃ γάμου.

English Translation

They say that Calaureia was originally sacred to Apollo, at the time when Delphi belonged to Poseidon, and it is also said that the two gods exchanged their territories. A prophetic utterance too is mentioned, which says: "Equal it is to possess Delos and Calaureia, And sacred Pytho and windy Taenarum." Now there is here a sacred sanctuary of Poseidon, and his priestess is a maiden until the time she reaches the proper age for marriage.

Proper Nouns

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Delos (Δῆλος) place Q173148
Kalaureia (Καλαύρεια) place Q1443132
Pytho (Πυθώ) place Q23646657
Tainaron (Ταίναρον) place Q849911
← 2.33.1 2.33.3 →