Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.15.3

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Passage 3.15.3: Heracles' sanctuary with an armed statue commemorating his fight with Hippocoön.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Ἑλένης δὲ ἱερὰ καὶ Ἡρακλέους, τῆς μὲν πλησίον τοῦ τάφου τοῦ Ἀλκμᾶνος, τῷ δὲ ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ τείχους, ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ ἄγαλμα Ἡρακλέους ἐστὶν ὡπλισμένον· τὸ δὲ σχῆμα τοῦ ἀγάλματος διὰ τὴν πρὸς Ἱπποκόωντα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας μάχην γενέσθαι λέγουσι. τὸ δὲ ἔχθος Ἡρακλεῖ φασιν ἐς οἶκον ὑπάρξαι τὸν Ἱπποκόωντος, ὅτι μετὰ τὸν Ἰφίτου θάνατον καθαρσίων ἕνεκα ἐλθόντα αὐτὸν ἐν Σπάρτῃ ἀπηξίωσαν καθῆραι·

English Translation

There are sanctuaries of Helen and of Heracles: the former is near the tomb of Alcman, and the latter very close to the city wall; inside it stands a statue of Heracles armed for battle. They say the particular posture of the statue commemorates the fight against Hippocoön and his sons. They also say Heracles harbored hostility toward the household of Hippocoön, because when he came to Sparta to be purified after the death of Iphitus, they refused him purification.

Proper Nouns

Alcman (Ἀλκμάν) person
Helen (Ἑλένη) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Hippocoön (Ἱπποκόων) person
Iphitos (Ἴφιτος) person
Sparta (Σπάρτη) place Q5690 Pleiades
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