Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.15.6

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Passage 3.15.6: Sanctuary of Athena Axiopoinos and another sanctuary founded by Theras

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἰόντι δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Δρόμου πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον ἀτραπός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς Ἀξιοποίνου καλουμένης ἱερόν. ὡς γὰρ δὴ ἀμυνόμενος Ἡρακλῆς Ἱπποκόωντα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας μετῆλθε κατʼ ἀξίαν ὧν προυπῆρξεν, ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς ἱδρύεται, Ἀξιοποίνου δὲ ἐπίκλησιν, ὅτι τὰς τιμωρίας οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὠνόμαζον ποινάς. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλο ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς ἰόντι ἑτέραν ὁδὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Δρόμου· Θήραν δὲ ἀναθεῖναι τὸν Αὐτεσίωνος τοῦ Τισαμενοῦ τοῦ Θερσάνδρου φασίν, ἡνίκα ἀποικίαν ἔστελλεν ἐπὶ τὴν νῆσον ἣ νῦν ἀπὸ Θήρα τούτου τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχηκε, τὸ δὲ ἀρχαῖον ἐκαλεῖτο Καλλίστη.

English Translation

As one goes from the Dromos toward the rising sun, there is, on the right-hand side, a footpath and a sanctuary of Athena named Axiopoinos ("She who exacts just retribution"). For they say when Herakles avenged himself justly upon Hippokoön and his sons for their past wrongdoing, he established a sanctuary dedicated to Athena, giving her the epithet 'Axiopoinos,' since in ancient times people referred to acts of vengeance as 'poinai.' There is yet another sanctuary of Athena along a different route from the Dromos. It is said that Theras, son of Autesion, son of Tisamenos, son of Thersandros, founded it when he sent forth a colony to that island which derived its present name, Thera, from him, though its original name was Kalliste.

Proper Nouns

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Axiopoine (Ἀξιοποίνη) deity
Autesion (Αὐτεσίων) person Q101240374
Thersandros (Θέρσανδρος) person
Theras (Θήρας) person
Tisamenus (Τισαμενός) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Hippocoön (Ἱπποκόων) person
Dromos (Δρόμος) place Q90052957
Also in: 3.14.6 3.14.7
Thera (Θήρα) place Q129296 Pleiades
Kalliste (Καλλίστη) place Q56452489
Also in: 3.1.7 7.2.2
island of Thera (νῆσος Θήρα) place
Also in: 3.1.8
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