Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.16.10

← 3.16.9 3.16.11 →

Passage 3.16.10: Lycurgus replaces human sacrifice with scourging at the altar.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

καί σφισιν ἐπὶ τούτῳ γίνεται λόγιον αἵματι ἀνθρώπων τὸν βωμὸν αἱμάσσειν· θυομένου δὲ ὅντινα ὁ κλῆρος ἐπελάμβανε, Λυκοῦργος μετέβαλεν ἐς τὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐφήβοις μάστιγας, ἐμπίπλαταί τε οὕτως ἀνθρώπων αἵματι ὁ βωμός. ἡ δὲ ἱέρεια τὸ ξόανον ἔχουσά σφισιν ἐφέστηκε· τὸ δέ ἐστιν ἄλλως μὲν κοῦφον ὑπὸ σμικρότητος, ἢν δὲ οἱ

English Translation

And upon this matter, they received an oracle commanding them to stain the altar with human blood. When they sacrificed whomever chance selected by lot, Lycurgus changed this practice to the scourging of youths, and in this way the altar became filled with human blood. The priestess stands beside them holding the wooden image, which otherwise is light because of its small size, but if ever the goddess—

Proper Nouns

Lycurgus (Λυκοῦργος) person
← 3.16.9 3.16.11 →