Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.21.8

← 3.21.7 3.21.9 →

Passage 3.21.8: Gythium's founding by Heracles and Apollo.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Γυθεᾶται δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδένα οἰκιστὴν γενέσθαι λέγουσιν, Ἡρακλέα δὲ καὶ Ἀπόλλωνα ὑπὲρ τοῦ τρίποδος ἐς ἀγῶνα ἐλθόντας, ὡς διηλλάγησαν, μετὰ τὴν ἔριν οἰκίσαι κοινῇ τὴν πόλιν· καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ σφισιν Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ Ἡρακλέους ἐστὶν ἀγάλματα, πλησίον δὲ αὐτῶν Διόνυσος. ἑτέρωθι δὲ Ἀπόλλων Κάρνειος καὶ ἱερὸν Ἄμμωνος καὶ Ἀσκληπιοῦ χαλκοῦν ἄγαλμά ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐπόντος ὀρόφου τῷ ναῷ, καὶ πηγὴ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Δήμητρος ἱερὸν ἅγιον καὶ Ποσειδῶνος ἄγαλμα Γαιαόχου.

English Translation

The inhabitants of Gythium say that the city had no human founder, but that instead, after Heracles and Apollo had contended for the tripod, once reconciliation had occurred following their dispute, they founded the city jointly. In the marketplace there are statues of Apollo and Heracles, and near them, one of Dionysus. Elsewhere are Apollo Carneius, a sanctuary of Ammon, a bronze statue of Asclepius in a temple that has no roof, a sacred spring of that god, a holy sanctuary of Demeter, and a statue of Poseidon, Holder of the Earth.

Proper Nouns

Gaiochos (Earth-holder, epithet of Poseidon) (Γαιήοχος) deity
Demeter (Δήμητρα) deity
Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity
Carneius (Κάρνειος) deity
Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity
Ammon (Ἄμμων) deity
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) deity
Gytheatai (Γυθεᾶται) place
Also in: 3.21.9
← 3.21.7 3.21.9 →