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 Q40730
Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity Q41680
Carneius (Κάρνειος) deity Q671534
Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity Q41127
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity Q37340
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity Q83223
Ammon (Ἄμμων) deity Q58373
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) deity Q122248
Gytheatai (Γυθεᾶται) place
Also in: 3.21.9
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