Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.1.6

← 4.1.5 4.1.7 →

Passage 4.1.6: Lycus' grove, the purification place for initiates of the Great Gods

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τὴν δὲ τελετὴν τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν Λύκος ὁ Πανδίονος πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ὕστερον Καύκωνος προήγαγεν ἐς πλέον τιμῆς· καὶ Λύκου δρυμὸν ἔτι ὀνομάζουσιν ἔνθα ἐκάθηρε τοὺς μύστας. καὶ ὅτι μὲν δρυμός ἐστιν ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ Λύκου καλούμενος, Ῥιανῷ τῷ Κρητί ἐστι πεποιημένον πάρ τε τρηχὺν Ἐλαιὸν ὑπὲρ δρυμόν τε Λύκοιο· Rhianus of Bene in Crete. See note on Paus. 4.6.1 .

English Translation

The mysteries of the Great Gods were raised to greater esteem, many years after Caucon, by Lycus, son of Pandion; even now they still call the grove of Lycus the place where he used to perform the purification of initiates. That there is indeed a grove in this region called after Lycus is attested by Rhianus the Cretan, who composed the following verse: "beside the rugged Elaeus and above Lycus' grove."

Proper Nouns

Great Gods (Μεγάλοι θεοί) deity
Caucon (Καύκων) person
Lykos (Λύκος) person
Lykos son of Pandion (Λύκος Πανδίωνος) person
Pausanias (Παυσανίας) person
Rhianus the Cretan (Ῥιανός ὁ Κρής) person
Bene (Βῆναι) place
Crete (Κρήτη) place Q34374 Pleiades
Lykos' Grove (Λύκου δρυμός) place
Elaion (Ἐλαιών) place Q21588678 Pleiades
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