Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.31.10

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Passage 4.31.10: Statues at the sanctuary of Asclepius, many by the sculptor Damophon

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

πλεῖστα δέ σφισι καὶ θέας μάλιστα ἀγάλματα ἄξια τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ παρέχεται τὸ ἱερόν· χωρὶς μὲν γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν παίδων ἐστὶν ἀγάλματα, χωρὶς δὲ Ἀπόλλωνος καὶ Μουσῶν καὶ Ἡρακλέους· πόλις τε ἡ Θηβαίων καὶ Ἐπαμινώνδας ὁ Κλεόμμιδος Τύχη τε καὶ Ἄρτεμις Φωσφόρος, τὰ μὲν δὴ τοῦ λίθου Δαμοφῶν αὐτοῖς εἰργάσατο---Μεσσήνιον δὲ ὅτι μὴ τοῦτον ἄλλον γε οὐδένα λόγου ποιήσαντα ἀξίως οἶδα ἀγάλματα---, ἡ δὲ εἰκὼν τοῦ Ἐπαμινώνδου ἐκ σιδήρου τέ ἐστι καὶ ἔργον ἄλλου, οὐ τούτου.

English Translation

The sanctuary provides numerous statues, particularly worthy of viewing, dedicated to Asclepius. There are statues of the god himself and of his children; besides these, there are separate statues of Apollo, the Muses, and Heracles. There is also a representation of the city of Thebes, and statues of Epaminondas, son of Cleommides, of Tyche (Fortune), and of Artemis Phosphoros. The figures made of stone were fashioned for them by Damophon, a Messenian—I know of no other Messenian sculptor, besides him, who produced statues worthy of note. The statue of Epaminondas, however, is of iron, and is the work of another artist, not Damophon.

Proper Nouns

Muses (Μοῦσαι) deity
Tyche (Τύχη) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity
Artemis Phosphoros (Ἄρτεμις Φωσφόρος) deity
Damophon (Δαμοφῶν) person Q1158742
Kleommidas (Κλεόμμιδας) person
Epaminondas (Ἐπαμινώνδας) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Thebes (Θήβαι) place Q11225429
Messenian (Μεσσήνιος) place
Also in: 6.16.5
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