Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.10.8

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Passage 5.10.8: Pedimental sculpture of the Lapiths and Centaurs at Peirithous' wedding.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὰ μὲν δὴ ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τοῖς ἀετοῖς ἐστι Παιωνίου , γένος ἐκ Μένδης τῆς Θρᾳκίας, τὰ δὲ ὄπισθεν αὐτῶν Ἀλκαμένους , ἀνδρὸς ἡλικίαν τε κατὰ Φειδίαν καὶ δευτερεῖα ἐνεγκαμένου σοφίας ἐς ποίησιν ἀγαλμάτων. τὰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀετοῖς ἐστιν αὐτῷ Λαπιθῶν ἐν τῷ Πειρίθου γάμῳ πρὸς Κενταύρους ἡ μάχη. κατὰ μὲν δὴ τοῦ ἀετοῦ τὸ μέσον Πειρίθους ἐστίν· παρὰ δὲ αὐτὸν τῇ μὲν Εὐρυτίων ἡρπακὼς τὴν γυναῖκά ἐστι τοῦ Πειρίθου καὶ ἀμύνων Καινεὺς τῷ Πειρίθῳ, τῇ δὲ Θησεὺς ἀμυνόμενος πελέκει τοὺς Κενταύρους· Κένταυρος δὲ ὁ μὲν παρθένον, ὁ δὲ παῖδα ἡρπακώς ἐστιν ὡραῖον. ἐποίησε δὲ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ταῦτα ὁ Ἀλκαμένης, Πειρίθουν τε εἶναι Διὸς ἐν ἔπεσι τοῖς Ὁμήρου δεδιδαγμένος καὶ Θησέα ἐπιστάμενος ὡς εἴη τέταρτος ἀπὸ Πέλοπος.

English Translation

The figures in the front pediment are by Paeonius, who was from Mende in Thrace, while those in the pediment at the back are by Alcamenes, a contemporary of Pheidias, who was considered second only to him in the skill of creating statues. The sculptures in this pediment depict the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs, at the wedding-feast of Peirithous. In the center of the pediment is Peirithous himself. Beside him, on one side, Eurytion is shown seizing the wife of Peirithous, while Caeneus comes to his aid; and on the other side, Theseus defends himself against the Centaurs with an axe. One Centaur is depicted carrying away a maiden, another a handsome boy. It is my opinion that Alcamenes crafted these scenes having learned from Homer's verses that Peirithous was a son of Zeus, and knowing also that Theseus was fourth in descent from Pelops.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Centaurs (Κένταυροι) other
Eurytion (Εὐρυτίων) person
Also in: 7.18.1
Theseus (Θησεύς) person
Caeneus (Καινεύς) person
Also in: 10.29.10
Lapiths (Λαπίθαι) person
Also in: 1.17.2 1.28.2
Pelops (Πέλοψ) person
Paeonius (Παιώνιος) person
Also in: 5.26.1
Peirithous (Πειρίθους) person
Pheidias (Φειδίας) person
Alcamenes (Ἀλκαμένης) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
Thrace (Θρᾴκη) place Q41741
Mende (Μένδη) place Q3305786
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