Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.10.9

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Passage 5.10.9: Depictions of Heracles' Labors at Olympia

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ καὶ Ἡρακλέους τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἔργων. ὑπὲρ μὲν τοῦ ναοῦ πεποίηται τῶν θυρῶν ἡ ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας ἄγρα τοῦ ὑὸς καὶ τὰ πρὸς Διομήδην τὸν Θρᾷκα καὶ ἐν Ἐρυθείᾳ πρὸς Γηρυόνην, καὶ Ἄτλαντός τε τὸ φόρημα ἐκδέχεσθαι μέλλων καὶ τῆς κόπρου καθαίρων τὴν γῆν ἐστιν Ἠλείοις· ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ ὀπισθοδόμου τῶν θυρῶν ὁ τοῦ ζωστῆρος τὴν Ἀμαζόνα ἐστὶν ἀφαιρούμενος καὶ τὰ ἐς τὴν ἔλαφον καὶ τὸν ἐν Κνωσσῷ ταῦρον καὶ ὄρνιθας τὰς ἐπὶ Στυμφήλῳ καὶ ἐς ὕδραν τε καὶ τὸν ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ Ἀργείᾳ λέοντα.

English Translation

At Olympia also are depicted many of the Labors of Heracles. Above the doors of the temple is represented the hunting of the boar from Arcadia, the deed concerning Diomedes the Thracian, and the encounter on Erytheia with Geryon; there is Atlas about to transfer his burden onto Heracles' shoulders, and Heracles cleansing the land of Elis from the dung. Above the doors of the opisthodomos he is depicted taking the girdle away from the Amazon, the deed involving the hind, the bull in Knossos, the birds of Lake Stymphalus, and also those labors concerning the Hydra and the lion in the Argive territory.

Proper Nouns

Geryon (Γηρυονής) person
Diomedes (Διομήδης) person
Thracian (Θρᾷξ) person
Amazon (Ἀμαζών) person
Also in: 1.2.1 5.25.11
Atlas (Ἄτλας) person
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Knossos (Κνωσός) place Q173527 Pleiades
Stymphalos (Στύμφαλος) place Q2359730
Argolis (Ἀργεία) place Q12649101
Arcadia (Ἀρκαδία) place Q12898802
Erytheia (Ἐρύθεια) place Q1363689
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
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