Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.14.5

← 5.14.4 5.14.6 →

Passage 5.14.5: Pheidias' descendants sacrifice to Athena Ergane before cleansing the statue of Zeus.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τέταρτα καὶ πέμπτα Ἀρτέμιδι θύουσι καὶ Ληίτιδι Ἀθηνᾷ, ἕκτα Ἐργάνῃ· ταύτῃ τῇ Ἐργάνῃ καὶ οἱ ἀπόγονοι Φειδίου, καλούμενοι δὲ φαιδρυνταί, γέρας παρὰ Ἠλείων εἰληφότες τοῦ Διὸς τὸ ἄγαλμα ἀπὸ τῶν προσιζανόντων καθαίρειν, οὗτοι θύουσιν ἐνταῦθα πρὶν ἢ λαμπρύνειν τὸ ἄγαλμα ἄρχονται. ἔστι δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ ἄλλος βωμὸς πλησίον τοῦ ναοῦ, καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος παρʼ αὐτὸν τετράγωνος ἀνήκων ἠρέμα ἐς ὕψος.

English Translation

On the fourth and fifth days they sacrifice to Artemis and to Athena surnamed Leitis, and on the sixth to Athena Ergane. It is Athena Ergane to whom the descendants of Pheidias—called the Phaidryntai—offer sacrifice here before they begin to clean the statue of Zeus, having received from the Eleans the privilege of cleansing the statue from any impurities that have settled upon it. There is also another altar of Athena near the temple, and beside it is a square altar of Artemis, gently rising upwards.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Leitis (Ληΐτις) deity
Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Artemis (Ἄρτεμις) deity
Ergane (Ἐργάνη) deity
Pheidias (Φειδίας) person
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) person
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