Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.15.5

← 5.15.4 5.15.6 →

Passage 5.15.5: Altars at the horses' starting-place.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἰόντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἵππων ἔστι βωμός, ἐπίγραμμα δὲ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ Μοιραγέτα· δῆλα οὖν ἐστιν ἐπίκλησιν εἶναι Διὸς ὃς τὰ ἀνθρώπων οἶδεν, ὅσα διδόασιν αἱ Μοῖραι καὶ ὅσα μὴ πέπρωταί σφισι. πλησίον δὲ καὶ Μοιρῶν βωμός ἐστιν ἐπιμήκης, μετὰ δὲ αὐτὸν Ἑρμοῦ καὶ δύο ἐφεξῆς Διὸς Ὑψίστου· ἐν δὲ τῶν ἵππων τῇ ἀφέσει ἐν μὲν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ, τῆς ἀφέσεως κατὰ μέσον που μάλιστα, Ποσειδῶνος Ἱππίου καὶ Ἥρας εἰσὶν Ἱππίας βωμοί, πρὸς δὲ τῷ κίονι Διοσκούρων.

English Translation

As one goes toward the starting-place for the horses, there is an altar, inscribed with the title "Moiragetēs" (Leader of Fate). Clearly, this is an epithet of Zeus, who knows all things concerning mortals—both those that the Fates grant and those that have not been allotted to them. Nearby stands a long altar dedicated to the Fates; beyond it is one to Hermes and, in succession, two altars to Zeus Hypsistos (Highest). At the open area of the horses' starting-place, roughly in the midpoint of it, there are altars to Poseidon Hippios (Horse-God) and Hera Hippia, and by the pillar is an altar to the Dioskouroi.

Proper Nouns

Dioscuri (Διόσκουροι) deity
Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Zeus Hypsistos (Ζεύς Ὕψιστος) deity
Moiragetes (Μοιραγέτης) deity
Also in: 8.37.1
Moirai (Μοῖραι) deity
Poseidon Hippios (Ποσειδών Ἵππιος) deity
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) deity
Hera Hippia (Ἥρα Ἱππία) deity
← 5.15.4 5.15.6 →