Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.17.9

← 5.17.8 5.17.10 →

Passage 5.17.9: Contest honoring Pelias depicted beside Amphiaraus' house.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

μετὰ δὲ τοῦ Ἀμφιαράου τὴν οἰκίαν ἔστιν ἀγὼν ὁ ἐπὶ Πελίᾳ καὶ οἱ θεώμενοι τοὺς ἀγωνιστάς. πεποίηται δὲ Ἡρακλῆς ἐν θρόνῳ καθήμενος καὶ ὄπισθεν γυνὴ αὐτοῦ· ταύτης τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπίγραμμα μὲν ἄπεστιν ἥτις ἐστί, Φρυγίοις δὲ αὐλεῖ καὶ οὐχ Ἑλληνικοῖς αὐλοῖς. ἡνιοχοῦντες δὲ συνωρίδα Πῖσός ἐστιν ὁ Περιήρους καὶ Ἀστερίων Κομήτου, πλεῦσαι καὶ οὗτος λεγόμενος ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀργοῦς, καὶ Πολυδεύκης τε καὶ Ἄδμητος, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτοῖς Εὔφημος, Ποσειδῶνός τε ὢν κατὰ τὸν τῶν ποιητῶν λόγον καὶ Ἰάσονι ἐς Κόλχους τοῦ πλοῦ μετεσχηκώς· οὗτος δὲ καὶ τῇ συνωρίδι ὁ νικῶν ἐστιν.

English Translation

Next to the house of Amphiaraus is depicted the contest held in honor of Pelias, along with spectators watching the competitors. Heracles is portrayed seated on a throne, and behind him stands a woman. No inscription identifies this woman, but she is shown playing upon Phrygian rather than Greek flutes. Driving two-horse chariots are Piso, son of Perieres, and Asterion, son of Cometes, who is also said to have sailed aboard the Argo; alongside them are Polydeuces and Admetus, and above them is Euphemus, who, according to the poets, was a son of Poseidon and shared in Jason's voyage to Colchis. Indeed, this Euphemus appears as the victor with the pair of horses.

Proper Nouns

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Phrygians (Φρύγιοι) other
Argo (Ἀργώ) other
Euphemus (Εὔφημος) person
Also in: 1.23.5
Pelias (Πελίας) person
Perieres (Περιήρης) person
Polydeuces (Πολυδεύκης) person
Pisos (Πῖσος) person
Amphiaraos (Ἀμφιάραος) person
Asterion son of Cometes (Ἀστερίων Κομήτης) person
Admetus (Ἄδμητος) person
Also in: 3.18.16 5.17.10
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Jason (Ἰάσων) person
Colchians (Κόλχοι) place Q2066979
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