Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.20.3

← 5.20.2 5.20.4 →

Passage 5.20.3: Relief carving of Asclepius and Hygieia, Ares with Agon, and Pluto with Dionysus and Persephone.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

κατὰ δὲ ἑκατέραν πλευρὰν τῇ μὲν Ἀσκληπιὸς καὶ τῶν Ἀσκληπιοῦ θυγατέρων Ὑγεία ἐστίν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ἄρης καὶ Ἀγὼν παρʼ αὐτόν, τῇ δὲ Πλούτων καὶ Διόνυσος Περσεφόνη τε καὶ Νύμφαι, σφαῖραν αὐτῶν ἡ ἑτέρα φέρουσα· ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ κλειδὶ ---ἔχει γὰρ δὴ ὁ Πλούτων κλεῖν---, λέγουσιν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ τὸν καλούμενον Ἅιδην κεκλεῖσθαί τε ὑπὸ τοῦ Πλούτωνος καὶ ὡς ἐπάνεισιν οὐδεὶς αὖθις ἐξ αὐτοῦ.

English Translation

On each side, there are figures carved: on one side, Asclepius together with Hygieia, one of the daughters of Asclepius, as well as Ares and beside him Agon (Contest); on the other side, Pluto, Dionysus, Persephone, and the Nymphs, one of whom carries a sphere. On Pluto's key—for indeed Pluto holds a key—they say that Hades (as the underworld is called) is locked by Pluto, and no one who enters it ever returns again.

Proper Nouns

Agon (Ἀγών) deity
Hades (Ἅιδης) deity Q41410
Ares (Ἄρης) deity Q40901
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity Q83223
Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity Q41680
Nymph (Νύμφη) deity
Persephone (Περσεφόνη) deity Q45967
Plouton (Πλούτων) deity Q41410
Hygeia (Ὑγεία) deity Q202257
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