Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.25.3

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Passage 5.25.3: A perilous strait between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

οἵ τε γὰρ ἄνεμοι ταράσσουσιν αὐτὴν ἀμφοτέρωθεν τὸ κῦμα ἐπάγοντες ἐκ τοῦ Ἀδρίου καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρου πελάγους ὃ καλεῖται Τυρσηνόν, ἤν τε καὶ ἀνέμων ἀπῇ πνεύματα, ὁ δὲ καὶ τηνικαῦτα ὁ πορθμὸς κίνησιν βιαιοτάτην αὐτὸς ἐξ αὑτοῦ καὶ ἰσχυρὰς παρέχεται παλιρροίας· θηρία τε τοσαῦτα ἐς αὐτὸν τὰ ἀθροιζόμενά ἐστιν, ὡς καὶ τὸν ἀέρα τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θαλάσσης ταύτης ἀναπίμπλασθαι τῶν θηρίων τῆς ὀσμῆς, ὡς σωτηρίας γε ἐκ τοῦ πορθμοῦ μηδὲ ἐλπίδος τι ὑπολείπεσθαι ναυαγῷ. εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα συνέπεσε καὶ Ὀδυσσεῖ διαφθαρῆναι τὴν ναῦν, ἄλλως μὲν οὐκ ἄν τις πείθοιτο ἐκνήξασθαι ζῶντα ἐς τὴν Ἰταλίαν αὐτόν· τὸ δὲ ἐκ τῶν θεῶν εὐμενὲς ἐπὶ παντὶ ἐργάζεται ῥᾳστώνην.

English Translation

For the winds disturb this sea from both sides, driving waves upon it from the Adriatic and from the other sea called Tyrrhenian. Even when the winds cease to blow, the strait itself still violently fluctuates and produces powerful tidal currents from its own nature. Moreover, such great numbers of monstrous creatures gather there that even the air above the sea becomes heavy with their odor, leaving no hope whatsoever for survival to any shipwrecked sailor. If it happened that Odysseus' ship was destroyed there, under normal circumstances no one would be convinced that he could swim alive to Italy. But the favor of the gods makes every task effortless.

Proper Nouns

Odysseus (Ὀδυσσεύς) person
Tyrrhenian (the Tyrrhenian Sea) (Τυρσηνόν) place
Adrias (the Adriatic) (Ἀδρίας) place Q13924 Pleiades
Also in: 8.54.3
Italy (Ἰταλία) place Q913582
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