Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.27.6

← 5.27.5 5.27.7 →

Passage 5.27.6: Magician's ritual ignites dry sticks without fire.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

ἐσελθὼν δὲ ἐς τὸ οἴκημα ἀνὴρ μάγος καὶ ξύλα ἐπιφορήσας αὖα ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν πρῶτα μὲν τιάραν ἐπέθετο ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ, δεύτερα δὲ ἐπίκλησιν ὅτου δὴ θεῶν ἐπᾴδει βάρβαρα καὶ οὐδαμῶς συνετὰ Ἕλλησιν· ἐπᾴδει δὲ ἐπιλεγόμενος ἐκ βιβλίου· ἄνευ τε δὴ πυρὸς ἀνάγκη πᾶσα ἁφθῆναι τὰ ξύλα καὶ περιφανῆ φλόγα ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκλάμψαι.

English Translation

Entering the chamber, a magician brought dry sticks and placed them upon the altar; first he put a tiara upon his head, and then began to chant invocations to one of the gods—in a barbarous tongue entirely unintelligible to Greeks. He recited the invocation, reading from a book; and immediately, without any fire, the sticks necessarily ignited, and a bright flame shone forth from them.

Proper Nouns

Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
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