Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.7.1

← 5.6.8 5.7.2 →

Passage 5.7.1: The Alpheios river and its tributaries at Olympia.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἀφικομένῳ δὲ ἐς Ὀλυμπίαν ἐνταῦθα ἤδη τὸ ὕδωρ ἐστὶ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ πλήθει τε πολὺ ἰδόντι καὶ ἥδιστον, ἅτε ποταμῶν καὶ ἄλλων καὶ λόγου μάλιστα ἀξίων ἑπτὰ ἐς αὐτὸν ῥεόντων. διὰ Μεγάλης μέν γε πόλεως Ἑλισσὼν ἐρχόμενος ἐκδίδωσιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν, Βρενθεάτης δὲ ἐκ τῆς Μεγαλοπολιτῶν γῆς, παρὰ δὲ Γόρτυναν ἔνθα ἱερὸν Ἀσκληπιοῦ, παρὰ δὴ ταῦτα Γορτύνιος ῥέων, ἐκ δὲ Μελαινεῶν Βουφάγος τῆς Μεγαλοπολίτιδος μεταξὺ καὶ Ἡραιίτιδος χώρας, ἐκ δὲ τῆς Κλειτορίων Λάδων, ἐκ δὲ Ἐρυμάνθου τοῦ ὄρους ὁμώνυμος τῷ ὄρει. οὗτοι μὲν ἐξ Ἀρκαδίας κατίασιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειόν, Κλάδεος δὲ ἐρχόμενος ἐκ τῆς Ἠλείας συμμίσγει οἱ τὸ ῥεῦμα· αὐτῷ δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀρκάδων τῷ Ἀλφειῷ καὶ οὐχὶ ἐκ τῆς Ἠλείας εἰσὶν αἱ πηγαί.

English Translation

Upon arriving at Olympia, you find here that the water of the Alpheios is already abundant and very pleasant to look upon, being especially sweet because seven rivers flow into it, rivers remarkable among others and particularly worthy of mention. The Helisson flows through Megalopolis and empties into the Alpheios; the Brentheates comes from the territory of the Megalopolitans; the Gortynios river passes near Gortys, where the sanctuary of Asclepius is; the Bouphagos river rises from Melaineai, located between the Megalopolitan and Heraean lands; the Ladon flows from the district of Kleitor; and the Erymanthus, flowing from the mountain of the same name. All these rivers descend from Arcadia into the Alpheios, while the Cladeus, flowing from Elis, mingles its stream with it. The sources of the Alpheios itself are in Arcadian territory, not in Elis.

Proper Nouns

Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity Q83223
Arcadians (Ἀρκάδες) person
Megalopolitans (Μεγαλοπολῖται) person
Alpheios (Ἀλφειός) place Q941745
Bouphagos (Βουφάγος) place Q15135777
Also in: 8.27.17
Brentheates (Βρενθεάτης) place Q34400347
Gortyna (Γόρτυνα) place Q1538431
Gortynios (Γορτύνιος) place Q12875453
Also in: 8.28.2 8.28.3
Elisson (Ἑλισσών) place Q3723337
Erymanthus (Ἐρύμανθος) place Q1363703
Elis (Ἤλις) place Q217667
Heraïtid (region of Heraia) (Ἡραιίτις) place
Cladeus (Κλάδεος) place Q647970
Kleitoriai (region of Kleitor) (Κλειτορίαι) place
Ladon (Λάδων) place Q1462727
Megalopolis (Μεγάλη πόλις) place Q36024972
Megalopolitan territory (Μεγαλοπολίτις) place
Melaineai (Μελαινεαί) place Q125418965
Also in: 8.3.3 8.26.8
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
← 5.6.8 5.7.2 →