Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.7.6

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Passage 5.7.6: The temple of Cronus at Olympia

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ἔχει τρόπον τὸν εἰρημένον· ἐς δὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν Ὀλυμπικὸν λέγουσιν Ἠλείων οἱ τὰ ἀρχαιότατα μνημονεύοντες Κρόνον τὴν ἐν οὐρανῷ σχεῖν βασιλείαν πρῶτον καὶ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ ποιηθῆναι Κρόνῳ ναὸν ὑπὸ τῶν τότε ἀνθρώπων, οἳ ὠνομάζοντο χρυσοῦν γένος· Διὸς δὲ τεχθέντος ἐπιτρέψαι Ῥέαν τοῦ παιδὸς τὴν φρουρὰν τοῖς Ἰδαίοις Δακτύλοις, καλουμένοις δὲ τοῖς αὐτοῖς τούτοις καὶ Κούρησιν· ἀφικέσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐξ Ἴδης τῆς Κρητικῆς, πρὸς Ἡρακλέα καὶ Παιωναῖον καὶ Ἐπιμήδην καὶ Ἰάσιόν τε καὶ Ἴδαν·

English Translation

These matters then stand as I have described. Concerning the Olympic games, those Eleans who are most versed in ancient traditions say that Cronus was the first to hold sovereignty in heaven, and that a temple to Cronus was erected at Olympia by the men of that age, who were called the Golden Race. When Zeus was born, Rhea entrusted the child's protection to the Idaean Dactyls, who are also called Curetes. They came from Ida in Crete, and their names were Heracles, Paeonaeus, Epimedes, Iasius, and Idas.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Cronus (Κρόνος) deity
Uranus (Οὐρανός) deity
Rhea (Ῥέα) deity
Curetes (Κούρες) person
Paionaios (Παιωναῖος) person
Also in: 5.14.7
Epimedes (Ἐπιμήδης) person
Also in: 5.14.7
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Iasion (Ἰάσιός) person
Idaean Dactyls (Ἰδαῖοι Δάκτυλοι) person
Also in: 9.27.8
Idas (Ἴδας) person
Crete (Κρήτη) place Q34374 Pleiades
Ida (Ἴδη) place Q83659
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
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