Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.13.9

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Passage 6.13.9: Pheidolas's horse Aura wins a race despite the rider's fall and is honored with a statue.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἡ δὲ ἵππος ἡ τοῦ Κορινθίου Φειδώλα ὄνομα μέν, ὡς οἱ Κορίνθιοι μνημονεύουσιν, ἔχει Αὔρα, τὸν δὲ ἀναβάτην ἔτι ἀρχομένου τοῦ δρόμου συνέπεσεν ἀποβαλεῖν αὐτήν· καὶ οὐδέν τι ἧσσον θέουσα ἐν κόσμῳ περί τε τὴν νύσσαν ἐπέστρεφε, καὶ ἐπεὶ τῆς σάλπιγγος ἤκουσεν, ἐπετάχυνεν ἐς πλέον τὸν δρόμον, φθάνει τε δὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἑλλανοδίκας ἀφικομένη καὶ νικῶσα ἔγνω καὶ παύεται τοῦ δρόμου. Ἠλεῖοι δὲ ἀνηγόρευσαν ἐπὶ τῇ νίκῃ τὸν Φειδώλαν καὶ ἀναθεῖναί οἱ τὴν ἵππον ταύτην ἐφιᾶσιν.

English Translation

The horse of the Corinthian Pheidolas, as the Corinthians recall, had the name Aura ("Breeze"). Just as the race began, it happened that her rider fell off. Nevertheless, she continued running skillfully, made the turn around the post in good order, and, when she heard the trumpet, quickened her pace even more. She arrived first before the judges of the Greeks, appeared to be victorious, and then stopped her race. The Eleans proclaimed Pheidolas the victor and permitted him to dedicate a statue of this horse.

Proper Nouns

Aura (Αὔρα) other
Corinthians (Κορίνθιος) person
Pheidolas (Φειδώλας) person
Also in: 6.13.10
Hellanodikai (Ἑλλανοδίκης) person
Eleians (Ἠλεῖος) person
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