Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.22.7

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Passage 6.22.7: The Ionides Nymphs' healing spring and sanctuary at Herakleia.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἀπέχει δὲ ὡς πεντήκοντα Ὀλυμπίας σταδίους κώμη τε Ἠλείων Ἡράκλεια καὶ πρὸς αὐτῇ Κύθηρος ποταμός· πηγὴ δὲ ἐκδιδοῦσα ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ νυμφῶν ἐστιν ἱερὸν ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ. ὀνόματα δὲ ἰδίᾳ μὲν ἑκάστῃ τῶν νυμφῶν Καλλιφάεια καὶ Συνάλλασις καὶ Πηγαία τε καὶ Ἴασις, ἐν κοινῷ δέ σφισιν ἐπίκλησις Ἰωνίδες. λουομένοις δὲ ἐν τῇ πηγῇ καμάτων τέ ἐστι καὶ ἀλγημάτων παντοίων ἰάματα· καλεῖσθαι δὲ τὰς νύμφας ἀπὸ Ἴωνος λέγουσι τοῦ Γαργηττοῦ, μετοικήσαντος ἐνταῦθα ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν.

English Translation

About fifty stadia from Olympia is Herakleia, a village of the Eleans, and beside it flows the river Kytheros. There is a spring issuing into the river, and at the spring a sanctuary of the Nymphs. Each one of the Nymphs is individually named, Kalliphaeia, Synallasis, Pegaia, and Iasis, but collectively they are called Ionides. Bathing in the spring provides healing from weariness and all sorts of pains. They say that the Nymphs take their name from Ion, the son of Gargettos, who migrated here from Athens.

Proper Nouns

Calliphaea (Καλλιφάεια) deity
Pegaia (Πηγαία) deity
Synallasis (Συνάλλασις) deity
Ionides (Ἰωνίδες) deity
Iasis (Ἴασις) deity
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) other
Ion (Ἴων) person
Gargettus (Γαργήττης) place Q12874917
Kytheros (Κύθηρος) place Q211852
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
Heraclea (Ἡράκλεια) place
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
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