Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.23.3

← 6.23.2 6.23.4 →

Passage 6.23.3: Achilles' empty tomb and the Elean women's annual mourning rites.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ θεῶν ἐν τῷ γυμνασίῳ βωμοί, Ἡρακλέους τοῦ Ἰδαίου, Παραστάτου δὲ ἐπίκλησιν, καὶ Ἔρωτος καὶ ὃν Ἠλεῖοι καὶ Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ ταὐτὰ Ἠλείοις Ἀντέρωτα ὀνομάζουσι, Δήμητρός τε καὶ τῆς παιδός. Ἀχιλλεῖ δὲ οὐ βωμός, κενὸν δέ ἐστιν αὐτῷ μνῆμα ἐκ μαντείας· τῆς πανηγύρεως δὲ ἀρχομένης ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ῥητῇ περὶ ἀποκλίνοντα ἐς δυσμὰς τοῦ ἡλίου τὸν δρόμον αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ Ἠλεῖαι ἄλλα τε τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως δρῶσιν ἐς τιμὴν καὶ κόπτεσθαι νομίζουσιν αὐτόν.

English Translation

In the gymnasium there are also altars to gods: one to Heracles of Ida, surnamed Parastates ("He who stands beside"), and others to Eros and to the deity whom both Eleans and Athenians alike call Anteros. There are also altars to Demeter and her daughter. For Achilles, however, there is no altar; instead, there is an empty tomb erected for him, following an oracle. On a designated day at the commencement of the festival, when the sun is setting towards the west, the Elean women perform certain rites in honor of Achilles and customarily lament him.

Proper Nouns

Demeter (Δήμητρα) deity
Parastatos (Παραστάτης) deity
Also in: 5.14.7
Anteros (Ἀντέρως) deity
Also in: 1.30.1 6.23.5
Eros (Ἔρως) deity
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) deity
Idaean (Ἰδαῖος) other
Also in: 5.7.9 6.21.6
Athenian (Ἀθηναῖος) person
Achilles (Ἀχιλλεύς) person
Eleian women (Ἠλεῖα) person
Eleians (Ἠλεῖος) person
← 6.23.2 6.23.4 →