Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.25.1

← 6.24.10 6.25.2 →

Passage 6.25.1: Temple and precinct of Aphrodite with statues by Phidias (Urania) and Scopas (Pandemos).

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ τῆς στοᾶς ὀπίσω τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λαφύρων τῶν ἐκ Κορκύρας Ἀφροδίτης ναός, τὸ δὲ ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ τέμενος οὐ πολὺ ἀφεστηκὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ ναοῦ. καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐν τῷ ναῷ καλοῦσιν Οὐρανίαν, ἐλέφαντος δέ ἐστι καὶ χρυσοῦ, τέχνη Φειδίου , τῷ δὲ ἑτέρῳ ποδὶ ἐπὶ χελώνης βέβηκε· τῆς δὲ περιέχεται μὲν τὸ τέμενος θριγκῷ, κρηπὶς δὲ ἐντὸς τοῦ τεμένους πεποίηται καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ κρηπῖδι ἄγαλμα Ἀφροδίτης χαλκοῦν ἐπὶ τράγῳ κάθηται χαλκῷ· Σκόπα τοῦτο ἔργον, Ἀφροδίτην δὲ Πάνδημον ὀνομάζουσι. τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ χελώνῃ τε καὶ ἐς τὸν τράγον παρίημι τοῖς θέλουσιν εἰκάζειν.

English Translation

Behind the colonnade built from the spoils taken from Corcyra stands a temple of Aphrodite, with an open-air precinct situated not far from the temple itself. The Aphrodite within the temple is called Urania, made of ivory and gold, a work of Pheidias. She is depicted with one foot resting upon a tortoise. The precinct is surrounded by a low wall; within it there is a platform, upon which a bronze statue of Aphrodite is seated, riding upon a bronze goat. This is a work of Scopas, and they call this Aphrodite "Pandemos." As for the significance of the tortoise and the goat, I leave it to those who wish to speculate on these matters.

Proper Nouns

Ourania (Οὐρανία) deity
Pandemos (Πάνδημος) deity
Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη) deity
Skopas (Σκόπας) person
Pheidias (Φειδίας) person
Corcyra (Κέρκυρα) place Q3693378
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