Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.20.4

← 7.20.3 7.20.5 →

Passage 7.20.4: Apollo's association with cattle in Alcaeus and Homer.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

βουσὶ γὰρ χαίρειν μάλιστα Ἀπόλλωνα Ἀλκαῖός τε ἐδήλωσεν ἐν ὕμνῳ τῷ ἐς Ἑρμῆν, γράψας ὡς ὁ Ἑρμῆς βοῦς ὑφέλοιτο τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, καὶ ἔτι πρότερον ἢ Ἀλκαῖον γενέσθαι πεποιημένα ἦν Ὁμήρῳ βοῦς Ἀπόλλωνα Λαομέδοντος ἐπὶ μισθῷ νέμειν· Ποσειδῶνι περιέθηκεν ἐν Ἰλιάδι τὰ ἔπη,

English Translation

That Apollo delights especially in cattle was stated clearly by Alcaeus in his hymn to Hermes, where he writes that Hermes stole Apollo's cattle. And even earlier than Alcaeus' time, Homer had composed that Apollo herded the cattle of Laomedon as payment, though in the Iliad he attributes these verses to Poseidon.

Proper Nouns

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) deity
Iliad (Ἰλιάς) other
Laomedon (Λαομέδων) person
Also in: 2.24.3 8.36.6
Alcaeus (Ἀλκαῖος) person
Also in: 8.14.2 10.8.10
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
← 7.20.3 7.20.5 →