Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.21.13

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Passage 7.21.13: Truth-revealing spring by the Cyanean rocks (oracle of Apollo Thyrxeus)

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τούτῳ μὲν τῷ ὕδατι ἐς τοσοῦτο μέτεστιν ἀληθείας, Κυανεῶν δὲ τῶν πρὸς Λυκίᾳ πλησιαίτατα χρηστήριον Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστι Θυρξέως· παρέχεται δὲ ὕδωρ τὸ πρὸς ταῖς Κυανέαις ἔσω ἐνιδόντα τινὰ ἐς τὴν πηγὴν ὁμοίως πάντα ὁπόσα θέλει θεάσασθαι. ἐν Πάτραις δὲ πρὸς τῷ ἄλσει καὶ ἱερὰ δύο ἐστὶ Σαράπιδος· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ πεποίηται μνῆμα Αἰγύπτου τοῦ Βήλου. φυγεῖν δὲ ἐς τὴν Ἀρόην οἱ Πατρεῖς φασιν αὐτὸν τοῖς τε ἐς τοὺς παῖδας παθήμασι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτὸ πεφρικότα τοῦ Ἄργους καὶ ἐς πλέον τοῦ Δαναοῦ δείματι.

English Translation

This water has such an extraordinary reputation for truthfulness. And of the Cyanian rocks nearest to Lycia is found an oracle of Apollo Thyrxeus. Beside these Cyanean rocks there is water which, when someone gazes into its spring, clearly reveals to him all that he desires to see. In Patrae near the grove there are two sanctuaries dedicated to Sarapis; and in one of them, there is a monument to Aegyptus the son of Belus. The people of Patrae say that it was to Aroe that he fled, revolted both by the sufferings he had endured through his children and horrified by the very name "Argos," and even more deeply possessed by fear of Danaus.

Proper Nouns

Sarapis (Σάραπις) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Patreans (Πατρεῖς) other
Aigyptos (Αἴγυπτος) person Q21296336
Belos (Belus) (Βῆλος) person
Danaus (Δαναός) person
Thyrxeus (or Thyrxis) (Θύρξις) person
Kyaneai (Κυάνεια) place Q1762663
Lycia (Λυκία) place Q18927
Patrae (Πάτραι) place Q56398976
Aroe (Ἀρόη) place Q12874112
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
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