Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.21.3

← 7.21.2 7.21.4 →

Passage 7.21.3: Oracle: Coresus must sacrifice Callirhoe to appease Dionysus.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τότε δὲ τὰ χρησθέντα ἐκ Δωδώνης Διονύσου μὲν ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸ μήνιμα, ἔσεσθαι δὲ οὐ πρότερον λύσιν πρὶν ἢ θύσῃ τῷ Διονύσῳ Κόρεσος ἢ αὐτὴν Καλλιρόην ἢ τὸν ἀποθανεῖν ἀντʼ ἐκείνης τολμήσαντα. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν ἐς σωτηρίαν εὑρίσκετο ἡ παρθένος, δεύτερα ἐπὶ τοὺς θρεψαμένους καταφεύγει· ἁμαρτάνουσα δὲ καὶ τούτων, ἐλείπετο οὐδὲν ἔτι ἢ αὐτὴν φονεύεσθαι.

English Translation

Then the oracle from Dodona pronounced that the wrath was Dionysus’, and that no remedy would come until Coresus sacrificed to Dionysus either Callirhoe herself or whoever would dare to die in her stead. Since no rescue could be found for the maiden, she next sought refuge with her foster parents. When she failed with them as well, nothing remained for her but death itself.

Proper Nouns

Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity
Callirhoe (Καλλιρόη) person
Koresos (Κόρεςος) person
Dodona (Δωδώνη) place Q382317
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