Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.23.4

← 7.23.3 7.23.5 →

Passage 7.23.4: Bolina, a maiden loved by Apollo who leapt into the sea and became immortal.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἀπωτέρω δὲ Ἀργυρᾶς ποταμός ἐστιν ὀνομαζόμενος Βολιναῖος, καὶ πόλις ποτὲ ᾠκεῖτο πρὸς αὐτῷ Βολίνα. παρθένου δὲ ἐρασθῆναι Βολίνης Ἀπόλλωνα, τὴν δὲ φεύγουσαν ἐς τὴν ταύτῃ φασὶν ἀφεῖναι θάλασσαν αὑτήν, καὶ ἀθάνατον γενέσθαι χάριτι τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος. ἐφεξῆς δὲ ἄκρα τε ἐς τὴν θάλασσαν ἔχει, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ λέγεται λόγος ὡς Κρόνος τῆς θαλάσσης ἐνταῦθα ἔρριψε τὸ δρέπανον, ᾧ τὸν πατέρα Οὐρανὸν ἐλυμήνατο· ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἄκραν Δρέπανον ὀνομάζουσιν. ὀλίγον δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν λεωφόρον Ῥυπῶν ἐστι τὰ ἐρείπια· σταδίους δὲ Αἴγιον περὶ τοὺς τριάκοντα ἀπέχει Ῥυπῶν.

English Translation

Further on is the river Argyra, also called Bolinaeus, and beside it once stood a city called Bolina. They say Apollo fell in love with Bolina, a maiden, and as she fled from him threw herself into the sea here, thereafter becoming immortal through Apollo's favor. Next there is a headland projecting into the sea, and the story is told about it that Kronos cast into the sea at this spot the sickle with which he mutilated his father, Ouranos; for this reason they also call the promontory Drepanon ("Sickle"). A short distance off the road lie the ruins of Rhypes. From Rhypes to Aigion the distance is about thirty stades.

Proper Nouns

Cronus (Κρόνος) deity
Uranus (Οὐρανός) deity
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Bolinaeus (Βολιναῖος) other
Boline (Βολίνη) person
Aigion (Αἴγιον) place Q60790078
Bolina (Βολίνα) place Q16944934
Drepanon (Δρέπανον) place Q95599097
Argyra (Ἀργυρά) place Q3561588
Also in: 7.18.6 7.23.1
Rypai (Ῥυπαί) place
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