Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.25.10

← 7.25.9 7.25.11 →

Passage 7.25.10: Oracular statue of Heracles Buraïkos at Boura

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

καταβάντων δὲ ἐκ Βούρας ὡς ἐπὶ θάλασσαν ποταμός τε Βουραϊκὸς ὀνομαζόμενος καὶ Ἡρακλῆς οὐ μέγας ἐστὶν ἐν σπηλαίῳ· ἐπίκλησις μὲν καὶ τούτου Βουραϊκός, μαντείας δὲ ἐπὶ πίνακί τε καὶ ἀστραγάλοις ἔστι λαβεῖν . εὔχεται μὲν γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ ἀγάλματος ὁ τῷ θεῷ χρώμενος, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ εὐχῇ λαβὼν ἀστραγάλους ---οἱ δὲ ἄφθονοι παρὰ τῷ Ἡρακλεῖ κεῖνται---τέσσαρας ἀφίησιν ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης· ἐπὶ δὲ παντὶ ἀστραγάλου σχήματι γεγραμμένα ἐν πίνακι ἐπίτηδες ἐξήγησιν ἔχει τοῦ σχήματος.

English Translation

When one descends from Boura toward the sea, there is a river called the Bouraïkos, and close by it a small statue of Heracles located within a cave. This Heracles is also surnamed Buraïkos, and here one can receive oracular answers by means of a tablet and dice. The person consulting the god first prays before the statue, and after prayer takes up four dice—an abundant supply of these lies ready beside Heracles—and casts them upon a table. For each combination turning up on the dice, there is set forth upon a special tablet the interpretation of that particular form.

Proper Nouns

Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) deity
Buraikos (Βουραϊκός) place Q1871901
Boura (Βοῦρα) place Q3555318
← 7.25.9 7.25.11 →