Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.14.7

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Passage 8.14.7: Doubt about Odysseus' bronze statue dedication at Pheneus.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὰ μὲν δὴ ἄλλα ἑπομένοις ἡμῖν τῷ Φενεατῶν λόγῳ εἰκὸς προσέσται, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα Ὀδυσσέα ἀναθεῖναι τὸ χαλκοῦν οὐκ ἔχω πείθεσθαί σφισιν· οὐ γάρ πω τότε τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὰ ἀγάλματα διὰ παντὸς ἠπίσταντο ἐργάσασθαι καθάπερ ἐσθῆτα ἐξυφαίνοντες. τρόπον δὲ ὅστις ἦν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὰ χαλκᾶ ἐργασίας, ἔδειξεν ἤδη μοι τοῦ ἐς Σπαρτιάτας λόγου τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀγάλματος τοῦ Ὑπάτου Διός.

English Translation

Now all the rest of the account provided by the people of Pheneus is likely believable to those who follow my narrative; but I cannot accept their assertion about the dedication of a bronze statue by Odysseus. For at that time they did not yet possess comprehensive skill in making statues of bronze, as one might weave clothing. The method of bronze-work available to them at that period I have already pointed out in my discussion of Sparta concerning the statue of Zeus Hypatos.

Proper Nouns

Hypatus Zeus (Ὑπατος Ζεύς) deity
Spartiates (Σπαρτιάται) person
Odysseus (Ὀδυσσεύς) person
Pheneatae (Φενεαταί) place
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