Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.17.2

← 8.17.1 8.17.3 →

Passage 8.17.2: The juniper-wood statue of Hermes at Cyllene, roughly eight feet tall.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

τοῖς δὲ ἀνθρώποις τὸ ἀρχαῖον, ὁπόσα καὶ ἡμεῖς καταμαθεῖν ἐδυνήθημεν, τοσάδε ἦν ἀφʼ ὧν τὰ ξόανα ἐποιοῦντο, ἔβενος, κυπάρισσος, αἱ κέδροι, τὰ δρύινα, ἡ μῖλαξ, ὁ λωτός· τῷ δὲ Ἑρμῇ τῷ Κυλληνίῳ τούτων μὲν ἀπὸ οὐδενός, θύου δὲ πεποιημένον τὸ ἄγαλμά ἐστιν, ὀκτὼ δὲ εἶναι ποδῶν μάλιστα αὐτὸ εἰκάζομεν.

English Translation

In ancient times, as far as we have been able to ascertain, men used the following materials for making wooden statues: ebony, cypress, cedar, oak, yew, and lotus. The image of Hermes of Cyllene, however, is made from none of these, but from juniper wood; we estimate the statue to be approximately eight feet tall.

Proper Nouns

Kyllenios (of Kyllene) (Κυλλήνιος) deity
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) deity
← 8.17.1 8.17.3 →