Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.22.4

← 8.22.3 8.22.5 →

Passage 8.22.4: Stymphalian man-eating birds and Heracles' slaying or driving them off.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ὕδατι τῷ ἐν Στυμφάλῳ κατέχει λόγος ὄρνιθάς ποτε ἀνδροφάγους ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τραφῆναι· ταύτας κατατοξεῦσαι τὰς ὄρνιθας Ἡρακλῆς λέγεται. Πείσανδρος δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Καμιρεὺς ἀποκτεῖναι τὰς ὄρνιθας οὔ φησιν, ἀλλὰ ὡς ψόφῳ κροτάλων ἐκδιώξειεν αὐτάς. γῆς δὲ τῆς Ἀράβων ἡ ἔρημος παρέχεται καὶ ἄλλα θηρία καὶ ὄρνιθας καλουμένας Στυμφαλίδας, λεόντων καὶ παρδάλεων οὐδέν τι ἡμερωτέρας ἀνθρώποις·

English Translation

Concerning the lake at Stymphalus, the story prevails that man-eating birds once were nourished there. Heracles, it is said, shot these birds down. Pisander of Camirus, however, denies that Heracles killed them, but states that he drove them away by the noise of rattles. Moreover, the Arabian desert also yields other creatures and birds called Stymphalian, which are no less savage towards humans than lions or leopards.

Proper Nouns

Stymphalides (Στυμφαλίδες) other
land (γῆ) other
Also in: 7.24.11
Kamireus (Καμίρευς) person
Peisander (Πείσανδρος) person
Also in: 2.37.4 3.3.8 3.9.6
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Stymphalos (Στύμφαλος) place Q2359730
Arabs (Ἄραβες) place Q35323
Also in: 9.21.5
← 8.22.3 8.22.5 →