Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.32.1

← 8.31.9 8.32.2 →

Passage 8.32.1: The largest theater in Greece, featuring a perpetual spring.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τοσάδε ἐνταῦθα ἀξιόχρεα ἦν· ἡ δὲ ἐπέκεινα τοῦ ποταμοῦ μοῖρα ἡ κατὰ μεσημβρίαν παρείχετο ἐς μνήμην θέατρον μέγιστον τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἑλλάδι· ἐν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἀέναός ἐστιν ὕδατος πηγή. τοῦ θεάτρου δὲ οὐ πόρρω λείπεται τοῦ βουλευτηρίου θεμέλια, ὃ τοῖς μυρίοις ἐπεποίητο Ἀρκάδων· ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀναθέντος Θερσίλιον. πλησίον δὲ οἰκίαν, ἰδιώτου κατʼ ἐμὲ κτῆμα ἀνδρός, ὃ Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τῷ Φιλίππου τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐποίησαν· ἔστι δὲ ἄγαλμα Ἄμμωνος πρὸς τῇ οἰκίᾳ, τοῖς τετραγώνοις Ἑρμαῖς εἰκασμένον, κέρατα ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔχον κριοῦ.

English Translation

These noteworthy sights were there. Beyond the river, in the southern district, lay what was considered the largest theater in all of Greece; within its precinct stands a perpetual spring of water. Not far from the theater remain the foundations of the Council-house, constructed for the Ten Thousand Arcadians, and named Thersilion after its founder. Nearby, there is a house, privately owned in my day, originally built for Alexander, the son of Philip. Beside this dwelling stands a statue of Ammon, resembling the square Herm figures, bearing upon its head the horns of a ram.

Proper Nouns

Ammon (Ἄμμων) deity
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) deity
Thersilios (Θερσίλιος) person
Philip (Φίλιππος) person
Ten Thousand (Myrioi) (μύριοι) person
Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος) person
Arcadians (Ἀρκάδες) person
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
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