Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.32.3

← 8.32.2 8.32.4 →

Passage 8.32.3: Stadium beside sanctuaries of Dionysus, Aphrodite, Ares, Heracles and Hermes

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἀπέχει δὲ οὐ πολὺ Ἄρεως βωμός, ἐλέγετο δὲ ὡς καὶ ἱερὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ᾠκοδομήθη τῷ θεῷ. πεποίηται δὲ καὶ στάδιον ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἀφροδίτης τῇ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ θέατρον καθῆκον---καὶ κρήνη σφίσιν ἐστὶν αὐτόθι, ἣν ἱερὰν Διονύσου νομίζουσι---, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἕτερον τοῦ σταδίου πέρας Διονύσου ναὸς ἐλέγετο ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κεραυνωθῆναι γενεαῖς δύο ἐμοῦ πρότερον, καὶ ἐρείπια οὐ πολλὰ ἔτι ἐς ἐμὲ ἦν αὐτοῦ. Ἡρακλέους δὲ κοινὸς καὶ Ἑρμοῦ πρὸς τῷ σταδίῳ ναὸς μὲν οὐκέτι ἦν, μόνος δέ σφισι βωμὸς ἐλείπετο.

English Translation

Not far away is an altar of Ares, and it was said that originally a temple to the god had also been built there. Above the sanctuary of Aphrodite there is a stadium, one side of which extends toward the theater. At this place there is also a spring, which they regard as sacred to Dionysus. At the opposite end of the stadium stood a temple of Dionysus, said to have been struck by lightning sent by the god two generations before my time, and only a few limited ruins remained even in my day. Near the stadium once stood a joint temple of Heracles and Hermes, but it no longer existed; only an altar remained for them.

Proper Nouns

Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity
Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη) deity
Ares (Ἄρης) deity
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) deity
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
← 8.32.2 8.32.4 →