Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.36.6

← 8.36.5 8.36.7 →

Passage 8.36.6: Boreas precinct, Oicles' tomb, and the female-only Demeter sanctuary in the Marsh

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

πεποίηται δὲ ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ Βορέᾳ τῷ ἀνέμῳ τέμενος, καί οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται θυσίας θύουσιν ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος καὶ θεῶν οὐδενὸς Βορέαν ὕστερον ἄγουσιν ἐν τιμῇ, ἅτε σωτῆρα γενόμενόν σφισιν ἀπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων τε καὶ Ἄγιδος. ἑξῆς δὲ Ὀικλέους τοῦ Ἀμφιαράου πατρὸς μνῆμά ἐστιν, εἴ γε δὴ ἐπέλαβεν αὐτὸν τὸ χρεὼν ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ καὶ μὴ τῆς ἐπὶ Λαομέδοντα Ἡρακλεῖ στρατείας μετασχόντα. μετὰ τοῦτό ἐστι Δήμητρος καλουμένης ἐν ἕλει ναός τε καὶ ἄλσος· τοῦτο σταδίοις πέντε ἀπωτέρω τῆς πόλεως, γυναιξὶ δὲ ἐς αὐτὸ ἔσοδός ἐστι μόναις.

English Translation

On the right side of the road, there is a precinct sacred to the wind Boreas, and the Megalopolitans offer sacrifices to him every year, granting Boreas honors second to none among the gods, for he became their savior from the Lacedaemonians and from King Agis. Next follows the tomb of Oicles, the father of Amphiaraus—provided that fate indeed overtook him in Arcadia, and that he did not join Heracles in the expedition against Laomedon. Beyond this is a temple and a grove sacred to the so-called Demeter in the Marsh, located five stades away from the city, and entrance into this sanctuary is permitted solely to women.

Proper Nouns

Boreas (Βορέας) deity Q109220
Demeter (Δήμητρα) deity
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Laomedon (Λαομέδων) person
Also in: 2.24.3 7.20.4
Megalopolitans (Μεγαλοπολῖται) person
Oicles (Οἰκελεύς) person
Amphiaraos (Ἀμφιάραος) person
Agis (Ἄγις) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Arcadia (Ἀρκαδία) place Q12898802
← 8.36.5 8.36.7 →