Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.37.11

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Passage 8.37.11: Sanctuary of Pan with an ever-burning fire and prophetic nymph Erato

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἀναβήσῃ διὰ κλίμακος ἐς ἱερὸν Πανός· πεποίηται δὲ καὶ στοὰ ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ἄγαλμα οὐ μέγα, θεῶν δὲ ὁμοίως τοῖς δυνατωτάτοις καὶ τούτῳ μέτεστι τῷ Πανὶ ἀνθρώπων τε εὐχὰς ἄγειν ἐς τέλος καὶ ὁποῖα ἔοικεν ἀποδοῦναι πονηροῖς. παρὰ τούτῳ τῷ Πανὶ πῦρ οὔ ποτε ἀποσβεννύμενον καίεται. λέγεται δὲ ὡς τὰ ἔτι παλαιότερα καὶ μαντεύοιτο οὗτος ὁ θεός, προφῆτιν δὲ Ἐρατὼ Νύμφην αὐτῷ γενέσθαι ταύτην ἣ Ἀρκάδι τῷ Καλλιστοῦς συνῴκησε·

English Translation

From here you ascend by a staircase to a sanctuary of Pan. A colonnade also leads into this sanctuary, and within it stands an image of no great size, yet this god shares equally with the mightiest deities the power of fulfilling human prayers and granting suitably deserved punishments upon wrongdoers. Beside this Pan a fire is kept burning that is never extinguished. It is said that in still earlier times this god gave oracles, and that the nymph Erato served him as prophetess—this same Erato who was married to Arcas, the son of Callisto.

Proper Nouns

Pan (Πάν) deity
Nymph (Νύμφη) other
Callisto (Καλλιστώ) person
Arcadian (Ἀρκάς) person
Erato (Ἐρατὼ) person
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