Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.39.2

← 8.39.1 8.39.3 →

Passage 8.39.2: Phigalos, founder of Phigalia; name changes and disputed origins.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὰ δὲ ἐς τὸν Λυκάονος Φίγαλον---οὗτος γὰρ δὴ τῇ πόλει τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγένετο οἰκιστής---καὶ ὡς μετέβαλεν ἀνὰ χρόνον ἀπὸ Φιάλου Βουκολίωνος τὸ ὄνομα ἡ πόλις καὶ αὖθις τε ἀνεσώσατο τὸ ἀρχαῖον, τόδε μὲν καὶ πρότερον ἔτι ἐσήμαινεν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος· λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἄλλα οὐκ ἀξιόχρεα ἐς πίστιν, ἄνδρα αὐτόχθονα εἶναι τὸν Φίγαλον καὶ οὐ Λυκάονος παῖδα· τοῖς δὲ εἰρημένον ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ Φιγαλία νύμφη τῶν καλουμένων εἴη Δρυάδων.

English Translation

Regarding Phigalos, son of Lykaon—for indeed this man was the original founder of the city—and how in the course of time the city changed its name from Phigalia to Boukolion, after Phialos son of Boukolos, and later recovered its former name, I have already mentioned this previously. However, other stories are also told about him which are not reliable enough to believe, such as that Phigalos was earth-born, and not a son of Lykaon, and some further say that Phigalia was one of the so-called Dryad nymphs.

Proper Nouns

Dryads (Δρυάδες) deity
Bucolion (Βουκολίων) person
Also in: 8.3.2 8.5.7
Lycaon (Λυκάων) person
Phialos (Φίαλος) person
Also in: 8.3.2 8.5.7 8.5.8
Phigalos (Φίγαλος) person
Also in: 8.3.1 8.5.7
Phigalia (Φιγαλία) person
← 8.39.1 8.39.3 →