Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.4.2

← 8.4.1 8.4.3 →

Passage 8.4.2: Erato the Dryad, mother of Arkas's sons Azan, Apheidas, and Elatos.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

συνοικῆσαι δὲ οὐ θνητῇ γυναικὶ αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ νύμφῃ Δρυάδι ἔλεγον· Δρυάδας γὰρ δὴ καὶ Ἐπιμηλιάδας, τὰς δὲ αὐτῶν ἐκάλουν Ναΐδας, καὶ Ὁμήρῳ γε ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσι Ναΐδων νυμφῶν μάλιστά ἐστι μνήμη. τὴν δὲ νύμφην ταύτην καλοῦσιν Ἐρατώ, καὶ ἐκ ταύτης φασὶν Ἀρκάδι Ἀζᾶνα καὶ Ἀφείδαντα γενέσθαι καὶ Ἔλατον·

English Translation

They said that he married not a mortal woman, but a Dryad nymph. For indeed there are Dryads and Epimeliads, and of these some were called Naiads; it is notably the Naiad nymphs whom Homer expressly mentions in his verses. This particular nymph they call Erato, and from her, they say, Arkas had three sons—Azan, Apheidas, and Elatos.

Proper Nouns

Dryas (Δρυάς) deity
Naiad (Ναΐς) deity
Epimeliads (Ἐπιμηλιάς) deity
Erato (Ἐρατώ) deity
Azan (Ἀζᾶν) person
Arcadian (Ἀρκάς) person
Apheidas (Ἀφείδας) person
Elatos (Ἔλατος) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
← 8.4.1 8.4.3 →