Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.42.2

← 8.42.1 8.42.3 →

Passage 8.42.2: Demeter hides in a cave, causing widespread famine.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου λέγουσι θυμῷ τε ἅμα ἐς τὸν Ποσειδῶνα αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Περσεφόνης τῇ ἁρπαγῇ πένθει χρωμένην μέλαιναν ἐσθῆτα ἐνδῦναι καὶ ἐς τὸ σπήλαιον τοῦτο ἐλθοῦσαν ἐπὶ χρόνον ἀπεῖναι πολύν. ὡς δὲ ἐφθείρετο μὲν πάντα ὅσα ἡ γῆ τρέφει, τὸ δὲ ἀνθρώπων γένος καὶ ἐς πλέον ἀπώλλυτο ὑπὸ τοῦ λιμοῦ, θεῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἠπίστατο ἄρα οὐδεὶς ἔνθα ἀπεκέκρυπτο ἡ Δημήτηρ, τὸν δὲ Πᾶνα ἐπιέναι μὲν

English Translation

After this event, they say, in anger towards Poseidon and grief over the rape of Persephone, Demeter dressed herself in black clothing and departed into this cave, remaining absent there for a long period. Meanwhile, everything that grows upon the earth began to wither away, and the race of mankind especially suffered, perishing increasingly from the famine. None of the other gods knew where Demeter had concealed herself, but Pan, setting out...

Proper Nouns

Demeter (Δημήτηρ) deity
Pan (Πάν) deity
Persephone (Περσεφόνη) deity
Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
← 8.42.1 8.42.3 →