Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.48.2

← 8.48.1 8.48.3 →

Passage 8.48.2: Victory crowns: olive Olympia; laurel Delphi; pine Isthmus; celery Nemea; palm elsewhere.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐν μὲν δὴ Ὀλυμπίᾳ κοτίνου τῷ νικῶντι δίδοσθαι στέφανον καὶ ἐν Δελφοῖς δάφνης, τοῦ μὲν ἤδη τὴν αἰτίαν ἀπέδωκα ἐν τοῖς ἐς Ἠλείους, τοῦ δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔπειτα δηλώσω· ἐν Ἰσθμῷ δὲ ἡ πίτυς καὶ τὰ ἐν Νεμέᾳ σέλινα ἐπὶ τοῦ Παλαίμονος καὶ τοῦ Ἀρχεμόρου τοῖς παθήμασιν ἐνομίσθησαν. οἱ δὲ ἀγῶνες φοίνικος ἔχουσιν οἱ πολλοὶ στέφανον· ἐς δὲ τὴν δεξιάν ἐστι καὶ πανταχοῦ τῷ νικῶντι ἐστιθέμενος φοῖνιξ.

English Translation

At Olympia, the victor is awarded a crown of wild olive, while at Delphi it is made of laurel. The reason for the former I have already explained in my account of Elis, and I shall clarify the latter also in what follows. At the Isthmus the pine tree was chosen, and at Nemea celery, both selections associated with the sufferings of Palaemon and Archemorus. Most other games crown victors with palm; moreover, the palm branch is everywhere placed into the right hand of the victor.

Proper Nouns

Palaimon (Παλαίμων) deity
Archemorus (Ἀρχέμορος) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Nemea (Νεμέα) place Q748108
Eleians (Ἠλεῖοι) place Q6536845
Isthmus (Ἰσθμός) place Q215200
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
← 8.48.1 8.48.3 →