Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.54.2

← 8.54.1 8.54.3 →

Passage 8.54.2: The Alpheios river's periodic underground disappearance and reappearance.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

φαίνεται δὲ ὁ Ἀλφειὸς παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ποταμοὺς φύσιν τινὰ ἰδίαν παρεχόμενος τοιάνδε· ἀφανίζεσθαί τε γὰρ κατὰ γῆς ἐθέλει πολλάκις καὶ αὖθις ἀναφαίνεσθαι. προελθὼν μέν γε ἐκ Φυλάκης καὶ τῶν καλουμένων Συμβόλων ἐς τὸ πεδίον κατέδυ τὸ Τεγεατικόν· ἀνατείλας δὲ ἐν Ἀσέᾳ καὶ τὸ ῥεῦμα ἀναμίξας τῷ Εὐρώτᾳ τὸ δεύτερον ἤδη κάτεισιν ἐς τὴν γῆν·

English Translation

The Alpheios, compared to other rivers, clearly displays a special sort of nature in the following respect: it regularly disappears underground, only to appear again. Indeed, having left Phylake and the place called Symbola, it vanishes into the plain of Tegea. Then, resurfacing at Asea and mingling its stream with the Eurotas, it sinks underground for the second time.

Proper Nouns

Eurotas (Εὐρώτας) place Q119152
Symbola (Σύμβολα) place
Also in: 8.54.1
Tegeatic (plain) (Τεγεατικόν) place
Phylake (Φυλάκη) place Q60790436
Also in: 8.54.1
Alpheios (Ἀλφειός) place Q941745
Asea (Ἀσέα) place Q60791566
← 8.54.1 8.54.3 →