Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.10.2

← 9.10.1 9.10.3 →

Passage 9.10.2: Ismenian temple of Apollo with a cedar cult statue by Kanachos

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ λόφος ἐν δεξιᾷ τῶν πυλῶν ἱερὸς Ἀπόλλωνος· καλεῖται δὲ ὅ τε λόφος καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰσμήνιος, παραρρέοντος τοῦ ποταμοῦ ταύτῃ τοῦ Ἰσμηνοῦ. πρῶτα μὲν δὴ λίθου κατὰ τὴν ἔσοδόν ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ Ἑρμῆς, ὀνομαζόμενοι Πρόναοι· ποιῆσαι δὲ αὐτὸν Φειδίας , τὴν δὲ Ἀθηνᾶν λέγεται Σκόπας · μετὰ δὲ ὁ ναὸς ᾠκοδόμηται. τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα μεγέθει τε ἴσον τῷ ἐν Βραγχίδαις ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ εἶδος οὐδὲν διαφόρως ἔχον· ὅστις δὲ τῶν ἀγαλμάτων τούτων τὸ ἕτερον εἶδε καὶ τὸν εἰργασμένον ἐπύθετο, οὐ μεγάλη οἱ σοφία καὶ τὸ ἕτερον θεασαμένῳ Κανάχου ποίημα ὂν ἐπίστασθαι. διαφέρουσι δὲ τοσόνδε· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν Βραγχίδαις χαλκοῦ, ὁ δὲ Ἰσμήνιός ἐστι κέδρου.

English Translation

On the right of the gates there is a hill sacred to Apollo; both the hill and the god are called Ismenian from the river Ismenus which flows by at this point. At the entrance there are first stone images of Athena and Hermes surnamed Pronaoi ("Before the Temple"). They say Pheidias made the Hermes, and Skopas the Athena. Beyond these is the temple itself. The cult statue is equal in size and entirely similar in appearance to that in Branchidae; thus, one who has viewed either of these statues and ascertained its artist would find no great difficulty in recognizing that the other also is a work of Kanachos. The difference between them is this: the one in Branchidae is made of bronze, whereas the Ismenian is of cedar wood.

Proper Nouns

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity Q37122
Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity Q37340
Hermes (Ἑρμῆς) deity Q41484
Ismenios (Ἰσμήνιος) deity
Also in: 4.27.6 4.32.5
Pronaoi (Πρόναοι) other Q59847505
Kanachos (Κάναχος) person Q1723440
Skopas (Σκόπας) person Q309579
Pheidias (Φειδίας) person Q177302
Branchidai (Βραγχίδαι) place
Also in: 1.16.3 8.46.3
Ismenus (Ἰσμηνός) place Q2422308
← 9.10.1 9.10.3 →