Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.11.4

← 9.11.3 9.11.5 →

Passage 9.11.4: Sanctuary of Heracles with Daedalus' wooden image and Promachos statue.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐνταῦθα Ἡρακλεῖόν ἐστιν, ἄγαλμα δὲ τὸ μὲν λίθου λευκοῦ Πρόμαχος καλούμενον, ἔργον δὲ Ξενοκρίτου καὶ Εὐβίου Θηβαίων· τὸ δὲ ξόανον τὸ ἀρχαῖον Θηβαῖοί τε εἶναι Δαιδάλου νενομίκασι καὶ αὐτῷ μοι παρίστατο ἔχειν οὕτω. τοῦτον ἀνέθηκεν αὐτός, ὡς λέγεται, Δαίδαλος ἐκτίνων εὐεργεσίας χάριν. ἡνίκα γὰρ ἔφευγεν ἐκ Κρήτης πλοῖα οὐ μεγάλα αὑτῷ καὶ τῷ παιδὶ Ἰκάρῳ ποιησάμενος, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ταῖς ναυσίν, ὃ μή πω τοῖς τότε ἐξεύρητο, ἱστία ἐπιτεχνησάμενος, ὡς τοῦ Μίνω ναυτικοῦ τὴν εἰρεσίαν φθάνοιεν ἐπιφόρῳ τῷ ἀνέμῳ χρώμενοι, τότε αὐτὸς μὲν σώζεται Δαίδαλος,

English Translation

Here there is a sanctuary of Heracles. The statue called Promachos, made of white stone, is the work of Xenocritus and Eubius of Thebes. As for the ancient wooden image, the Thebans consider it to have been made by Daedalus, and it appeared thus to me as well. This image was, they say, dedicated by Daedalus himself, as payment for a favor done to him. When he fled from Crete, he built small ships for himself and his son Icarus, and moreover invented sails for these vessels—a thing not yet discovered at that time—so that by using the wind blowing steadily they might outrun the rowing vessels of Minos' fleet. Thus Daedalus himself was saved.

Proper Nouns

Promachos (Πρόμαχος) other
Also in: 9.22.1 9.22.2
Daedalus (Δαίδαλος) person Q3712559
Eubios (Εὔβιος) person Q11921130
Minos (Μίνως) person
Xenokritos (Ξενοκρίτης) person
Icarus (Ἴκαρος) person
Also in: 4.15.1 9.11.5
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Crete (Κρήτη) place Q34374 Pleiades
Heracleion (Ἡρακλεῖον) place Q134037053
← 9.11.3 9.11.5 →