Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.19.3

← 9.19.2 9.19.4 →

Passage 9.19.3: Site of a serpent's severed head near Glisas

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐς Γλίσαντα εὐθεῖαν ἐκ Θηβῶν λίθοις χωρίον περιεχόμενον λογάσιν Ὄφεως καλοῦσιν οἱ Θηβαῖοι κεφαλήν, τὸν ὄφιν τοῦτον---ὅστις δὴ ἦν---ἀνασχεῖν ἐνταῦθα ἐκ τοῦ φωλεοῦ λέγοντες τὴν κεφαλήν, Τειρεσίαν δὲ ἐπιτυχόντα ἀποκόψαι μαχαίρᾳ. τὸ μὲν δὴ χωρίον τοῦτο ἐπὶ λόγῳ καλεῖται τοιῷδε· ὑπὲρ δὲ Γλίσαντός ἐστιν ὄρος Ὕπατος καλούμενον, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτῷ Διὸς Ὑπάτου ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα· τὸν δὲ ποταμὸν τὸν χείμαρρον Θερμώδοντα ὀνομάζουσιν. ἀναστρέψαντι δὲ ἐπί τε Τευμησσὸν καὶ ὁδὸν τὴν ἐς Χαλκίδα Χαλκώδοντος μνῆμά ἐστιν, ὃς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὸ Ἀμφιτρύωνος μάχης πρὸς Θηβαίους Εὐβοεῦσι γενομένης.

English Translation

On the direct road from Thebes to Glisas, the Thebans identify a certain place enclosed by stones as the head of the serpent, asserting that this serpent—whoever it might have been—once raised its head there from its lair, and that Tiresias came upon it and severed the head with his sword. Thus the place owes its name to this tradition. Above Glisas rises the mountain called Hypatos, and on its summit stands a temple and a statue dedicated to Zeus Hypatos. The stream that flows down from it is named Thermodon. Turning back again toward Teumessos and the road that leads to Chalkis, there is the tomb of Chalkodon, who died at the hands of Amphitryon in the battle fought between the Euboeans and the Thebans.

Proper Nouns

Zeus Hypatos (Ζεύς Ὕπατος) deity
Euboeans (Εὔβοια) other
Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) other
Serpent (ὄφις) other
Teiresias (Τειρεσίας) person
Chalcodon (Χαλκώδων) person
Amphitryon (Ἀμφιτρύων) person
Glisas (Γλίσας) place Q11924352
Thermodon (Θερμώδων) place Q684421
Also in: 1.2.1 3.25.3 7.2.7
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Teumessos (Τευμησσός) place Q15627845
Also in: 9.19.1 9.19.2
Chalcis (Χαλκίς) place Q21235810
Hypatos (Ὕπατος) place Q107243158
Also in: 8.2.3
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