Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.27.3

← 9.27.2 9.27.4 →

Passage 9.27.3: The statue of Love (Eros) at Thespiae.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Σαπφὼ δὲ ἡ Λεσβία πολλά τε καὶ οὐχ ὁμολογοῦντα ἀλλήλοις ἐς Ἔρωτα ᾖσε. Θεσπιεῦσι δὲ ὕστερον χαλκοῦν εἰργάσατο Ἔρωτα Λύσιππος , καὶ ἔτι πρότερον τούτου Πραξιτέλης λίθου τοῦ Πεντελῆσι. καὶ ὅσα μὲν εἶχεν ἐς Φρύνην καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ Πραξιτέλει τῆς γυναικὸς σόφισμα, ἑτέρωθι ἤδη μοι δεδήλωται· πρῶτον δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα κινῆσαι τοῦ Ἔρωτος λέγουσι Γάιον δυναστεύσαντα ἐν Ῥώμῃ, Κλαυδίου δὲ ὀπίσω Θεσπιεῦσιν ἀποπέμψαντος Νέρωνα αὖθις δεύτερα ἀνάσπαστον ποιῆσαι.

English Translation

Sappho of Lesbos composed many poems about Love, various and even contradictory in their sentiments. Later, Lysippos made for the Thespians a bronze statue of Love, and earlier still Praxiteles had carved one from Pentelic marble. Elsewhere I have already related the story concerning Phryne and the craftiness practiced by that woman upon Praxiteles. It is said that Gaius was the first to remove from its place the statue of Love, during his reign in Rome, and afterward Claudius restored it to the Thespians; but Nero subsequently took it away a second time.

Proper Nouns

Eros (Ἔρως) deity
the Lesbian (from Lesbos) (Λεσβία) other
Gaius (Γάιος) person Q1231767
Claudius (Κλαύδιος) person
Lysippos (Λύσιππος) person
Nero (Νέρων) person
Praxiteles (Πραξιτέλης) person
Sappho (Σαπφώ) person
Also in: 1.25.1 9.29.8
Phryne (Φρύνη) person
Thespiae (Θεσπιαί) place Q1141295
Pentelicon (Πεντέλη) place Q1125206
Rome (Ῥώμη) place Q220 Pleiades
← 9.27.2 9.27.4 →