Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.3.2

← 9.3.1 9.3.3 →

Passage 9.3.2: The Daedala festival: wooden images reconciling Hera and Zeus.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

καὶ ὁ μὲν ἔπρασσε κατὰ τὴν παραίνεσιν τοῦ Κιθαιρῶνος· Ἥρα δὲ ἐπέπυστό τε αὐτίκα καὶ αὐτίκα ἀφίκετο. ὡς δὲ ἐπλησίαζε τῇ ἁμάξῃ καὶ τοῦ ἀγάλματος τὴν ἐσθῆτα περιέρρηξεν, ἥσθη τε τῇ ἀπάτῃ ξόανον εὑροῦσα ἀντὶ νύμφης γυναικὸς καὶ διαλλαγὰς ποιεῖται πρὸς τὸν Δία. ἐπὶ ταύταις ταῖς διαλλαγαῖς Δαίδαλα ἑορτὴν ἄγουσιν, ὅτι οἱ πάλαι τὰ ξόανα ἐκάλουν δαίδαλα· ἐκάλουν δὲ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν πρότερον ἔτι ἢ Δαίδαλος ὁ Παλαμάονος ἐγένετο Ἀθήνῃσι, τούτῳ δὲ ὕστερον ἀπὸ τῶν δαιδάλων ἐπίκλησιν γενέσθαι δοκῶ καὶ οὐκ ἐκ γενετῆς τεθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα.

English Translation

And he acted according to the advice of Cithaeron; but Hera soon learned of it and immediately arrived. As she approached the wagon and tore away the garment of the statue, she was delighted at the deception when she discovered a wooden image instead of a human bride, and thus she became reconciled with Zeus. In honor of this reconciliation they hold a festival, called the Daedala, because in ancient times wooden statues were called "daedala." And it is my belief that they were called this even before Daedalus, son of Palamaon, lived at Athens, and that afterwards this Daedalus received his surname from these "daedala," rather than it being his original birth name.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Hera (Ἥρα) deity
Daedala (Δαίδαλα) other
Also in: 9.3.3 9.3.5 9.3.6
Daedalus (Δαίδαλος) person Q3712559
Palamaon (Παλαμάων) person
Cithaeron (Κιθαιρών) place Q1147780
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
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