Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.39.5

← 9.39.4 9.39.6 →

Passage 9.39.5: Descent ritual at the oracle of Trophonius.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

κατὰ δὲ τὸ μαντεῖον τοιάδε γίνεται. ἐπειδὰν ἀνδρὶ ἐς τοῦ Τροφωνίου κατιέναι δόξῃ, πρῶτα μὲν τεταγμένων ἡμερῶν δίαιταν ἐν οἰκήματι ἔχει, τὸ δὲ οἴκημα Δαίμονός τε ἀγαθοῦ καὶ Τύχης ἱερόν ἐστιν ἀγαθῆς· διαιτώμενος δὲ ἐνταῦθα τά τε ἄλλα καθαρεύει καὶ λουτρῶν εἴργεται θερμῶν, τὸ δὲ λουτρὸν ὁ ποταμός ἐστιν ἡ Ἕρκυνα· καί οἱ καὶ κρέα ἄφθονά ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῶν θυσιῶν, θύει γὰρ δὴ ὁ κατιὼν αὐτῷ τε τῷ Τροφωνίῳ καὶ τοῦ Τροφωνίου τοῖς παισί, πρὸς δὲ Ἀπόλλωνί τε καὶ Κρόνῳ καὶ Διὶ ἐπίκλησιν Βασιλεῖ καὶ Ἥρᾳ τε Ἡνιόχῃ καὶ Δήμητρι ἣν ἐπονομάζοντες Εὐρώπην τοῦ Τροφωνίου φασὶν εἶναι τροφόν.

English Translation

The ritual performed at the oracle is as follows. When a man decides to descend to Trophonius, he first lives for a set number of days in a dedicated building. This building is sacred to the Good Spirit (Agathos Daimon) and Good Fortune (Agathe Tyche). While he stays there, he maintains ritual purity in various ways, abstaining from warm baths; his bath is instead the river Herkyna. He also has abundant meat from sacrifices, for the one descending offers sacrifices to Trophonius himself and to Trophonius' children, as well as to Apollo, Cronus, Zeus with the title “Basileus” (King), Hera called “Henioche” (Charioteer), and Demeter whom they surname Europa, claiming her to have been the nurse of Trophonius.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity Q37340
Basileus (Βασιλεύς) deity
Also in: 2.30.6
Daimon (Δαίμων) deity
Also in: 9.39.13
Demeter (Δήμητηρ) deity Q40730
Zeus (Ζεύς) deity Q34201
Heniochē (Charioteer) (Ἡνιόχη) deity
Hera (Ἥρα) deity Q38012
Cronus (Κρόνος) deity Q44204
Trophonius (Τροφώνιος) deity
Tyche (Τύχη) deity Q213440
Europa (Εὐρώπη) person
Herkyna (Ἕρκυνα) place Q106496258
Also in: 9.39.2 9.39.7
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