- Source
- Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:7.21.8-7.21.14
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-29
Pausanias discusses the origin of Poseidon's surname Hippius using poetic citations, and then describes various sanctuaries in Patrae, including those of Aphrodite, Ares, the prophetic spring of Demeter, the temples of Sarapis and Asclepius, and the livelihood of local women.
ὠνομάσθαι δὲ Ἵππιον τὸν θεὸν πείθοιτο μὲν ἄν τις καὶ ἐπʼ αἰτίαις ἄλλαις· ἐγὼ δὲ εὑρετὴν ἱππικῆς ὄντα1 ἀπὸ τούτου σχεῖν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα εἰκάζω. Ὅμηρος μέν γε ἐν ἵππων ἄθλοις Μενελάῳ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τούτου πρόκλησιν περιέθηκεν ὅρκου· "ἵππων ἁψάμενος, γαιήοχον ἐννοσίγαιον ὄμνυθι μηδὲν ἑκὼν τὸ ἐμὸν δόλῳ ἅρμα πεδῆσαι."
One might be persuaded for other reasons too that the god was named Hippius; but I conjecture that, since he is the inventor of horsemanship, he obtained also the name from this. Homer, indeed, in the games of horses, put upon Menelaus a challenge of an oath by this god: “Touching the horses, swear by the Earth-holder, the Earth-shaker, that you did not willingly impede my chariot by guile.”
Πάμφως δέ, ὃς Ἀθηναίοις τοὺς ἀρχαιοτάτους τῶν ὕμνων ἐποίησεν, εἶναί φησι τὸν Ποσειδῶνα "ἵππων τε δωτῆρα νεῶν τʼ ἰθυκρηδέμνων." οὕτω διὰ τὴν ἱππικὴν καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ ἑτέρας προφάσεως τὸ ὄνομα ἔσχηκεν.
And Pamphus, who composed the most ancient hymns for the Athenians, says that Poseidon is “giver of horses and of ships with straight sails.” Thus, because of horsemanship and not for any other reason, he has obtained the name.
ἐν Πάτραις δὲ οὐ πολὺ ἀπωτέρω τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερά ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτης· τὸ δὲ ἕτερον τῶν ἀγαλμάτων γενεᾷ πρότερον ἢ κατʼ ἐμὲ ἁλιεῖς ἄνδρες ἀνείλκυσαν ἐν δικτύῳ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἀγάλματα τοῦ λιμένος ἐγγυτάτω χαλκοῦ πεποιημένα Ἄρεως, τὸ δὲ Ἀπόλλωνος· καὶ Ἀφροδίτης, ἧς καὶ πρὸς τῷ λιμένι ἐστὶ τέμενος, λίθου μὲν πρόσωπον καὶ ἄκραι χεῖρες καὶ πόδες, ξύλου δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ εἴργασται.
In Patrae, not very far from the temple of Poseidon, there are sanctuaries of Aphrodite; one of the two images was dragged up in a net by fishermen a generation before my time. There are also bronze images very near the harbor, one of Ares and another of Apollo; and also one of Aphrodite, of whom there is also a precinct near the harbor; its face, hands, and feet are of stone, while the rest is wrought of wood.
ἔστι δέ σφισι καὶ ἄλσος ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ, δρόμους τε ἐπιτηδειοτάτους καὶ ἐς τἄλλα δίαιταν ἡδεῖαν ὥρᾳ παρεχόμενον θερινῇ. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ἄλσει καὶ ναοὶ θεῶν, Ἀπόλλωνος, ὁ δὲ Ἀφροδίτης· πεποίηται λίθου καὶ τούτοις τὰ ἀγάλματα. τοῦ δὲ ἄλσους ἱερὸν ἔχεται Δήμητρος· αὕτη μὲν καὶ ἡ παῖς ἑστᾶσι, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τῆς Γῆς ἐστι καθήμενον.
And they have also a grove by the sea, providing very suitable running-tracks and in other respects a pleasant resort in the summer season. In this grove there are also temples of gods, one of Apollo and another of Aphrodite; their images also are made of stone. Adjoining the grove is a temple of Demeter; she and her daughter stand, while the image of Earth is seated.
πρὸ δὲ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τῆς Δήμητρός ἐστι πηγή· ταύτης τὰ μὲν πρὸς τοῦ ναοῦ λίθων ἀνέστηκεν αἱμασιά, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἐκτὸς κάθοδος ἐς αὐτὴν πεποίηται. μαντεῖον δὲ ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν ἀψευδές, οὐ μὲν ἐπὶ παντί γε πράγματι, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ τῶν καμνόντων. κάτοπτρον καλῳδίῳ τῶν λεπτῶν δήσαντες καθιᾶσι, σταθμώμενοι μὴ πρόσω καθικέσθαι τῆς πηγῆς, ἀλλʼ ὅσον ἐπιψαῦσαι τοῦ ὕδατος τῷ κύκλῳ τοῦ κατόπτρου. τὸ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν εὐξάμενοι τῇ θεῷ καὶ θυμιάσαντες ἐς τὸ κάτοπτρον βλέπουσι· τὸ δέ σφισι τὸν νοσοῦντα ἤτοι ζῶντα ἢ καὶ τεθνεῶτα ἐπιδείκνυσι.
Before the temple of Demeter there is a spring; on the side toward the temple, a wall of stones has been built up, but on the outer side there is a descent made into it. And there is there an infallible oracle, not indeed for every matter, but in the case of the sick. Tying a mirror to one of the fine cords, they let it down, estimating so as not to let it go deep into the spring, but just to touch the water with the rim of the mirror. Then, after praying to the goddess and burning incense, they look into the mirror; and it shows them the sick person either alive or dead.
τούτῳ μὲν τῷ ὕδατι ἐς τοσοῦτο μέτεστιν ἀληθείας, Κυανεῶν δὲ τῶν πρὸς Λυκίᾳ πλησιαίτατα2 χρηστήριον Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστι Θυρξέως· παρέχεται δὲ ὕδωρ τὸ πρὸς ταῖς Κυανέαις ἔσω ἐνιδόντα τινὰ ἐς τὴν πηγὴν ὁμοίως πάντα ὁπόσα θέλει θεάσασθαι. ἐν Πάτραις δὲ πρὸς τῷ ἄλσει καὶ ἱερὰ δύο ἐστὶ Σαράπιδος· ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ πεποίηται μνῆμα Αἰγύπτου τοῦ Βήλου. φυγεῖν δὲ ἐς τὴν Ἀρόην οἱ Πατρεῖς φασιν αὐτὸν τοῖς τε ἐς τοὺς παῖδας παθήμασι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτὸ πεφρικότα τοῦ Ἄργους καὶ ἐς πλέον τοῦ Δαναοῦ δείματι.
To this extent does this water share in truth; but closest to it is the oracle of Apollo Thyrxeus at Cyaneae near Lycia; and the water at Cyaneae provides, to anyone looking into the spring, to see in like manner all things whatsoever he wishes. In Patrae, near the grove, there are also two temples of Sarapis; in one of them has been made the tomb of Aegyptus the son of Belus. The Patreans say that he fled to Aroe because of his misfortunes regarding his sons, and because he shuddered at the very name of Argos, and still more out of fear of Danaus.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἱερὸν Πατρεῦσιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ· τοῦτο τὸ ἱερὸν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῶν πυλῶν ἐστιν ἐγγὺς αἳ ἐπὶ Μεσάτιν ἄγουσιν. αἱ δὲ γυναῖκές εἰσιν ἐν ταῖς Πάτραις ἀριθμὸν μὲν καὶ ἐς δὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν· Ἀφροδίτης δέ, εἴπερ ἄλλαις γυναιξί, μέτεστι καὶ ταύταις.3 βίος δὲ αὐτῶν ταῖς πολλαῖς ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς βύσσου τῆς ἐν τῇ Ἤλιδι φυομένης· κεκρυφάλους τε γὰρ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐσθῆτα ὑφαίνουσι τὴν ἄλλην.
There is also a temple of Asclepius for the Patreans; this temple is above the acropolis, near the gates which lead to Mesatis. And the women in Patrae are in number even up to twice the men; and they share in Aphrodite, if any women do. And the livelihood of most of them is from the byssus which grows in Elis; for they weave hair-nets from it and other clothing.
- 7.21.8εὑρετὴν ἱππικῆς ὄντα
The accusative participle ὄντα agrees with τὸν θεόν (the god, i.e., Poseidon), which is the subject accusative of the following infinitive σχεῖν (to obtain). It has a causal force: 'since he is the inventor of horsemanship.' The infinitive σχεῖν depends on εἰκάζω (I conjecture), meaning 'I conjecture that he obtained...'
- 7.21.13πλησιαίτατα
The adverb πλησιαίτατα (most closely/nearest) here refers not only to geographical proximity but also to the similarity in nature regarding the truthfulness of the oracle's water described in the preceding sentence. While literally meaning 'most closely,' in this context, it signifies that the oracle at Cyaneae most closely resembles or shares the same prophetic quality as the spring of Patrae.
- 7.21.14Ἀφροδίτης δέ, εἴπερ ἄλλαις γυναιξί, μέτεστι καὶ ταύταις
This construction uses the impersonal verb μέτεστι (shares in/has a share of) with the genitive Ἀφροδίτης (of Aphrodite) and the dative ταύταις (to these women). The conditional clause εἴπερ ἄλλαις γυναιξί (if indeed to other women [there is a share]) contains an ellipsis of μέτεστι, emphasizing that the women of Patrae are devoted to love or possess the charms of Aphrodite as much as, or more than, any other women.