- 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-grc2:8.38.7-8.38.11
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
Pausanias describes the altar of Zeus on the summit of Mount Lycaeus and the rituals at the sanctuary of Apollo, outlines the rivers flowing through the region of Theisoa including other rivers named Achelous, and mentions the Nomian Mountains.
ἔστι δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἄκρᾳ τῇ ἀνωτάτω τοῦ ὄρους γῆς χῶμα, Διὸς τοῦ Λυκαίου βωμός, καὶ ἡ Πελοπόννησος τὰ πολλά ἐστιν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ σύνοπτος· πρὸ δὲ τοῦ βωμοῦ κίονες δύο ὡς ἐπὶ ἀνίσχοντα ἑστήκασιν ἥλιον, ἀετοὶ δὲ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ἐπίχρυσοι τά γε ἔτι παλαιότερα ἐπεποίηντο. ἐπὶ τούτου τοῦ βωμοῦ τῷ Λυκαίῳ Διὶ θύουσιν ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ· πολυπραγμονῆσαι δὲ οὔ μοι τὰ ἐς τὴν θυσίαν ἡδὺ ἦν, ἐχέτω δὲ ὡς ἔχει καὶ ὡς ἔσχεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς.1
On the highest peak of the mountain is a mound of earth, the altar of Lycaean Zeus, and most of the Peloponnese is visible from it. In front of the altar stand two pillars facing the rising sun, and on them gilded eagles had been made in even earlier times. On this altar they sacrifice to Lycaean Zeus in secret; but it was not pleasant for me to inquire closely into the matters of the sacrifice, but let it be as it is and as it has been from the beginning.
ἔστι δὲ ἐν τοῖς πρὸς ἀνατολὰς τοῦ ὄρους Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερὸν ἐπίκλησιν Παρρασίου· τίθενται δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Πύθιον ὄνομα. ἄγοντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ κατὰ ἔτος ἑορτὴν θύουσι μὲν ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ κάπρον τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι τῷ Ἐπικουρίῳ, θύσαντες δὲ ἐνταῦθα αὐτίκα τὸ ἱερεῖον κομίζουσιν ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τοῦ Παρρασίου σὺν αὐλῷ τε καὶ πομπῇ, καὶ τά τε μηρία ἐκτεμόντες καίουσι καὶ δὴ καὶ ἀναλίσκουσιν αὐτόθι τοῦ ἱερείου τὰ κρέα.
On the eastern side of the mountain is a sanctuary of Apollo surnamed Parrhasius; they also give him the name Pythian. Holding a festival for the god every year, they sacrifice a wild boar in the market-place to Apollo the Helper, and after sacrificing there they immediately carry the victim to the sanctuary of Parrhasian Apollo with flute and procession, and having cut out the thigh-bones they burn them, and indeed consume the meat of the victim on the spot.
ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω ποιεῖν νομίζουσι, τοῦ Λυκαίου δὲ τὰ πρὸς τῆς ἄρκτου γῆ ἐστιν ἡ Θεισοαία· οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι μάλιστα οἱ ταύτῃ νύμφην τὴν Θεισόαν ἄγουσιν ἐν τιμῇ. διὰ δὲ τῆς χώρας τῆς Θεισοαίας ῥέοντες ἐμβάλλουσιν ἐς τὸν Ἀλφειὸν Μυλάων, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτῷ2 Νοῦς καὶ Ἀχελῷος καὶ Κέλαδός τε καὶ Νάλιφος. Ἀχελῴω δὲ τῷ Ἀρκάδι εἰσὶν ἄλλοι δύο ὁμώνυμοί τε αὐτῷ ποταμοὶ καὶ τὰ ἐς δόξαν φανερώτεροι·
These things they are accustomed to do in this way. To the north of Lycaeus is the land of Theisoa; the people of this place especially hold the nymph Theisoa in honor. Flowing through the land of Theisoa and emptying into the Alpheus are the Mylaon, and after it the Nous, the Achelous, the Celadus, and the Naliphus. To the Arcadian Achelous there are two other rivers homonymous with it and much more famous in reputation;
τὸν μέν γε ἐπὶ τὰς Ἐχινάδας κατιόντα Ἀχελῷον διὰ τῆς Ἀκαρνάνων καὶ διʼ Αἰτωλίας ἔφησεν ἐν Ἰλιάδι Ὅμηρος ποταμῶν τῶν πάντων ἄρχοντα εἶναι, ἕτερον δὲ Ἀχελῷον ῥέοντα ἐκ Σιπύλου τοῦ ὄρους ἐποιήσατο αὐτόν τε τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸν Σίπυλον τοῦ λόγου προσθήκην τοῦ ἐς Νιόβην·3 τρίτῳ δʼ οὖν καὶ τῷ περὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ Λύκαιόν ἐστιν ὄνομα Ἀχελῷος.
for the Achelous that flows down to the Echinades, passing through the territory of the Acarnanians and through Aetolia, Homer said in the Iliad is the ruler of all rivers, and the other Achelous flowing from Mount Sipylus, he made both the river itself and Mount Sipylus an addition to the story of Niobe. At any rate, the third river, which is around Mount Lycaeus, also has the name Achelous.
τῆς Λυκοσούρας δέ ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ Νόμια ὄρη καλούμενα, καὶ Πανός τε ἱερὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐστι Νομίου καὶ τὸ χωρίον ὀνομάζουσι Μέλπειαν, τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς σύριγγος μέλος ἐνταῦθα Πανὸς εὑρεθῆναι λέγοντες. κληθῆναι δὲ τὰ ὄρη Νόμια προχειρότατον μέν ἐστιν εἰκάζειν ἐπὶ τοῦ Πανὸς ταῖς νομαῖς, αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ Ἀρκάδες νύμφης εἶναί φασιν ὄνομα.
On the right of Lycosura are the mountains called Nomia, and in them is a sanctuary of Pan Nomius, and they call the place Melpea, saying that the melody of the pipe of Pan was discovered here. To conjecture that the mountains were called Nomia after the pastures of Pan is the readiest way, but the Arcadians themselves say it is the name of a nymph.
- 8.38.7ἐχέτω δὲ ὡς ἔχει καὶ ὡς ἔσχεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς
A formulaic expression using the third-person singular imperative ἐχέτω (intransitive use of ἔχω, 'let it keep/be'). This is Pausanias' characteristic way of breaking off further discussion on sacred mysteries, leaving the matter undisturbed.
- 8.38.9ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτῷ
The preposition ἐπί with the dative αὐτῷ (masculine singular referring to the river Mylaon) denotes order or succession ('after it', 'next to it'), introducing the sequence of rivers following the Mylaon.
- 8.38.10τοῦ λόγου προσθήκην τοῦ ἐς Νιόβην
The noun προσθήκην (addition, appendix) in the accusative acts as an apposition to the preceding object clause αὐτόν τε τὸν ποταμὸν καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸν Σίπυλον. τοῦ λόγου ... τοῦ ἐς Νιόβην is a genitive modifier meaning 'of the story concerning Niobe'.
Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)
- 2026-09-21 AI review — note 1