Humanitext Reader

Herodotus · Histories §2.46.1-2.46.4

Mendesian Veneration of Pan and Goat Sacrifices

Passage 262 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

Explains why the Mendesian Egyptians do not sacrifice goats, noting that they picture Pan with goat-like features but do not believe him to have such a form, and recounts a prodigy that occurred in his time where a he-goat copulated with a woman in public.

§2.46.1τὰς δὲ δὴ αἶγας καὶ τοὺς τράγους τῶνδε εἵνεκα οὐ θύουσι Αἰγυπτίων οἱ εἰρημένοι· τὸν Πᾶνα τῶν ὀκτὼ θεῶν λογίζονται εἶναι οἱ Μενδήσιοι, τοὺς δὲ ὀκτὼ θεοὺς τούτους προτέρους τῶν δυώδεκα θεῶν φασι γενέσθαι.
Now the reason why the aforementioned Egyptians do not sacrifice goats, whether female or male, is this: the Mendesians reckon Pan to be one of the eight gods, and they say these eight gods existed before the twelve gods.
§2.46.2γράφουσί τε δὴ καὶ γλύφουσι οἱ ζωγράφοι καὶ οἱ ἀγαλματοποιοὶ τοῦ Πανὸς τὤγαλμα κατά περ Ἕλληνες αἰγοπρόσωπον καὶ τραγοσκελέα, οὔτι τοιοῦτον νομίζοντες εἶναί μιν ἀλλὰ ὁμοῖον τοῖσι ἄλλοισι θεοῖσι·
For this reason, painters and sculptors represent the image of Pan just as the Greeks do, with a goat’s face and a he-goat’s legs; not that they believe him to be of such a nature, but rather similar to the other gods.
ὅτευ δὲ εἵνεκα τοιοῦτον γράφουσι αὐτόν, οὔ μοι ἥδιον ἐστὶ λέγειν.
But as to why they represent him in this way, it is not very pleasant for me to say.
§2.46.3σέβονται δὲ πάντας τοὺς αἶγας οἱ Μενδήσιοι, καὶ μᾶλλον τοὺς ἔρσενας τῶν θηλέων, καὶ τούτων οἱ αἰπόλοι τιμὰς μέζονας ἔχουσι· ἐκ δὲ τούτων ἕνα μάλιστα, ὅστις ἐπεὰν ἀποθάνῃ, πένθος μέγα παντὶ τῷ Μενδησίῳ νομῷ τίθεται.
The Mendesians revere all goats, and the males more than the females, and the goatherds of these receive greater honors; of these goats, there is one in particular, upon whose death a great mourning is established throughout the entire Mendesian district.
§2.46.4καλέεται δὲ ὅ τε τράγος καὶ ὁ Πὰν Αἰγυπτιστὶ Μένδης.
Both the he-goat and Pan are called Mendes in the Egyptian tongue.
ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ νομῷ τούτῳ ἐπʼ ἐμεῦ τοῦτο τὸ τέρας· γυναικὶ τράγος ἐμίσγετο ἀναφανδόν.
And in this district, in my own time, this prodigy occurred: a he-goat copulated with a woman in public.
τοῦτο ἐς ἐπίδεξιν ἀνθρώπων ἀπίκετο.
This came to the open display of men.

Notes

  1. 2.46.1τῶνδε εἵνεκα — τῶνδε is a cataphoric pronoun referring to the explanation that follows (that Pan is one of the eight gods, etc.). εἵνεκα is the Ionic form corresponding to the Attic ἕνεκα and is postpositioned, governing the genitive.
  2. 2.46.2αἰγοπρόσωπον καὶ τραγοσκελέα — Although ἄγαλμα is a neuter noun, αἰγοπρόσωπον (neuter accusative singular) and τραγοσκελέα (masculine accusative singular, contract form of τραγοσκελῆ) are used here. The masculine form directly reflects the natural gender of the god Pan, the referent of the statue.
  3. 2.46.2οὔτι τοιοῦτον νομίζοντες εἶναί μιν — μιν is the Ionic third-person singular accusative pronoun, equivalent to the Attic αὐτόν, serving as the subject of the infinitive εἶναι. νομίζοντες is a participle agreeing with the subject of the main clause.
  4. 2.46.2ὅτευ δὲ εἵνεκα — ὅτευ is the Ionic genitive singular of the relative/interrogative pronoun ὅστις (equivalent to Attic ὅτου), which, together with εἵνεκα, introduces the indirect question.
  5. 2.46.3τούτων οἱ αἰπόλοι — τούτων is a genitive pronoun referring to the goats (specifically the male ones). It indicates that the 'goatherds of these goats' receive greater honors, reflecting the special status of goatherds due to the sacredness of the animals in Egypt.
  6. 2.46.4τοῦτο ἐς ἐπίδεξιν ἀνθρώπων ἀπίκετο — ἀπίκετο is the Ionic form for the Attic ἀφίκετο. Literally 'this came to the display of men,' expressing that the event became a matter of public knowledge and was witnessed by many.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.46.1-2.46.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.46.1-2.46.4

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.