Humanitext Reader

Pausanias · Description of Greece §1.28.1-1.28.6

Offerings near the Acropolis and the Areopagus

Passage 32 of 465 · Greek

Summary

The author discusses various dedications in and around the Acropolis, the spring and sanctuary of Apollo near the Propylaea, the trials of Ares and Orestes on the Areopagus, and the nearby sanctuary of the Semnai (Erinyes).

§1.28.1Κύλωνα δὲ οὐδὲν ἔχω σαφὲς εἰπεῖν ἐφʼ ὅτῳ χαλκοῦν ἀνέθεσαν τυραννίδα ὅμως βουλεύσαντα· τεκμαίρομαι δὲ τῶνδε ἕνεκα, ὅτι εἶδος κάλλιστος καὶ τὰ ἐς δόξαν ἐγένετο οὐκ ἀφανὴς ἀνελόμενος διαύλου νίκην Ὀλυμπικὴν καί οἱ θυγατέρα ὑπῆρξε γῆμαι Θεαγένους, ὃς Μεγάρων ἐτυράννησε.
But concerning Cylon, I cannot say anything for certain as to why they dedicated a bronze statue of him, although he had plotted a tyranny; but I conjecture it for these reasons, because he was most beautiful in appearance and became not obscure in reputation by winning an Olympic victory in the double-course, and it was possible for him to marry the daughter of Theagenes, who was tyrant of Megara.
§1.28.2χωρὶς δὲ ἢ ὅσα κατέλεξα δύο μὲν Ἀθηναίοις εἰσὶ δεκάται πολεμήσασιν, ἄγαλμα Ἀθηνᾶς χαλκοῦν ἀπὸ Μήδων τῶν ἐς Μαραθῶνα ἀποβάντων τέχνη Φειδίου—καί οἱ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀσπίδος μάχην Λαπιθῶν πρὸς Κενταύρους καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἐπειργασμένα λέγουσι τορεῦσαι Μῦν, τῷ δὲ Μυῒ ταῦτά τε καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἔργων Παρράσιον καταγράψαι τὸν Εὐήνορος· ταύτης τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἡ τοῦ δόρατος αἰχμὴ καὶ ὁ λόφος τοῦ κράνους ἀπὸ Σουνίου προσπλέουσίν ἐστιν ἤδη σύνοπτα—, καὶ ἅρμα κεῖται χαλκοῦν ἀπὸ Βοιωτῶν δεκάτη καὶ Χαλκιδέων τῶν ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ.
Apart from those I have enumerated, there are two tithes for the Athenians from their wars: a bronze statue of Athena from the Medes who landed at Marathon, the work of Phidias—and they say that Mys chased for him the battle of the Lapiths against the Centaurs on her shield and all the other things that are wrought upon it, and that Parrhasius the son of Evenor drew these and the rest of his works for Mys; the spearpoint of this Athena and the crest of her helmet are already visible to those sailing in from Sunium—, and a bronze chariot stands as a tithe from the Boeotians and Chalcidians in Euboea.
δύο δὲ ἄλλα ἐστὶν ἀναθήματα, Περικλῆς ὁ Ξανθίππου καὶ τῶν ἔργων τῶν Φειδίου θέας μάλιστα ἄξιον Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀναθέντων καλουμένης Λημνίας.
And there are two other dedications: Pericles the son of Xanthippus, and a statue of Athena, most well worth seeing of the works of Phidias, called the Lemnian after those who dedicated it.
§1.28.3τῇ δὲ ἀκροπόλει, πλὴν ὅσον Κίμων ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτῆς ὁ Μιλτιάδου, περιβαλεῖν τὸ λοιπὸν λέγεται τοῦ τείχους Πελασγοὺς οἰκήσαντάς ποτε ὑπὸ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν· φασὶ γὰρ Ἀγρόλαν καὶ Ὑπέρβιον τοὺς οἰκοδομήσαντας εἶναι.
As for the Acropolis, except for as much of it as Cimon the son of Miltiades built, the Pelasgians who once dwelt under the Acropolis are said to have built the rest of the wall around it; for they say that Agrolas and Hyperbius were those who built it.
πυνθανόμενος δὲ οἵτινες ἦσαν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐδυνάμην μαθεῖν ἢ Σικελοὺς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὄντας ἐς Ἀκαρνανίαν μετοικῆσαι.
But on inquiring who they were, I could learn nothing else than that they were originally Sicels and migrated into Acarnania.
§1.28.4καταβᾶσι δὲ οὐκ ἐς τὴν κάτω πόλιν ἀλλʼ ὅσον ὑπὸ τὰ προπύλαια πηγή τε ὕδατός ἐστι καὶ πλησίον Ἀπόλλωνος ἱερὸν ἐν σπηλαίῳ· Κρεούσῃ δὲ θυγατρὶ Ἐρεχθέως Ἀπόλλωνα ἐνταῦθα συγγενέσθαι νομίζουσι.
To those going down, not into the lower city but as far as below the Propylaea, there is a spring of water, and near it a sanctuary of Apollo in a cave; and they believe that Apollo united there with Creusa, the daughter of Erechtheus.
ὡς πεμφθείη Φιλιππίδης ἐς Λακεδαίμονα ἄγγελος ἀποβεβηκότων Μήδων ἐς τὴν γῆν, ἐπανήκων δὲ Λακεδαιμονίους ὑπερβαλέσθαι φαίη τὴν ἔξοδον, εἶναι γὰρ δὴ νόμον αὐτοῖς μὴ πρότερον μαχουμένους ἐξιέναι πρὶν ἢ πλήρη τὸν κύκλον τῆς σελήνης γενέσθαι· τὸν δὲ Πᾶνα ὁ Φιλιππίδης ἔλεγε περὶ τὸ ὄρος ἐντυχόντα οἱ τὸ Παρθένιον φάναι τε ὡς εὔνους Ἀθηναίοις εἴη καὶ ὅτι ἐς Μαραθῶνα ἥξει συμμαχήσων.
They say that when Philippides was sent as a messenger to Lacedaemon when the Medes had landed in the country, on his return he said that the Lacedaemonians deferred their departure, for indeed it was a law with them not to go out to battle before the circle of the moon was full; and Philippides said that Pan met him around Mount Parthenius and said both that he was well-disposed to the Athenians and that he would come to Marathon to fight as an ally.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἀγγελίᾳ τετίμηται·
This god, then, has been honored because of this message.
§1.28.5ἔστι δὲ Ἄρειος πάγος καλούμενος, ὅτι πρῶτος Ἄρης ἐνταῦθα ἐκρίθη, καί μοι καὶ ταῦτα δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος ὡς Ἁλιρρόθιον ἀνέλοι καὶ ἐφʼ ὅτῳ κτείνειε.
And there is the place called Areopagus, because Ares was first tried there, and the story has already made clear to me these things as well, how he slew Halirrothius and for what reason he killed him.
κριθῆναι δὲ καὶ ὕστερον Ὀρέστην λέγουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ φόνῳ τῆς μητρός· καὶ βωμός ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς Ἀρείας, ὃν ἀνέθηκεν ἀποφυγὼν τὴν δίκην.
And they say that later Orestes also was tried for the murder of his mother; and there is an altar of Athena Areia, which he dedicated after escaping his trial.
τοὺς δὲ ἀργοὺς λίθους, ἐφʼ ὧν ἑστᾶσιν ὅσοι δίκας ὑπέχουσι καὶ οἱ διώκοντες, τὸν μὲν Ὕβρεως τὸν δὲ Ἀναιδείας αὐτῶν ὀνομάζουσι.
And the unhewn stones on which stand those who undergo trial and those who prosecute, they call one the stone of Hubris and the other the stone of Anaideia.
§1.28.6πλησίον δὲ ἱερὸν θεῶν ἐστιν ἃς καλοῦσιν Ἀθηναῖοι Σεμνάς, Ἡσίοδος δὲ Ἐρινῦς ἐν Θεογονίᾳ.
And near it is a sanctuary of the goddesses whom the Athenians call Semnai, but Hesiod in the Theogony calls Erinyes.
πρῶτος δέ σφισιν Αἰσχύλος δράκοντας ἐποίησεν ὁμοῦ ταῖς ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ θριξὶν εἶναι· τοῖς δὲ ἀγάλμασιν οὔτε τούτοις ἔπεστιν οὐδὲν φοβερὸν οὔτε ὅσα ἄλλα κεῖται θεῶν τῶν ὑπογαίων.
And Aeschylus was the first who made snakes to be present with them together with the hair on their heads; but there is nothing fearsome on these statues, nor on any of the other statues of the underworld gods that stand there.
κεῖται δὲ καὶ Πλούτων καὶ Ἑρμῆς καὶ Γῆς ἄγαλμα· ἐνταῦθα θύουσι μὲν ὅσοις ἐν Ἀρείῳ πάγῳ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξεγένετο ἀπολύσασθαι, θύουσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ξένοι τε ὁμοίως καὶ ἀστοί.
And there stand statues of Pluto, Hermes, and Earth; there those who have been acquitted of their charge in the Areopagus sacrifice, and others also sacrifice likewise, both strangers and citizens.

Notes

  1. 1.28.1Κύλωνα — An accusative of anticipation (prolepsis), pulling "Cylon" to the front of the main clause. Semantically, he is the logical subject of the subsequent `ἐφʼ ὅτῳ ... βουλεύσαντα` clause.
  2. 1.28.1γῆμαι Θεαγένους — The subject of the infinitive `γῆμαι` (to marry) is Cylon, referenced by the dative pronoun `οἱ`. The object is the daughter of Theagenes (`θυγατέρα Θεαγένους`). This entire infinitive clause functions as the subject of the impersonal `ὑπῆρξε` (it happened / it was possible).
  3. 1.28.2καί οἱ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀσπίδος — The dative pronoun `οἱ` refers to Phidias ("for him"). The subject of the infinitive `τορεῦσαι` is `Μῦν` (Mys), and the subject of `καταγράψαι` is `Παρράσιον` (Parrhasius). Both infinitive clauses form an accusative-and-infinitive construction governed by the main verb `λέγουσι` (they say).
  4. 1.28.3περιβαλεῖν — The infinitive `περιβαλεῖν` has `Πελασγοὺς` as its subject (accusative), `τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ τείχους` as its direct object, and the dative `τῇ ἀκροπόλει` as its indirect object. This infinitive clause functions as the subject of the passive verb `λέγεται` (is said).
  5. 1.28.4ὡς πεμφθείη — The conjunction `ὡς` introduces indirect discourse ("it is said that..."). The optatives of indirect discourse (`πεμφθείη` and the subsequent `φαίη`) are used in a narrative context.

Cite this passage

Pausanias, Description of Greece §1.28.1-1.28.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.28.1-1.28.6

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