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Pausanias · Description of Greece §2.32.1-2.32.10

The Sanctuary of Hippolytus and Sanctuaries of Troezen

Passage 93 of 465 · Greek

Summary

Explains the famous sanctuary of Hippolytus, the tomb of Phaedra, and her temple of Aphrodite in Troezen, along with other urban and extra-urban sanctuaries such as those of Athena on the acropolis, Poseidon, Demeter, and the landmarks along the road to Hermione.

§2.32.1Ἱππολύτῳ δὲ τῷ Θησέως τέμενός τε ἐπιφανέστατον ἀνεῖται καὶ ναὸς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἄγαλμά ἐστιν ἀρχαῖον.
To Hippolytus, the son of Theseus, a most famous sanctuary is dedicated, and in it are a temple and an ancient image.
ταῦτα μὲν Διομήδην λέγουσι ποιῆσαι καὶ προσέτι θῦσαι τῷ Ἱππολύτῳ πρῶτον·
These they say Diomedes made, and moreover was the first to sacrifice to Hippolytus.
Τροιζηνίοις δὲ ἱερεὺς μέν ἐστιν Ἱππολύτου τὸν χρόνον τοῦ βίου πάντα ἱερώμενος καὶ θυσίαι καθεστήκασιν ἐπέτειοι, δρῶσι δὲ καὶ ἄλλο τοιόνδε· ἑκάστη παρθένος πλόκαμον ἀποκείρεταί οἱ πρὸ γάμου, κειραμένη δὲ ἀνέθηκεν ἐς τὸν ναὸν φέρουσα.
For the Troezenians there is a priest of Hippolytus who holds office for the whole time of his life, and annual sacrifices are established, and they also do another thing of this kind: each maiden cuts off a lock of hair for him before marriage, and having cut it, she carries and dedicates it in the temple.
ἀποθανεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐθέλουσι συρέντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἵππων οὐδὲ τὸν τάφον ἀποφαίνουσιν εἰδότες· τὸν δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ καλούμενον ἡνίοχον, τοῦτον εἶναι νομίζουσιν ἐκεῖνον Ἱππόλυτον τιμὴν παρὰ θεῶν ταύτην ἔχοντα.
But they are unwilling to admit that he died by being dragged by his horses, nor do they point out his grave, though they know it; but the one called the Charioteer in heaven, they believe this to be that Hippolytus, having this honor from the gods.
§2.32.2τούτου δὲ ἐντὸς τοῦ περιβόλου ναός ἐστιν Ἀπόλλωνος Ἐπιβατηρίου, Διομήδους ἀνάθημα ἐκφυγόντος τὸν χειμῶνα ὃς τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐπεγένετο ἀπὸ Ἰλίου κομιζομένοις· καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα τῶν Πυθίων Διομήδην πρῶτον θεῖναί φασι τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι.
Within this enclosure is a temple of Apollo Epibaterius, an offering of Diomedes having escaped the storm which came upon the Greeks as they were returning from Ilium; and they say Diomedes was the first to establish the Pythian games for Apollo.
ἐς δὲ τὴν Δαμίαν καὶ Αὐξησίαν—καὶ γὰρ Τροιζηνίοις μέτεστιν αὐτῶν—οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν λέγουσιν ὃν Ἐπιδαύριοι καὶ Αἰγινῆται λόγον, ἀλλὰ ἀφικέσθαι παρθένους ἐκ Κρήτης· στασιασάντων δὲ ὁμοίως τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἁπάντων καὶ ταύτας φασὶν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιστασιωτῶν καταλευσθῆναι, καὶ ἑορτὴν ἄγουσί σφισι Λιθοβόλια ὀνομάζοντες.
Concerning Damia and Auxesia—for the Troezenians also have a share in them—they do not tell the same story as the Epidaurians and Aeginetans, but say that they were maidens who came from Crete; and when all those in the city were similarly in revolt, they say that these too were stoned to death by the opposing faction, and they keep a festival for them, calling it Lithobolia.
§2.32.3κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἕτερον τοῦ περιβόλου μέρος στάδιόν ἐστιν Ἱππολύτου καλούμενον καὶ ναὸς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ Ἀφροδίτης Κατασκοπίας· αὐτόθεν γάρ, ὁπότε γυμνάζοιτο ὁ Ἱππόλυτος, ἀπέβλεπεν ἐς αὐτὸν ἐρῶσα ἡ Φαίδρα.
By the other part of the enclosure is a stadium called after Hippolytus, and above it a temple of Aphrodite Kataskopia; for from there, whenever Hippolytus was exercising, Phaedra, being in love, used to look down at him.
ἐνταῦθα ἔτι πεφύκει ἡ μυρσίνη, τὰ φύλλα ὡς καὶ πρότερον ἔγραψα ἔχουσα τετρυπημένα· καὶ ἡνίκα ἠπορεῖτο ἡ Φαίδρα καὶ ῥᾳστώνην τῷ ἔρωτι οὐδεμίαν εὕρισκεν, ἐς ταύτης τὰ φύλλα ἐσιναμώρει τῆς μυρσίνης.
Here there still grows the myrtle, having its leaves pierced as I wrote before; and when Phaedra was in despair and found no relief for her love, she used to damage the leaves of this myrtle.
§2.32.4ἔστι δὲ καὶ τάφος Φαίδρας, ἀπέχει δὲ οὐ πολὺ τοῦ Ἱππολύτου μνήματος· τὸ δὲ οὐ πόρρω κέχωσται τῆς μυρσίνης.
There is also a grave of Phaedra, and it is not far from the monument of Hippolytus; and the latter is heaped up not far from the myrtle.
τοῦ δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τὸ ἄγαλμα ἐποίησε μὲν Τιμόθεος, Τροιζήνιοι δὲ οὐκ Ἀσκληπιὸν ἀλλὰ εἰκόνα Ἱππολύτου φασὶν εἶναι.
The image of Asclepius was made by Timotheus, but the Troezenians say it is not Asclepius but an image of Hippolytus.
καὶ οἰκίαν ἰδὼν οἶδα Ἱππολύτου· πρὸ δὲ αὐτῆς ἐστιν Ἡράκλειος καλουμένη κρήνη, τὸ ὕδωρ ὡς οἱ Τροιζήνιοι λέγουσιν ἀνευρόντος Ἡρακλέους.
And I know the house of Hippolytus, having seen it; in front of it is a fountain called Heracleian, the water of which, as the Troezenians say, Heracles found.
§2.32.5ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀκροπόλει τῆς Σθενιάδος καλουμένης ναός ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς, αὐτὸ δὲ εἰργάσατο τῆς θεοῦ τὸ ξόανον Κάλλων Αἰγινήτης· μαθητὴς δὲ ὁ Κάλλων ἦν Τεκταίου καὶ Ἀγγελίωνος, οἳ Δηλίοις ἐποίησαν τὸ ἄγαλμα τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος· ὁ δὲ Ἀγγελίων καὶ Τεκταῖος παρὰ Διποίνῳ καὶ Σκύλλιδι ἐδιδάχθησαν.
On the acropolis is a temple of Athena called Sthenias, and the wooden image itself of the goddess was wrought by Callon of Aegina; and Callon was a pupil of Tectaeus and Angelion, who made for the Delians the image of Apollo; and Angelion and Tectaeus were taught by Dipoenus and Scyllis.
§2.32.6κατιόντων δὲ αὐτόθεν Λυτηρίου Πανός ἐστιν ἱερόν· Τροιζηνίων γὰρ τοῖς τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχουσιν ἔδειξεν ὀνείρατα ἃ εἶχεν ἄκεσιν λοιμοῦ πιέσαντος τὴν Τροιζηνίαν, Ἀθηναίους δὲ μάλιστα.
As you go down from there, there is a sanctuary of Pan Lyterius; for to those holding office among the Troezenians he showed in dreams remedies for the plague when it oppressed the Troezenian land, and most of all the Athenians.
διαβὰς δὲ καὶ ναὸν ἂν ἴδοις Ἴσιδος καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν Ἀφροδίτης Ἀκραίας· τὸν μὲν ἅτε ἐν μητροπόλει τῇ Τροιζῆνι Ἁλικαρνασσεῖς ἐποίησαν, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τῆς Ἴσιδος ἀνέθηκε Τροιζηνίων δῆμος.
And having crossed over, you may see also a temple of Isis and above it one of Aphrodite Acraea; the former the Halicarnassians made, since Troezen is their mother-city, but the image of Isis was dedicated by the people of Troezen.
§2.32.7ἰοῦσι δὲ τὴν διὰ τῶν ὀρέων ἐς Ἑρμιόνην πηγή τέ ἐστι τοῦ Ὑλλικοῦ ποταμοῦ, Ταυρίου δὲ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καλουμένου, καὶ πέτρα Θησέως ὀνομαζομένη, μεταβαλοῦσα καὶ αὐτὴ τὸ ὄνομα ἀνελομένου Θησέως ὑπʼ αὐτῇ κρηπῖδας τὰς Αἰγέως καὶ ξίφος· πρότερον δὲ βωμὸς ἐκαλεῖτο Σθενίου Διός.
For those going by the way through the mountains to Hermione, there is a source of the river Hyllicus, originally called Taurius, and a rock called the Rock of Theseus, this too having changed its name when Theseus took up from under it the sandals and sword of Aegeus; and before it was called the Altar of Zeus Sthenius.
τῆς δὲ πέτρας πλησίον Ἀφροδίτης ἐστὶν ἱερὸν Νυμφίας, ποιήσαντος Θησέως ἡνίκα ἔσχε γυναῖκα Ἑλένην.
Near the rock is a sanctuary of Aphrodite Nymphia, made by Theseus when he took Helen to wife.
§2.32.8ἔστι δὲ ἔξω τείχους καὶ Ποσειδῶνος ἱερὸν Φυταλμίου· μηνίσαντα γάρ σφισι τὸν Ποσειδῶνα ποιεῖν φασιν ἄκαρπον τὴν χώραν ἅλμης ἐς τὰ σπέρματα καὶ τῶν φυτῶν τὰς ῥίζας καθικνουμένης, ἐς ὃ θυσίαις τε εἴξας καὶ εὐχαῖς οὐκέτι ἅλμην ἀνῆκεν ἐς τὴν γῆν.
Outside the wall there is also a sanctuary of Poseidon Phytalmius; for they say that Poseidon, being angry with them, made the land barren, the brine reaching to the seeds and the roots of the plants, until, yielding to sacrifices and prayers, he no longer sent up brine into the land.
ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος τὸν ναόν ἐστι Δημήτηρ Θεσμοφόρος, Ἀλθήπου καθὰ λέγουσιν ἱδρυσαμένου.
Above the temple of Poseidon is Demeter Thesmophorus, established as they say by Althepus.
§2.32.9καταβαίνουσι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν πρὸς τῇ Κελενδέρει καλουμένῃ λιμένα χωρίον ἐστὶν ὃ Γενέθλιον ὀνομάζουσι, τεχθῆναι Θησέα ἐνταῦθα λέγοντες.
As you go down to the harbor by what is called Celenderis, there is a place which they name Genethlium, saying that Theseus was born there.
πρὸ δὲ τοῦ χωρίου τούτου ναός ἐστιν Ἄρεως, Θησέως καὶ ἐνταῦθα Ἀμαζόνας μάχῃ κρατήσαντος· αὗται δʼ ἂν εἴησαν τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ πρὸς Θησέα καὶ Ἀθηναίους ἀγωνισαμένων.
In front of this place is a temple of Ares, where Theseus also conquered the Amazons in battle; these would be of those who fought in Attica against Theseus and the Athenians.
§2.32.10ἐπὶ θάλασσαν δὲ τὴν Ψιφαίαν πορευομένοις κότινος πέφυκεν ὀνομαζόμενος ῥᾶχος στρεπτός.
For those journeying to the sea called Psiphaean there grows a wild olive tree named the twisted rhachos.
ῥάχους μὲν δὴ καλοῦσι Τροιζήνιοι πᾶν ὅσον ἄκαρπον ἐλαίας, κότινον καὶ φυλλίαν καὶ ἔλαιον· στρεπτὸν δὲ ἐπονομάζουσι τοῦτον, ὅτι ἐνσχεθεισῶν αὐτῷ τῶν ἡνιῶν ἀνετράπη τοῦ Ἱππολύτου τὸ ἅρμα.
The Troezenians call rhachos everything that is a barren olive—wild olive, phyllia, and cotinos; and they nickname this one 'twisted' because, his reins having become entangled in it, the chariot of Hippolytus was overturned.
τούτου δὲ οὐ πολὺ τῆς Σαρωνίας Ἀρτέμιδος ἀφέστηκε τὸ ἱερόν, καὶ τὰ ἐς αὐτὸ ἐμήνυσεν ὁ λόγος ἤδη μοι.
Not far from this is the sanctuary of Saronian Artemis, and my narrative has already declared the things concerning it.
τοσόνδε δὲ ἔτι δηλώσω· Σαρώνια γὰρ δὴ κατὰ ἔτος τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι ἑορτὴν ἄγουσι.
But I will still declare this much: they keep the Saronia, a festival for Artemis, every year.

Notes

  1. 2.32.1Ἱππολύτῳ δὲ τῷ Θησέως — Dative of dedication indicating Hippolytus, the son of Theseus. It depends on the following verb ἀνεῖται (is dedicated).
  2. 2.32.1ἀποθανεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐθέλουσι συρέντα — οὐκ ἐθέλουσι is used here not as 'do not wish,' but 'refuse to admit' or 'do not agree.' The accusative αὐτόν serves as the subject of the infinitive ἀποθανεῖν, and the participle συρέντα agrees with it.
  3. 2.32.2ἐκφυγόντος τὸν χειμῶνα — The genitive Διομήδους ἐκφυγόντος is a genitive of possession or author modifying ἀνάθημα (offering), with the relative clause ὃς... qualifying the object τὸν χειμῶνα (the storm).
  4. 2.32.4τὸ δὲ οὐ πόρρω κέχωσται — The neuter demonstrative pronoun τὸ δὲ refers back to the Ἱππολύτου μνήματος (monument of Hippolytus) mentioned in the previous clause.
  5. 2.32.6κατιόντων δὲ αὐτόθεν — Genitive absolute construction with the subject (implied people) omitted: 'as people go down from there.'
  6. 2.32.7ἰοῦσι δὲ τὴν διὰ τῶν ὀρέων ἐς Ἑρμιόνην — The dative plural participle ἰοῦσι is a dative of reference or relation ('for those going...'), a standard idiomatic usage to describe geographical orientation or directions.

Cite this passage

Pausanias, Description of Greece §2.32.1-2.32.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.32.1-2.32.10

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