A Pausanias Reader in Progress

An ongoing retranslation of the Greek text of Pausanias, with ongoing annotations, primarily by Gregory Nagy from 2014 to 2022, and continued since 2022 by Nagy together with an intergenerational team. Based on an original translation by W. H. S. Jones, 1918 (Scroll 2 with H. A. Ormerod), containing some of the footnotes added by Jones. Editors: Keith DeStone, Elizabeth Gipson, Charles Pletcher Editor Emerita: Angelia Hanhardt Web Producer: Noel Spencer Consultant for images: Jill Curry Robbins To cite this work, use the following persistent identifier: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hlnc.prim-src:A_Pausanias_Reader_in_Progress.2018-.

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.aprip-en


8.44.1 To complete my account of Arcadia I have only to describe the road from Megalopolis to Pallantion and Tegea, which also takes us as far as what is called the Dyke. On this road is a suburb named Ladoceia after Ladocus, the son of Ekhemos, and after it is the site of what was in old times the city of Haimoniai. Its founder was Haimon the son of Lykaon, and the name of the place has remained Haimoniai to this day.

8.44.2 After Haimoniai on the right of the road are some noteworthy remains of the city of Oresthasium, especially the pillars of a sanctuary of Artemis, which still are there. The surname of Artemis is Priestess. On the straight road from Haimoniai is a place called Aphrodisium, and after it another, called Athenaeum. On the left of it is a temple of Athena with a stone image in it.

8.44.3 About twenty stadium-lengths away from Athenaeum are ruins of Asea, and the hill that once was the citadel has traces of fortifications to this day. Some five stadium-lengths from Asea are the sources of the Alpheios and of the Eurotas, the former a little distance from the road, the latter just by the road itself. Near the source of the Alpheios is a temple of the Mother of the Gods without a roof, and two lions made of stone.

8.44.4 The waters of the Eurotas mingle with the Alpheios, and the united streams flow on for some twenty stadium-lengths. Then they fall into a chasm, and the Eurotas comes again to the surface in the Lacedaemonian territory, the Alpheios at Pegai (Sources) in the land of Megalopolis. From Asea is an ascent up Mount Boreios, and on the top of the mountain are traces of a sanctuary. It is said that the sanctuary was built in honor of Athena Savior and Poseidon by Odysseus after his return from Troy.

8.44.5 What is called the Dyke is the boundary between Megalopolis on the one hand and Tegea and Pallantion on the other. The plain of Pallantion you reach by turning aside to the left from the Dyke. In Pallantion is a temple with two stone images, one of Pallas, the other of Evander (Euadros). There is also a sanctuary of the Maiden, the daughter of Demeter, and not far away is a statue of Polybius. The hill above the city was of old used as a citadel. On the crest of the hill there still remains a sanctuary of certain gods.

8.44.6 Their surname is the Pure, and here it is customary to take the most solemn oaths. The names of the gods either they do not know, or knowing will not divulge; but it might be inferred that they were called Pure because Pallas did not sacrifice to them after the same fashion as his father sacrificed to Zeus Lykaios.

8.44.7 On the right of the so-called Dyke lies the Manthuric plain. The plain is on the borders of Tegea, stretching just about fifty stadium-lengths to that city. On the right of the road is a small mountain called Mount Kresios, on which stands the sanctuary of Aphneios. For Ares, the Tegeans say, mated with Aerope, daughter of Cepheus, the son of Aleus.

8.44.8 She died in giving birth to a child, who clung to his mother even when she was dead, and sucked great abundance of milk from her breasts. Now this took place by the will of Ares, and because of it they name the god Aphneios (Abundant); but the name given to the hill was, it is said, Aeropus. There is on the way to Tegea a fountain called Leuconian. They say that Apheidas was the father of Leucone, and not far from Tegea is her tomb.