Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. W. H. S. Jones, ed. H. A. Ormerod, ed. Gregory Nagy, 1.37.2

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[2] A little way past the tomb of Themistocles is a precinct [ temenos] that is sacred [ hieron] to Lakios, a hero [ hērōs], and there is a deme [ dēmos] called after him, Lakiadai; also the tomb [ mnēma] of Nikokles of Tarentum, who won a unique reputation as a citharode [ kitharōidos = kitharā-singer]. There is also an altar [ bōmos] of Zephyrus and a sanctuary [ hieron] of Demeter and her daughter. With them Athena and Poseidon have honors [ tīmai]. They say that in this place [ khōrion] Phytalos welcomed Demeter in his home, for which act the goddess [ theos (feminine)] gave him the fig tree. This story is borne out by the inscription on the tomb of Phytalos:

Hero [ hērōs] and king [ anax], Phytalos here received the one who is Semnē [‘holy’],
Demeter, when she first created revealed [ phainein] the fruit-of-the-harvest [ karpos] that comes in the season of harvesting.
It is the sacred [ hierē] fig-tree [ sukē], that is what the generation of mortals [ thnētoi] have have given it as a name.
Whence Phytalos and his lineage have received honors immortal.

Description of Greece. Pausanias. ed. W. H. S. Jones, ed. H. A. Ormerod, ed. Gregory Nagy. . .

Current edition Experimental

English (Jones and Ormerod; retranslated Gregory Nagy, CHS, 2018) (OCR draft) (English) (CHS Pausanias Reader retranslation by Gregory Nagy, based on Jones and Ormerod, with marked Greek terms, notes, quotations, and bibliographic attributions preserved.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ἑλλάδος Περιηγήσεως Perseus (Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.) — 1.37.2 focus

[2] ταύτῃ μὲν τύχην τοιαύτην συμβῆναι λέγουσι· προελθοῦσι δὲ ὀλίγον Λακίου τέμενός ἐστιν ἥρωος καὶ δῆμος ὃν Λακιάδας ὀνομάζουσιν ἀπὸ τούτου, καὶ Νικοκλέους Ταραντίνου ἐστὶ μνῆμα, ὃς ἐπὶ μέγιστον δόξης κιθαρῳδῶν ἁπάντων ἦλθεν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ζεφύρου τε βωμὸς καὶ Δήμητρος ἱερὸν καὶ τῆς παιδός· σὺν δέ σφισιν Ἀθηνᾶ καὶ Ποσειδῶν ἔχουσι τιμάς. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χωρίῳ Φύταλόν φασιν οἴκῳ Δήμητρα δέξασθαι, καὶ τὴν θεὸν ἀντὶ τούτων δοῦναί οἱ τὸ φυτὸν τῆς συκῆς· μαρτυρεῖ δέ μοι τῷ λόγῳ τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ Φυτάλου τάφῳ·

ἐνθάδʼ ἄναξ ἥρως Φύταλός ποτε δέξατο σεμνὴν

Δήμητρα ν, ὅτε πρῶτον ὀπώρας καρπὸν ἔφηνεν,

ἣν ἱερὰν συκῆν θνητῶν γένος ἐξονομάζει·

ἐξ οὗ δὴ τιμὰς Φυτάλου γένος ἔσχεν ἀγήρως.

Translations (1)

Description of Greece Perseus (Pausanias. Pausanias Description of Greece, Volumes 1-4. Jones, W.H.S. (William Henry Samuel), translator; Ormerod, Henry Arderne, translator. London, New York: W. Heinemann, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1918-1935.) — 1.37.2 focus

[2] A little way past the grave of Themistocles is a precinct sacred to Lacius, a hero, a parish called after him Laciadae, and the tomb of Nicocles of Tarentum, who won a unique reputation as a harpist. There is also an altar of Zephyrus and a sanctuary of Demeter and her daughter. With them Athena and Poseidon are worshipped. There is a legend that in this place Phytalus welcomed Demeter in his home, for which act the goddess gave him the fig tree. This story is borne out by the inscription on the grave of Phytalus:—

Hero and king, Phytalus here welcome gave to Demeter,

August goddess, when first she created fruit of the harvest;

Sacred fig is the name which mortal men have assigned it.

Whence Phytalus and his race have gotten honours immortal.

New Alexandria Commentaries

Gregory Nagy, Editors: Angelia Hanhardt and Keith DeStone, Web producer: Noel Spencer, Consultant for images: Jill Curry Robbins, \[\[Noel gives this a separate URN\]\]

Scroll I. Attica

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Pausanias Description of Greece 1.37.2

ed. W. H. S. Jones, ed. H. A. Ormerod, ed. Gregory Nagy

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