Pausanias, Description of Greece, W.H.S. Jones (Translator), H.A. Ormerod (Translator), 1.17.1

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[1]
In the Athenian market-place among the objects not generally known is an altar to Mercy, of all divinities the most useful in the life of mortals and in the vicissitudes of fortune, but honored by the Athenians alone among the Greeks. And they are conspicuous not only for their humanity but also for their devotion to religion. They have an altar to Shamefastness, one to Rumour and one to Effort. It is quite obvious that those who excel in piety are correspondingly rewarded by good fortune.

Description of Greece. Pausanias. W.H.S. Jones (Translator), H.A. Ormerod (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1918-1935.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Description of Greece (English) (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.)

Editions (1)

Ἑλλάδος Περιηγήσεως Perseus (Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.) — 1.17.1 focus

[1]
Ἀθηναίοις δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ καὶ ἄλλα ἐστὶν οὐκ ἐς ἅπαντας ἐπίσημα καὶ Ἐλέου βωμός, ᾧ μάλιστα θεῶν ἐς ἀνθρώπινον βίον καὶ μεταβολὰς πραγμάτων ὄντι ὠφελίμῳ μόνοι τιμὰς Ἑλλήνων νέμουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι. τούτοις δὲ οὐ τὰ ἐς φιλανθρωπίαν μόνον καθέστηκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θεοὺς εὐσεβοῦσιν ἄλλων πλέον, καὶ γὰρ Αἰδοῦς σφισι βωμός ἐστι καὶ Φήμης καὶ Ὁρμῆς· δῆλά τε ἐναργῶς, ὅσοις πλέον τι ἑτέρων εὐσεβείας μέτεστιν, ἴσον σφίσι παρὸν τύχης χρηστῆς.

Translations (1)

English (Jones and Ormerod; retranslated Gregory Nagy, CHS, 2018) (OCR draft) Experimental (CHS Pausanias Reader retranslation by Gregory Nagy, based on Jones and Ormerod, with marked Greek terms, notes, quotations, and bibliographic attributions preserved.) — 1.17.1 focus

[1] In the Agora [‘Marketplace’] of the Athenians there are things that are not meaningful [ epi-sēma] to all [though they are meaningful to me]. Among such things is an altar [ bōmos] [sacred] to Pity [ Eleos] [personified]. Of all the other gods [ theoi] he [= Eleos] is the most helpful [ ōphelimos] in the life [ bios] of-humans [ anthrōpinos] and in the vicissitudes of their affairs [ pragmata], but only the Athenians, alone among the Greeks [ Hellēnes], assign [ nemein] to him [= Eleos] honors [ tīmai] [of worship]. And they [= the Athenians] have institutionalized not only those things that pertain to love-of-humanity [ philanthrōpiā] but they also piously-engage-in-rituals [ eusebeîn] more than the others. I say-this-because [ gar] they also have an altar [ bōmos] [sacred] to Decency [ Aidōs] [personified], one to Special-Wording [ Phēmē] [personified], and one to Initiative [ Hormē] [personified]. It is clear [ dēla], visibly [ enargōs] so, that those who excel in piously-engaging-in-ritual [ eu-sebeîn] have an equally great share in good [ khrēstē] fortune [ tukhē].

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 1.17.1

W.H.S. Jones (Translator), H.A. Ormerod (Translator)

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