Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 7.18

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[1]
σταδίους δὲ ὅσον τεσσαράκοντα προελθόντι ἐκ Δύμης ποταμὸς Πεῖρος ἐς θάλατταν κάτεισι, καὶ Ἀχαιῶν πόλις ποτὲ Ὤλενος ᾠκεῖτο παρὰ τῷ Πείρῳ. ὁπόσοι δὲ ἐς Ἡρακλέα καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πεποιήκασιν, ἔστιν οὐκ ἐλάχιστά σφισι δείγματα τοῦ λόγου Δεξαμενὸς ὁ ἐν Ὠλένῳ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁποίων Ἡρακλῆς παρʼ αὐτῷ ξενίων ἔτυχε. καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἦν πόλισμα ἐξ ἀρχῆς μικρὸν ἡ Ὤλενος, μαρτυρεῖ τῷ λόγῳ μου καὶ ἐλεγεῖον ἐς Εὐρυτίωνα Κένταυρον ὑπὸ Ἑρμησιάνακτος πεποιημένον· ἀνὰ χρόνον δὲ τοὺς οἰκήτορας ἐκλιπεῖν ὑπὸ ἀσθενείας φασὶ τὴν Ὤλενον καὶ ἐς Πειράς τε καὶ ἐς Εὐρυτειὰς ἀποχωρῆσαι.

[2]
τοῦ δὲ Πείρου ποταμοῦ περὶ τοὺς ὀγδοήκοντα ἀφέστηκε σταδίους Πατρέων ἡ πόλις· οὐ πόρρω δὲ αὐτῆς ποταμὸς Γλαῦκος ἐκδίδωσιν ἐς θάλασσαν. Πατρέων δὲ οἱ τὰ ἀρχαιότατα μνημονεύοντές φασιν Εὔμηλον αὐτόχθονα οἰκῆσαι πρῶτον ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, βασιλεύοντα αὐτὸν ἀνθρώπων οὐ πολλῶν. Τριπτολέμου δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἀφικομένου τόν τε καρπὸν λαμβάνει τὸν ἥμερον καὶ οἰκίσαι διδαχθεὶς πόλιν Ἀρόην ὠνόμασεν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τῆς γῆς.

[3] ὡς δὲ πρὸς ὕπνον ἐτράπετο ὁ Τριπτόλεμος, ἐνταῦθα Ἀνθείαν παῖδα Εὐμήλου τοὺς δράκοντάς φασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Τριπτολέμου τὸ ἅρμα ζεύξαντα ἐθελῆσαι καὶ αὐτὸν σπεῖραι· καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐπιλαμβάνει τὸ χρεὼν ἐκπεσόντα τοῦ ἅρματος, Τριπτόλεμος 0 δὲ καὶ Εὔμηλος Ἄνθειαν πόλιν οἰκίζουσιν ἐν κοινῷ, τοῦ Εὐμήλου παιδὸς ἐπώνυμον.

[4] ᾠκίσθη δὲ καὶ τρίτη μεταξὺ Ἀνθείας καὶ Ἀρόης Μεσάτις πόλις. ὁπόσα δὲ οἱ Πατρεῖς περὶ Διονύσου λέγουσι, τραφῆναί τε αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ Μεσάτει καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπιβουλευθέντα ὑπὸ Τιτάνων ἐς παντοῖον ἀφικέσθαι κίνδυνον, οὐκ ἐναντιούμενος τοῖς Πατρεῦσιν τῆς Μεσάτεως τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῖς σφισιν ἐξηγεῖσθαι παρίημι.

[5] Ἀχαιῶν δὲ ὕστερον ἐκβαλόντων Ἴωνας, Πατρεὺς ὁ Πρευγένους τοῦ Ἀγήνορος ἐς μὲν Ἄνθειαν καὶ ἐς Μεσάτιν μὴ ἐνοικίζεσθαι τοῖς Ἀχαιοῖς ἀπεῖπε, περίβολον δὲ τείχους πρὸς τῇ Ἀρόῃ βαλόμενος μείζονα, ἵνα ἐντός οἱ τοῦ περιβόλου καὶ ἡ Ἀρόη γένηται, ὄνομα ἔθετο ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ Πάτρας τῇ πόλει. Ἀγήνωρ δὲ ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ Πρευγένους Ἀρέως παῖς ἦν τοῦ Ἄμπυκος, ὁ δὲ Ἄμπυξ Πελίου τοῦ Αἰγινήτου τοῦ Δηρείτου τοῦ Ἁρπάλου τοῦ Ἀμύκλα τοῦ Λακεδαίμονος.

[6] Πατρεῖ μὲν τοιαῦτα ἐς τοὺς προγόνους ὑπάρχοντα ἦν· ἰδίᾳ δὲ ἀνὰ χρόνον Πατρεῖς διέβησαν ἐς Αἰτωλίαν Ἀχαιῶν μόνοι κατὰ φιλίαν τὴν Αἰτωλῶν, τὸν πόλεμόν σφισι τὸν πρὸς Γαλάτας συνδιοίσοντες. προσπταίσαντες δʼ ἐν ταῖς μάχαις λόγου μειζόνως καὶ ὑπὸ πενίας ἅμα οἱ πολλοὶ πιεζόμενοι Πάτρας μὲν πλὴν ὀλίγων τινῶν ἐκλείπουσιν· οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι κατὰ χώραν ὑπὸ φιλεργίας ἐσκεδάσθησαν καὶ πολίσματα παρὲξ αὐτὰς Πάτρας τοσάδε ἄλλα ᾤκησαν, Μεσάτιν καὶ Ἄνθειαν καὶ Βολίνην καὶ Ἀργυρᾶν τε καὶ Ἄρβαν.

[7] Αὔγουστος δὲ ἢ τοῦ 0 παράπλου νομίζων κεῖσθαι καλῶς τὰς Πάτρας ἢ κατʼ ἄλλην τινὰ αἰτίαν ἐπανήγαγεν αὖθις ἐκ τῶν πολισμάτων τῶν ἄλλων τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐς τὰς Πάτρας, προσσυνῴκισε δέ σφισι καὶ Ἀχαιοὺς τοὺς ἐκ Ῥυπῶν, καταβαλὼν ἐς ἔδαφος Ῥύπας· καὶ ἔδωκε μὲν ἐλευθέροις Ἀχαιῶν μόνοις τοῖς Πατρεῦσιν εἶναι, ἔδωκε δὲ καὶ ἐς τὰ ἄλλα γέρα σφίσιν, ὁπόσα τοῖς ἀποίκοις νέμειν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι νομίζουσι.

[8]
Πατρεῦσι δὲ ἐν ἄκρᾳ τῇ πόλει Λαφρίας ἱερόν ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος· ξενικὸν μὲν τῇ θεῷ τὸ ὄνομα, ἐσηγμένον δὲ ἑτέρωθεν καὶ τὸ ἄγαλμα. Καλυδῶνος γὰρ καὶ Αἰτωλίας τῆς ἄλλης ὑπὸ Αὐγούστου βασιλέως ἐρημωθείσης διὰ τὸ τὴν ἐς τὴν Νικόπολιν τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἀκτίου συνοικίζεσθαι καὶ τὸ Αἰτωλικόν, οὕτω τὸ ἄγαλμα τῆς Λαφρίας οἱ Πατρεῖς ἔσχον.

[9] ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἀγάλματα ἔκ τε Αἰτωλίας καὶ παρὰ Ἀκαρνάνων, τὰ μὲν πολλὰ ἐς τὴν Νικόπολιν κομισθῆναι, Πατρεῦσι δὲ ὁ Αὔγουστος ἄλλα τε τῶν ἐκ Καλυδῶνος λαφύρων καὶ δὴ καὶ τῆς Λαφρίας ἔδωκε τὸ ἄγαλμα, ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἔτι ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει τῇ Πατρέων εἶχε τιμάς. γενέσθαι δὲ ἐπίκλησιν τῇ θεῷ Λαφρίαν ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς Φωκέως φασί· Λάφριον γὰρ τὸν Κασταλίου τοῦ Δελφοῦ Καλυδωνίοις ἱδρύσασθαι τὸ ἄγαλμα τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος τὸ ἀρχαῖον, οἱ δὲ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος τὸ μήνιμα τὸ

[10] ἐς Οἰνέα ἀνὰ χρόνον τοῖς Καλυδωνίοις ἐλαφρότερον γενέσθαι λέγουσι καὶ αἰτίαν τῇ θεῷ τῆς ἐπικλήσεως ἐθέλουσιν εἶναι ταύτην. τὸ μὲν σχῆμα τοῦ ἀγάλματος θηρεύουσά ἐστιν, ἐλέφαντος δὲ καὶ χρυσοῦ πεποίηται, Ναυπάκτιοι δὲ Μέναιχμος καὶ Σοΐδας εἰργάσαντο· 0 τεκμαίρονται σφᾶς Κανάχου τοῦ Σικυωνίου καὶ τοῦ Αἰγινήτου Κάλλωνος οὐ πολλῷ γενέσθαι τινὶ ἡλικίαν ὑστέρους.

[11] ἄγουσι δὲ καὶ Λάφρια ἑορτὴν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι οἱ Πατρεῖς ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος, ἐν ᾗ τρόπος ἐπιχώριος θυσίας ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς. περὶ μὲν τὸν βωμὸν ἐν κύκλῳ ξύλα ἱστᾶσιν ἔτι χλωρὰ καὶ ἐς ἑκκαίδεκα ἕκαστον πήχεις· ἐντὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ τὰ αὐότατά σφισι τῶν ξύλων κεῖται. μηχανῶνται δὲ ὑπὸ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἑορτῆς καὶ ἄνοδον ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν λειοτέραν, ἐπιφέροντες γῆν ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ τοὺς ἀναβασμούς.

[12] πρῶτα μὲν δὴ πομπὴν μεγαλοπρεπεστάτην τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι πομπεύουσι, καὶ ἡ ἱερωμένη παρθένος ὀχεῖται τελευταία τῆς πομπῆς ἐπὶ ἐλάφων ὑπὸ τὸ ἅρμα ἐζευγμένων· ἐς δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν τηνικαῦτα ἤδη δρᾶν τὰ ἐς τὴν θυσίαν νομίζουσι, δημοσίᾳ τε ἡ πόλις καὶ οὐχ ἧσσον ἐς τὴν ἑορτὴν οἱ ἰδιῶται φιλοτίμως ἔχουσιν. ἐσβάλλουσι γὰρ ζῶντας ἐς τὸν βωμὸν ὄρνιθάς τε τοὺς ἐδωδίμους καὶ ἱερεῖα ὁμοίως ἅπαντα, ἔτι δὲ ὗς ἀγρίους καὶ ἐλάφους τε καὶ δορκάδας, οἱ δὲ καὶ λύκων καὶ ἄρκτων σκύμνους, οἱ δὲ καὶ τὰ τέλεια τῶν θηρίων· κατατιθέασι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν καὶ δένδρων καρπὸν τῶν ἡμέρων.

[13] τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου πῦρ ἐνιᾶσιν ἐς τὰ ξύλα. ἐνταῦθά που καὶ ἄρκτον καὶ ἄλλο τι ἐθεασάμην τῶν ζῴων, τὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τὴν πρώτην ὁρμὴν τοῦ πυρὸς βιαζόμενα ἐς τὸ ἐκτός, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐκφεύγοντα ὑπὸ ἰσχύος· ταῦτα οἱ ἐμβαλόντες ἐπανάγουσιν αὖθις ἐς 0 τὴν πυράν. τρωθῆναι δὲ οὐδένα ὑπὸ τῶν θηρίων μνημονεύουσιν.

Description of Greece. Pausanias. ed. Friedrich Spiro. Leipzig. 1903.

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Current edition Perseus

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

Translations (2)

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.) — 7.18 focus

[1]
Some forty stades from Dyme the river Peirus flows down into the sea; on the Peirus once stood the Achaean city of Olenus . The poets who have sung of Heracles and his labours have found a favorite subject in Dexamenus, king of Olenus , and the entertainment Heracles received at his court. That Olenus was from the beginning a small town I find confirmed in an elegiac poem composed by Hermesianax about Eurytion the Centaur. In course of time, it is said, the inhabitants, owing to their weakness, left Olenus and migrated to Peirae and Euryteiae.

[2]
About eighty stades from the river Peirus is the city of Patrae . Not far from Patrae the river Glaucus flows into the sea. The historians of ancient Patrae say that it was an aboriginal, Eumelus, who first settled in the land, and that he was king over but a few subjects. But when Triptolemus came from Attica , he received from him cultivated corn, and, learning how to found a city, named it Aroe from the tilling of the soil.

[3] It is said that Triptolemus once fell asleep, and that then Antheias, the son of Eumelus, yoked the dragons to the car of Triptolemus and tried to sow the seed himself. But Antheias fell off the car and was killed, and so Triptolemus and Eumelus together founded a city, and called it Antheia after the son of Eumelus.

[4] Between Antheia and Aroe was founded a third city, called Mesatis. The stories told of Dionysus by the people of Patrae , that he was reared in Mesatis and incurred there all sob of perils through the plots of the Titans, I will not contradict, but will leave it to the people of Patrae to explain the name Mesatis as they choose.

[5] When afterwards the Achaeans had driven out the Ionians, Patreus, the son of Preugenes, the son of Agenor, forbade the Achaeans to settle in Antheia and Mesatis, but built at Aroe a wall of greater circumference so as to include Aroe within it, and named the city Patrae after himself. Agenor, the father of Preugenes, was the son of Areus, the son of Ampyx, and Ampyx was a son of Pelias, the son of Aeginetes, the son of Dereites, the son of Harpalus, the son of Amyclas, the son of Lacedaemon .

[6] Such was the genealogy of Patreus. In course of time the people of Patrae on their own account crossed into Aetolia ; they did this out of friendship for the Aetolians, to help them in their war with the Gauls, and no other Achaeans joined them. But suffering unspeakable disasters in the fighting, and most of them being also crushed by poverty, all with the exception of a few left Patrae , and scattered, owing to their love of agriculture, up and down the country, dwelling in, besides Patrae , the following towns: Mesatis, Antheia, Bolina, Argyra and Arba .

[7] But Augustus, for some reason, perhaps because he thought that Patrae was a convenient port of call, brought back again to Patrae the men from the other towns, and united with them the Achaeans also from Rhypes, which town he razed to the ground. He granted freedom to the Patraeans, and to no other Achaeans; and he granted also all the other privileges that the Romans are accustomed to bestow on their colonists.

[8]
On the acropolis of Patrae is a sanctuary of Artemis Laphria. The surname of the goddess is a foreign one, and her image too was brought in from elsewhere. For after Calydon with the rest of Aetolia had been laid waste by the Emperor Augustus in order that the Aetolian people might be incorporated into Nicopolis above Actium , the people of Patrae thus secured the image of Laphria.

[9] Most of the images out of Aetolia and from Acarnania were brought by Augustus' orders to Nicopolis , but to Patrae he gave, with other spoils from Calydon, the image of Laphria, which even in my time was still worshipped on the acropolis of Patrae . It is said that the goddess was surnamed Laphria after a man of Phocis , because the ancient image of Artemis was set up at Calydon by Laphrius, the son of Castalius, the son of Delphus.

[10] Others say that the wrath of Artemis against Oeneus weighed as time went on more lightly ( elaphroteron) on the Calydonians, and they believe that this was why the goddess received her surname. The image represents her in the guise of a huntress; it is made of ivory and gold, and the artists were Menaechmus and Soldas of Naupactus, who, it is inferred, lived not much later than Canachus of Sicyon and Callon of Aegina .

[11] Every year too the people of Patrae celebrate the festival Laphria in honor of their Artemis, and at it they employ a method of sacrifice peculiar to the place. Round the altar in a circle they set up logs of wood still green, each of them sixteen cubits long. On the altar within the circle is placed the driest of their wood. Just before the time of the festival they construct a smooth ascent to the altar, piling earth upon the altar steps.

[12] The festival begins with a most splendid procession in honor of Artemis, and the maiden officiating as priestess rides last in the procession upon a car yoked to deer. It is, however, not till the next day that the sacrifice is offered, and the festival is not only a state function but also quite a popular general holiday. For the people throw alive upon the altar edible birds and every kind of victim as well; there are wild boars, deer and gazelles; some bring wolf-cubs or bear-cubs, others the full-grown beasts. They also place upon the altar fruit of cultivated trees.

[13] Next they set fire to the wood. At this point I have seen some of the beasts, including a bear, forcing their way outside at the first rush of the flames, some of them actually escaping by their strength. But those who threw them in drag them back again to the pyre. It is not remembered that anybody has ever been wounded by the beasts.

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.) — 7.18 focus

[1] Some forty stadium-lengths from Dyme the river Peirus flows down into the sea; on the Peirus once stood the Achaean city of Olenos. The poets who have sung of Hēraklēs and his labors have found a favorite subject in Dexamenos, king of Olenοs, and the entertainment Hēraklēs received at his court. That Olenοs was from the beginning a small town I find confirmed in an elegiac poem composed by Hermesianax about Eurytion the Centaur. In course of time, it is said, the inhabitants, owing to their weakness, left Olenus and migrated to Peiraiand Euryteiae.

[2] About eighty stadium-lengths from the river Peiros is the city of Patrai. Not far from Patrai the river Glaukos flows into the sea. Those who memorialize [ mnēmoneuein] the-ancient-lore [ tà arkhaia] of the people-of-Patrai [ Patreîs] say that it was an aboriginal earthborn [ autokhthōn], Eumēlos, who first made-a-home [ oikeîn] in the land, and that he was-king [ basileuein] of only a few humans [ anthrōpoi]. But when Triptolemos came from Attica, he [= Eumelos] received from him [= Triptolemos] cultivated [ hēmeros] seed-for-harvesting [ karpos], and, learning how to establish [ oikizein] a city [ polis], he named it Aroē from the ploughing [ aroûn] of the land.

[3] It is said that Triptolemos once fell asleep, and that then Antheias, the son of Eumēlos, yoked the dragons to the chariot [ harma] of Triptolemos and tried to sow-seed [ speirein] himself. But Antheias, undertaking the task, fell off the chariot and was killed, and so Triptolemos and Eumēlos in common [ en koinōi] established [ oikizein] a city [ polis], and called it Antheia after the son of Eumēlos.

[4] Between Antheia and Aroe was established [ oikizein] a third city [ polis], called Mesátis. As for all the things that the people-of-Patrai [Patreîs] say about Dionysus, how he was raised in Mesatis and incurred there all sorts of dangers [ kindunoi] through the plots of the Titans, I will not contradict, but will leave it to the people-of-Patrai [Patreîs] to explicate [ ex(h)ēgeîsthai].

[5] When, at a later point, the Achaeans had driven out the Ionians, Patreus, the son of Preugenes, the son of Agenor, forbade the Achaeans to settle in Antheia and Mesatis, but built at Aroe a wall [ teikhos] of greater circumference [ peribolos] so as to include Aroe within the enclosure [ peribolos], and he named the city [ polis] Patrai after himself. Agenor, the father of Preugenes, was the son of Areus, the son of Ampyx, and Ampyx was a son of Pelias, the son of Aiginetes, the son of Dereites, the son of Harpalos, the son of Amyklas, the son of Lacedaemon.

[6] These were the ancestors of Patreus. With the passage of time the people of Patrai by their own choice crossed into Aetolia; they did this out of friendship for the Aetolians, to help them in their war with the Gauls, and no other Achaeans joined them. But suffering unspeakable disasters in the fighting, and most of them being also crushed by poverty, all with the exception of a few left Patrai, and scattered, owing to their love of agriculture, up and down the countryside, dwelling [ oikeîn] in, besides Patrai, the following municipalities [ polismata]: Mesatis, Antheia, Boline, Argyrâ, and Arba.

[7] But Augustus, for some reason [ aitiā], perhaps because he thought that Patrai was a convenient port of call, brought back again to Patrai the men [ andres] from the other municipalities [ polismata], and he consolidated-as-a-city [ sunoikizein] not only these populations but also [ pros-] the Achaeans from Rhypai, which place he demolished all the way down to its foundations. He granted that the people-of-Patrai [Patreîs] should be free [ eleutheroi]. He granted this only to them, of all the Achaeans. And he granted to them also all the other privileges [ gera] that the Romans have-the-custom-of bestowing on their colonists [ apoikoi].

[8] On their acropolis the people of Patrai have a sanctuary [ hieron] of Artemis Laphria. The name [ onoma] of the goddess [ theos (feminine)] Laphria is not-native [ xenikon], and her statue [ agalma] was brought in likewise from elsewhere. Here is why I say this. After Calydon along with the rest of Aetolia had been depopulated by Augustus the basileus [‘king’] so that the Aetolian people might be incorporated [ sunoikizesthai] into Nikopolis near Actium, the people of Patrai in this way got to have the statue [ agalma] of Laphria.

[9] Most of the statues [ agalmata] originating from Aetolia and from Acarnania were brought [ komizesthai] by order of Augustus to Nikopolis, but to Patrai he gave, along with other confiscated-things [ laphura] from Calydon, the statue [ agalma] of Laphria, which even in my time was still receiving honors [ tīmai] on the acropolis of Patrai. It is said that the goddess [ theos (feminine)] got the surname [ epiklēsis] Laphria after a man from Phokis, because the ancient statue [ agalma] of Artemis had been set up [ hidrusasthai] at Calydon by Laphrios, the son of Kastalios, the son of Delphos.

[10] Others say that the anger [ mēnīma] of Artemis against Oineus, as time went on, weighed more lightly [ elaphroteron] on the Calydonians, and they wishfully-think [ ethelein] that this was the reason [ aitiā] for the surname [ epiklēsis] of the goddess [ theos (feminine)]. The pose [ skhēma] of the statue [ agalma] is a Huntress [ thēreuousa]; it is made [ poieîn] of ivory and gold. Those who worked on it were Menaikhmos and Soidas, both from Naupaktos, and both of these two, it is inferred-from-the-evidence [ tekmairesthai], lived not much later than Kanakhos of Sikyon and Kallon of Aegina.

[11] The people-of-Patrai [Patreîs] celebrate every year a festival [ heortē] called Laphria, which is likewise intended for their [special kind of] Artemis, and, at this festival, there is a [special] way [ tropos] of sacrificing [ thusiā] that is peculiar-to-the-locale [ epikhōrios]. Around the altar [ bōmos] in a circle [ kuklos] they set logs-of-wood [ xula] still green [ khlōra], each of them sixteen cubits in length. On the altar [ bōmos] within the circle [ kuklos] are placed the driest of the logs [ xula]. Just before the right-time [ kairos] of the festival [ heortē] they create a smooth ascent [ anodos = an-hodos] to the altar [ bōmos], piling earth upon the ascending-steps [ anabasmoi] [to form a ramp].

[12] The first thing that happens is the processing-of-a-procession [ pompēn pompeuein]—a most magnificent [ megaloprepestatē] procession—for Artemis, and the girl [ parthénos] who officiates-as-priestess [ hierâsthai], coming up last in [the sequence of] the procession [ pompē], rides [ okheîtai] in a chariot [ harma] yoked to deer. It is, however, not till the next day—yes, this is the day—when they do [ drân] the [special] things that they have-the-custom [ nomizein] of doing for the sacrifice [ thusiā]—both the city [ polis], by-way-of-its-public-support [ dēmosiāi], and no less so the people, each-one-of-them-as-private-individuals [ idiōtai], being-ambitiously-aware-of-the-honor [ philotīmōs ekhein] with regard to the festival [ heortē]. Here is what I mean. The people throw alive upon the altar [ bōmos] edible birds and all kinds of sacrificial-animals [ hiereîa] as well; there are wild boars, deer, and gazelles; some even bring wolf-cubs or bear-cubs, others bring the full-grown beasts. They also place upon the altar [ bōmos] fruit [ karpos] of cultivated trees.

[13] Next they set fire to the logs [ xula]. At this point I saw [ theâsthai] some of the animals, including a bear, trying to force-their-way [ biazesthai] out, at the first rush of the fire—some of them actually escaping by brute force. But those who threw them in would drag them back again to the pyre [ purā]. It is not remembered that anybody has ever been wounded by the animals.

New Alexandria Commentaries

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

Pausanias Description of Greece 7.18

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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