![Pausanias Description of Greece](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Pausanias_Description_of_Greece.jpg)
The tenth book of the work ''
Description of Greece
Pausanias ( /pɔːˈseɪniəs/; grc-gre, Παυσανίας; c. 110 – c. 180) was a Greek traveler and geographer of the second century AD. He is famous for his ''Description of Greece'' (, ), a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece ...
'' by the traveler
Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
* Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...
(2nd century AD) is dedicated to
Phocis
Phocis ( el, Φωκίδα ; grc, Φωκίς) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It stretches from the western mountainsides of Parnassus on the east to the mountain range of Var ...
; its larger part constitutes a description of the sanctuaries and buildings of
Delphi. His work constituted a precious aid to travelers and archaeologists who attempted to identify the monuments revealed by the excavations, although in some cases their identifications were not enough.
Pausanias
A traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD,
Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
* Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...
was most probably born in
Lydia (Asia Minor) and wrote a very important work, the ''
Description of Greece
Pausanias ( /pɔːˈseɪniəs/; grc-gre, Παυσανίας; c. 110 – c. 180) was a Greek traveler and geographer of the second century AD. He is famous for his ''Description of Greece'' (, ), a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece ...
''. It is a lengthy and detailed itinerary in ten books, describing the most important sites of the
Peloponnese,
Attica
Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean S ...
,
Boeotia
Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and its ...
, and
Phocis
Phocis ( el, Φωκίδα ; grc, Φωκίς) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It stretches from the western mountainsides of Parnassus on the east to the mountain range of Var ...
. According to the famous classicist James Frazer who wrote on Pausanias, "without him the ruins of Greece would be a labyrinth without a clue, a riddle without an answer".
[Fraser, J.G. (1898), Pausanias' Description of Greece, ed.and tr., London]
He was mainly interested in monuments (particularly sculpture and painting) as well as their historical framework and the cults.
The tenth book
As in the rest of his books, in his description of
Delphi Pausanias describes rituals, rites, customs and offers narrations with a historical and ethnographic background. Delphi are described in 38 chapters. The limit of his itinerary was the land of the
Ozolian Locrians
Ozolian Locris ( grc, Ὀζολία Λοκρίς) or Hesperian Locris ( grc, Λοκρίς Ἑσπερία, 3=Western Locris) was a region in Ancient Greece, inhabited by the Ozolian Locrians ( grc-gre, Ὀζολοὶ Λοκροί; la, Locri Ozoli ...
. The book was probably accomplished between 143 and 161 AD.
The detailed description of Pausanias was valuable to later scholarship and to the attempts at reconstructing the site. Although the treasures of Delphi had been
looted
Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...
by the Phoceans initially and by Roman emperors such as
Nero
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unti ...
later on, in Pausanias' times there were still enough monuments to admire and describe. He focuses on religious art and architecture. He is very detailed on the narration of the
Oedipus myth, on the foundation of the
oracle and temple of Apollo, on the
Pythian Games
The Pythian Games ( grc-gre, Πύθια;) were one of the four Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. They were held in honour of Apollo at his sanctuary at Delphi every four years, two years after the Olympic Games, and between each Nemean and ...
and on the description of the
ex voto
An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or to a divinity; the term is usually restricted to Christian examples. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ''ex voto suscepto'', "from the vow made") or in gratitude o ...
s. He also writes about historical events related to Delphi as well as about mythical events and scenes.
Of particular interest and value is the description of the Iliou Persis (Fall of Troy), the painting by
Polygnotus
Polygnotus ( el, Πολύγνωτος ''Polygnotos'') was an ancient Greek painter from the middle of the 5th century BC. Life
He was the son and pupil of Aglaophon. He was a native of Thasos, but was adopted by the Athenians, and admitted to ...
which used to decorate the
Lesche of the Cnidians. He describes in detail the composition and many attempts at modern reconstructions have been based on this description.
The description of the site of Delphi has the following structure:
Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia
![Delphi, Greece - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Delphi%2C_Greece_-_panoramio.jpg)
Pausanias mentions that in the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia existed three temples (two of them empty of ex votos and statues), as well as a fourth one with a few statues of Roman emperors. He also mentions the
Treasury of the Massaliots but, strangely enough, he does not mention the
Tholos of Delphi
The Tholos of Delphi is among the ancient structures of the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia in Delphi. The circular temple, a tholos, shares the immediate site with other ancient foundations of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, all located less than a ...
, which had suffered damage from a fire in the 1st century BC, nor the
Doric Treasury. He also mentions that next to the sanctuary lay a temple dedicated to the local hero Phylakos.
Yet, the picture which emerged from the excavations does not converge with Pausanias' testimony. For several years this divergence puzzled the scholars until in 1985 Didier Laroche proposed a new reading of Pausanias. This new interpretation was based on the fact that Pausanias followed a different itinerary than the usual one, whereas the Tholos could be "the temple hosting small number of portraits of Roman Emperors". In general, the picture offered by Pausanias is that of a sanctuary in decline, with buildings that did not attract large number of visitors and was generally not very well kept (a fact stressed also by Plutarch, who mentions that in his days the funds of the sanctuary were limited and thus the conservation and repair works were few and far between).
The Gymnasium and Castalia fountain
Pausanias refers to the
Gymnasium, but he seems to be particularly interested in the myths related to the
Castalia
Castalia ( grc, Κασταλία), in Greek mythology, was a naiad-nymph, a daughter of Achelous who inhabited the Castalian spring in Delphi. In older traditions, Castalian spring already existed by the time Apollo came to Delphi searching f ...
fountain and to the abundant waters of the region in general.
The Sanctuary of Apollo
The ex voto of
Phayllos of Croton Phayllos of Croton ( gr, Φάϋλλος) was an ancient Greek athlete and a naval commander from Croton in southern Italy, who outfitted and commanded a ship at the Battle of Salamis.
Life
Phayllos won three victories in the Pythian Games, two of ...
from
Croton (the base of the ex voto of the Crotoniats) mentioned by Pausanias was identified for years with the preserved base with an inscription mentioning the Crotoniats, but it has been proved now that this base belonged to another ex voto offered by the citizens of Croton for their victory over the
Sybarites (510 BC).
The
Bull of the Corcyreans was a large bronze ex voto of the citizens of
Corfu in order to thank the god for an enormous catch of tuna fish made possible through a bull which averted them. He then goes on to describe the base of the Arcadians for their victory against the Lacaedemonians, the monument of
Lysandros
Lysander (; grc-gre, Λύσανδρος ; died 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, forcing Athens to capitulate and bringing the Peloponnesian War to an en ...
, the Lacaedemonian general for his victory against Athens, an impressive ex voto with the
Dioskouroi, several gods, Lysandros himself, Agias who was his counsellor and some of his allies.
![Treasury house of Athens in Delphi (July 2018)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Treasury_house_of_Athens_in_Delphi_%28July_2018%29.jpg)
Pausanias also mentions that the Athenians, with the tithe from the booty of the
Battle of Marathon
The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination o ...
, had dedicated an ex voto comprising the statues of Athena, Apollo,
Miltiades
Miltiades (; grc-gre, Μιλτιάδης; c. 550 – 489 BC), also known as Miltiades the Younger, was a Greek Athenian citizen known mostly for his role in the Battle of Marathon, as well as for his downfall afterwards. He was the son of Cimon C ...
and the mythical kings of Athens. Similar was also the ex voto of the Argives, which comprised their leaders who had followed
Polynikes at the war of the
Seven against Thebes
The Seven against Thebes were seven champions in Greek mythology who made war on Thebes. They were chosen by Adrastus, the king of Argos, to be the captains of an Argive army whose purpose was to restore Oedipus' son Polynices to the Theban ...
.
Then, Pausanias mentions the base of the Tarentines, who had dedicated bronze horses and statues of women in captivity, in order to commemorate their victory against the Messapians. He goes on to describe the treasuries, starting from the
Sicyonian Treasury
The Treasury of the Sicyonians is one of the buildings within the sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi. It has a long and complicated history. The treasury itself replaced two former buildings, namely the Tholos (architecture), tholos and the monopteros, ...
and continuing with the
Siphnian,
Theban,
Athenian
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, and
Cnidian treasuries. In between he describes also the base of the sculpted ex voto of the Cnidians as well as the ex voto of the Lipareans. It is obvious that he was mostly attracted by sculpture and less by architecture. However, he is most detailed in his description of the
Stoa of the Athenians
The Stoa of the Athenians is an ancient portico in the Delphic Sanctuary, Greece, located south of the Temple of Apollo. The southern side of the polygonal wall of the platform forms the north wall of the stoa. It was constructed c. 478 BC-470 BC ...
, whereas he pays special mention to the
Sibyl rock, an outcrop of rock between the Athenian Treasury and the Stoa of the Athenians.
![Delfoi temple skyline view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Delfoi_temple_skyline_view.jpg)
In chapters 14 and 15 he returns to his favourite sculpture, enumerating several statues which would nowadays be completely unknown, among which Apollo of Salamis and the statue of
Phryne
Phryne (; grc, Φρύνη, Phrū́nē, 371 BC – after 316 BC) was an ancient Greek hetaira (courtesan). From Thespiae in Boeotia, she was active in Athens, where she became one of the wealthiest women in Greece. She is best kno ...
, made by
Praxiteles
Praxiteles (; el, Πραξιτέλης) of Athens, the son of Cephisodotus the Elder, was the most renowned of the Attica sculptors of the 4th century BC. He was the first to sculpt the nude female form in a life-size statue. While no indubita ...
. He then writes about the
omphalos, which he describes made of white marble. It is, however, not very clear which is actually the omphalos he describes. He includes a series of smaller statues and ex votos, also lost today.
After a lengthy narration of the
attacks of the Gauls against Delphi, he goes on to describe the
Temple of Apollo. He describes the representations on the pediments and the interior of the temple, speaking about the altar of Poseidon. Very detailed is also the description of the
Lesche of the Knidians and particularly, as mentioned above, of the painting of the "Capture of Troy" by Polygnotus. Finally, Pausanias refers to the
Stadium and the
Theatre of Delphi, with which he finished the description of the sanctuary.
Gallery
File:The Ancient Gymnasium at Delphi.jpg, The ancient Gymnasium at Delphi
The Gymnasium at Delphi is a building complex of the 4th century BC at Delphi, Greece, which comprised the xystus and the palaestra, along with its auxiliary buildings such as the changing rooms and baths. It was situated between the Sanctuary o ...
File:Αρχαίο στάδιο Δελφών2.jpg, The mountain-top Stadium of Delphi
The Stadium of Delphi lies on the highest spot of the Archaeological Site of Delphi. It overlooks the sanctuary of Apollo and has a view to the Delphic landscape. It was built either within the second half of the 4th century B.C. or even after the ...
File:Delfi Apollons tempel.jpg, The Temple of Apollo
File:Tholos (26307490985).jpg, The Tholos of Delphi
The Tholos of Delphi is among the ancient structures of the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia in Delphi. The circular temple, a tholos, shares the immediate site with other ancient foundations of the Temple of Athena Pronaia, all located less than a ...
File:Rock of Sibyl, Rock of Leto, Delphi, 060040.jpg, The Sibyl rock
File:Stoa of the Athenians at Delphi by Joy of Museums.jpg, The Stoa of the Athenians
The Stoa of the Athenians is an ancient portico in the Delphic Sanctuary, Greece, located south of the Temple of Apollo. The southern side of the polygonal wall of the platform forms the north wall of the stoa. It was constructed c. 478 BC-470 BC ...
See also
*
Excavations at Delphi
Archaeological investigation in Delphi started in the second half of the 19th century, but it was not until 1892 when a systematic excavation began under the direction of Théophile Homolle and the French Archaeological School of Athens. The "G ...
References
{{Reflist
Bibliography
*''Fouilles de Delphes,'' École Française d'Athènes, depuis 1902.
*
Daux,G. (1936) ''Pausanias à Delphes,'' Paris:Picard
*Pouilloux, J., Roux, G., (1963) Énigmes à Delphes, Paris:de Boccard
*Bommelaer, J.-Fr., Laroche, D. (1991) ''Guide de Delphes, Le site,'' Paris:de Boccard
External links
* Δρόμοι του Παυσανία: https://web.archive.org/web/20160216121915/http://arcadia.ceid.upatras.gr/pausanias/book.php?id=4&lang=1&kef=1
Delphi