τάδε μὲν οὕτως ἔχοντα ἐπελεξάμην, τοῦ μνήματος δέ ἐστιν οὐ πόρρω Χαλινίτιδος Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερόν: Ἀθηνᾶν γὰρ θεῶν μάλιστα συγκατεργάσασθαι τά τε ἄλλα Βελλεροφόντῃ φασὶ καὶ ὡς τὸν Πήγασόν οἱ παραδοίη χειρωσαμένη τε καὶ ἐνθεῖσα αὐτὴ τῷ ἵππῳ χαλινόν. τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα τοῦτο ξόανόν ἐστι, πρόσωπον δὲ καὶ χεῖρες καὶ ἀκρόποδες εἰσὶ λευκοῦ λίθου.
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- Culture Essay
The road to Sicyon offers another occasion for Pausanias to return to Corinth’s most famous hero, Bellerophon. We have already read about Bellerophon at the sanctuary of Poseidon at Isthmia (2.1.9), his precinct outside the city gates (2.2.4) and at the baths near the statue of Artemis in Corinth (2.3.5). Here we read how Athena helped Bellerophon obtain Pegasus. Yet the poet Pindar tells the more famous version, as Bellerophon strove unsuccessfully to yoke the immortal horse at Peirene until Athena offers him the bridle and enjoins him to sacrifice a snow-white bull to Poseidon (Ol. 13.63).
The mention of Sisyphus at the end of chapter 3 and the arrival at the temple of Athena Chalinitis, moreover, allow Pausanias to continue his discussion of the kings of Corinth. Yet, as we shall read, there is some debate whether the hero Bellerophon was ever a king in Corinth.
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