Hekate in Pausania's Corinthiaka

In this article you are going to read ancient texts from the book of Pausanias the geographer, which are related to Hekate. In this article we are meeting our Goddess in Corinth, Argolis and Aegina.

Description of Hellas, Pausanias

Pausanias was a traveler and excursionist who lived 110 A.D.-180 A.D. He is famous for his Description of Hellas (Ἑλλάδος περιήγησις = Hellas Periegesis) a lengthy work that describes ancient Hellas from own experience observations. The first translation of this work to Latin language was at 1477 A.D.

The work of Pausanias, Description of Hellas, is consisted of 10 books each one describing specific districts of Hellas according to what he had seen during his travels. He firstly published his work Attica at 161 A.E. Then he traveled to Peloponnese and he published his work Corinth at 165 A.D, Elis at 173 A.D., Arcadia at 176 A.D. and among 173-177 A.D. he published Messinia, Laconia, Achaia. Before 178 A.D. he had published, Boetia and Phocis.

The salvaged work of Pausanias constitutes for the newest and today educated and scientific world, fundamental project for artistry especially for statuary and painting of ancient Hellas, for the mythology of ancient Hellas, for folklore, for the very old traditions, morals, customs and for ancient topography. For history he also contains precious details.

Hekate in Corinthiaka

Town of Sikyonis

There is a village called “Titane” in the municipality of Sikyona (Corinthia, Hellas) above the left bank of the river Asopos from the ancient time until today. Ancient Titane was part of the city-state of Sicyon. It is named after Titan, a brother of Helios. The city had a temple of Asclepius, built by Alexanor, a grandson of Asclepius. In this temple there was a statue of Hekate.

Ancient text

"Τhe antetemple (of the temple of Asclepius) is decorated with the statues of Dionysos, Hekate, Aphrodite, Demeter and Tyche (Luck). And these were made of wood, only the statue of Asclepius was made of stone...".

Town of Argolis

Close to the ancient theater of Argos (Argolis, Hellas) that stands there until today there was a sanctuary of Leto, daughter of Koios and Phoebe, aunt of Hekate. On the right there was a temple of Hera. Against it there was a temple of Demeter. Far away from it there was a temple of Dioskouroi and close to it a temple of Eilethyia. Close to this one it was the temple of Hekate.

Ancient text

“A little further from the temple of Eilethyia, there is the temple of Hekate. The marble statue of Hekate is work of Skopas and the two statues of Hekate made of bronze are put the one against the other, one created by Polykleitos and the other by his brother Nafkydes.”

Aegina Island

Against Epidavros there is Aegina Island well known for the temple of Afaia today. There was a theater and close to it there were temples of Apollo, Artemis and Dionysos. A little further it was a temple of Asclepius. There is a reference that Hekate holds great place in Aigina Island having a temple.

Ancient text

“The people of Aegina Island worship in particular with great honor Hekate. Every year they celebrate her mysteries which, they say, came to Aegina Island from Orpheus of Thrace. Her temple is in a parvis and the wooden statue of hers is work of Myron. The statue had only one face and only one body. I think that Alkamenes is the first who thought to piece together the three glyptic figures of Hekate in one. The statue he made is this that the Athenian people call Epipyrgithia (Επιπυργιδία) and is put close to the Temple of Athena Nike.”