Arion in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Arion

7 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Arion, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Arion was an immortal horse bred by the gods, prized for incredible speed — and, according to one ancient source, able to speak. For the story in one place, read our article on Arion.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Fasti 2.55–118Fasti 2: Arion and the dolphin (3 February)Ovid records the shrine of Hera (Juno) the Saviour on 1 February and a sacrifice at the grove of Helernus, then marks the Lyre and Dolphin leaving the sky. He tells of the singer Arion, whom a ship's crew threaten with swords. After a last song he leaps into the sea, a dolphin carries him, and Zeus (Jupiter) places the dolphin among the stars.

Pausanias (3)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.25.1–13Thelpusa: Demeter Fury, Poseidon and the horse ArionPausanias follows the road from Psophis to Thelpusa and the course of the Ladon, noting the sanctuary of Eleusinian Demeter and the temples of Aesculapius and the Twelve Gods. At Onceum he describes Demeter Fury and Lusia, with the story that Demeter, turned into a mare, was taken by Poseidon in the form of a horse and bore the horse Arion, and he cites the Iliad, the Thebaid and Antimachus on Arion and Adrastus. He also mentions the sanctuary of the Boy Aesculapius and the tomb of Trygon, and the confluence of the Ladon with the Alpheus.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.25.1–10Laconian coast: Pyrrhichus, Teuthrone, Cape Taenarum and OetylumPausanias describes the river Scyras, Pyrrhichus with its well said to be a gift of Silenus, and its sanctuaries of Astratean Artemis and Amazonian Apollo, and Teuthrone. At Cape Taenarum he rejects the story of the descent of Hercules and discusses Hecataeus’ account of the snake called the hound of hell. He also notes Arion’s statue, the dolphin at Poroselene, Caenepolis, Hippola, Messa and Oetylum.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.30.1–12Helicon: statues of the Muses and of the poets, and the traditions about OrpheusPausanias lists the statues in the grove of the Muses, among them images of the Muses by Cephisodotus, Strongylion and Olympiosthenes and a Dionysus taken by Sulla from Orchomenus. He describes statues of Thamyris, Arion, Sacadas, Hesiod and Orpheus. He gives his view of Orpheus and the various accounts of his death, including the river Helicon and the destruction of Libethra by the torrent Sys, and says Orpheus' hymns are short and sung by the Lycomids.

Epic Cycle (1)

Epic Cycle, Summaries and Fragments 3.1–4.4Thebaid and EpigoniThe Thebaid fragments tell how Polyneices set a silver table before Oedipus and how Oedipus called down a curse on his sons when he saw the haunch, and how Adrastus fled Thebes with Areion. The Epigoni is quoted for the Teumesian fox and for Manto, the daughter of Teiresias, who was sent to Delphi.

Herodotus (1)

Herodotus, Histories 1.23–25Arion and the dolphinArion of Methymna was a harper who lived with Periander at Corinth. On the voyage from Italy he was threatened by the Corinthian crew, sang, and leapt into the sea, where a dolphin carried him to Tainaron. Periander kept him until the sailors came, and Arion then appeared before them. The section ends with the death of Alyattes.

Strabo (1)

Strabo, Geography 9.2.6–14Boeotian coast: Aulis, Delium and AmphiarausStrabo circles the Boeotian coast from Oropus past Delium, sacred to Apollo, where Socrates rescued Xenophon, to Aulis, the Euripus and its tides, and Salganeus. He tells of the temple of Amphiaraus, the chariot at Harma and Adrastus fleeing on Areion, and the birth of Orion at Hyria. Anthedon brings in the fable of Glaucus, who was changed into a sea creature, and the variant readings of Homer for Nisa and Isus.