Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 6.20.8-9: the priestess of Demeter Chamyne and maidens as spectators in Olympia

Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 6.20.8-9: the priestess of Demeter Chamyne and maidens as spectators in Olympia

mid 2nd century CE

Travel writing

Literary source

[8] [...] Now the stadium is an embankment of earth, and on it is a seat for the presidents of the games. Opposite the umpires is an altar of white marble; seated on this altar a woman looks on at the Olympic games, the priestess of Demeter Chamyne, which office the Eleans bestow from time to time on different women. Maidens are not debarred from looking on at the games. [...]

William H. S. Jones, Pausanias, Description of Greece, vol. 3, Books 6-8.21 (= Loeb Classical Library; 272), London 1933.

[...] τὸ μὲν δὴ στάδιον γῆς χῶμά ἐστι, πεποίηται δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ καθέδρα τοῖς τιθεῖσι τὸν ἀγῶνα. ἔστι δὲ ἀπαντικρὺ τῶν Ἑλλανοδικῶν βωμὸς λίθου λευκοῦ: ἐπὶ τούτου καθεζομένη τοῦ βωμοῦ θεᾶται γυνὴ τὰ Ὀλύμπια, ἱέρεια Δήμητρος Χαμύνης, τιμὴν ταύτην ἄλλοτε ἄλλην λαμβάνουσα παρὰ Ἠλείων. παρθένους δὲ οὐκ εἴργουσι θεᾶσθαι. [...]

Frederick Spiro (ed.), Pausaniae Graeciae Descriptio, vol. 2, Leipzig 1903.