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Grundy (p. 503) holds that this incidental statement strongly supports his view that the temple stood on the site of the church of St. Demetrius (cf. ch. 57. 2 n.), as the barbarians would naturally flee on both sides of the hill on which the sanctuary stood.

For this caution in dealing with things divine cf. ii. 3. 2 n.

ἀνάκτορον. This is the first mention of the destruction of the temple at Eleusis. τὸ ἱρόν is a gloss on ἀνάκτορον, the proper term for the cella or shrine containing the statue of the god (Pollux i. 9); cf. Eur. Ion 55, Iph. Taur. 41, 66, &c., and specially used for the sanctuary of Demeter, at Celae (Paus. ii. 14. 4) and at Eleusis, Athenaeus 167 f. Ἐλευσίνι τε μυστηρίων ὄντων ἐθῆκεν αὐτῇ θρόνον παρὰ τὸ ἀνάκτορον, cf. 213 D. Possibly the great hall of initiation is meant (Frazer, Paus. ii, p. 510; iii, p. 82).

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