Pausanias Analysis

Current sentence-level mythic, historical, and other tags

Chapter 4.35

PassageSentenceBucketConfidenceGreekEnglishRationale
4.35.1 1 mythic high Μοθώνη δέ, πρὶν ἢ τὴν στρατιὰν ἐς Τροίαν ἀθροισθῆναι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πρὸς Ἰλίῳ πολέμου καλουμένη Πήδασος, μεταβέβληκεν ὕστερον τὸ ὄνομα, ὡς μὲν αὐτοὶ Μοθωναῖοι λέγουσιν, ἀπὸ τῆς Οἰνέως θυγατρός· Methone, before the Greek expedition was gathered at Troy and the war against Ilium, used to be called Pedasus. The sentence dates the name change to the time before the Trojan expedition and links it to Oeneus’ daughter, a mythic genealogy.
4.35.1 2 mythic high Οἰνεῖ γὰρ τῷ Πορθάονος μετὰ ἅλωσιν Ἰλίου παρὰ Διομήδην ἀναχωρήσαντι ἐς Πελοπόννησον θυγατέρα φασὶν ἐκ παλλακῆς Μοθώνην γενέσθαι· It later changed its name, according to the account of the people of Methone themselves, from the daughter of Oeneus. Names Methone’s origin from Oeneus’s daughter after the fall of Troy, a mythic genealogical etiology.
4.35.1 3 mythic high δόξῃ δὲ ἐμῇ δέδωκε τῷ χωρίῳ τὸ ὄνομα ὁ Μόθων λίθος. For they say that after the fall of Troy, when Oeneus, the son of Porthaon, withdrew into the Peloponnesus with Diomedes, he had a daughter named Mothone by a concubine. Explains the place-name by a post-Trojan War myth involving Oeneus and Diomedes.
4.35.1 4 other high οὗτος δέ σφισι καὶ ὁ ποιῶν τὸν λιμένα ἐστί· My own opinion, however, is that the place took its name from the Mothon stone. A geographic/etymological remark about the harbor and place-name, not a mythic or historical event.
4.35.1 5 other high τόν τε γὰρ ἔσπλουν στενώτερον ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐργάζεται παρήκων ὕφαλος καὶ ἅμα μὴ ἐκ βυθοῦ ταράσσεσθαι τὸν κλύδωνα ἔρυμα ἕστηκεν. This stone serves for the formation of their harbor, as an underwater reef projecting outward makes the entrance narrower for ships, and at the same time, rising from the deep, it stands as a barrier preventing waves from disturbing the waters within. Purely geographic/descriptive harbor formation; no mythic or historical event.
4.35.2 1 historical high ἐδήλωσα δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις ὅτι Ναυπλιεῦσιν ἐπὶ λακωνισμῷ διωχθεῖσι Δαμοκρατίδα βασιλεύοντος ἐν Ἄργει Μοθώνην Λακεδαιμόνιοι διδόασι καὶ ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν Μεσσηνίων κατελθόντων ἐγένετο οὐδὲν ἐς αὐτοὺς νεώτερον· And I have mentioned in my earlier account how the Nauplians, having been expelled for their sympathy with Sparta during the reign of Damocratidas in Argos, were granted Mothone by the Lacedaemonians, and how even after the arrival of the Messenians nothing further of significance befell them. Refers to a later historical relocation of the Nauplians under Argive/Lacedaemonian politics, not myth.
4.35.2 2 mythic high ἦσαν δὲ οἱ Ναυπλιεῖς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν Αἰγύπτιοι τὰ παλαιότερα, παραγενόμενοι δὲ ὁμοῦ Δαναῷ ναυσὶν ἐς τὴν Ἀργολίδα ὕστερον γενεαῖς τρισὶν ὑπὸ Ναυπλίου τοῦ Ἀμυμώνης κατῳκίσθησαν ἐν Ναυπλίᾳ. The Nauplians appear to me of old Egyptian origin, having originally come to the Argolid with Danaus aboard his ships, and three generations later were settled in Nauplia by Nauplius, son of Amymone. Origin from Danaus and settlement by Nauplius son of Amymone are mythic genealogical foundations for the Nauplians.
4.35.3 1 historical high Μοθωναίοις δὲ βασιλεὺς μὲν Τραϊανὸς ἔδωκεν ἐλευθέρους ὄντας ἐν αὐτονομίᾳ πολιτεύεσθαι· The emperor Trajan granted to the people of Mothone, who were already free, the right to live under their own autonomy. Mentions Emperor Trajan granting civic autonomy, a post-500 BC historical event.
4.35.3 2 other high τὰ δὲ ἔτι παλαιότερα μόνοις σφίσι Μεσσηνίων τῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ τοιόνδε ἀτύχημα ἰδίᾳ συνέβη γενέσθαι. But sometime further in the past, this particular misfortune befell them alone among the Messenians dwelling upon the seacoast. A general statement about a misfortune befell a subgroup; no mythic or dated historical event is specified.
4.35.3 3 historical medium τὰ ἐν Ἠπείρῳ τῇ Θεσπρωτίδι ὑπὸ ἀναρχίας ἐφθάρη· The affairs of Thesprotian Epirus had fallen into disorder due to the absence of governance. Refers to a political condition of disorder in Epirus, a historical situation rather than myth or mere geography.
4.35.3 4 historical medium Δηιδαμείᾳ γὰρ τῇ Πύρρου παῖδες οὐκ ἐγένοντο, ἀλλὰ ὡς τελευτᾶν ἔμελλεν, ἐπιτρέπει τῷ δήμῳ τὰ πράγματα. For Deidameia, daughter of Pyrrhus, had borne no children, and when she was near death, entrusted the government to the people. Refers to Pyrrhus and Deidameia in a dynastic-political context, describing the transfer of government; this is post-mythic historical material.
4.35.3 5 other high θυγάτηρ δὲ ἦν Πύρρου τοῦ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Πύρρου· She was the daughter of Pyrrhus, son of Ptolemy, who was the son of Alexander, and he in turn was son of Pyrrhus. Genealogical identification only; no mythic event or historical event is described.
4.35.4 1 historical high τὰ δὲ ἐς Πύρρον τὸν Αἰακίδου πρότερον ἔτι ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐς Ἀθηναίους ἐδήλωσα, As for matters concerning Pyrrhus, son of Aeacides, I have already earlier related them in my account of the Athenians. Refers back to Pyrrhus, a post-Classical historical figure, and the sentence is purely cross-referential rather than mythic or descriptive.
4.35.4 2 historical high Προκλῆς δὲ ὁ Καρχηδόνιος τύχης μὲν χρηστῆς ἕνεκα καὶ διὰ λαμπρότητα ἔργων ἔνεμεν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ τᾷ Φιλίππου πλέον, τάξαι δὲ ὁπλίτας τε καὶ ἱππικὸν καὶ στρατηγήματα ἐπὶ ἄνδρας πολεμίους εὑρεῖν Πύρρον ἔφασκεν ἀμείνονα γενέσθαι. Procles of Carthage, out of admiration for his good fortune and the brilliance of his deeds, assigned to Alexander the son of Philip higher esteem, yet declared that Pyrrhus was superior in deploying infantry and cavalry and in devising military stratagems against an enemy. References Alexander, Philip's son, and Pyrrhus in a comparison of military skill; this is post-mythic historical material.
4.35.5 1 historical high Ἠπειρῶται δὲ ὡς ἐπαύσαντο βασιλεύεσθαι, τά τε ἄλλα ὁ δῆμος ὕβριζε καὶ ἀκροᾶσθαι τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ὑπερεώρων· When the people of Epirus ceased to be ruled by kings, the common folk began to act insolently in many respects and openly disregarded the commands of their magistrates. Describes the political change in Epirus from kingship to popular rule, a post-mythic historical condition.
4.35.5 2 historical high καὶ σφᾶς οἱ Ἰλλυριοὶ τὰ πρὸς τοῦ Ἰονίου τὴν Ἤπειρον ὑπεροικοῦντες παρεστήσαντο ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς. Thus the Illyrians, who inhabit the region of Epirus bordering on the Ionian Sea, conquered them through invasion. Describes an Illyrian invasion and conquest, a post-500 BC historical event affecting the region.
4.35.5 3 historical high οὐ γάρ πω δημοκρατίαν ἴσμεν ἄλλους γε ἢ Ἀθηναίους αὐξήσαντας, Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ προήχθησαν ἐπὶ μέγα ἀπʼ αὐτῆς· Indeed, as yet we know of no democracy besides that of Athens that flourished: and the Athenians attained greatness precisely through democracy. Refers to democracy and Athens' rise to greatness, a historical political development.
4.35.5 4 historical medium συνέσει γὰρ οἰκείᾳ τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν ὑπερεβάλλοντο καὶ νόμοις τοῖς καθεστηκόσιν ἐλάχιστα ἠπείθουν. For they surpassed the rest of the Greeks by reason of their own good sense, and they least disobeyed the established laws. Describes a people’s civic character and obedience to laws, a historical/antiquarian characterization rather than myth or geography.
4.35.6 1 historical medium οἱ δὲ Ἰλλυριοί, ἀρχῆς τε γεγευμένοι καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦντες ἀεὶ τοῦ πλείονος, ναῦς τε ἐπήξαντο καὶ ἐληίζοντο ἄλλους τε ὡς ἑκάστους τύχοιεν καὶ ἐς τὴν Μοθωναίαν σχόντες ὡρμίσαντο οἷα ἐς φιλίαν· στείλαντες δὲ ἄγγελον ἐς τὴν πόλιν ἄγειν σφίσιν οἶνον ἐπὶ τὰ πλοῖα ἐδεήθησαν. The Illyrians, having once tasted power and constantly desiring more, built themselves ships and plundered whomever they might encounter. Refers to Illyrians plundering and building ships, an historical/political narrative rather than myth or mere description.
4.35.6 2 other high ὡς δὲ ἄγοντες ἀφίκοντο ἄνδρες οὐ πολλοί, τόν τε οἶνον ὠνοῦντο ἐπιτιμώντων τῶν Μοθωναίων καὶ αὐτοί σφισιν ἐπίπρασκον ὧν ἐπήγοντο. Coming to anchor at Mothone, as though they were arriving in friendship, they sent a messenger into the city, requesting that wine be brought to their ships. Describes a voyage and commercial exchange at Mothone, not a mythic or historical event.
4.35.7 1 other high ἐς δὲ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἀφικομένων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως πλειόνων παρέχουσι καὶ τοῖσδε κερδᾶναι· On the following day, when a greater number arrived from the city, they also offered them opportunities to trade. Describes an ordinary arrival from the city and commercial activity, with no mythic or historical event.
4.35.7 2 other high τέλος δὲ γυναῖκες καὶ ἄνδρες κατίασιν ἐπὶ τὰ πλοῖα οἶνόν τε ἀποδόσθαι καὶ ἐκ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀντιληψόμενοι. Finally, women and men alike went down to the ships to sell wine and to procure goods from the barbarians in exchange. Describes ordinary commercial activity and movement to ships, not a mythic or historical event.
4.35.7 3 historical high ἔνθα νῦν ἀποτολμήσαντες οἱ Ἰλλυριοὶ καὶ ἄνδρας πολλοὺς καὶ ἔτι πλείονας τῶν γυναικῶν ἁρπάζουσιν· ἐσθέμενοι δὲ ἐς τὰς ναῦς ἔπλεον τὴν ἐπὶ Ἰονίου, Μοθωναίων ἐρημώσαντες τὸ ἄστυ. At this juncture the Illyrians, emboldened, seized many men and even more women, and, loading them into their vessels, sailed away towards the Ionian sea after having desolated the city of the Methonaeans. Describes an Illyrian raid and the desolation of Methone, a post-myth historical event.
4.35.8 1 mythic high ἐν Μοθώνῃ δὲ ναός ἐστιν Ἀθηνᾶς Ἀνεμώτιδος· Διομήδην δὲ τὸ ἄγαλμα ἀναθεῖναι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῇ θεῷ φασι θέσθαι. In Mothone there is a sanctuary of Athena Anemotis ("of the winds"), and it is said that Diomedes dedicated the statue and gave the goddess this name. Attributes the sanctuary and goddess-name to Diomedes, a heroic mythic figure and a mythic foundation/explanatory tradition.
4.35.8 2 other high βιαιότεροι γὰρ καὶ οὐ κατὰ καιρὸν πνέοντες ἐλυμαίνοντο οἱ ἄνεμοι τὴν χώραν· For the winds, blowing violently and at inappropriate times, were devastating the land. Describes destructive winds affecting the land; geographical/natural explanation, not a mythic or historical event.
4.35.8 3 mythic medium Διομήδους δὲ εὐξαμένου τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ, τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου συμφορά σφισιν οὐδεμία ἀνέμων γε ἕνεκα ἦλθεν ἐς τὴν γῆν. But after Diomedes prayed to Athena, no misfortune arising from the winds befell their country thereafter. Diomedes’ prayer to Athena and the resulting favor are tied to mythic action and its effect on the land.
4.35.8 4 other high καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος δʼ ἱερόν ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα καὶ ὕδωρ ἐν φρέατι κεκραμένον πίσσῃ, Κυζικηνῷ μύρῳ μάλιστα ἰδεῖν ἐμφερές· Here also is a sanctuary of Artemis and water in a well mixed with pitch, quite similar in appearance to Cyzicene ointment. Describes a sanctuary and a well with pitch-mixed water, a local geographical/antiquarian detail.
4.35.8 5 other high παράσχοιτο δʼ ἂν πᾶσαν καὶ χρόαν ὕδωρ καὶ ὀσμήν. In fact, the water might produce altogether every kind of coloring and fragrance. Describes the water’s qualities (coloring and fragrance), a physical/geographical observation rather than a mythic or historical event.
4.35.9 1 other high γλαυκότατον μὲν οἶδα ὕδωρ θεασάμενος τὸ ἐν Θερμοπύλαις, οὔτι που πᾶν, ἀλλʼ ὅσον κάτεισιν ἐς τὴν κολυμβήθραν ἥντινα ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι Χύτρους γυναικείους· The bluest water I have seen is at Thermopylae—not all of it, of course, but only that which flows into the bathing pool known to the locals as the "Women's Pots." Describes a local geographic feature and its water color, with a place-name explanation.
4.35.9 2 other high ξανθὸν δὲ ὕδωρ, οὐδέν τι ἀποδέον τὴν χρόαν αἵματος, Ἑβραίων ἡ γῆ παρέχεται πρὸς Ἰόππῃ πόλει· Near the city of Joppa, the land of the Hebrews yields water of a tawny color, not at all lacking the hue of blood. Geographical description of a natural water feature near Joppa; no mythic or historical event.
4.35.9 3 mythic high θαλάσσης μὲν ἐγγυτάτω τὸ ὕδωρ ἐστί, λόγον δὲ ἐς τὴν πηγὴν λέγουσιν οἱ ταύτῃ, Περσέα ἀνελόντα τὸ κῆτος, ᾧ τὴν παῖδα προκεῖσθαι τοῦ Κηφέως, ἐνταῦθα τὸ αἷμα ἀπονίψασθαι. This water is very close to the sea, and the local inhabitants tell a story about the spring, that Perseus, after slaying the sea-monster to which Cepheus' daughter had been exposed, washed away the blood here. Explains a local spring by reference to Perseus and the sea-monster, a mythic event affecting the landscape.
4.35.10 1 other high ὕδωρ δὲ ἀπὸ πηγῶν ἀνερχόμενον μέλαν ἰδὼν οἶδα ἐν Ἀστύροις· I myself have seen water rising from springs that was dark in color, at Astyra. Purely descriptive observation of a spring's water color; no mythic or historical event.
4.35.10 2 other high τὰ δὲ Ἄστυρα ἀπαντικρὺ Λέσβου λουτρά ἐστι θερμὰ ἐν τῷ Ἀταρνεῖ καλουμένῳ. Astyra lies directly opposite Lesbos and contains hot springs located at the place called Atarneus. Purely geographical/topographical description of Astyra and its hot springs; no mythic or post-500 BC historical event.
4.35.10 3 historical high τὸ δὲ χωρίον ἐστὶν ὁ Ἀταρνεὺς ὁ Χίων μισθός, ὃν παρὰ τοῦ Μήδου λαμβάνουσιν ἄνδρα ἐκδόντες ἱκέτην, Πακτύην τὸν Λυδόν. This region Atarneus was the reward the people of Chios received from the Mede, given after they had betrayed and handed over the suppliant, Pactyes the Lydian. Refers to the historical Persian/Mede context and Chian reward for handing over Pactyes, an event after 500 BC.
4.35.10 4 other high τοῦτο μὲν δὴ μελαίνεται, Ῥωμαίοις δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν, διαβάντων τὸν Ἄνιον ὀνομαζόμενον ποταμόν, ὕδωρ λευκόν ἐστιν· While this water is dark, higher up than the city of the Romans, after crossing the river known as Anio, there is water that is white. Purely geographical description of waters near Rome and the Anio River; no mythic or historical event.
4.35.10 5 other high ἀνδρὶ δὲ ἐσβάντι ἐς αὐτὸ τὸ μὲν παραυτίκα ψυχρόν τε πρόσεισι καὶ ἐμποιεῖ φρίκην, When a man first enters this water it strikes him immediately as cold and causes shivering. Describes the physical experience of entering the water; purely descriptive/geographical.
4.35.10 6 other high ἐπισχόντι δὲ ὀλίγον ἅτε φάρμακον θερμαίνει τὸ πυρωδέστατον. However, if he remains in it for a little while, it becomes heated, acting like a medicinal remedy due to its intense warmth. Describes the physical effect of remaining in the water; purely descriptive/geographical, not mythic or historical.
4.35.11 1 other high καὶ ὅσαις μὲν πηγαῖς θαῦμά τι ἦν καὶ ἰδόντι, τοσαύτας θεασάμενος οἶδα, τὰς γὰρ δὴ ἐλάσσονος θαύματος ἐπιστάμενος παρίημι· As many springs as seemed to me wonderful even at sight—at least as many as I have seen—I have chosen to relate, for those of lesser wonder I knowingly pass by. Descriptive statement about springs and the narrator’s selection criteria; not mythic or historical.
4.35.11 2 other high ἁλμυρὸν δὲ ὕδωρ καὶ στρυφνὸν οὐ μέγα θαῦμα ἐξευρεῖν. Now, to come across water that is salty or harsh to the taste is no great marvel. A generic remark about saline or harsh-tasting water; descriptive and non-mythic/non-historical.
4.35.11 3 other high δύο δὲ ἀλλοῖα· τὸ μὲν τῆς Καρίας ἐν πεδίῳ καλουμένῳ Λευκῷ θερμόν ἐστιν ὕδωρ παρὰ κώμην ὀνομαζομένην Δασκύλου, πιεῖν καὶ γάλακτος ἥδιον· But two springs I find extraordinary: one, in Caria, situated in the plain called Leucon, near a village named Dascylus, is a spring of hot water sweeter to drink even than milk. Describes a spring’s location and qualities; geographical and descriptive rather than mythic or historical.
4.35.11 4 other high τὸν δὲ Ἡρόδοτον οἶδα εἰπόντα ὡς ἐς τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν Ὕπανιν ἐκδίδωσιν ὕδατος πικροῦ πηγή. The other was reported by Herodotus, who stated that a spring of bitter water discharges into the river Hypanis. A geographical report about a spring and river, citing Herodotus; not a mythic or historical event.
4.35.11 5 other high πῶς δʼ ἂν οὐκ ἀποδεξαίμεθα ἀληθεύειν αὐτῷ τὸν λόγον, ὅπου γε καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἐν Δικαιαρχίᾳ τῇ Τυρρηνῶν ἐξεύρηται ὕδωρ σφίσι θερμὸν οὕτω δή τι ὀξὺ ὥστε τὸν μόλυβδον---διεξῄει γὰρ διὰ μολύβδου ῥέον ---ἔτεσι κατέτηξεν οὐ πολλοῖς; How should we not admit his account as truthful, when even in our own days at Dicaearchia, in Etruria, we have discovered a spring so exceedingly hot and acid that its stream, flowing through pipes of lead, in a few years completely melted the metal away? Describes a contemporary geographical observation about a hot spring at Dicaearchia, not a mythic or post-500 BC historical event.