Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.17.1 Class: Historical

Ἀθηναίοις δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ καὶ ἄλλα ἐστὶν οὐκ ἐς ἅπαντας ἐπίσημα καὶ Ἐλέου βωμός, ᾧ μάλιστα θεῶν ἐς ἀνθρώπινον βίον καὶ μεταβολὰς πραγμάτων ὄντι ὠφελίμῳ μόνοι τιμὰς Ἑλλήνων νέμουσιν Ἀθηναῖοι. τούτοις δὲ οὐ τὰ ἐς φιλανθρωπίαν μόνον καθέστηκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ θεοὺς εὐσεβοῦσιν ἄλλων πλέον, καὶ γὰρ Αἰδοῦς σφισι βωμός ἐστι καὶ Φήμης καὶ Ὁρμῆς· δῆλά τε ἐναργῶς, ὅσοις πλέον τι ἑτέρων εὐσεβείας μέτεστιν, ἴσον σφίσι παρὸν τύχης χρηστῆς.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰδώς Φήμη ἀγορά Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀθηναῖοι Ἔλεος Ἕλληνες Ὁρμή

The Athenians have in their market-place other things too, not all of which are notable to everyone, and an altar of Mercy, whom alone of the Greeks the Athenians honor, considering this deity especially beneficial to human life and its changing fortunes. Among them, it is established not only to practice humanity toward people, but they also worship the gods more devoutly than others. For indeed they possess altars of Shame, Rumor, and Impulse; it is clearly evident that those who have greater piety than others equally enjoy favorable fortune.

Passage 1.17.2 Class: Mythic

ἐν δὲ τῷ γυμνασίῳ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἀπέχοντι οὐ πολύ, Πτολεμαίου δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατασκευασαμένου καλουμένῳ, λίθοι τέ εἰσιν Ἑρμαῖ θέας ἄξιοι καὶ εἰκὼν Πτολεμαίου χαλκῆ· καὶ ὅ τε Λίβυς Ἰόβας ἐνταῦθα κεῖται καὶ ὁ Χρύσιππος ὁ Σολεύς. πρὸς δὲ τῷ γυμνασίῳ Θησέως ἐστὶν ἱερόν· γραφαὶ δέ εἰσι πρὸς Ἀμαζόνας Ἀθηναῖοι μαχόμενοι. πεποίηται δέ σφισιν ὁ πόλεμος οὗτος καὶ τῇ Ἀθηνᾷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσπίδι καὶ τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου Διὸς ἐπὶ τῷ βάθρῳ. γέγραπται δὲ ἐν τῷ τοῦ Θησέως ἱερῷ καὶ ἡ Κενταύρων καὶ ἡ Λαπιθῶν μάχη· Θησεὺς μὲν οὖν ἀπεκτονώς ἐστιν ἤδη Κένταυρον, τοῖς δὲ ἄλλοις ἐξ ἴσου καθέστηκεν ἔτι ἡ μάχη.

Proper Nouns:

Θησεύς Θησεύς Κένταυροι Κένταυρος Λίβυς Λαπίθαι Πτολεμαῖος Χρύσιππος ὁ Σολεύς Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀμαζόνες Ἑρμῆς Ἰόβας Ὀλύμπιος Ζεύς

In the gymnasium, which is situated not far from the agora and is called Ptolemy's after the man who built it, there are stone images of Hermes worthy of viewing and a bronze statue of Ptolemy. Here lie buried the Libyan Juba and Chrysippus of Soli. Near the gymnasium is a sanctuary of Theseus. Here are paintings depicting the Athenians in battle against the Amazons. This same conflict is depicted both on the shield of Athena and on the pedestal of Zeus Olympios. Painted also in the temple of Theseus is the battle between the Centaurs and Lapiths; Theseus himself is represented as having already slain a Centaur, while the struggle between the others remains evenly balanced.

Passage 1.17.3 Class: Mythic

τοῦ δὲ τρίτου τῶν τοίχων ἡ γραφὴ μὴ πυθομένοις ἃ λέγουσιν οὐ σαφής ἐστι, τὰ μέν που διὰ τὸν χρόνον, τὰ δὲ Μίκων οὐ τὸν πάντα ἔγραψε λόγον. Μίνως ἡνίκα Θησέα καὶ τὸν ἄλλον στόλον τῶν παίδων ἦγεν ἐς Κρήτην, ἐρασθεὶς Περιβοίας, ὥς οἱ Θησεὺς μάλιστα ἠναντιοῦτο, καὶ ἄλλα ὑπὸ ὀργῆς ἀπέρριψεν ἐς αὐτὸν καὶ παῖδα οὐκ ἔφη Ποσειδῶνος εἶναι, ἐπεὶ οὐ δύνασθαι τὴν σφραγῖδα, ἣν αὐτὸς φέρων ἔτυχεν, ἀφέντι ἐς θάλασσαν ἀνασῶσαί οἱ. Μίνως μὲν λέγεται ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἀφεῖναι τὴν σφραγῖδα· Θησέα δὲ σφραγῖδά τε ἐκείνην ἔχοντα καὶ στέφανον χρυσοῦν, Ἀμφιτρίτης δῶρον, ἀνελθεῖν λέγουσιν ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης.

Proper Nouns:

Θησεύς Θησεύς Κρήτη Μίκων Μίνως Περιβοία Ποσειδῶν Ἀμφιτρίτη

The painting on the third wall is not clear for those who have not heard the story, partly because of its age and partly because Mikon did not portray the entire narrative. It depicts Minos when he was taking Theseus and the rest of the band of youths to Crete. Minos was enamored of Periboea, and since Theseus vehemently opposed him, Minos angrily cast various insults at him, declaring that he was not the son of Poseidon. He said Theseus could not recover for him the seal-ring which Minos himself happened to be wearing, if he threw it into the sea. Minos is said to have spoken thus and then flung the ring into the deep. But they say that Theseus emerged from the sea bearing both that ring and a golden crown, the gift of Amphitrite.

Passage 1.17.4 Class: Mythic

ἐς δὲ τὴν τελευτὴν τὴν Θησέως πολλὰ ἤδη καὶ οὐχ ὁμολογοῦντα εἴρηται· δεδέσθαι τε γὰρ αὐτὸν λέγουσιν ἐς τόδε ἕως ὑφʼ Ἡρακλέους ἀναχθείη, πιθανώτατα δὲ ὧν ἤκουσα· Θησεὺς ἐς Θεσπρωτοὺς ἐμβαλών, τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Θεσπρωτῶν γυναῖκα ἁρπάσων, τὸ πολὺ τῆς στρατιᾶς οὕτως ἀπόλλυσι, καὶ αὐτός τε καὶ Πειρίθους--- Πειρίθους γὰρ καὶ τὸν γάμον σπεύδων ἐστράτευεν--- ἥλωσαν, καὶ σφᾶς ὁ Θεσπρωτὸς δήσας εἶχεν ἐν Κιχύρῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Θεσπρωτοί Θεσπρωτοί Θησεύς Θησεύς Κίχυρος Πειρίθους Ἡρακλῆς

Regarding the death of Theseus, many different and contradictory accounts have already been told. For some say he remained imprisoned until rescued by Heracles. But the most credible version I heard is this: Theseus, invading the land of the Thesprotians to seize the wife of their king, lost the greater part of his army and was himself captured, along with Pirithous—for he had marched into battle also eager to arrange a marriage for Pirithous. The Thesprotian king bound them and held them captive at Cichyrus.

Passage 1.17.5 Class: Mythic

γῆς δὲ τῆς Θεσπρωτίδος ἔστι μέν που καὶ ἄλλα θέας ἄξια, ἱερόν τε Διὸς ἐν Δωδώνῃ καὶ ἱερὰ τοῦ θεοῦ φηγός· πρὸς δὲ τῇ Κιχύρῳ λίμνη τέ ἐστιν Ἀχερουσία καλουμένη καὶ ποταμὸς Ἀχέρων, ῥεῖ δὲ καὶ Κωκυτὸς ὕδωρ ἀτερπέστατον. Ὅμηρός τέ μοι δοκεῖ ταῦτα ἑωρακὼς ἔς τε τὴν ἄλλην ποίησιν ἀποτολμῆσαι τῶν ἐν Ἅιδου καὶ δὴ καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τοῖς ποταμοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν Θεσπρωτίδι θέσθαι. τότε δὲ ἐχομένου Θησέως στρατεύουσιν ἐς Ἄφιδναν οἱ Τυνδάρεω παῖδες καὶ τήν τε Ἄφιδναν αἱροῦσι καὶ Μενεσθέα ἐπὶ βασιλείᾳ κατήγαγον·

Proper Nouns:

Δωδώνη Ζεύς Θεσπρωτίς Θησεύς Κίχυρος Κωκυτός Μενεσθέυς Τυνδάρεως Ἀχέρων Ἀχερουσία Ἄφιδνα Ἅιδης Ὅμηρος

In the land of Thesprotia there are indeed other sights worth seeing, notably the sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona and the sacred oak-tree of this god. Near Kichyros is a lake named Acherousia and the river Acheron; the Cocytus also flows there, a stream of most dismal water. Homer, I believe, having himself seen these places, ventured in his poetry to describe the underworld and even adopted the names of these rivers from those in Thesprotia. At that time, while Theseus was absent, the sons of Tyndareus marched against Aphidna, captured the town, and established Menestheus as king.

Passage 1.17.6 Class: Mythic

Μενεσθεὺς δὲ τῶν μὲν παίδων τῶν Θησέως παρʼ Ἐλεφήνορα ὑπεξελθόντων ἐς Εὔβοιαν εἶχεν οὐδένα λόγον, Θησέα δέ, εἴ ποτε παρὰ Θεσπρωτῶν ἀνακομισθήσεται, δυσανταγώνιστον ἡγούμενος διὰ θεραπείας τὰ τοῦ δήμου καθίστατο, ὡς Θησέα ἀνασωθέντα ὕστερον ἀπωσθῆναι. στέλλεται δὴ Θησεὺς παρὰ Δευκαλίωνα ἐς Κρήτην, ἐξενεχθέντα δὲ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἐς Σκῦρον τὴν νῆσον λαμπρῶς περιεῖπον οἱ Σκύριοι κατὰ γένους δόξαν καὶ ἀξίωμα ὧν ἦν αὐτὸς εἰργασμένος· καί οἱ θάνατον Λυκομήδης διὰ ταῦτα ἐβούλευσεν. ὁ μὲν δὴ Θησέως σηκὸς Ἀθηναίοις ἐγένετο ὕστερον ἢ Μῆδοι Μαραθῶνι ἔσχον, Κίμωνος τοῦ Μιλτιάδου Σκυρίους ποιήσαντος ἀναστάτους---δίκην δὴ τοῦ Θησέως θανάτου---καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ κομίσαντος ἐς Ἀθήνας·

Proper Nouns:

Δευκαλίων Εὔβοια Θεσπρωτοί Θησεύς Θησεύς Θησεύς Κίμων Κρήτη Λυκομήδης Μαραθών Μενεσθεύς Μιλτιάδης Μῆδοι Σκύριοι Σκύριοι Σκῦρος Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀθῆναι Ἐλεφήνωρ

Now Menestheus paid little heed to the sons of Theseus, as they had departed to Euboea to Elephenor. But fearing that Theseus himself might someday return from the Thesprotians, and judging him an opponent difficult to contest, he worked diligently to win the favor of the people so that, even if Theseus should indeed survive and return, he might still be thrust aside later. Theseus sailed to Deucalion in Crete, but winds drove him off course to the island of Skyros. Though the Skyrians welcomed him magnificently because of his family’s renown and the fame of his own deeds, yet Lycomedes plotted his death on that account. Thus the sanctuary of Theseus at Athens was established later than the Persian occupation of Marathon, after Cimon, the son of Miltiades, had laid waste Skyros—thus avenging the death of Theseus—and had brought his bones home to Athens.

Legend:

Chapter 1.17