Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.42.1 Class: Mythic

ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλη Μεγαρεῦσιν ἀκρόπολις ἀπὸ Ἀλκάθου τὸ ὄνομα ἔχουσα· ἐς ταύτην τὴν ἀκρόπολιν ἀνιοῦσίν ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ Μεγαρέως μνῆμα, ὃς κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστρατείαν τῶν Κρητῶν ξύμμαχός σφισιν ἦλθεν ἐξ Ὀγχηστοῦ. δείκνυται δὲ καὶ ἑστία θεῶν Προδομέων καλουμένων· θῦσαι δέ σφισιν Ἀλκάθουν λέγουσι πρῶτον, ὅτε τῆς οἰκοδομίας τοῦ τείχους ἔμελλεν ἄρχεσθαι.

Proper Nouns:

Κρῆτες Μεγαρεύς Μεγαρεῦς Προδόμεοι Ἀλκάθους Ἀλκάθους Ὀγχηστὸς

The Megarians have another acropolis named from Alcathous. As you ascend to this acropolis, on your right is the tomb of Megareus, who came as an ally to them from Onchestus during the war against the Cretans. There is also shown here a hearth of gods called Prodomeis ("Builders Beforehand"), first sacrificed to, they say, by Alcathous, when he was about to begin the construction of the wall.

Passage 1.42.2 Class: Mythic

τῆς δὲ ἑστίας ἐγγὺς ταύτης ἐστὶ λίθος, ἐφʼ οὗ καταθεῖναι λέγουσιν Ἀπόλλωνα τὴν κιθάραν Ἀλκάθῳ τὸ τεῖχος συνεργαζόμενον. δηλοῖ τέ μοι καὶ τόδε ὡς συνετέλουν ἐς Ἀθηναίους Μεγαρεῖς· φαίνεται γὰρ τὴν θυγατέρα Ἀλκάθους Περίβοιαν ἅμα Θησεῖ πέμψαι κατὰ τὸν δασμὸν ἐς Κρήτην. τότε δὲ αὐτῷ τειχίζοντι, ὥς φασιν οἱ Μεγαρεῖς, συνεργάζεταί τε Ἀπόλλων καὶ τὴν κιθάραν κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον· ἢν δὲ τύχῃ βαλών τις ψηφῖδι, κατὰ ταὐτὰ οὗτός τε ἤχησε καὶ κιθάρα κρουσθεῖσα.

Proper Nouns:

Θησεύς Κρήτη Μεγαρεῖς Περίβοια Ἀθῆναι Ἀλκάθος Ἀλκάθος Ἀπόλλων

Near this hearth there lies a stone, on which, they say, Apollo laid down his lyre while assisting Alcathous in building the wall. The following also demonstrates to me that the Megarians cooperated with the Athenians: for it appears that Alcathous' daughter Periboea along with Theseus was sent as part of the tribute to Crete. When Alcathous was building the wall, according to the Megarians, Apollo aided him in the task and set his lyre upon the stone. If anyone should strike this stone with a pebble, it emits a ringing sound identical to that of a lyre struck.

Passage 1.42.3 Class: Mythic

ἐμοὶ δὲ παρέσχε μὲν καὶ τοῦτο θαυμάσαι, παρέσχε δὲ πολλῷ μάλιστα Αἰγυπτίων ὁ κολοσσός. ἐν Θήβαις ταῖς Αἰγυπτίαις, διαβᾶσι τὸν Νεῖλον πρὸς τὰς Σύριγγας καλουμένας, εἶδον ἔτι καθήμενον ἄγαλμα ἠχοῦν---Μέμνονα ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ πολλοί, τοῦτον γάρ φασιν ἐξ Αἰθιοπίας ὁρμηθῆναι ἐς Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὴν ἄχρι Σούσων· ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ Μέμνονα οἱ Θηβαῖοι λέγουσι, Φαμένωφα δὲ εἶναι τῶν ἐγχωρίων οὗ τοῦτο ἄγαλμα ἦν, ἤκουσα δὲ ἤδη καὶ Σέσωστριν φαμένων εἶναι τοῦτο ἄγαλμα ---, ὃ Καμβύσης διέκοψε· καὶ νῦν ὁπόσον ἐκ κεφαλῆς ἐς μέσον σῶμά ἐστιν ἀπερριμμένον, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν κάθηταί τε καὶ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἀνίσχοντος ἡλίου βοᾷ, καὶ τὸν ἦχον μάλιστα εἰκάσει τις κιθάρας ἢ λύρας ῥαγείσης χορδῆς.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγυπτία Αἰγύπτιος Αἰθιοπία Αἴγυπτος Θηβαῖος Θῆβαι Καμβύσης Μέμνων Νεῖλος Σέσωστρις Σοῦσα Σῦριγγες Φαμένωφ

This too offered me matter for amazement, but by far the most astonishing thing was the colossus of the Egyptians. In Egyptian Thebes, after crossing the Nile to the so-called Pipes (Syringes), I saw a seated statue that still produced sound. Most people call it Memnon, since they say that Memnon set forth from Ethiopia into Egypt and as far as Susa. However, the Thebans themselves do not call it Memnon; rather they say this statue is of Phamenophis, a native. I have also heard it said that it is a statue of Sesostris, which Cambyses broke apart. Currently, as much as was broken off from the head to the waist has been thrown down, but what remains still sits and makes a sound every day at sunrise; and one might best liken this sound to that of a string breaking on a harp or lyre.

Passage 1.42.4 Class: Mythic

Μεγαρεῦσι δὲ ἔστι μὲν βουλευτήριον, Τιμάλκου δὲ ἦν ποτε ὡς λέγουσι τάφος, ὃν πρότερον ὀλίγον τούτων οὐκ ἔφην ὑπὸ Θησέως ἀποθανεῖν. ᾠκοδόμηται δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ κορυφῇ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ναὸς Ραθηνᾶς, ἄγαλμα δέ ἐστιν ἐπίχρυσον πλὴν χειρῶν καὶ ἄκρων ποδῶν· ταῦτα δὲ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν ἐστιν ἐλέφαντος. καὶ ἕτερον ἐνταῦθα ἱερὸν Ἀθηνᾶς πεποίηται καλουμένης Νίκης καὶ ἄλλο Αἰαντίδος· τὰ δὲ ἐς αὐτὸ Μεγαρέων μὲν παρεῖται τοῖς ἐξηγηταῖς, ἐγὼ δὲ ὁποῖα νομίζω γενέσθαι γράψω. Τελαμὼν ὁ Αἰακοῦ θυγατρὶ Ἀλκάθου Περιβοίᾳ συνῴκησεν· Αἴαντα οὖν τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν Ἀλκάθου διαδεξάμενον ποιῆσαι τὸ ἄγαλμα ἡγοῦμαι τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακός Αἰαντίς Αἴας Θησεύς Μέγαρα Μέγαρα Νίκη Περιβοία Τίμαλκος Τελαμών Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀλκάθους

The Megarians have a council chamber, which they say was once the tomb of Timalkos, of whom I stated a little before that he was killed by Theseus. On the summit of their acropolis is built a temple of Athena, whose image is gilded except for the hands and the extremities of the feet; these parts, along with the face, are made of ivory. There is another sanctuary here dedicated to Athena called Nike (Victory), and yet another to Athena Aiantis. Concerning this latter, although the Megarians rely on their local guides for its history, I shall record what I myself consider to have occurred. Telamon, son of Aiakos, married Periboia, daughter of Alkathous, and thus, I suppose, Ajax, succeeding to the sovereignty of Alkathous, made the statue to Athena.

Passage 1.42.5 Class: Historical

τοῦ δὲ Ἀπόλλωνος πλίνθου μὲν ἦν ὁ ἀρχαῖος ναός· ὕστερον δὲ βασιλεὺς ᾠκοδόμησεν Ἀδριανὸς λίθου λευκοῦ. ὁ μὲν δὴ Πύθιος καλούμενος καὶ ὁ Δεκατηφόρος τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις μάλιστα ἐοίκασι ξοάνοις, ὃν δὲ Ἀρχηγέτην ἐπονομάζουσιν, Αἰγινητικοῖς ἔργοις ἐστὶν ὅμοιος· ἐβένου δὲ πάντα ὁμοίως πεποίηται. ἤκουσα δὲ ἀνδρὸς Κυπρίου διακρῖναι πόας ἐς ἀνθρώπων ἴασιν εἰδότος, ὃς τὴν ἔβενον φύλλα οὐκ ἔφη φύειν οὐδὲ εἶναι καρπὸν οὐδένα ἀπʼ αὐτῆς οὐδὲ ὁρᾶσθαι τὸ παράπαν αὐτὴν ὑπὸ ἡλίου, ῥίζας δὲ ὑπογαίους εἶναι, ταύτας δὲ ὀρύσσειν τοὺς Αἰθίοπας καὶ ἄνδρας εἶναί σφισιν οἳ τὴν ἔβενον ἴσασιν εὑρίσκειν.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγινήτης Αἰγύπτιοι Αἰθίοπες Δεκατηφόρος Κύπριος Πύθιος Ἀδριανός Ἀπόλλων Ἀρχηγέτης

The ancient temple of Apollo was built of brick; later, however, the Emperor Hadrian constructed it in white marble. The statues called Pythian and the Decatephorus are especially similar to Egyptian wooden images; the one they call Archegetes resembles Aeginetan works. All these statues alike are made of ebony wood. I heard from a Cypriot man skilled in distinguishing plants for medicinal use, who said that ebony bears neither leaves nor any fruit, nor is it ever exposed to sunlight; rather, its roots remain underground, and it is these roots that the Ethiopians dig up. They have certain individuals among them who know how to find ebony.

Passage 1.42.6 Class: Mythic

ἔστι δὲ καὶ Δήμητρος ἱερὸν Θεσμοφόρου. κατιοῦσι δὲ ἐντεῦθεν Καλλιπόλιδος μνῆμά ἐστιν Ἀλκάθου παιδός. ἐγένετο δὲ καὶ ἄλλος Ἀλκάθῳ πρεσβύτερος υἱὸς Ἰσχέπολις, ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ὁ πατὴρ Μελεάγρῳ τὸ ἐν Αἰτωλίᾳ θηρίον συνεξαιρήσοντα. ἀποθανόντος δὲ ἐνταῦθα πρῶτος τεθνεῶτα ἐπύθετο ὁ Καλλίπολις, ἀναδραμὼν δὲ ἐς τὴν ἀκρόπολιν--- τηνικαῦτα δὲ ὁ πατήρ οἱ τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι ἐνέκαεν--- ἀπορρίπτει τὰ ξύλα ἀπὸ τοῦ βωμοῦ· Ἀλκάθους δὲ ἀνήκοος ὢν ἔτι τῆς Ἰσχεπόλιδος τελευτῆς κατεδίκαζεν οὐ ποιεῖν ὅσια τὸν Καλλίπολιν καὶ εὐθέως ὡς εἶχεν ὀργῆς ἀπέκτεινε παίσας ἐς τὴν κεφαλὴν τῶν ἀπορριφέντων ἀπὸ τοῦ βωμοῦ ξύλῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰτωλία Δήμητρα Θεσμοφόρος Καλλίπολις Καλλίπολις Μελέαγρος ἀκρόπολις Ἀλκάθος Ἀλκάθος Ἀλκάθος Ἀπόλλων Ἰσχέπολις Ἰσχέπολις

There is also a temple of Demeter Thesmophoros here. Descending from this place, there is the tomb of Callipolis, the son of Alcathous. Alcathous also had another son, older than this one, named Ischepolis, whom his father sent to assist Meleager in overcoming the beast in Aetolia. When Ischepolis died there, Callipolis was the first to hear of his brother's death, and, running up to the acropolis—his father was at that moment offering a burnt sacrifice to Apollo—he scattered the wood from the altar. Alcathous, still ignorant of the death of Ischepolis, judged that Callipolis had acted impiously, and, immediately driven by anger, killed him by striking his head with one of the logs that had fallen from the altar.

Passage 1.42.7 Class: Mythic

κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐς τὸ πρυτανεῖον ὁδὸν Ἰνοῦς ἐστιν ἡρῷον, περὶ δὲ αὐτὸ θριγκὸς λίθων· πεφύκασι δὲ ἐπʼ αὐτῶ καὶ ἐλαῖαι. μόνοι δέ εἰσιν Ἑλλήνων Μεγαρεῖς οἱ λέγοντες τὸν νεκρὸν τῆς Ἰνοῦς ἐς τὰ παραθαλάσσιά σφισιν ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς χώρας, Κλησὼ δὲ καὶ Ταυρόπολιν εὑρεῖν τε καὶ θάψαι---θυγατέρας δὲ αὐτὰς εἶναι Κλήσωνος τοῦ Λέλεγος---, καὶ Λευκοθέαν τε ὀνομασθῆναι παρὰ σφίσι πρώτοις φασὶν αὐτὴν καὶ θυσίαν ἄγειν ἀνὰ πᾶν ἔτος.

Proper Nouns:

Κλήσων Κλησὼ Λέλεγος Λευκοθέα Μεγαρεῖς Ταυρόπολις Ἕλληνες Ἰνώ

Along the road leading to the Prytaneion stands a shrine of Ino, enclosed by a stone wall; olive trees also grow upon it. The Megarians alone among the Greeks say that the corpse of Ino washed ashore in their coastal lands, and that Kleso and Tauropolis—daughters of Kleson the son of Lelex—found the body and buried it. They claim further that the Megarians themselves were the first to call her Leukothea, and that they hold sacrifices in her honor every year.

Legend:

Chapter 1.42