Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.16.1 Class: Mythic

Ἄργος δὲ Φορωνέως θυγατριδοῦς βασιλεύσας μετὰ Φορωνέα ὠνόμασεν ἀφʼ αὑτοῦ τὴν χώραν. Ἄργου δὲ Πείρασος γίνεται καὶ Φόρβας, Φόρβαντος δὲ Τριόπας, Τριόπα δὲ Ἴασος καὶ Ἀγήνωρ. Ἰὼ μὲν οὖν Ἰάσου θυγάτηρ, εἴτε ὡς Ἡρόδοτος ἔγραψεν εἴτε καθʼ ὃ λέγουσιν Ἕλληνες, ἐς Αἴγυπτον ἀφικνεῖται Κρότωπος δὲ ὁ Ἀγήνορος ἔσχε μετὰ Ἴασον τὴν ἀρχήν, Κροτώπου δὲ Σθενέλας γίνεται, Δαναὸς δʼ ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου πλεύσας ἐπὶ Γελάνορα τὸν Σθενέλα τοὺς ἀπογόνους τοὺς Ἀγήνορος βασιλείας ἔπαυσεν. τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου καὶ οἱ πάντες ὁμοίως ἴσασι, θυγατέρων τῶν Δαναοῦ τὸ ἐς τοὺς ἀνεψιοὺς τόλμημα καὶ ὡς ἀποθανόντος Δαναοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν Λυγκεὺς ἔσχεν.

Proper Nouns:

Αἴγυπτος Αἴγυπτος Γελάνωρ Δαναός Δαναός Κρότωψ Κρότωψ Λυγκεύς Πείρασος Σθενέλας Σθενέλας Τριόπας Τριόπας Φορωνεύς Φορωνεύς Φόρβας Φόρβας Ἀγήνωρ Ἀγήνωρ Ἄργος Ἕλληνες Ἡρόδοτος Ἰώ Ἴασος Ἴασος Ἴασος

After Phoroneus, Argos, his daughter's son, became king and named the land after himself. Argos had a son Peirasus, and another called Phorbas. From Phorbas descended Triopas, and from Triopas came Iasus and Agenor. Io, indeed, was the daughter of Iasus; whether it happened as Herodotus records or according to the Greek account, she arrived in Egypt. After Iasus, Crotopus, the son of Agenor, took power. From Crotopus came Sthenelas; later, Danaus sailed from Egypt against Gelanor, a descendant of Sthenelas, and ended the rule of Agenor's line. What followed from this time is universally known—the bold action taken by Danaus' daughters against their cousins, and how Lynceus assumed power upon the death of Danaus.

Passage 2.16.2 Class: Mythic

οἱ δὲ Ἄβαντος τοῦ Λυγκέως παῖδες τὴν βασιλείαν ἐνείμαντο, καὶ Ἀκρίσιος μὲν αὐτοῦ κατέμεινεν ἐν τῷ Ἄργει, Προῖτος δὲ τὸ Ἡραῖον καὶ Μιδείαν καὶ Τίρυνθα ἔσχε καὶ ὅσα πρὸς θαλάσσῃ τῆς Ἀργείας· σημεῖά τε τῆς ἐν Τίρυνθι οἰκήσεως Προίτου καὶ ἐς τόδε λείπεται. χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον Ἀκρίσιος Περσέα αὐτόν τε περιεῖναι πυνθανόμενος καὶ ἔργα ἀποδείκνυσθαι, ἐς Λάρισαν ἀπεχώρησε τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Πηνειῷ. Περσεὺς δὲ---ἰδεῖν γὰρ πάντως ἤθελε τὸν γονέα τῆς μητρὸς καὶ λόγοις τε χρηστοῖς καὶ ἔργοις δεξιώσασθαι---ἔρχεται παρʼ αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν Λάρισαν· καὶ ὁ μὲν οἷα ἡλικίᾳ τε ἀκμάζων καὶ τοῦ δίσκου χαίρων τῷ εὑρήματι ἐπεδείκνυτο ἐς ἅπαντας, Ἀκρίσιος δὲ λανθάνει κατὰ δαίμονα ὑποπεσὼν τοῦ δίσκου τῇ ὁρμῇ.

Proper Nouns:

Λάρισα Λυγκεύς Μιδεία Περσεύς Περσεύς Πηνειός Προῖτος Προῖτος Τίρυνς Τίρυνς Ἀκρίσιος Ἀργεία Ἄβαντας Ἄργος Ἡραῖον

The sons of Abas, son of Lynceus, divided the kingdom between them; Acrisius remained at Argos itself, while Proetus took possession of Heraion, Midea, Tiryns, and all the coastal regions of the Argolid. Remains of Proetus' settlement at Tiryns survive even to this day. Later, however, when Acrisius heard that Perseus was alive and performing mighty deeds, he withdrew to Larissa on the banks of the Peneius. Perseus, eager above all to see his mother's father and to treat him kindly both by words and deeds, came to meet him in Larissa. Perseus, who was at that time in vigorous youth and delighted with the newly invented discus, was putting on a demonstration for everyone; and Acrisius, guided by an inescapable fate, unknowingly stepped into the path of the flying discus.

Passage 2.16.3 Class: Mythic

καὶ Ἀκρισίῳ μὲν ἡ πρόρρησις τοῦ θεοῦ τέλος ἔσχεν, οὐδὲ ἀπέτρεψέν οἱ τὸ χρεὼν τὰ ἐς τὴν παῖδα καὶ τὸν θυγατριδοῦν παρευρήματα· Περσεὺς δὲ ὡς ἀνέστρεψεν ἐς Ἄργος---ᾐσχύνετο γὰρ τοῦ φόνου τῇ φήμῃ---, Μεγαπένθην τὸν Προίτου πείθει οἱ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀντιδοῦναι, παραλαβὼν δὲ αὐτὸς τὴν ἐκείνου Μυκήνας κτίζει. τοῦ ξίφους γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἐξέπεσεν ὁ μύκης αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον ἐς οἰκισμὸν ἐνόμιζε συμβῆναι πόλεως. ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ ὡς διψῶντι ἐπῆλθεν ἀνελέσθαι οἱ μύκητα ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ῥυέντος δὲ ὕδατος πιὼν καὶ ἡσθεὶς Μυκήνας ἔθετο τὸ ὄνομα τῷ χωρίῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Μεγαπένθης Μυκῆναι Περσεύς Προῖτος θεός Ἀκρίσιος Ἄργος

For Acrisius, the god's oracle had its fulfillment at last; neither his precautions nor the devices he managed against his daughter and grandson could avert fate. When Perseus returned to Argos, ashamed because of the rumor of the murder, he persuaded Megapenthes, son of Proetus, to exchange kingdoms with him. Taking Megapenthes' kingdom, he founded Mycenae. For here the chape (mykes) had fallen from his sword, and he believed this sign to be an omen for establishing the city. But I have also heard another account: that when Perseus was thirsty, he happened upon a mushroom (mykes) growing from the ground, and plucking it, water immediately gushed forth. Having drunk from it gladly, he was pleased and thus gave the place the name Mycenae.

Passage 2.16.4 Class: Mythic

Ὅμηρος δὲ ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ γυναικὸς Μυκήνης ἐν ἔπει τῷδε ἐμνήσθη Τυρώ τʼ Ἀλκμήνη τε ἐυστέφανός τε Μυκήνη. Hom. Od. unknown line ταύτην εἶναι θυγατέρα Ἰνάχου γυναῖκα δὲ Ἀρέστορος τὰ ἔπη λέγει, ἃ δὴ Ἕλληνες καλοῦσιν Ἠοίας μεγάλας· ἀπὸ ταύτης οὖν γεγονέναι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῇ πόλει φασίν. ὃν δὲ προσποιοῦσιν Ἀκουσιλάῳ λόγον, Μυκηνέα υἱὸν εἶναι Σπάρτωνος, Σπάρτωνα δὲ Φορωνέως, οὐκ ἂν ἔγωγε ἀποδεξαίμην, διότι μηδὲ αὐτοὶ Λακεδαιμόνιοι. Λακεδαιμονίοις γὰρ Σπάρτης μὲν γυναικὸς εἰκών ἐστιν ἐν Ἀμύκλαις, Σπάρτωνα δὲ Φορωνέως παῖδα θαυμάζοιεν ἂν καὶ ἀρχὴν ἀκούσαντες.

Proper Nouns:

Λακεδαιμόνιοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μυκήνη Μυκηνεύς Μυκῆναι Σπάρτη Σπάρτων Σπάρτων Τυρώ Φορωνεύς Ἀκουσίλαος Ἀλκμήνη Ἀμύκλαι Ἀρέστωρ Ἕλληνες Ἠοῖα Ἴναχος Ὀδύσσεια Ὅμηρος

Homer, in the Odyssey, mentioned the woman Mycene in this verse: "Tyro and Alcmena and fair-crowned Mycene" (Hom. Od., unknown line). Now the verses known among the Greeks as the Great Eoiae say she was the daughter of Inachus and the wife of Arestor, and that the city derived its name from her. As for the account attributed to Acusilaus, that Myceneus was the son of Sparton, and Sparton the son of Phoroneus, I myself would not accept it, and neither do the Lacedaemonians themselves. For although at Amyclae the Lacedaemonians have an image of the woman Sparta, they would indeed be amazed upon hearing, from the outset, that Sparton was a son of Phoroneus.

Passage 2.16.5 Class: Historical

Μυκήνας δὲ Ἀργεῖοι καθεῖλον ὑπὸ ζηλοτυπίας. ἡσυχαζόντων γὰρ τῶν Ἀργείων κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστρατείαν τοῦ Μήδου, Μυκηναῖοι πέμπουσιν ἐς Θερμοπύλας ὀγδοήκοντα ἄνδρας, οἳ Λακεδαιμονίοις μετέσχον τοῦ ἔργου· τοῦτο ἤνεγκεν ὄλεθρόν σφισι τὸ φιλοτίμημα παροξῦναν Ἀργείους. λείπεται δὲ ὅμως ἔτι καὶ ἄλλα τοῦ περιβόλου καὶ ἡ πύλη, λέοντες δὲ ἐφεστήκασιν αὐτῇ· Κυκλώπων δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἔργα εἶναι λέγουσιν, οἳ Προίτῳ τὸ τεῖχος ἐποίησαν ἐν Τίρυνθι.

Proper Nouns:

Θερμοπύλαι Κύκλωπες Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μυκηναῖοι Μυκῆναι Μῆδος Προῖτος Τίρυνς Ἀργεῖοι Ἀργεῖοι

The Argives destroyed Mycenae out of jealousy. For while the Argives remained passive during the expedition against the Mede, the Mycenaeans dispatched eighty men to Thermopylae who shared with the Lacedaemonians in that task. It was this ambition of theirs that provoked the Argives and brought about their ruin. Yet part of the surrounding wall still remains, along with the gate upon which stand lions. These, too, are said to be works of the Cyclopes, who also constructed the walls at Tiryns for Proetus.

Passage 2.16.6 Class: Mythic

Μυκηνῶν δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις κρήνη τέ ἐστι καλουμένη Περσεία καὶ Ἀτρέως καὶ τῶν παίδων ὑπόγαια οἰκοδομήματα, ἔνθα οἱ θησαυροί σφισι τῶν χρημάτων ἦσαν. τάφος δὲ ἔστι μὲν Ἀτρέως, εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ὅσους σὺν Ἀγαμέμνονι ἐπανήκοντας ἐξ Ἰλίου δειπνίσας κατεφόνευσεν Αἴγισθος. τοῦ μὲν δὴ Κασσάνδρας μνήματος ἀμφισβητοῦσι Λακεδαιμονίων οἱ περὶ Ἀμύκλας οἰκοῦντες· ἕτερον δέ ἐστιν Ἀγαμέμνονος, τὸ δὲ Εὐρυμέδοντος τοῦ ἡνιόχου, καὶ Τελεδάμου τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ Πέλοπος--- τούτους γὰρ τεκεῖν διδύμους Κασσάνδραν φασί,

Proper Nouns:

Αἴγισθος Εὐρυμέδων Κασσάνδρα Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μυκῆναι Πέλοψ Περσεία Τελεδάμας Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀμύκλαι Ἀτρέυς Ἴλιον

Among the ruins of Mycenae there is a spring called Perseia, and underground chambers belonging to Atreus and his sons, where they kept their treasures. There is a tomb of Atreus, and there are also tombs of those companions who, returning from Troy together with Agamemnon, were invited to a banquet by Aegisthus and treacherously slain. As for the burial-place of Cassandra, the people around Amyclae in Lacedaemon dispute about it; another tomb is that of Agamemnon himself, and that of Eurymedon, his charioteer. There is also one tomb that belongs equally to Teledamus and Pelops—for they say Cassandra gave birth to these twins.

Passage 2.16.7 Class: Mythic

νηπίους δὲ ἔτι ὄντας ἐπικατέσφαξε τοῖς γονεῦσιν Αἴγισθος--- καὶ Ἠλέκτρας · Πυλάδῃ γὰρ συνῴκησεν Ὀρέστου δόντος. Ἑλλάνικος δὲ καὶ τάδε ἔγραψε, Μέδοντα καὶ Στρόφιον γενέσθαι Πυλάδῃ παῖδας ἐξ Ἠλέκτρας. Κλυταιμνήστρα δὲ ἐτάφη καὶ Αἴγισθος ὀλίγον ἀπωτέρω τοῦ τείχους· ἐντὸς δὲ ἀπηξιώθησαν, ἔνθα Ἀγαμέμνων τε αὐτὸς ἔκειτο καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐκείνῳ φονευθέντες.

Proper Nouns:

Αἴγισθος Κλυταιμνήστρα Μέδων Πυλάδης Στρόφιος Ἀγαμέμνων Ἑλλάνικος Ἠλέκτρα Ὀρέστης

While still infants, Aegisthus slaughtered them upon the bodies of their parents—though Electra was spared, and later lived with Pylades, whom Orestes had given her in marriage. Hellanicus further records that Pylades and Electra had two sons, Medon and Strophius. Clytemnestra and Aegisthus were buried a little distance outside the city wall, as they were deemed unworthy of burial within the walls, where Agamemnon himself lay, together with those who were slain alongside him.

Legend:

Chapter 2.16