Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.29.1 Class: Mythic

αὐτὴ δὲ τῶν Ἐπιδαυρίων ἡ πόλις παρείχετο ἐς μνήμην τάδε ἀξιολογώτατα· τέμενος δή ἐστιν Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ ἀγάλματα ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸς καὶ Ἠπιόνη, γυναῖκα δὲ εἶναι τὴν Ἠπιόνην Ἀσκληπιοῦ φασι· ταῦτά ἐστιν ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ λίθου Παρίου. ναοὶ δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ Διονύσου καὶ Ἀρτέμιδός ἐστιν ἄλσος· εἰκάσαις ἂν θηρευούσῃ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν. Ἀφροδίτης τε ἱερὸν πεποίηται· τὸ δὲ πρὸς τῷ λιμένι ἐπὶ ἄκρας ἀνεχούσης ἐς θάλασσαν λέγουσιν Ἥρας εἶναι. τὴν δὲ Ἀθηνᾶν ἐν τῇ ἀκροπόλει, ξόανον θέας ἄξιον, Κισσαίαν ἐπονομάζουσιν.

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Κισσαία Πάριος Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀσκληπιός Ἀφροδίτη Ἄρτεμις Ἄρτεμις Ἐπίδαυρος Ἠπιόνη Ἥρα

The city of the Epidaurians itself offered the following as most noteworthy memorials. There is a precinct sacred to Asclepius, containing statues of the god himself and of Epione, who they say was the wife of Asclepius. These statues, situated in the open air, are of Parian marble. Within the city there are temples of Dionysus and Artemis; the sanctuary of Artemis is in a grove, and the goddess herself one might imagine represented as hunting. There is also a shrine dedicated to Aphrodite, while the sanctuary near the harbor, set upon a promontory that extends out into the sea, they say belongs to Hera. The Athene on the acropolis—a wooden image remarkable to behold—they call Athene Cissaea.

Passage 2.29.2 Class: Mythic

Αἰγινῆται δὲ οἰκοῦσιν ἔχοντες τὴν νῆσον ἀπαντικρὺ τῆς Ἐπιδαυρίας. ἀνθρώπους δʼ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς λέγουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ γενέσθαι· Διὸς δὲ ἐς ἔρημον κομίσαντος Αἴγιναν τὴν Ἀσωποῦ τῇ μὲν τὸ ὄνομα ἐτέθη τοῦτο ἀντὶ Οἰνώνης, Αἰακοῦ δὲ αἰτήσαντος ὡς ηὐξήθη παρὰ Διὸς οἰκήτορας, οὕτω οἱ τὸν Δία ἀνεῖναι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους φασὶν ἐκ τῆς γῆς. βασιλεύσαντα δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ πλὴν Αἰακὸν οὐδένα εἰπεῖν ἔχουσιν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τῶν Αἰακοῦ παίδων τινὰ ἴσμεν καταμείναντα, Πηλεῖ μὲν συμβὰν καὶ Τελαμῶνι ἐπὶ φόνῳ φεύγειν τῷ Φώκου, τῶν δὲ αὖ Φώκου παίδων περὶ τὸν Παρνασσὸν οἰκησάντων ἐν τῇ νῦν καλουμένῃ Φωκίδι.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακός Αἰακός Αἰγινῆται Αἴγινα Αἴγινα Ζεύς Ζεύς Οἰνώνη Παρνασσός Πηλεύς Τελαμών Φωκίς Φῶκος Ἀσωπός Ἐπίδαυρος

The Aeginetans inhabit an island situated opposite the territory of Epidaurus. They say that human beings were not present there from the beginning, but the island was initially uninhabited. When Zeus carried off Aegina, the daughter of Asopus, and brought her to this desert isle, it received this name, Aegina, in place of its former name, Oenone. After Aeacus entreated Zeus for inhabitants, as the place was deserted, they recount that Zeus caused the people to spring forth from the earth itself. According to them, no one except Aeacus held royal power in this land, since we do not know of any of Aeacus's sons who remained: Peleus and Telamon had to flee from the island because of the murder of Phocus, and the sons of Phocus themselves settled around Mount Parnassus, in the region now called Phocis.

Passage 2.29.3 Class: Mythic

τὸ δὲ ὄνομα προϋπῆρχεν ἤδη τῇ χώρᾳ, Φώκου τοῦ Ὀρνυτίωνος γενεᾷ πρότερον ἐς αὐτὴν ἐλθόντος. ἐπὶ μὲν δὴ Φώκου τούτου ἡ περὶ Τιθορέαν τε καὶ Παρνασσὸν ἐκαλεῖτο ἡ Φωκίς· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Αἰακοῦ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐξενίκησεν, ὅσοι Μινύαις τέ εἰσιν Ὀρχομενίοις ὅμοροι καὶ ἐπὶ Σκάρφειαν τὴν Λοκρῶν καθήκουσι.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακός Λοκροί Μινύαι Παρνασσός Σκάρφεια Τιθόρεια Φωκίς Φώκος Ὀρνύτιων Ὀρχομενιοί

The name already belonged to the country before that time, as Phocus, son of Ornytion, had come there at an earlier period. During this Phocus' lifetime, the territory around Tithorea and Parnassus was called Phocis. But in the time of Aeacus, it conquered all the neighboring peoples bordering the Orchomenians of Minyean descent and extending as far as the Locrian city of Scarphia.

Passage 2.29.4 Class: Mythic

γεγόνασι δὲ ἀπὸ μὲν Πηλέως οἱ ἐν Ἠπείρῳ βασιλεῖς, Τελαμῶνος δὲ τῶν παίδων Αἴαντος μέν ἐστιν ἀφανέστερον γένος οἷα ἰδιωτεύσαντος ἀνθρώπου, πλὴν ὅσον Μιλτιάδης, ὃς Ἀθηναίοις ἐς Μαραθῶνα ἡγήσατο, καὶ Κίμων ὁ Μιλτιάδου προῆλθον ἐς δόξαν· οἱ δὲ Τευκρίδαι βασιλεῖς διέμειναν Κυπρίων ἄρχοντες ἐς Εὐαγόραν. Φώκῳ δὲ Ἄσιος ὁ τὰ ἔπη ποιήσας γενέσθαι φησὶ Πανοπέα καὶ Κρῖσον· καὶ Πανοπέως μὲν ἐγένετο Ἐπειὸς ὁ τὸν ἵππον τὸν δούρειον, ὡς Ὅμηρος ἐποίησεν, ἐργασάμενος, Κρίσου δὲ ἦν ἀπόγονος τρίτος Πυλάδης, Στροφίου τε ὢν τοῦ Κρίσου καὶ Ἀναξιβίας ἀδελφῆς Ἀγαμέμνονος. γένη μὲν τοσαῦτα τῶν καλουμένων Αἰακιδῶν, ἐξεχώρησε δὲ ἑτέρωσε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακίδαι Αἴας Εὐαγόρας Κίμων Κρῖσος Κρῖσος Κύπριοι Μαραθών Μιλτιάδης Μιλτιάδης Πανοπέας Πανοπέας Πηλεύς Πυλάδης Στροφίος Τελαμῶν Τευκρίδαι Φῶκος Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀθῆναι Ἀναξιβία Ἄσιος Ἐπειός Ἤπειρος Ὅμηρος

From Peleus arose the line of kings in Epirus; but from among the sons of Telamon, Ajax's lineage is rather obscure, as its members lived as common citizens, with the exception of Miltiades, who commanded the Athenians at Marathon, and his son Cimon, who rose to fame. On the other hand, the descendants of Teucer remained kings, ruling Cyprus down to Evagoras. As for Phocus, Asius, the epic poet, claims that he fathered Panopeus and Crisus; and from Panopeus was born Epeius, who, as Homer relates, constructed the wooden horse. Meanwhile, from Crisus, in the third generation, came Pylades, son of Strophius, who was himself the son of Crisus and of Anaxibia, Agamemnon’s sister. Such are the genealogies of the so-called Aeacidae; but let us now turn to another subject from our original inquiry.

Passage 2.29.5 Class: Historical

χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον μοῖρα Ἀργείων τῶν Ἐπίδαυρον ὁμοῦ Δηιφόντῃ κατασχόντων, διαβᾶσα ἐς Αἴγιναν καὶ Αἰγινήταις τοῖς ἀρχαίοις γενόμενοι σύνοικοι, τὰ Δωριέων ἔθη καὶ φωνὴν κατεστήσαντο ἐν τῇ νήσῳ. προελθοῦσι δὲ Αἰγινήταις ἐς μέγα δυνάμεως, ὡς Ἀθηναίων γενέσθαι ναυσὶν ἐπικρατεστέρους καὶ ἐν τῷ Μηδικῷ πολέμῳ παρασχέσθαι πλοῖα μετά γε Ἀθηναίους πλεῖστα, οὐ παρέμεινεν ἐς ἅπαν ἡ εὐδαιμονία, γενόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων ἀνάστατοι Θυρέαν τὴν ἐν τῇ Ἀργολίδι Λακεδαιμονίων δόντων ᾤκησαν. καὶ ἀπέλαβον μὲν τὴν νῆσον, ὅτε περὶ Ἑλλήσποντον αἱ Ἀθηναίων τριήρεις ἐλήφθησαν, πλούτου δὲ ἢ δυνάμεως οὐκέτι ἐξεγένετο ἐς ἴσον προελθεῖν σφισιν.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγινῆται Αἴγινα Δηιφόντης Δωριεῖς Θυρέα Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μηδικός Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀργεῖοι Ἀργολίς Ἐπίδαυρος Ἑλλήσποντος

Some time later, a part of the Argives who had occupied Epidaurus together with Deiphontes crossed over to Aegina, settled beside the original inhabitants, and established the customs and language of the Dorians upon the island. When eventually the Aeginetans became very powerful—so much so that they surpassed even the Athenians in naval strength and offered, next to Athens, the greatest number of ships during the Persian War—their prosperity did not last forever. Driven out by the Athenians and becoming exiles, they settled in Thyrea in the Argolid, a territory granted to them by the Lacedaemonians. Although they eventually regained their island, when the Athenian triremes were captured around the Hellespont, they never again rose to their former wealth and power.

Passage 2.29.6 Class: Mythic

προσπλεῦσαι δὲ Αἴγινά ἐστι νήσων τῶν Ἑλληνίδων ἀπορωτάτη· πέτραι τε γὰρ ὕφαλοι περὶ πᾶσαν καὶ χοιράδες ἀνεστήκασι. μηχανήσασθαι δὲ ἐξεπίτηδες ταῦτα Αἰακόν φασι λῃστειῶν τῶν ἐκ θαλάσσης φόβῳ, καὶ πολεμίοις ἀνδράσι μὴ ἄνευ κινδύνου εἶναι. πλησίον δὲ τοῦ λιμένος ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα ὁρμίζονται ναός ἐστιν Ἀφροδίτης, ἐν ἐπιφανεστάτῳ δὲ τῆς πόλεως τὸ Αἰάκειον καλούμενον, περίβολος τετράγωνος λευκοῦ λίθου.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰάκειον Αἰακών Αἴγινα Ἀφροδίτη Ἑλλάς

Of all the Greek islands, Aegina is especially difficult to approach by sea; for it is surrounded everywhere by hidden reefs beneath the water and jutting rocks. They say Aeacus made these obstacles purposefully from fear of piracy from the sea, so that enemy vessels could not reach the island without danger. Near the harbor which they most frequently use for anchorage stands a temple of Aphrodite, and in the most prominent area of the city is what is called the Aiakeion—a square enclosure made of white stone.

Passage 2.29.7 Class: Mythic

ἐπειργασμένοι δέ εἰσι κατὰ τὴν ἔσοδον οἱ παρὰ Αἰακόν ποτε ὑπὸ τῶν Ἑλλήνων σταλέντες· αἰτίαν δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν Αἰγινήταις καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ λέγουσιν. αὐχμὸς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπὶ χρόνον ἐπίεζε καὶ οὔτε τὴν ἐκτὸς ἰσθμοῦ χώραν οὔτε Πελοποννησίοις ὗεν ὁ θεός, ἐς ὃ ἐς Δελφοὺς ἀπέστειλαν ἐρησομένους τὸ αἴτιον ὅ τι εἴη καὶ αἰτήσοντας ἅμα λύσιν τοῦ κακοῦ. τούτοις ἡ Πυθία εἶπε Δία ἱλάσκεσθαι, χρῆναι δέ, εἴπερ ὑπακούσει σφίσιν, Αἰακὸν τὸν ἱκετεύσαντα εἶναι.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακών Αἰακών Αἰγινῆται Δελφοί Ζεύς Πελοποννήσιοι Πυθία Ἑλλάς Ἕλληνες

Represented at the entrance are those who were once sent by the Greeks to Aeacus. The others tell the same story as the Aeginetans concerning the cause: a famine had oppressed Greece for some time, and the god gave no rain either to the lands beyond the Isthmus or to the Peloponnesians. Consequently, envoys were dispatched to Delphi to inquire into the cause and, at the same time, seek relief from the calamity. To these questioners the Pythia replied that they must propitiate Zeus, but added that Aeacus himself should act as their intercessor, if he were willing to heed their request.

Passage 2.29.8 Class: Mythic

οὕτως Αἰακοῦ δεησομένους ἀποστέλλουσιν ἀφʼ ἑκάστης πόλεως· καὶ ὁ μὲν τῷ Πανελληνίῳ Διὶ θύσας καὶ εὐξάμενος τὴν Ἑλλάδα γῆν ἐποίησεν ὕεσθαι, τῶν δὲ ἐλθόντων ὡς αὐτὸν εἰκόνας ταύτας ἐποιήσαντο οἱ Αἰγινῆται. τοῦ περιβόλου δὲ ἐντὸς ἐλαῖαι πεφύκασιν ἐκ παλαιοῦ καὶ βωμός ἐστιν οὐ πολὺ ἀνέχων ἐκ τῆς γῆς· ὡς δὲ καὶ μνῆμα οὗτος ὁ βωμὸς εἴη Αἰακοῦ, λεγόμενόν ἐστιν ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακός Αἰγινῆται Πανελλήνιος Ζεύς Ἑλλάς

Thus they dispatched envoys from each of the cities to ask for Aeacus' aid; and he, having sacrificed and prayed to Zeus Panhellenios, caused rain to fall upon the Greek land. When they arrived back from him, the Aeginetans had these statues made. Inside the enclosure olive trees have grown from ancient times, and there is an altar only slightly raised from the ground; but the idea that this altar is also the tomb of Aeacus is told as a secret mystery.

Passage 2.29.9 Class: Mythic

παρὰ δὲ τὸ Αἰάκειον Φώκου τάφος χῶμά ἐστι περιεχόμενον κύκλῳ κρηπῖδι, ἐπίκειται δέ οἱ λίθος τραχύς· καὶ ἡνίκα Φῶκον Τελαμὼν καὶ Πηλεὺς προηγάγοντο ἐς ἀγῶνα πεντάθλου καὶ περιῆλθεν ἐς Πηλέα ἀφεῖναι τὸν λίθον---οὗτος γὰρ ἀντὶ δίσκου σφίσιν ἦν---, ἑκὼν τυγχάνει τοῦ Φώκου. ταῦτα δὲ ἐχαρίζοντο τῇ μητρί· αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐγεγόνεσαν ἐκ τῆς Σκίρωνος θυγατρός, Φῶκος δὲ οὐκ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἀδελφῆς Θέτιδος ἦν, εἰ δὴ τὰ ὄντα λέγουσιν Ἕλληνες. Πυλάδης τέ μοι καὶ διὰ ταῦτα φαίνεται καὶ οὐκ Ὀρέστου φιλίᾳ μόνον βουλεῦσαι Νεοπτολέμῳ τὸν φόνον.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰάκειον Θέτις Νεοπτόλεμος Πηλεὺς Πηλεὺς Πυλάδης Σκίρων Τελαμὼν Φώκος Ἕλληνες Ὀρέστης

Next to the Aiakeion is the tomb of Phokos, which consists of an earthen mound, enclosed around by a low stone border; upon this rests a rough stone. When Telamon and Peleus challenged Phokos to compete in the pentathlon, the stone was used by them instead of a discus; and at the moment it came around to Peleus to throw, it struck Phokos, and it seems that this deed was intentional. They committed this act to please their mother; for while they themselves were born from the daughter of Skiron, Phokos was not from the same mother, but from the sister of Thetis, if indeed the stories told by the Greeks are true. And, from these events, it appears to me also that Pylades helped plot the murder of Neoptolemos not merely out of friendship for Orestes alone.

Passage 2.29.10 Class: Mythic

τότε δὲ ὡς τῷ δίσκῳ πληγεὶς ἀπέθανεν ὁ Φῶκος, φεύγουσιν ἐπιβάντες νεὼς οἱ Ἐνδηίδος παῖδες· Τελαμὼν δὲ ὕστερα κήρυκα ἀποστέλλων ἠρνεῖτο μὴ βουλεῦσαι Φώκῳ θάνατον. Αἰακὸς δὲ ἐς μὲν τὴν νῆσον ἀποβαίνειν αὐτὸν οὐκ εἴα, ἑστηκότα δὲ ἐπὶ νεώς, εἰ δὲ ἐθέλοι, χῶμα ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ χώσαντα ἐκέλευεν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπολογήσασθαι. οὕτως ἐς τὸν Κρυπτὸν καλούμενον λιμένα ἐσπλεύσας νύκτωρ ἐποίει χῶμα. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἐξεργασθὲν καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἔτι μένει· καταγνωσθεὶς δὲ οὐκ ἀναίτιος εἶναι Φώκῳ τῆς τελευτῆς, τὸ δεύτερον ἐς Σαλαμῖνα ἀπέπλευσε.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰακὸς Κρυπτός (λιμήν) Σαλαμίς Τελαμὼν Φῶκος Ἐνδηίς

Then, when Phocus died after being struck by the discus, the sons of Endeïs fled and boarded a ship. Afterwards, Telamon sent back a herald denying that he had plotted Phocus' death. Aeacus, however, did not allow him to land on the island, but standing instead upon his ship, commanded him, if he wished, to construct a mound in the sea and from there to speak in his own defense. Thus Telamon sailed by night into the so-called Hidden Harbor and began building up the mound. This mound, having been completed, still remains even down to our own times. But being judged as not innocent of involvement in Phocus' death, Telamon sailed away again to Salamis.

Passage 2.29.11 Class: Historical

τοῦ λιμένος δὲ οὐ πόρρω τοῦ Κρυπτοῦ θέατρόν ἐστι θέας ἄξιον, κατὰ τὸ Ἐπιδαυρίων μάλιστα μέγεθος καὶ ἐργασίαν τὴν λοιπήν. τούτου δὲ ὄπισθεν ᾠκοδόμηται σταδίου πλευρὰ μία, ἀνέχουσά τε αὐτὴ τὸ θέατρον καὶ ἀντὶ ἐρείσματος ἀνάλογον ἐκείνῳ χρωμένη.

Proper Nouns:

Κρυπτός Ἐπίδαυροι

Not far from the harbor called Krypto there is a theatre worthy of attention, very similar to that of the Epidaurians, both in size and general workmanship. Behind this theatre one side of a stadium has been built, which supports the theatre and serves it as a suitable reinforcement.

Legend:

Chapter 2.29