Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.6.1 Class: Mythic

Κόρακος δὲ ἀποθανόντος ἄπαιδος ὑπὸ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν Ἐπωπεὺς ἀφικόμενος ἐκ Θεσσαλίας ἔσχε τὴν ἀρχήν. ἐπὶ τούτου βασιλεύοντος στρατόν σφισι πολέμιον λέγουσιν ἐς τὴν χώραν τότε ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον, τὰ πρὸ τοῦ πάντα τὸν χρόνον διατελέσασιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ. αἰτία δὲ ἥδε· Ἀντιόπης ἐν Ἕλλησι τῆς Νυκτέως ὄνομα ἦν ἐπὶ κάλλει, καί οἱ καὶ φήμη προσῆν Ἀσωποῦ θυγατέρα, ὃς τὴν Θηβαΐδα καὶ Πλαταιίδα ὁρίζει, καὶ οὐ Νυκτέως εἶναι.

Proper Nouns:

Θεσσαλία Θηβαΐς Κόραξ Νυκτεύς Πλαταιΐς Ἀντιόπη Ἀσωπός Ἐπωπεύς Ἕλληνες

Upon the death of Corax, who left no children, Epopeus arrived at that time from Thessaly and took over the kingdom. They say that during his reign an enemy army first invaded their land, whereas before that time they had always lived in peace. The reason for this invasion is as follows: Antiope, daughter of Nycteus, was renowned among the Greeks for her beauty; moreover, a rumor spread that she was the daughter not of Nycteus but of Asopus, the river that forms the boundary between Theban and Plataean lands.

Passage 2.6.2 Class: Mythic

ταύτην οὐκ οἶδα εἴτε γυναῖκα αἰτήσας εἴτε θρασύτερα ἐξ ἀρχῆς βουλευσάμενος Ἐπωπεὺς ἁρπάζει· ὡς δὲ οἱ Θηβαῖοι σὺν ὅπλοις ἦλθον, ἐνταῦθα τιτρώσκεται μὲν Νυκτεύς, ἐτρώθη δὲ κρατῶν τῇ μάχῃ καὶ Ἐπωπεύς. Νυκτέα μὲν δὴ κάμνοντα ὀπίσω κομίζουσιν ἐς Θήβας, καὶ ὡς ἔμελλε τελευτᾶν, Λύκον ἀδελφὸν ὄντα παραδίδωσι Θηβαίων ἐν τῷ παρόντι ἄρχειν· Λάβδακον γὰρ τὸν Πολυδώρου τοῦ Κάδμου παῖδα ἔτι αὐτός τε ἐπετρόπευεν ὁ Νυκτεὺς καὶ τότε ἀπέλιπεν ἐπιτροπεύειν ἐκείνῳ. τοῦτον οὖν τὸν Λύκον ἱκέτευσε στρατῷ μείζονι ἐπὶ τὴν Αἰγιάλειαν ἐλάσαντα τιμωρήσασθαι μὲν Ἐπωπέα, κακοῦν δὲ εἰ λάβοι καὶ αὐτὴν Ἀντιόπην.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγιάλεια Θηβαῖοι Θηβαῖοι Θῆβαι Κάδμος Λάβδακος Λύκος Νυκτεύς Νυκτεύς Πολύδωρος Ἀντιόπη Ἐπωπεύς Ἐπωπεύς

I do not know whether Epopeus first requested this woman in marriage or from the very beginning planned a bolder action, but at any rate, he carried her off. When the Thebans advanced in arms against him, Nycteus was wounded, although Epopeus himself, who won the battle, also received a wound. Nycteus was carried back to Thebes seriously injured, and as he was about to die, he handed over authority over Thebes temporarily to his brother Lycus. Nycteus himself had been guardian to Labdacus, son of Polydorus, the son of Cadmus, and now, at his death, he left the guardianship likewise to Lycus. Nycteus earnestly begged Lycus to march with a larger army against Aegialeia, to take vengeance upon Epopeus, and, if he succeeded in capturing her, also to punish Antiope herself.

Passage 2.6.3 Class: Mythic

Ἐπωπεὺς δὲ τὸ μὲν παραυτίκα ἐπινίκια ἔθυε καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς ᾠκοδόμει ναόν, ἐπʼ ἐξειργασμένῳ δὲ εὔξατο ἐνδείξασθαι τὴν θεὸν εἴ οἱ τετελεσμένος ἐστὶν ὁ ναὸς κατὰ γνώμην· μετὰ δὲ τὴν εὐχὴν ἔλαιον λέγουσι ῥυῆναι πρὸ τοῦ ναοῦ. ὕστερον δὲ καὶ Ἐπωπέα κατέλαβεν ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ τραύματος ἀμεληθέντος κατʼ ἀρχάς, ὡς μηδὲν ἔτι Λύκῳ δεῆσαι πολέμου· Λαμέδων γὰρ ὁ Κορώνου βασιλεύσας μετὰ Ἐπωπέα ἐξέδωκεν Ἀντιόπην. ἡ δὲ ὡς ἐς Θήβας ἤγετο τὴν ἐπʼ Ἐλευθερῶν, ἐνταῦθα καθʼ ὁδὸν τίκτει.

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Κορώνos Λαμέδων Λύκος Ἀθηνᾶ Ἀντιόπη Ἐλευθεραί Ἐπωπεύς Ἐπωπεύς

Epopeus, for the time being, offered sacrifices of thanksgiving for the victory and began building a temple to Athena. When it was completed, he prayed to the goddess, asking her to give clear evidence if the temple was built according to her will. Immediately after this prayer, it is said that oil flowed forth in front of the temple. Later, however, Epopeus himself died from a wound which had not initially received proper attention; thus Lycus no longer had need for warfare. For Lamedon, the son of Coronus, who became king after Epopeus, handed Antiope over to him. As she was being led back to Thebes, she gave birth along the way at the place near Eleutherae.

Passage 2.6.4 Class: Mythic

καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πεποίηκεν Ἄσιος ὁ Ἀμφιπτολέμου· Ἀντιόπη δʼ ἔτεκε Ζῆθον καὶ Ἀμφίονα δῖον Ἀσωποῦ κούρη ποταμοῦ βαθυδινήεντος, Ζηνί τε κυσαμένη καὶ Ἐπωπέι ποιμένι λαῶν. Asius, unknown work Ὅμηρος δὲ σφᾶς ἀνήγαγεν ἐπὶ τὸ σεμνότερον τοῦ γένους καὶ Θήβας φησὶν οἰκίσαι πρώτους, ἀποκρίνων τὴν κάτω πόλιν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς Καδμείας.

Proper Nouns:

Ζεύς Ζῆθος Θῆβαι Καδμεία Ἀμφίων Ἀμφιπτόλεμος Ἀντιόπη Ἀσωπός Ἄσιος Ἐπωπεύς Ὅμηρος

About these two Asius son of Amphiptolemus has composed the following lines: "And Antiope, daughter of deep-eddying Asopus river, bore Zethus and godlike Amphion, conceiving them of Zeus and of Epopeus, shepherd of peoples." But Homer has attributed to them a nobler lineage, saying that they first founded Thebes, distinguishing, it seems to me, the lower city from the Cadmeia.

Passage 2.6.5 Class: Mythic

Λαμέδων δὲ βασιλεύσας ἔγημεν ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν γυναῖκα Φηνὼ Κλυτίου· καὶ ὕστερον γενομένου οἱ πολέμου πρὸς Ἄρχανδρον καὶ Ἀρχιτέλην τοὺς Ἀχαιοῦ συμμαχήσοντα ἐπηγάγετο Σικυῶνα ἐκ τῆς Ἀττικῆς, καὶ θυγατέρα τε συνῴκισεν αὐτῷ Ζευξίππην καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου βασιλεύσαντος ἡ γῆ Σικυωνία καὶ Σικυὼν ἀντὶ Αἰγιάλης ἡ πόλις ὠνομάσθη. Σικυῶνα δὲ οὐ Μαραθῶνος τοῦ Ἐπωπέως, Μητίονος δὲ εἶναι τοῦ Ἐρεχθέως φασίν. ὁμολογεῖ δέ σφισι καὶ Ἄσιος, ἐπεὶ Ἡσίοδός γε καὶ Ἴβυκος, ὁ μὲν ἐποίησεν ὡς Ἐρεχθέως εἴη Σικυών, Ἴβυκος δὲ εἶναι Πέλοπός φησιν αὐτόν.

Proper Nouns:

Αἰγιάλη Ζευξίππη Κλύτιος Λαμέδων Μήτιων Μαραθών Πέλοψ Σικυωνία Σικυών Σικυών Φηνώ Ἀθῆναι Ἀρχιτέλης Ἀττική Ἀχαιός Ἄρχανδρος Ἄσιος Ἐπωπεύς Ἐρεχθεύς Ἡσίοδος Ἴβυκος

Lamedon reigned as king, and took as his wife Pheno, daughter of Clytius from Athens. Later, war arose against Archander and Architeles, the sons of Achaeus. Lamedon brought from Attica Sicyon, who was to become his ally, gave him his daughter Zeuxippe to marry, and after this man succeeded to the throne, the land became known as Sicyonia, and the city that had until then been called Aegiale was renamed Sicyon. They say that this Sicyon was not the son of Marathon, who was descended from Epopeus, but rather the son of Metion, himself the son of Erechtheus. Asius agrees with them in this respect; while Hesiod composed verses making Sicyon the son of Erechtheus, Ibycus asserts he was the son of Pelops.

Passage 2.6.6 Class: Mythic

Σικυῶνος δὲ γίνεται Χθονοφύλη, Χθονοφύλης δὲ καὶ Ἑρμοῦ Πόλυβον γενέσθαι λέγουσιν· ὕστερον δὲ αὐτὴν Φλίας ὁ Διονύσου γαμεῖ, καί οἱ παῖς Ἀνδροδάμας γίνεται. Πόλυβος δὲ Ταλαῷ τῷ Βίαντος βασιλεύοντι Ἀργείων Λυσιάνασσαν τὴν θυγατέρα ἔδωκε· καὶ ὅτε Ἄδραστος ἔφευγεν ἐξ Ἄργους, παρὰ Πόλυβον ἦλθεν ἐς Σικυῶνα καὶ ὕστερον ἀποθανόντος Πολύβου τὴν ἐν Σικυῶνι ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν. Ἀδράστου δὲ ἐς Ἄργος κατελθόντος Ἰανίσκος ἀπόγονος Κλυτίου τοῦ Λαμέδοντι κηδεύσαντος ἐλθὼν ἐκ τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἐβασίλευσεν, ἀποθανόντος δὲ Ἰανίσκου Φαῖστος τῶν Ἡρακλέους λεγόμενος παίδων καὶ οὗτος εἶναι.

Proper Nouns:

Βίας Διόνυσος Κλύτιος Λαμέδων Λυσιάνασσα Πόλυβος Πόλυβος Σικυών Σικυών Σικυών Τάλως Φαῖστος Φλίας Χθονοφύλη Χθονοφύλη Ἀνδροδάμας Ἀργεῖοι Ἀττική Ἄδραστος Ἄδραστος Ἄργος Ἄργος Ἑρμῆς Ἡρακλῆς Ἰανίσκος Ἰανίσκος

From Sicyon was born Chthonophyle; and from Chthonophyle and Hermes, they say, was born Polybus. Later Phlias, the son of Dionysus, married her, and she bore him a son named Androdamas. Polybus gave his daughter Lysianassa in marriage to Talaus, king of the Argives, son of Bias; and when Adrastus fled from Argos, he came to Polybus at Sicyon. Later, upon Polybus' death, Adrastus became ruler over Sicyon. Once Adrastus had returned down to Argos, Ianiscus, a descendant of Clytius who had accompanied Lamedon, came to Sicyon from Attica and reigned as king. After Ianiscus died, Phaestus, who was said to be one of the sons of Heracles, became king in his turn.

Passage 2.6.7 Class: Mythic

Φαίστου δὲ κατὰ μαντείαν μετοικήσαντος ἐς Κρήτην βασιλεῦσαι λέγεται Ζεύξιππος Ἀπόλλωνος υἱὸς καὶ νύμφης Συλλίδος. μετὰ δὲ Ζεύξιππον τελευτήσαντα Ἀγαμέμνων στρατὸν ἤγαγεν ἐπὶ Σικυῶνα καὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ἱππόλυτον Ῥοπάλου παῖδα τοῦ Φαίστου· δείσας δὲ τὸν στρατὸν ἐπιόντα Ἱππόλυτος συνεχώρησεν Ἀγαμέμνονος κατήκοος καὶ Μυκηναίων εἶναι. Ἱππολύτου δὲ ἦν τούτου Λακεστάδης. Φάλκης ταμφάλκης δὲ ὁ Τημένου καταλαβὼν νύκτωρ Σικυῶνα σὺν Δωριεῦσι κακὸν μὲν ἅτε Ἡρακλείδην καὶ αὐτὸν ἐποίησεν οὐδέν, κοινωνὸν δὲ ἔσχε τῆς ἀρχῆς.

Proper Nouns:

Δωριεῖς Ζεύξιππος Κρήτη Λακεστάδης Σίκυων Συλλίς Τήμενος Φαῖστος Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀπόλλων Ἡρακλεῖδης Ἱππόλυτος Ῥόπαλος

When Phaistos, by oracle's advice, settled in Crete, it is said Zeuxippus, son of Apollo and the nymph Syllis, became king. Once Zeuxippus had died, Agamemnon led an army against Sicyon and against its king, Hippolytus, son of Rhopalus, the son of Phaistos. Hippolytus, in fear of the approaching army, submitted himself as a subject of Agamemnon and the Mycenaeans. Hippolytus' own son was Lacestades. When Phalkes son of Temenos, along with the Dorians, seized Sicyon by night, he did no harm to Lacestades, as he too was a Heracleid, but instead made him a partner in his rule.

Legend:

Chapter 2.6