Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.1.1 Class: Historical

Ἀρκάδων δὲ τὰ πρὸς τῆς Ἀργείας Τεγεᾶταί τε ἔχουσι καὶ Μαντινεῖς, νέμονται δὲ οὗτοί τε καὶ τὸ ἄλλο Ἀρκαδικὸν τὸ μεσόγαιον τῆς Πελοποννήσου. Κορίνθιοι γὰρ οἰκοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῷ ἰσθμῷ πρῶτοι· Κορινθίοις δὲ τὰ πρὸς θαλάσσης εἰσὶν Ἐπιδαύριοι γείτονες· τὰ δὲ ἐς Ἐπίδαυρον καὶ Τροιζῆνά τε καὶ Ἑρμιόνα ὁ κόλπος ἐστὶν ὁ Ἀργολικὸς καὶ ὅσα ἐπιθαλάσσια τῆς Ἀργείας· ταύτης δὲ ἔχονται τῆς χώρας Λακεδαιμονίων περίοικοι, τούτοις δὲ ὅμορος ἡ Μεσσηνία· καταβαίνει γὰρ μέχρι θαλάσσης ἐς Μοθώνην καὶ Πύλον καὶ ἐπὶ Κυπαρισσιάς.

Proper Nouns:

Κορίνθιος Κορίνθιος Κυπαρισσία Λακεδαιμόνιος Μαντινεύς Μεσσηνία Μοθώνη Πελοπόννησος Πύλος Τεγεάτης Τροιζήν Ἀργεία Ἀργολικός κόλπος Ἀρκάδες Ἀρκάς Ἐπίδαυριος Ἐπίδαυρος Ἑρμιόνη

The territory of the Arcadians towards Argolis is possessed by the Tegeans and Mantineans, and these, along with the rest of Arcadia, occupy the inland region of the Peloponnese. The Corinthians dwell first on the Isthmus. Their neighbors on the seacoast are the Epidaurians; and the gulf known as the Argolic Gulf extends along Epidaurus, Troezen, Hermione, and all the seacoast parts of Argolis. Bordering this region are the Perioeci of the Lacedaemonians, who in turn neighbor Messenia. For Messenia stretches down to the sea at Methone, Pylos, and Cyparissiae.

Passage 8.1.2 Class: Historical

τὰ δὲ πρὸς Λεχαίου Κορινθίοις Σικυώνιοι προσοικοῦσιν ἔσχατοι ταύτῃ μοίρας τῆς Ἀργολίδος· μετὰ δὲ Σικυῶνα Ἀχαιοὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθέν εἰσιν οἱ παρὰ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν οἰκοῦντες· τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Πελοποννήσου πέρας τὸ ἀπαντικρὺ τῶν Ἐχινάδων οἰκοῦσιν Ἠλεῖοι· τῆς δὲ γῆς τῆς Ἠλείας κατὰ μὲν Ὀλυμπίαν καὶ τοῦ Ἀλφειοῦ τὰς ἐκβολὰς πρὸς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν εἰσὶν ὅροι, τὰ δὲ πρὸς Ἀχαΐαν Δυμαίων εἰσὶν ὅμοροι.

Proper Nouns:

Δυμαῖοι Κορίνθιοι Λέχαιον Μεσσηνία Πελοπόννησος Σικυών Σικυώνιοι Ἀλφειός Ἀργολίς Ἀχαΐα Ἀχαιοὶ Ἐχινάδες Ἠλεία Ἠλεῖοι Ὀλυμπία

Next to Lechaeum, the Sicyonians are neighbors of the Corinthians, being at this point the farthest settlement within the region of Argolis. Beyond Sicyon, along the coast, dwell the Achaeans. At the opposite boundary of the Peloponnese, directly facing the islands of Echinades, are the Eleans. Concerning the land of Elis, its boundaries toward Messenia are situated near Olympia and the outlets of the Alpheius; toward Achaia, the Eleans border upon the territory of Dyme.

Passage 8.1.3 Class: Mythic

τούτων τῶν κατειλεγμένων καθηκόντων ἐπὶ θάλασσαν Ἀρκάδες τὸ ἐντὸς οἰκοῦσιν ἀποκλειόμενοι θαλάσσης πανταχόθεν· ὅθεν σφᾶς καὶ Ὅμηρος ἀφικέσθαι φησὶν ἐς Τροίαν παρʼ Ἀγαμέμνονος πλοῖα εἰληφότας καὶ οὐχὶ ναυσὶν οἰκείαις.

Proper Nouns:

Τροία Ἀγαμέμνων Ἀρκάδες Ὅμηρος

Of these enumerated peoples who dwell upon the sea, the Arcadians alone inhabit an inland region, completely cut off from the sea on every side. On this account even Homer says that they came to Troy on ships provided by Agamemnon, and not on vessels of their own.

Passage 8.1.4 Class: Mythic

φασὶ δὲ Ἀρκάδες ὡς Πελασγὸς γένοιτο ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ πρῶτος. εἰκὸς δὲ ἔχει τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἄλλους ὁμοῦ τῷ Πελασγῷ μηδὲ αὐτὸν Πελασγὸν γενέσθαι μόνον· ποίων γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἦρχεν ὁ Πελασγὸς ἀνθρώπων; μεγέθει μέντοι καὶ κατὰ ἀλκὴν καὶ κάλλος προεἶχεν ὁ Πελασγὸς καὶ γνώμην ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἦν, καὶ τούτων ἕνεκα αἱρεθῆναί μοι δοκεῖ βασιλεύειν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν. πεποίηται δὲ καὶ Ἀσίῳ τοιάδε ἐς αὐτόν· Ἀντίθεον δὲ Πελασγὸν ἐν ὑψικόμοισιν ὄρεσσι γαῖα μέλαινʼ ἀνέδωκεν, ἵνα θνητῶν γένος εἴη. Asius, unknown location.

Proper Nouns:

Πελασγός Ἀρκάδες Ἀσίος

The Arcadians say that Pelasgos was the first to be born in this land. Yet it is reasonable to believe that others were born along with Pelasgos, and that he himself was not alone. For otherwise, over what men would Pelasgos have ruled? Nevertheless, Pelasgos excelled the others in stature, strength, and beauty, and also surpassed all in judgment. It seems to me that for these reasons he was chosen by them to be their king. Concerning him, Asios has composed verses such as these: "Divine Pelasgos, on the lofty forested mountains, The black earth brought forth, that there might be a race of mortals."

Passage 8.1.5 Class: Mythic

Πελασγὸς δὲ βασιλεύσας τοῦτο μὲν ποιήσασθαι καλύβας ἐπενόησεν, ὡς μὴ ῥιγοῦν τε καὶ ὕεσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μηδὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ καύματος ταλαιπωρεῖν· τοῦτο δὲ τοὺς χιτῶνας τοὺς ἐκ τῶν δερμάτων τῶν οἰῶν, οἷς καὶ νῦν περί τε Εὔβοιαν ἔτι χρῶνται καὶ ἐν τῇ Φωκίδι ὁπόσοι βίου σπανίζουσιν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐξευρών. καὶ δὴ καὶ τῶν φύλλων τὰ ἔτι χλωρὰ καὶ πόας τε καὶ ῥίζας οὐδὲ ἐδωδίμους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀλεθρίους ἐνίας σιτουμένους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τούτων μὲν ἔπαυσεν ὁ Πελασγός·

Proper Nouns:

Εὔβοια Πελασγός Φωκίς

Pelagos, when king, devised the making of huts, so that mankind might neither suffer from the cold nor be drenched by rain nor troubled by fierce heat. It was he also who invented tunics fashioned from the skins of sheep, garments still worn today around Euboea and in Phocis by all who endure poverty. Moreover, Pelasgos stopped people from eating green leaves, grasses, and roots, some of which were not only inedible but even deadly.

Passage 8.1.6 Class: Mythic

ὁ δὲ τὸν καρπὸν τῶν δρυῶν οὔτι που πασῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰς βαλάνους τῆς φηγοῦ τροφὴν ἐξεῦρεν εἶναι. παρέμεινέ τε ἐνίοις ἐς τοσοῦτο ἀπὸ Πελασγοῦ τούτου ἡ δίαιτα, ὡς καὶ τὴν Πυθίαν, ἡνίκα Λακεδαιμονίοις γῆς τῆς Ἀρκάδων ἀπηγόρευεν ἅπτεσθαι, καὶ τάδε εἰπεῖν τὰ ἔπη· πολλοὶ ἐν Ἀρκαδίῃ βαλανηφάγοι ἄνδρες ἔασιν, οἵ σʼ ἀποκωλύσουσιν· ἐγὼ δέ τοι οὔ τι μεγαίρω. Πελασγοῦ δὲ βασιλεύοντος γενέσθαι καὶ τῇ χώρᾳ Πελασγίαν φασὶν ὄνομα.

Proper Nouns:

Λακεδαιμόνιοι Πελασγία Πελασγός Πυθία Ἀρκάδες Ἀρκαδία

He discovered as food the fruit, not indeed of every oak, but specifically the acorns of the phegos oak. Among certain peoples, this diet persisted for so long after Pelasgus that even the Pythian priestess, when forbidding the Lacedaemonians from touching the land of the Arcadians, uttered these verses: "Many are the acorn-eating men dwelling in Arcadia, Who shall hinder you; yet I begrudge you nothing." During the reign of Pelasgus, they say, the region itself came to be named Pelasgia.

Legend:

Chapter 8.1