Pausanias Analysis

Analysis of Mythic vs. Historical Elements in Pausanias

Legend:

Mythic content (warmer colors, italics)
Historical content (cooler colors)

Color intensity indicates the strength of the predictive word or phrase.

Chapter 8.6

Passage 8.6.1 Class: Mythic
τὰ μὲν δὴ ἐς τοὺς βασιλεῖς πολυπραγμονήσαντί μοι κατὰ ταῦτα ἐγενεαλόγησαν οἱ Ἀρκάδες· κοινῇ δὲ Ἀρκάσιν ὑπῆρχεν ἐς μνήμην τὰ μὲν ἀρχαιότατα ὁ πρὸς Ἰλίῳ πόλεμος, δεύτερα δὲ ὁπόσα ἀμύνοντες Μεσσηνίοις Λακεδαιμονίων ἐναντία ἐμαχέσαντο· μέτεστι δὲ καὶ πρὸς Μήδους σφίσιν ἔργου τοῦ ἐν Πλαταιαῖς.
Proper Nouns:
Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μεσσήνιοι Μῆδος Πλαταιαί Ἀρκάς Ἴλιον
Regarding the kings, the Arcadians, when I investigated the matter, provided me with the genealogies I have described above. As for common memories among the Arcadians, the most ancient event was the Trojan War; next were the battles they fought against the Spartans while assisting the Messenians; and they also shared in the action against the Medes at Plataea.
Passage 8.6.2 Class: Historical
Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ ἀνάγκῃ πλέον καὶ οὐ μετʼ εὐνοίας ἐπί τε Ἀθηναίους συνεστρατεύσαντο καὶ ἐς τὴν Ἀσίαν μετὰ Ἀγησιλάου διέβησαν, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐς Λεῦκτρα αὐτοῖς τὰ Βοιωτικὰ ἠκολούθησαν. τὸ δὲ ὕποπτον τὸ ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀλλαχοῦ τε ἐπεδείξαντο καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀτύχημα Λακεδαιμονίων τὸ ἐν Λεύκτροις παρὰ Θηβαίους αὐτίκα ἀπʼ αὐτῶν μετέστησαν. Φιλίππῳ δὲ καὶ Μακεδόσιν ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ καὶ ὕστερον ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ πρὸς Ἀντίπατρον οὐκ ἐμαχέσαντο μετὰ Ἑλλήνων, οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐναντία ἐτάξαντο.
Proper Nouns:
Βοιωτία Θεσσαλία Θηβαῖοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Λεῦκτρα Λεῦκτρα Μακεδόνες Φίλιππος Χαιρώνεια Ἀγησίλαος Ἀθηναῖοι Ἀντίπατρος Ἀσία Ἕλληνες Ἕλληνες
The Spartans compelled them by necessity rather than willing allegiance, and thus they fought alongside them against Athens and crossed into Asia with Agesilaus; indeed, they followed the Spartans even to their battle with the Boeotians at Leuctra. Nevertheless, their mistrust toward the Spartans was made evident elsewhere as well, and immediately after Sparta’s defeat by the Thebans at Leuctra they promptly revolted from them. At Chaeronea against Philip and the Macedonians, and later in Thessaly against Antipater, they refused to fight alongside the Greeks, yet neither did they take up arms openly against them.
Passage 8.6.3 Class: Historical
πρὸς Γαλάτας δὲ τοῦ ἐν Θερμοπύλαις κινδύνου φασὶ Λακεδαιμονίων ἕνεκα οὐ μετασχεῖν, ἵνα μή σφισιν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι κακουργοῖεν τὴν γῆν ἀπόντων τῶν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ· συνεδρίου δὲ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν μετέσχον οἱ Ἀρκάδες προθυμότατα Ἑλλήνων. ὁπόσα δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐχὶ ἐν κοινῷ, κατὰ πόλεις δὲ ἰδίᾳ συμβεβηκότα εὕρισκον, ἀποθησόμεθα αὐτῶν ἕκαστον ἐς τὸ οἰκεῖον τοῦ λόγου.
Proper Nouns:
Γαλάται Θερμοπύλαι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Ἀρκάδες Ἀχαιοί Ἕλληνες
They say that the Arcadians did not join the conflict against the Gauls at Thermopylae because of their fear of the Lacedaemonians: they worried lest the Lacedaemonians might ravage their land if their men of military age left to fight abroad. Yet among the Greeks, the Arcadians participated most eagerly in the council of the Achaeans. But those events that concerned them not collectively but affected individual cities separately, I will relate each in its proper place in the narrative.
Passage 8.6.4 Class: Historical
εἰσὶν οὖν ἐς Ἀρκαδίαν ἐσβολαὶ κατὰ τὴν Ἀργείαν πρὸς μὲν Ὑσιῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ ὄρος τὸ Παρθένιον ἐς τὴν Τεγεατικήν, δύο δὲ ἄλλαι κατὰ Μαντίνειαν διά τε Πρίνου καλουμένης καὶ διὰ Κλίμακος. αὕτη δὲ εὐρυτέρα τέ ἐστι καὶ ἡ κάθοδος εἶχεν αὕτη βασμίδας ποτὲ ἐμπεποιημένας· ὑπερβαλόντων δὲ τὴν Κλίμακα χωρίον ἐστὶν ὀνομαζόμενον Μελαγγεῖα, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτόθεν τὸ πότιμον Μαντινεῦσι κάτεισιν ἐς τὴν πόλιν.
Proper Nouns:
Κλίμαξ Μαντίνεια Μαντινεύς Μελαγγεῖα Παρθένιον Πρῖνος Τεγεάτις Ἀργεία Ἀρκαδία Ὑσιῶς
Thus, there are routes into Arcadia from Argive territory, one near Hysiae and over Mount Parthenion into Tegean land, and two others leading into Mantineia, one through the place called Prinus and another through the path called Klimax ("The Ladder"). Of these latter two, the route of Klimax is wider, and this descent once had steps constructed into it. After passing beyond Klimax, there is a region called Melangeia, from which drinking water flows down to the city for the Mantineans.
Passage 8.6.5 Class: Historical
προελθόντι δὲ ἐκ τῶν Μελαγγείων, ἀπέχοντι τῆς πόλεως στάδια ὡς ἑπτὰ ἔστι κρήνη καλουμένη Μελιαστῶν· οἱ Μελιασταὶ δὲ οὗτοι δρῶσι τὰ ὄργια τοῦ Διονύσου, καὶ Διονύσου τε μέγαρον πρὸς τῇ κρήνῃ καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ἐστὶν ἱερὸν Μελαινίδος. ἐπίκλησιν δὲ ἡ θεὸς ταύτην κατʼ ἄλλο μὲν ἔσχεν οὐδέν, ὅτι δὲ ἀνθρώπων μὴ τὰ πάντα αἱ μίξεις ὥσπερ τοῖς κτήνεσι μεθʼ ἡμέραν, τὰ πλείω δέ εἰσιν ἐν νυκτί.
Proper Nouns:
Διόνυσος Μελαγγεῖα Μελαινίς Μελιασταί Μελιασταί Ἀφροδίτη
As one proceeds onward from the Melangeia, about seven stadia from the city, there is a spring called the Meliastai. The Meliastai here perform the mysteries of Dionysus. Beside the spring stands a temple dedicated to Dionysus, and nearby there is also a sanctuary of Aphrodite Melainis. This goddess received her surname for no other reason than this: human unions do not typically occur for the most part by day, as with beasts, but rather take place much more frequently at night.
Passage 8.6.6 Class: Mythic
ἡ δὲ ὑπολειπομένη τῶν ὁδῶν στενωτέρα ἐστὶ τῆς προτέρας καὶ ἄγει διὰ τοῦ Ἀρτεμισίου. τούτου δὲ ἐπεμνήσθην καὶ ἔτι πρότερον τοῦ ὄρους, ὡς ἔχοι μὲν ναὸν καὶ ἄγαλμα Ἀρτέμιδος, ἔχοι δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἰνάχου τὰς πηγάς. ὁ δὲ Ἴναχος ἐφʼ ὅσον μὲν πρόεισι κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν διὰ τοῦ ὄρους, τοῦτό ἐστιν Ἀργείοις καὶ Μαντινεῦσιν ὅρος τῆς χώρας· ἀποστρέψας δὲ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ διὰ τῆς Ἀργείας ἤδη τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου κάτεισι, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὸν Ἴναχον ἄλλοι τε καὶ Αἰσχύλος ποταμὸν καλοῦσιν Ἀργεῖον.
Proper Nouns:
Αἰσχύλος Μαντινεῖς Ἀργεία Ἀργεῖοι Ἀργεῖος Ἀρτεμίσιον Ἄρτεμις Ἴναχος Ἴναχος
The remaining road is narrower than the one previously described, and leads through Mount Artemision. I previously mentioned this mountain as having a temple and statue of Artemis, and also the sources of the Inachos. As the Inachos flows down along the road through the mountain, it forms the boundary between the lands of the Argives and the Mantineans. But from the point at which the water diverges from the road, it descends exclusively through Argive territory. Therefore, from this place onward, Aischylos, among others, calls the Inachos an Argive river.