Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.23.1 Class: Mythic

Θηβαίοις δὲ πρὸ τῶν πυλῶν ἐστι τῶν Προιτίδων καὶ τὸ Ἰολάου καλούμενον γυμνάσιον καὶ στάδιον κατὰ ταὐτὰ τῷ τε ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ καὶ τῷ Ἐπιδαυρίων γῆς χῶμα· ἐνταῦθα δείκνυται καὶ ἡρῷον Ἰολάου. τελευτῆσαι δὲ ἐν Σαρδοῖ τόν τε Ἰόλαον αὐτὸν καὶ Ἀθηναίων καὶ Θεσπιέων τοὺς συνδιαβάντας ὁμολογοῦσι καὶ οἱ Θηβαῖοι.

Proper Nouns:

Θεσπιεῖς Θηβαῖοι Θηβαῖοι Προῖτιδες Σαρδοί Ἀθηναῖοι Ἐπίδαυρος Ἰόλαος Ὀλυμπία

Before the Proetidian Gate of the Thebans is located the gymnasium called "of Iolaus," and also a stadium similar in form to the one at Olympia and to the earthen one in the territory of Epidaurus. At this site is also shown the hero shrine of Iolaus. The Thebans themselves agree that Iolaus, along with the Athenians and Thespians who crossed over with him, met their end in Sardinia.

Passage 9.23.2 Class: Mythic

ὑπερβάντι δὲ τοῦ σταδίου τὰ ἐν δεξιᾷ δρόμος ἵππων καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ Πινδάρου μνῆμά ἐστι. Πίνδαρον δὲ ἡλικίαν ὄντα νεανίσκον καὶ ἰόντα ἐς Θεσπιὰς θέρους ὥρᾳ καύματος περὶ μεσοῦσαν μάλιστα ἡμέραν κόπος καὶ ὕπνος ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ κατελάμβανεν· ὁ μὲν δὴ ὡς εἷχε κατακλίνεται βραχὺ ὑπὲρ τῆς ὁδοῦ, μέλισσαι δὲ αὐτῷ καθεύδοντι προσεπέτοντό τε καὶ ἔπλασσον πρὸς τὰ χείλη τοῦ κηροῦ.

Proper Nouns:

Θεσπιαι Πίνδαρος

After passing the stadium, on the right is a race-course for horses, and within it is the tomb of Pindar. It is told that when Pindar was a young man, journeying once to Thespiae during the height of summer around noontime when the heat is greatest, exhaustion and sleep overtook him. He lay down just beside the road where he happened to be, and as he slept, bees flew toward him and molded honeycomb upon his lips.

Passage 9.23.3 Class: Historical

ἀρχὴ μὲν Πινδάρῳ ποιεῖν ᾄσματα ἐγένετο τοιαύτη· εὐδοκιμοῦντα δὲ αὐτὸν ἤδη ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐς πλέον δόξης ἦρεν ἡ Πυθία ἀνειποῦσα Δελφοῖς, ὁπόσων ἀπήρχοντο τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι, μοῖραν καὶ Πινδάρῳ τὴν ἴσην ἁπάντων νέμειν. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὀνείρατος ὄψιν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι προήκοντι ἐς γῆρας· ἐπιστᾶσα ἡ Περσεφόνη οἱ καθεύδοντι οὐκ ἔφασκεν ὑμνηθῆναι μόνη θεῶν ὑπὸ Πινδάρου, ποιήσειν μέντοι καὶ ἐς αὐτὴν ᾆσμα Πίνδαρον ἐλθόντα ὡς αὐτήν.

Proper Nouns:

Δελφοί Πίνδαρος Πίνδαρος Πίνδαρος Περσεφόνη Πυθία Ἀπόλλων Ἑλλάς

Such was the occasion of Pindar's first composition of poetry; but when his fame already extended throughout all of Greece, it was further enhanced by the oracle at Delphi, which commanded the Delphians that of all offerings dedicated to Apollo, a portion equal to the god's own should be assigned likewise to Pindar. It is also said that, when Pindar was advanced in years, a vision appeared to him in sleep. Persephone stood beside him as he slept and complained of having alone among the gods failed to receive praise from him; however, she declared that Pindar, when he came at last to her, would yet compose a song in her honor.

Passage 9.23.4 Class: Mythic

τὸν μὲν αὐτίκα τὸ χρεὼν ἐπιλαμβάνει πρὶν ἐξήκειν ἡμέραν δεκάτην ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνείρατος, ἦν δὲ ἐν Θήβαις γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις γένους ἕνεκα προσήκουσα Πινδάρῳ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ μεμελετηκυῖα ᾄδειν τῶν ᾀσμάτων· ταύτῃ Πίνδαρος ἐνύπνιον τῇ πρεσβύτιδι ἐπιστὰς ὕμνον ᾖσεν ἐς Περσεφόνην, ἡ δὲ αὐτίκα ὡς ἀπέλιπεν αὐτὴν ὁ ὕπνος, ἔγραψε ταῦτα ὁπόσα τοῦ ὀνείρατος ἤκουσεν ᾄδοντος. ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ᾄσματι ἄλλαι τε ἐς τὸν Ἅιδην εἰσὶν ἐπικλήσεις καὶ ὁ χρυσήνιος, δῆλα ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς Κόρης τῇ ἁρπαγῇ.

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Κόρη Πίνδαρος Πίνδαρος Περσεφόνη Ἅιδης

Immediately the fate overtook him before the tenth day had passed from his dream. At Thebes there was an elderly woman, of the family related to Pindar, who had often practiced singing his poetry. To her Pindar appeared in a dream, and standing before this elderly woman, he sang a hymn about Persephone. Immediately upon awakening, she wrote down everything she had heard him singing in her dream. In this song are various invocations addressed to Hades and one to the "golden-reined" goddess, clearly referring to Persephone's abduction.

Passage 9.23.5 Class: Historical

ἐντεῦθεν ἐς Ἀκραίφνιόν ἐστιν ὁδὸς τὰ πλείω πεδιάς. εἶναι δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε μοῖραν τῆς Θηβαΐδος τὴν πόλιν φασὶ καὶ ὕστερον διαπεσόντας Θηβαίων ἐς αὐτὴν ἄνδρας εὕρισκον, ἡνίκα Ἀλέξανδρος ἐποίει τὰς Θήβας ἀναστάτους· ὑπὸ δὲ ἀσθενείας καὶ γήρως οὐδὲ ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν ἀποσωθῆναι δυνηθέντες ἐνταῦθα ᾤκησαν. κεῖται μὲν τὸ πόλισμα ἐν ὄρει τῷ Πτώῳ, θέας δὲ ἄξια ἐνταῦθα Διονύσου ναός ἐστι καὶ ἄγαλμα.

Proper Nouns:

Διόνυσος Θηβαΐς Θηβαῖοι Θῆβαι Πτώος Ἀκραίφνιον Ἀλέξανδρος Ἀττική

From here the road to Akraiphion passes mostly through plains. It is said that this city was originally a part of the Theban territory, and later served as a refuge for certain Thebans who fled and took shelter within it at the time when Alexander destroyed Thebes. These men, unable due to weakness and old age even to make their way safely into Attica, made their homes here. The small city is situated upon Mount Ptōon; noteworthy among the sights here are a temple and statue of Dionysus.

Passage 9.23.6 Class: Mythic

προελθόντι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐν δεξιᾷ πέντε που καὶ δέκα σταδίους τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστι τοῦ Πτώου τὸ ἱερόν. εἶναι δὲ Ἀθάμαντος καὶ Θεμιστοῦς παῖδα τὸν Πτῶον, ἀφʼ οὗ τῷ τε Ἀπόλλωνι ἐπίκλησις καὶ τῷ ὄρει τὸ ὄνομα ἐγένετο, Ἄσιος ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν εἴρηκε. πρὸ δὲ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Μακεδόνων ἐπιστρατείας καὶ ὀλέθρου τοῦ Θηβαίων μαντεῖον ἦν αὐτόθι ἀψευδές· καί ποτε ἄνδρα Εὐρωπέα---ὄνομα δέ οἱ εἶναι Μῦν---, τοῦτον ἀποσταλέντα ὑπὸ Μαρδονίου τὸν Μῦν ἐπερέσθαι τε φωνῇ τῇ σφετέρᾳ καί οἱ χρῆσαι τὸν θεόν, οὐχ ἑλληνίσαντα οὐδὲ αὐτόν, διαλέκτῳ τῇ Καρικῇ.

Proper Nouns:

Εὐρωπεύς Θεμιστοῦς Θηβαῖοι Καρική Μακεδόνες Μαρδόνιος Μῦς Πτῶος Πτῶος πόλις Ἀθάμας Ἀλέξανδρος Ἀπόλλων Ἄσιος

About fifteen stades from the city, on the right-hand side as one proceeds, is the sanctuary of Apollo Ptoios. Asios relates in his verses that Ptoös was a son of Athamas and Themisto, from whom both Apollo gets his surname and the mountain its name. Before the expedition of Alexander and the Macedonians and the destruction of Thebes, there was a truthful oracle located there. It is said that once a man from Europe—whose name was Mys—was sent by Mardonius, and this Mys questioned the god in his own native tongue; without replying in Greek, the god uttered his prophecy in the Carian dialect.

Passage 9.23.7 Class: Historical

ὑπερβαλόντων δὲ τὸ ὄρος τὸ Πτῶον ἔστιν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης Βοιωτῶν πόλις Λάρυμνα, γενέσθαι δὲ αὐτῇ τὸ ὄνομά φασιν ἀπὸ Λαρύμνης τῆς Κύνου· τοὺς δὲ ἀνωτέρω προγόνους δηλώσει μοι τὰ ἔχοντα ἐς Λοκροὺς τοῦ λόγου. καὶ συνετέλει δὲ ἐς Ὀποῦντα ἡ Λάρυμνα τὸ ἀρχαῖον· Θηβαίων δὲ ἐπὶ μέγα ἰσχύος προελθόντων, τηνικαῦτα ἑκουσίως μετετάξαντο ἐς Βοιωτούς. Διονύσου δὲ ἐνταῦθα ναὸς καὶ ἄγαλμα ὀρθὸν πεποίηται. λιμὴν δέ σφισίν ἐστιν ἀγχιβαθής, καὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν ὑῶν παρέχεται θήραν ἀγρίων.

Proper Nouns:

Βοιωτοί Βοιωτοί Διόνυσος Θῆβαι Κύων Λάρυμνα Λάρυμνα Λοκροί Πτῶον Ὀποῦντας

After crossing Mount Ptoon there is a city of the Boeotians called Larymna situated by the sea. They say it received its name from Larymna, the daughter of Cynus, and regarding her more remote ancestors, I shall reveal these when my account reaches the Locrians. Larymna originally contributed to Opus, but when the Thebans rose greatly in strength, the inhabitants willingly transferred allegiance to the Boeotians. There is a temple and a standing statue of Dionysus at Larymna. They also have a harbor with shallow water near the shore, and the mountains above the city offer hunting grounds for wild boars.

Legend:

Chapter 9.23