Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.37.1 Class: Mythic

ἔδει δὲ ἄρα παυσθῆναι καὶ τὸ Ἄλμου γένος· οὐχ ὑπολείπεται γὰρ παῖδα Ὀρχομενός, καὶ οὕτως ἐς Κλύμενον τὸν Πρέσβωνος τοῦ Φρίξου περιῆλθεν ἡ ἀρχή. Κλυμένου δὲ γίνονται παῖδες, πρεσβύτατος μὲν Ἐργῖνος, ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτῷ Στράτιος καὶ Ἄρρων καὶ Πύλεος, νεώτατος δὲ Ἀζεύς. Κλύμενον μὲν ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ τοῦ Ὀγχηστίου Ποσειδῶνος Θηβαίων φονεύουσιν ἄνδρες ἐξ ἀφορμῆς μικρᾶς ἐς ἅπαν θυμοῦ προαχθέντες· Ἐργῖνος δὲ ὁ πρεσβύτατος τῶν Κλυμένου παίδων τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαμβάνει.

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Κλύμενος Κλύμενος Ποσειδῶν Πρέσβων Πύλεος Στράτιος Φρίξος Ἀζεύς Ἄλμος Ἄρρων Ἐργῖνος Ὀγχηστός Ὀρχομενός

Thus it was necessary that the line of Almus should also end, for Orchomenus left no child behind him, and the kingship therefore passed over to Clymenus, son of Presbon, who was the son of Phrixus. Clymenus had sons; the eldest was Erginus, next after him was Stratius, and then Arrhon and Pyleus, and the youngest was Azeus. Now, at the festival of Poseidon at Onchestus, certain Theban men slew Clymenus, having been led by an insignificant cause into great anger. Erginus, being the eldest of the sons of Clymenus, succeeded to the throne.

Passage 9.37.2 Class: Mythic

δύναμιν δὲ αὐτίκα αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ συλλέξαντες ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὰς Θήβας· καὶ μάχῃ μὲν ἐκράτησαν, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου χωροῦσιν ἐς ὁμολογίαν Θηβαίους κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον τελεῖν δασμὸν τοῦ Κλυμένου φόνου. Ἡρακλέους δὲ ἐπιτραφέντος ἐν Θήβαις, οὕτω τοῦ δασμοῦ τε ἠλευθερώθησαν οἱ Θηβαῖοι καὶ οἱ Μινύαι μεγάλως τῷ πολέμῳ προσέπταισαν·

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖος Θηβαῖος Θῆβαι Θῆβαι Κλύμενος Μινύαι Ἡρακλῆς

Immediately after gathering an army, he himself and his brothers marched against Thebes. They prevailed in battle and thereby compelled the Thebans to an agreement, according to which the latter would pay an annual tribute as recompense for the killing of Clymenus. But after Heracles had been raised at Thebes, the Thebans were freed from this tribute, and the Minyans suffered a severe defeat in war.

Passage 9.37.3 Class: Mythic

Ἐργῖνος δὲ ἅτε κεκακωμένων ἐς τὸ ἔσχατον τῶν πολιτῶν πρὸς μὲν τὸν Ἡρακλέα ἐποιήσατο εἰρήνην, πλοῦτον δὲ τὸν πρότερον καὶ εὐδαιμονίαν ἐκείνην ἀνασώσασθαι ζητῶν ἠμέλησεν ἁπάντων ὁμοίως τῶν ἄλλων, ὥστε καὶ ἔλαθεν ἄγαμος καὶ ἄπαις ἀφικόμενος ἐς γῆρας. ὡς δὲ αὐτῷ χρήματα συνείλεκτο, ἐνταῦθα ἐπεθύμησέν οἱ γενέσθαι παῖδας·

Proper Nouns:

Ἐργῖνος Ἡρακλῆς

But Erginus, noting that his fellow-citizens had reached the utmost misery, made peace with Heracles. However, as he sought to restore his earlier wealth and former prosperity, he neglected all other matters entirely, and so reached old age unmarried and childless. When at last he had accumulated considerable riches, he then wished to have children.

Passage 9.37.4 Class: Mythic

ἐλθόντι δὲ ἐς Δελφοὺς καὶ ἐρομένῳ περὶ παίδων χρᾷ τάδε ἡ Πυθία· Ἐργῖνε Κλυμένοιο πάι Πρεσβωνιάδαο, ὄψʼ ἦλθες γενεὴν διζήμενος, ἀλλʼ ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἱστοβοῆι γέροντι νέην ποτίβαλλε κορώνην. λαβόντι δὲ αὐτῷ νέαν γυναῖκα κατὰ τὸ μάντευμα Τροφώνιος γίνεται καὶ Ἀγαμήδης .

Proper Nouns:

Δελφοί Κλύμενος Πρεσβωνιάδας Πυθία Τροφώνιος Ἀγαμήδης Ἐργῖνος

When he came to Delphi and asked about offspring, the Pythia delivered this oracle: "Erginus, son of Clymenus from Presbon, Late have you come in search of progeny; Yet even now, fix a youthful bride To your aged, ox-driving plow." Following the prophecy, he took a young wife, and thus were born to him Trophonius and Agamedes.

Passage 9.37.5 Class: Mythic

λέγεται δὲ ὁ Τροφώνιος Ἀπόλλωνος εἶναι καὶ οὐκ Ἐργίνου· καὶ ἐγώ τε πείθομαι καὶ ὅστις παρὰ Τροφώνιον ἦλθε δὴ μαντευσόμενος. τούτους φασίν, ὡς ηὐξήθησαν, γενέσθαι δεινοὺς θεοῖς τε ἱερὰ κατασκευάσασθαι καὶ βασίλεια ἀνθρώποις· καὶ γὰρ τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι τὸν ναὸν ᾠκοδόμησαν τὸν ἐν Δελφοῖς καὶ Ὑριεῖ τὸν θησαυρόν. ἐποίησαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα τῶν λίθων ἕνα εἶναί σφισιν ἀφαιρεῖν κατὰ τὸ ἐκτός· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀεί τι ἀπὸ τῶν τιθεμένων ἐλάμβανον· Ὑριεὺς δὲ εἴχετο ἀφασίᾳ, κλεῖς μὲν καὶ σημεῖα τὰ ἄλλα ὁρῶν ἀκίνητα, τὸν δὲ ἀριθμὸν ἀεὶ τῶν χρημάτων ἐλάττονα.

Proper Nouns:

Δελφοί Τροφώνιος Τροφώνιος θεός Ἀπόλλων Ἀπόλλων Ἐργῖνος Ὑριεύς Ὑριεύς

It is said that Trophonius was a son of Apollo and not of Erginus; I myself am persuaded of this, and likewise any man who has come before Trophonius for prophecy. They say these brothers became remarkable when fully grown, both for constructing temples for the gods and royal palaces for men. For they built Apollo's temple at Delphi and the treasury for Hyrieus. There they arranged one of the outer stones in such a way that they could remove it easily. Thus they kept taking some of the offering secretly. Hyrieus was baffled, for although he saw the locks and other seals untouched, the amount of treasure was always found diminished.

Passage 9.37.6 Class: Mythic

ἵστησιν οὖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀγγείων, ἐν οἷς ὅ τε ἄργυρος ἐνῆν καὶ ὁ χρυσός οἱ, πάγας ἤ τι καὶ ἄλλο ὃ τὸν ἐσελθόντα καὶ ἁπτόμενον τῶν χρημάτων καθέξειν ἔμελλεν. ἐσελθόντος δὲ τοῦ Ἀγαμήδους τὸν μὲν ὁ δεσμὸς κατεῖχε, Τροφώνιος δὲ ἀπέτεμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλήν, ὅπως μὴ ἡμέρας ἐπισχούσης ἐκεῖνος γένοιτο ἐν αἰκίαις καὶ αὐτὸς μηνυθείη μετέχων τοῦ τολμήματος.

Proper Nouns:

Τροφώνιος Ἀγαμήδης

Therefore, he set up snares or some other device above the vessels in which he kept his silver and gold, designed to catch and hold anyone who entered and touched the treasure. Thus, when Agamedes went inside, the trap held him fast; but Trophonios cut off his head, ensuring that, when daylight came, his brother would not be found alive and tortured, and that he himself would not be implicated as an accomplice in the crime.

Passage 9.37.7 Class: Mythic

καὶ Τροφώνιον μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἐδέξατο ἡ γῆ διαστᾶσα, ἔνθα ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἄλσει τῷ ἐν Λεβαδείᾳ βόθρος τε Ἀγαμήδους καλούμενος καὶ πρὸς αὐτῷ στήλη· τὴν δὲ ἀρχὴν τῶν Ὀρχομενίων ἔσχεν Ἀσκάλαφος καὶ Ἰάλμενος Ἄρεως εἶναι λεγόμενοι, μητρὸς δὲ Ἀστυόχης ἦσαν τῆς Ἄκτορος τοῦ Ἀζέως τοῦ Κλυμένου· καὶ ὑπὸ τούτοις ἡγεμόσι Μινύαι στρατεύουσιν ἐς Τροίαν.

Proper Nouns:

Κλύμενος Λεβάδεια Μινύαι Τροία Τροφώνιος Ἀγαμήδη Ἀζεύς Ἀσκάλαφος Ἀστυόχη Ἄκτωρ Ἄρης Ἰάλμενος Ὀρχομενιοί

At this place the earth, opening up, received Trophonius; there in the grove at Lebadeia is both the pit called "Agamedes'" and beside it a stele. The command over the Orchomenians was held originally by Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, who are said to have been sons of Ares, their mother being Astyoche, daughter of Actor, son of Azeus, son of Clymenus. Under these leaders the Minyans marched to Troy.

Passage 9.37.8 Class: Historical

μετέσχον Ὀρχομένιοι καὶ τοῖς Κόδρου παισὶν ἐς Ἰωνίαν τοῦ στόλου. γενομένους δὲ ἀναστάτους ὑπὸ Θηβαίων κατήγαγεν αὖθις ἐς Ὀρχομενὸν Φίλιππος ὁ Ἀμύντου· τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ δαιμονίου σφίσιν ἐς τὸ ἀσθενέστερον ἔμελλεν ἀεὶ ῥέψειν.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖοι Κόδρος Φίλιππος Ἀμύντας Ἰωνία Ὀρχομενιοί Ὀρχομενός

The Orchomenians also joined the sons of Codrus in their expedition to Ionia. Later, when they had been driven from their homes by the Thebans, Philip, son of Amyntas, restored them once more to Orchomenus; nevertheless, henceforth their fortunes, directed by divine will, were inevitably destined toward continual decline.

Legend:

Chapter 9.37