Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.1.1 Class: Non-skeptical

Μεσσηνίοις δὲ πρὸς τὴν σφετέραν τὴν ἀπονεμηθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐς τὸ Λακωνικὸν ὅροι κατὰ τὴν Γερηνίαν εἰσὶν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἡ ὀνομαζομένη Χοίριος νάπη. ταύτην τὴν χώραν ἔρημον οὖσαν οὕτω σχεῖν τοὺς πρώτους λέγουσιν οἰκήτορας· ἀποθανόντος Λέλεγος, ὃς ἐβασίλευεν ἐν τῇ νῦν Λακωνικῇ, τότε δὲ ἀπʼ ἐκείνου Λελεγίᾳ καλουμένῃ, Μύλης μὲν πρεσβύτερος ὢν τῶν παίδων ἔσχε τὴν ἀρχήν, Πολυκάων δὲ νεώτερός τε ἦν ἡλικίᾳ καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ ἰδιώτης, ἐς ὃ Μεσσήνην τὴν Τριόπα τοῦ Φόρβαντος ἔλαβε γυναῖκα ἐξ Ἄργους.

Proper Nouns:

Γερηνία Λέλεγος Λακωνική Λακωνική Λελεγία Μεσσήνη Μεσσήνιοι Μύλης Πολυκάων Τρίοψ Φόρβαντ Χοίριος νάπη Ἄργος

For the Messenians, the boundaries of their allotted territory by the king toward Laconia in our time lie around Gerenia, in the place called the ravine of Choirius. It is said regarding this region, then uninhabited, that the earliest settlers obtained it in the following way. After the death of Lelex, who had ruled over the land which is now known as Laconia but at that time was called Lelegia, Myles, being the elder of his sons, inherited the rule. Polycaon, younger in age, was thus left as a private man until he took as his wife Messene, the daughter of Triopas, who was the son of Phorbas, from Argos.

Passage 4.1.2 Class: Non-skeptical

φρονοῦσα δὲ ἡ Μεσσήνη διὰ τὸν πατέρα, ἀξιώματι καὶ δυνάμει τῶν τότε προέχοντα Ἑλλήνων, οὐκ ἠξίου τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδιωτεύειν. ἀθροίσαντες δὲ ἔκ τε Ἄργους δύναμιν καὶ ἐκ Λακεδαίμονος ἀφίκοντο ἐς ταύτην τὴν χώραν, καὶ συμπάσῃ μὲν ἐτέθη τῇ γῇ Μεσσήνη τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ τῆς Πολυκάονος γυναικός, πόλεις δὲ ἄλλαι τε ἐκτίσθησαν καὶ---ἔνθα τὰ βασίλεια κατεσκευάσθη σφίσιν---Ἀνδανία.

Proper Nouns:

Λακεδαίμων Μεσσήνη Πολυκάων Ἀνδανία Ἄργος Ἕλληνες

Now Messene, proud through the status of her father—who at that time surpassed all other Greeks in honor and power—could not tolerate that her husband remained a private citizen. Gathering therefore a force from Argos and Sparta, they came into this territory, and to the entire region was given the name Messene, from Polykaon's wife. Other cities were also founded, including Andania, where they established their royal seat.

Passage 4.1.3 Class: Skeptical

πρὸ δὲ τῆς μάχης, ἣν Θηβαῖοι πρὸς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν Λεύκτροις, καὶ τοῦ οἰκισμοῦ Μεσσήνης τῆς ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ὑπὸ τῇ Ἰθώμῃ, πόλιν οὐδεμίαν πω κληθῆναι πρότερον δοκῶ Μεσσήνην· εἰκάζω δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα Ὁμήρου τοῖς ἔπεσιν. ἐν μὲν γὰρ καταλόγῳ τῶν ἐς Ἴλιον ἀφικομένων Πύλον καὶ Ἀρήνην καὶ ἄλλας καταλέγων οὐδεμίαν πόλιν Μεσσήνην ἐκάλεσεν· ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ δὲ δηλοῖ μὲν καὶ ἐν τῷδε ἔθνος καὶ οὐ πόλιν τοὺς Μεσσηνίους ὄντας, μῆλα γὰρ ἐξ Ἰθάκης Μεσσήνιοι ἄνδρες ἄειραν, Hom. Od. 21.18

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖοι Λακεδαιμόνιοι Λεῦκτρα Μεσσήνη Μεσσήνη Μεσσήνιοι Μεσσήνιοι Πύλος Ἀρήνη Ἰθάκη Ἰθώμη Ἴλιον Ὅμηρος Ὅμηρος, Ὀδύσσεια

Before the battle which the Thebans fought against the Lacedaemonians at Leuctra, and before the founding in our time of Messene under Mount Ithome, I do not think any city had previously been called Messene. I base my opinion especially on the verses of Homer. For, whereas in the Catalogue of those who came to Ilium he mentions Pylos, Arene, and other places, he nowhere calls any city by the name of Messene. Further, in the Odyssey he clearly shows Messenians as a tribe but not a city, saying: "Messenians carried off sheep from Ithaca." (Hom. Od. 21.18)

Passage 4.1.4 Class: Non-skeptical

σαφέστερον δὲ ἔτι περὶ τοῦ τόξου λέγων τοῦ Ἰφίτου τὼ δʼ ἐν Μεσσήνῃ ξυμβλήτην ἀλλήλοιιν οἴκῳ ἐν Ὀρτιλόχοιο. Hom. Od. 21.15 τοῦ γὰρ Ὀρτιλόχου τὸν οἶκον ἐν τῇ Μεσσήνῃ πόλισμα εἴρηκε τὰς Φηράς, καὶ τόδε ἐξηγήσατο αὐτὸς ἐν Πεισιστράτου παρὰ Μενέλαον ἀποδημίᾳ· ἐς Φηρὰς δʼ ἵκοντο Διοκλῆος ποτὶ δῶμα, υἱέος Ὀρτιλόχοιο. Hom. Od. 3.488

Proper Nouns:

Διοκλῆς Μενέλαος Μεσσήνη Πεισίστρατος Φηραί Φηραί Ἰφίτος Ὀρτιλοχος

Speaking still more clearly concerning the bow of Iphitus, Homer says: "And they met one another in Messene, in the house of Ortilochus." (Odyssey 21.15) By the house of Ortilochus he indicates the city of Pherae in Messene, as he himself explains in the visit of Pisistratus to Menelaus: "And they came to Pherae, to the house of Diocles, son of Ortilochus." (Odyssey 3.488)

Passage 4.1.5 Class: Non-skeptical

πρῶτοι δʼ οὖν βασιλεύουσιν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ταύτῃ Πολυκάων τε ὁ Λέλεγος καὶ Μεσσήνη γυνὴ τοῦ Πολυκάονος. παρὰ ταύτην τὴν Μεσσήνην τὰ ὄργια κομίζων τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν Καύκων ἦλθεν ἐξ Ἐλευσῖνος ὁ Κελαινοῦ τοῦ Φλύου. Φλῦον δὲ αὐτὸν Ἀθηναῖοι λέγουσι παῖδα εἶναι Γῆς· ὁμολογεῖ δέ σφισι καὶ ὕμνος Μουσαίου Λυκομίδαις ποιηθεὶς ἐς Δήμητρα.

Proper Nouns:

Γῆ Δήμητρα Καύκων Κελαινός Λέλεγος Λυκομίδαι Μεγάλοι θεοί Μεσσήνη Μεσσήνη Μουσαῖος Πολυκάων Φλύς Φλύς Ἀθηναῖοι Ἐλευσῖς

The first to reign in this land were Polycaon, the son of Lelex, and his wife Messene. In Messene's time, Caucon, son of Celaenus and originating from Eleusis, arrived carrying the sacred rites of the Great Goddesses. Celaenus was the son of Phlyus, and the Athenians claim that Phlyus was himself the offspring of Earth. This is confirmed by a hymn composed by Musaeus in honor of Demeter for the Lycomidae.

Passage 4.1.6 Class: Non-skeptical

τὴν δὲ τελετὴν τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν Λύκος ὁ Πανδίονος πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ὕστερον Καύκωνος προήγαγεν ἐς πλέον τιμῆς· καὶ Λύκου δρυμὸν ἔτι ὀνομάζουσιν ἔνθα ἐκάθηρε τοὺς μύστας. καὶ ὅτι μὲν δρυμός ἐστιν ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ Λύκου καλούμενος, Ῥιανῷ τῷ Κρητί ἐστι πεποιημένον πάρ τε τρηχὺν Ἐλαιὸν ὑπὲρ δρυμόν τε Λύκοιο· Rhianus of Bene in Crete. See note on Paus. 4.6.1 .

Proper Nouns:

Βῆναι Καύκων Κρήτη Λύκος Λύκος Λύκος Πανδίωνος Λύκου δρυμός Μεγάλοι θεοί Παυσανίας Ἐλαιών Ῥιανός ὁ Κρής

The mysteries of the Great Gods were raised to greater esteem, many years after Caucon, by Lycus, son of Pandion; even now they still call the grove of Lycus the place where he used to perform the purification of initiates. That there is indeed a grove in this region called after Lycus is attested by Rhianus the Cretan, who composed the following verse: "beside the rugged Elaeus and above Lycus' grove."

Passage 4.1.7 Class: Skeptical

ὡς δὲ ὁ Πανδίονος οὗτος ἦν Λύκος, δηλοῖ τὰ ἐπὶ τῇ εἰκόνι ἔπη τῇ Μεθάπου. μετεκόσμησε γὰρ καὶ Μέθαπος τῆς τελετῆς ἔστιν ἅ· ὁ δὲ Μέθαπος γένος μὲν ἦν Ἀθηναῖος, τελεστὴς δὲ καὶ ὀργίων καὶ παντοίων συνθέτης. οὗτος καὶ Θηβαίοις τῶν Καβείρων τὴν τελετὴν κατεστήσατο, ἀνέθηκε δὲ καὶ ἐς τὸ κλίσιον τὸ Λυκομιδῶν εἰκόνα ἔχουσαν ἐπίγραμμα ἄλλα τε λέγον καὶ ὅσα ἡμῖν ἐς πίστιν συντελεῖ τοῦ λόγου·

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖοι Κάβειροι Λυκομίδαι Λύκος Μέθαπος Μέθαπος Πανδίων Ἀθηναῖος

That this Pandion was actually Lycus is made clear by the verses of Methapus placed beneath the statue. For Methapus also reformed certain elements of the rite; Methapus himself was an Athenian by birth and a founder of various initiatory rites and ceremonies. It was he who established the mystery rite of the Cabeiri among the Thebans, and he dedicated a statue in the hall of the Lycomidae with an inscription containing various statements, including those which confirm our account.

Passage 4.1.8 Class: Non-skeptical

ἥγνισα δʼ Ἑρμείαο δόμους σεμνῆς τε κέλευθα Δάματρος καὶ πρωτογόνου Κούρας, ὅθι φασὶ Μεσσήνην θεῖναι Μεγάλαισι θεαῖσιν ἀγῶνα Φλυάδεω κλεινοῖο γόνου Καυκωνιάδαο. θαύμασα δʼ ὡς σύμπαντα Λύκος Πανδιόνιος φὼς Ἀτθίδος ἱερὰ ἔργα παρʼ Ἀνδανίῃ θέτο κεδνῇ.

Proper Nouns:

Δάματρα Καυκωνιάδης Κούρα Λύκος Πανδιόνιος Μεγάλαι Θεαί Μεσσήνη Φλύας Ἀνδανία Ἀτθίς Ἑρμείας

I have viewed the sanctuary of Hermes and the sacred rites belonging to revered Demeter and her Daughter, earliest-born, where they say Messene established the mysteries for the Great Goddesses, being initiated by Caucon, the renowned son of Phlyus. I marveled, indeed, at how completely Lycus, son of Pandion, an Athenian by race, transferred the sacred rites from Attica to the holy place of Andania.

Passage 4.1.9 Class: Non-skeptical

τοῦτο τὸ ἐπίγραμμα δηλοῖ μὲν ὡς παρὰ τὴν Μεσσήνην ἀφίκοιτο ὁ Καύκων ἀπόγονος ὢν Φλύου, δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐς τὸν Λύκον τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ὡς ἡ τελετὴ τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἦν ἐν Ἀνδανίᾳ. καί μοι καὶ τοῦτο εἰκὸς ἐφαίνετο, τὴν Μεσσήνην μὴ ἑτέρωθι, ἀλλὰ ἔνθα αὐτή τε καὶ Πολυκάων ᾤκουν, καταστήσασθαι τὴν τελετήν.

Proper Nouns:

Καύκων Λύκος Μεσσήνη Πολυκάων Φλύος Ἀνδανία

This inscription makes clear that Caucon came to Messene, being a descendant of Phlyus. It also reveals other details concerning Lycus, and in particular that the ancient rites were originally established at Andania. To me it also appeared reasonable that Messene established these rites not elsewhere, but precisely where she herself and Polycaon had their dwelling.

Legend:

Chapter 4.1