Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.18.1 Class: Non-skeptical

ἐκ Θηβῶν δὲ ὁδὸς ἐς Χαλκίδα κατὰ πύλας ταύτας ἐστὶ τὰς Προιτίδας. τάφος δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ λεωφόρῳ δείκνυται Μελανίππου, Θηβαίων ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα ἀγαθοῦ τὰ πολεμικά· καὶ ἡνίκα ἐπεστράτευσαν οἱ Ἀργεῖοι, Τυδέα ὁ Μελάνιππος οὗτος καὶ ἀδελφῶν τῶν Ἀδράστου Μηκιστέα ἀπέκτεινε, καί οἱ καὶ αὐτῷ τὴν τελευτὴν ὑπὸ Ἀμφιαράου γενέσθαι λέγουσι.

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Θῆβαι Μελένιππος Μελένιππος Μηκιστεύς Προιτίδες πύλαι Τυδεύς Χαλκίς Ἀμφιάραος Ἀργεῖοι Ἄδραστος

The road from Thebes to Chalkis passes through these gates, the Proitides. Near the main road is shown the tomb of Melanippus, who was among the bravest of the Thebans in warfare. When the Argives attacked, this Melanippus killed Tydeus and Mecisteus, brother of Adrastus; and they say his own death came at the hands of Amphiaraus.

Passage 9.18.2 Class: Non-skeptical

τούτου δὲ ἐγγύτατα τρεῖς εἰσιν ἀργοὶ λίθοι· Θηβαίων δὲ οἱ τὰ ἀρχαῖα μνημονεύοντες Τυδέα φασὶν εἶναι τὸν ἐνταῦθα κείμενον, ταφῆναι δὲ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ Μαίονος, καὶ ἐς μαρτυρίαν τοῦ λόγου παρέσχον τῶν ἐν Ἰλιάδι ἔπος Τυδέος, ὃν Θήβῃσι χυτὴ κατὰ γαῖα καλύπτει. Hom. Il. 14.114

Proper Nouns:

Θῆβαι Θῆβαι Μαίων Τυδεύς Τυδεύς Ἰλιάς Ὅμηρος, Ἰλιάς

Very near this place there are three unworked stones. Those among the Thebans who preserve ancient memories say that the one lying here is Tydeus, and that he was buried by Maion; as proof of this story they cite the line from the Iliad concerning Tydeus: "whom the heaped earth covers in Thebes."

Passage 9.18.3 Class: Skeptical

ἑξῆς δέ ἐστι τῶν Οἰδίποδος παίδων μνήματα· καὶ τὰ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς δρώμενα οὐ θεασάμενος πιστὰ ὅμως ὑπείληφα εἶναι. φασὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλοις οἱ Θηβαῖοι τῶν καλουμένων ἡρώων καὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἐναγίζειν τοῖς Οἰδίποδος· τούτοις δὲ ἐναγιζόντων αὐτῶν τὴν φλόγα, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς καπνὸν διχῇ διίστασθαι. ἐμὲ δὲ ἐπηγάγοντο ὧν λέγουσιν ἐς πίστιν ἰδόντα ἄλλο τοιόνδε.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖοι Οἰδίπους

Next come the tombs of the children of Oedipus. Although I have not witnessed myself what is performed upon them, I nevertheless consider the reports reliable. For the Thebans say that they make offerings both to other heroes who are considered such and to the children of Oedipus. And when they offer sacrifices to these, the flame, and likewise the smoke arising from it, divides itself into two parts. Something else I saw convinced me of the truth of what they say.

Passage 9.18.4 Class: Skeptical

ἐν Μυσίᾳ τῇ ὑπὲρ Καΐκου πόλισμά ἐστι Πιονίαι, τὸν δὲ οἰκιστὴν οἱ ἐνταῦθα Πίονιν τῶν τινα ἀπογόνων τῶν Ἡρακλέους φασὶν εἶναι· μελλόντων δὲ ἐναγίζειν αὐτῷ καπνὸς αὐτόματος ἄνεισιν ἐκ τοῦ τάφου. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν συμβαίνοντα εἶδον, Θηβαῖοι δὲ καὶ Τειρεσίου μνῆμα ἀποφαίνουσι, πέντε μάλιστα καὶ δέκα ἀπωτέρω σταδίοις ἢ Οἰδίποδος τοῖς παισίν ἐστιν ὁ τάφος· ὁμολογοῦντες δὲ καὶ οὗτοι συμβῆναι Τειρεσίᾳ τὴν τελευτὴν ἐν τῇ Ἁλιαρτίᾳ, τὸ παρὰ σφίσιν ἐθέλουσιν εἶναι κενὸν μνῆμα.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαῖοι Καΐκος Μυσία Οἰδίπους Πίων Πιονίαι Τειρεσίας Ἁλίαρτος Ἡρακλῆς

In Mysia, above the Kaïkos, there is a small town called Pioniai. The inhabitants here say that their founder was Pionis, one of the descendants of Herakles. Whenever they intend to offer a sacrifice to him, smoke spontaneously ascends from his tomb. I myself have witnessed this occurring. The Thebans point out the tomb of Teiresias as well, situated approximately fifteen stadia farther away than that of the children of Oedipus. Yet, although even they admit that Teiresias died in the territory of Haliartos, they claim that the burial site in their land is an empty monument.

Passage 9.18.5 Class: Non-skeptical

ἔστι δὲ καὶ Ἕκτορος Θηβαίοις τάφος τοῦ Πριάμου πρὸς Οἰδιποδίᾳ καλουμένῃ κρήνῃ, κομίσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ τὰ ὀστᾶ ἐξ Ἰλίου φασὶν ἐπὶ τοιῷδε μαντεύματι· Θηβαῖοι Κάδμοιο πόλιν καταναιετάοντες, αἴ κʼ ἐθέλητε πάτραν οἰκεῖν σὺν ἀμύμονι πλούτῳ, Ἕκτορος ὀστέα Πριαμίδου κομίσαντες ἐς οἴκους ἐξ Ἀσίης Διὸς ἐννεσίῃσʼ ἥρωα σέβεσθαι.

Proper Nouns:

Ζεύς Θῆβαι Θῆβαι Κάδμος Οἰδίπους Πρίαμος Ἀσία Ἕκτωρ Ἴλιος

The Thebans also have a tomb of Hector, the son of Priam, beside the spring called Oedipodia. They say that his bones were brought from Ilium according to the following oracle: "You Thebans, dwelling in the city of Cadmus, if you desire to inhabit your homeland enriched with blameless prosperity, take home from Asia the bones of Hector, son of Priam, and by Zeus's command duly honor him as a hero."

Passage 9.18.6 Class: Skeptical

τῇ δὲ Οἰδιποδίᾳ κρήνῃ τὸ ὄνομα ἐγένετο, ὅτι ἐς αὐτὴν τὸ αἷμα ἐνίψατο Οἰδίπους τοῦ πατρῴου φόνου. πρὸς δὲ τῇ πηγῇ τάφος ἐστὶν Ἀσφοδίκου· καὶ ὁ Ἀσφόδικος οὗτος ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῇ πρὸς Ἀργείους Παρθενοπαῖον τὸν Ταλαοῦ, καθὰ οἱ Θηβαῖοι λέγουσιν, ἐπεὶ τά γε ἐν Θηβαΐδι ἔπη τὰ ἐς τὴν Παρθενοπαίου τελευτὴν Περικλύμενον τὸν ἀνελόντα φησὶν εἶναι.

Proper Nouns:

Θηβαΐς Θηβαῖοι Οἰδίπους Οἰδίπους Παρθενοπαῖος Παρθενοπαῖος Περικλύμενος Τάλαως Ἀργεῖοι Ἀσφόδικος Ἀσφόδικος

The spring Oedipodia received its name because there Oedipus washed away the blood of the murder of his father. Near the spring is the tomb of Asphodicus. This Asphodicus killed Parthenopaeus son of Talaus in the battle against the Argives, as the Thebans claim; however, in the poems of the Thebaid, it is said that Periclymenus was the one who slew Parthenopaeus.

Legend:

Chapter 9.18