Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.19.4

← 1.19.3 1.19.5 →

Passage 1.19.4: Nisus's death after his daughter cuts his purple hairs.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ ὄπισθεν τοῦ Λυκ ε ίου Νίσου μνῆμα, ὃν ἀποθανόντα ὑπὸ Μίνω βασιλεύοντα Μεγάρων κομίσαντες Ἀθηναῖοι ταύτῃ θάπτουσιν. ἐς τοῦτον τὸν Νῖσον ἔχει λόγος τρίχας ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ οἱ πορφυρᾶς εἶναι, χρῆναι δὲ αὐτὸν τελευτᾶν ἐπὶ ταύταις ἀποκαρείσαις· ὡς δὲ οἱ Κρῆτες ἦλθον ἐς τὴν γῆν, τὰς μὲν ἄλλας ἐξ ἐπιδρομῆς ᾕρουν τὰς ἐν τῇ Μεγαρίδι πόλεις, ἐς δὲ τὴν Νίσαιαν καταφεύγοντα τὸν Νῖσον ἐπολιόρκουν· ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Νίσου λέγεται θυγατέρα ἐρασθῆναι Μίνω καὶ ὡς ἀπέκειρε τὰς τρίχας τοῦ πατρός.

English Translation

Behind the Lyceum there is a tomb of Nisus, whom the Athenians brought and buried here after he died, having been king of Megara and slain by Minos. The story about him says Nisus had hairs on his head that were purple in color, and it was fated that he would die if these were shorn away. When the Cretans invaded his country, they captured the other cities in the territory of Megara by raids, but Nisus took refuge in Nisaea. While they were besieging him there, the story goes that Nisus' daughter fell in love with Minos, and that she cut off her father's magical hairs.

Proper Nouns

Cretan (Κρής) person
Minos (Μίνως) person
Nisos (Νῖσος) person
Athenian (Ἀθηναῖος) person
Lyceum (Λύκειον) place Q1160664
Also in: 1.19.3 1.29.16
Megara (Μέγαρα) place Q42307600
Megaris (Μεγαρίς) place Q645572
Nisaea (Νίσαια) place Q2537089
Also in: 1.39.4 1.44.3
← 1.19.3 1.19.5 →