Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.2.6

← 1.2.5 1.3.1 →

Passage 1.2.6: Amphictyon usurps the Athenian throne

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τὴν δὲ βασιλείαν Ἀμφικτύων ἔσχεν οὕτως. Ἀκταῖον λέγουσιν ἐν τῇ νῦν Ἀττικῇ βασιλεῦσαι πρῶτον· ἀποθανόντος δὲ Ἀκταίου Κέκροψ ἐκδέχεται τὴν ἀρχὴν θυγατρὶ συνοικῶν Ἀκταίου, καί οἱ γίνονται θυγατέρες μὲν Ἕρση καὶ Ἄγλαυρος καὶ Πάνδροσος, υἱὸς δὲ Ἐρυσίχθων· οὗτος οὐκ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀθηναίων, ἀλλά οἱ τοῦ πατρὸς ζῶντος τελευτῆσαι συνέβη, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν Κέκροπος Κραναὸς ἐξεδέξατο, Ἀθηναίων δυνάμει προύχων. Κραναῷ δὲ θυγατέρας καὶ ἄλλας καὶ Ἀτθίδα γενέσθαι λέγουσιν· ἀπὸ ταύτης ὀνομάζουσιν Ἀττικὴν τὴν χώραν, πρότερον καλουμένην Ἀκταίαν. Κραναῷ δὲ Ἀμφικτύων ἐπαναστάς, θυγατέρα ὅμως ἔχων αὐτοῦ, παύει τῆς ἀρχῆς· καὶ αὐτὸς ὕστερον ὑπὸ Ἐριχθονίου καὶ τῶν συνεπαναστάντων ἐκπίπτει· πατέρα δὲ Ἐριχθονίῳ λέγουσιν ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδένα εἶναι, γονέας δὲ Ἥφαιστον καὶ Γῆν.

English Translation

Amphictyon gained the kingdom in the following manner. They say Actaeus was the first to reign over the region now called Attica. Upon Actaeus' death, Cecrops succeeded to power, having married the daughter of Actaeus; they had daughters named Herse, Aglaurus, and Pandrosus, and a son, Erysichthon. But this Erysichthon did not rule the Athenians, for he died while his father was still living. After Cecrops, Cranaus assumed authority, becoming preeminent among the Athenians. It is further said that Cranaus had daughters, including Atthis, and it is from her that the territory, previously called Actaea, received the name Attica. Amphictyon then rose up against Cranaus—though he had married Cranaus' daughter—and deprived him of his rule. Amphictyon himself was later expelled by Erichthonius and his allies, who rebelled against him. As for Erichthonius, they claim he had no human father, but was the offspring of Hephaestus and Earth.

Proper Nouns

Ge (Earth) (Γῆ) deity
Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστος) deity
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) other
Cecrops (Κέκροψ) person
Kranaos (Κραναός) person
Also in: 1.31.3
Pandrosos (Πάνδροσος) person
Also in: 1.18.2 1.27.2
Actaeus (Ἀκταῖος) person
Also in: 1.5.3 1.14.7
Amphictyon (Ἀμφικτύων) person
Atthis (Ἀτθίς) person
Aglauros (Ἄγλαυρος) person
Also in: 1.18.2 1.38.3
Erichthonius (Ἐριχθόνιος) person
Erysichthon (Ἐρυσίχθων) person
Also in: 1.18.5 1.31.2
Herse (Ἕρση) person
Also in: 1.18.2
Actaea (Ἀκταία) place
Attica (Ἀττική) place Q122443
← 1.2.5 1.3.1 →