Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.20.5

← 1.20.4 1.20.6 →

Passage 1.20.5: Aristion persuades Athens to join Mithridates against Rome.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἦν Ἀριστίων Ἀθηναῖος, ᾧ Μιθριδάτης πρεσβεύειν ἐς τὰς πόλεις τὰς Ἑλληνίδας ἐχρῆτο· οὗτος ἀνέπεισεν Ἀθηναίους Μιθριδάτην θέσθαι Ῥωμαίων ἐπίπροσθεν. ἀνέπεισε δὲ οὐ πάντας, ἀλλʼ ὅσον δῆμος ἦν καὶ δήμου τὸ ταραχῶδες· Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ ὧν τις λόγος, παρὰ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους ἐκπίπτουσιν ἐθελονταί. γενομένης δὲ μάχης πολλῷ περιῆσαν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, καὶ φεύγοντας Ἀριστίωνα μὲν καὶ Ἀθηναίους ἐς τὸ ἄστυ καταδιώκουσιν, Ἀρχέλαον δὲ καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ἐς τὸν Πειραιᾶ· Μιθριδάτου δὲ στρατηγὸς καὶ οὗτος ἦν, ὃν πρότερον τούτων Μάγνητες οἱ τὸν Σίπυλον οἰκοῦντες σφᾶς ἐπεκδραμόντα αὐτόν τε τιτρώσκουσι καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων φονεύουσι τοὺς πολλούς.

English Translation

Aristion was an Athenian employed by Mithridates on embassies to the Greek cities. It was Aristion who persuaded the Athenians to side with Mithridates against the Romans. Yet he did not convince them all, but only the populace and the turbulent faction among them; those Athenians of reputation went voluntarily over to the Romans. When battle ensued, the Romans prevailed decisively. Aristion and the Athenians fled into the city, pursued by the Romans, while Archelaus and the barbarians withdrew into Piraeus. Archelaus also was one of Mithridates' generals; earlier, he had invaded the territory of the Magnesians dwelling around Sipylus, where these Magnesians wounded Archelaus himself and slew most of his barbarian forces.

Proper Nouns

Magnetes (Μάγνητες) person
Also in: 10.8.3
Mithridates (Μιθριδάτης) person
Athenian (Ἀθηναῖος) person
Aristion (Ἀριστίων) person
Also in: 1.20.7 6.13.6
Archelaus (Ἀρχέλαος) person
Greeks (Ἑλληνίς) person
Also in: 9.33.6
Roman (Ῥωμαῖος) person
Piraeus (Πειραιεύς) place Q58976 Pleiades
Sipylus (Σίπυλος) place Q532698
city (ἄστυ) place Q1750414
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