Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.37.1

← 1.36.6 1.37.2 →

Passage 1.37.1: Themistokles' family as hereditary torch-bearers.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

μετὰ δὲ τοῦ Κηφισοδώρου τὸ μνῆμα τέθαπται μὲν Ἡλιόδωρος Ἅλις· τούτου γραφὴν ἰδεῖν ἔστι καὶ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς· τέθαπται δὲ Θεμιστοκλῆς Πολιάρχου, τρίτος ἀπόγονος Θεμιστοκλέους τοῦ Ξέρξῃ καὶ Μήδοις ἐναντία ναυμαχήσαντος. τοὺς δὲ κατωτέρω τοῦ γένους πλὴν Ἀκεστίου παρήσω τοὺς ἄλλους· Ἀκεστίῳ δὲ τῇ Ξενοκλέους τοῦ Σοφοκλέους τοῦ Λέοντος τούτους τε ἐς τὸν τέταρτον πρόγονον Λέοντα δᾳδούχους πάντας ὑπῆρξε γενέσθαι καὶ παρὰ τὸν βίον τὸν αὑτῆς πρῶτον μὲν τὸν ἀδελφὸν Σοφοκλέα εἶδε δᾳδουχοῦντα, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτῳ τὸν ἄνδρα Θεμιστοκλέα, τελευτήσαντος δὲ καὶ τούτου Θεόφραστον τὸν παῖδα.

English Translation

After the tomb of Kephisodoros is buried Heliodoros of Halis, whose portrait can also be seen in the great temple of Athena. There lies also Themistokles, son of Poliarchos, third in descent from that Themistokles who engaged in a naval battle against Xerxes and the Medes. Among his descendants below him, I shall pass over all but Akestios. Akestios had a daughter of Xenokles, who was the son of Sophokles, and he the son of Leon; from him backward to the fourth ancestor, Leon, all had held the office of torch-bearer. During her lifetime, she first saw her brother Sophokles as torch-bearer, then after him her husband Themistokles, and upon his death, her son Theophrastos.

Proper Nouns

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Medes (Μῆδοι) other
Themistocles (Θεμιστοκλῆς) person
Theophrastos (Θεόφραστος) person
Kephisodoros (Κηφισοδώρος) person
Leon (Λέων) person
Xerxes (Ξέρξης) person
Xenocles (Ξενοκλῆς) person
Also in: 6.9.2
Poliarchos (Πολίαρχος) person
Sophocles (Σοφοκλῆς) person
Also in: 1.21.1 1.28.7
Akestios (Ἀκέστιος) person
Heliodoros (Ἡλιόδωρος) person
Halis (Ἅλις) place
← 1.36.6 1.37.2 →