Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.37.5

← 1.37.4 1.37.6 →

Passage 1.37.5: Harpalus's lavish tomb for his beloved Pythionice.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

μνημάτων δὲ ἃ μάλιστα ἐς μέγεθος καὶ κόσμον ἥκει, τὸ μὲν ἀνδρός ἐστι Ῥοδίου μετοικήσαντος ἐς Ἀθήνας, τὸ δὲ Ἅρπαλος Μακεδὼν ἐποίησεν, ὃς Ἀλέξανδρον ἀποδρὰς ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας διέβη ναυσὶν ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην, ἀφικόμενος δὲ παρʼ Ἀθηναίους ὑπʼ αὐτῶν συνελήφθη, διαφθείρας δὲ χρήμασιν ἄλλους τε καὶ τοὺς Ἀλεξάνδρου φίλους ἀπέδρα, πρότερον δὲ ἔτι Πυθ ι ονίκην ἔγημε, γένος μὲν οὐκ οἶδα ὁπόθεν, ἑταιροῦσαν δὲ ἔν τε Ἀθήναις καὶ ἐν Κορίνθῳ· ταύτης ἐς τοσοῦτον ἔρωτος προῆλθεν ὡς καὶ μνῆμα ἀποθανούσης ποιῆσαι πάντων ὁπόσα Ἕλλησίν ἐστιν ἀρχαῖα θέας μάλιστα ἄξιον.

English Translation

Of the tombs, those most noteworthy for their size and splendor, one belongs to a man from Rhodes who had settled in Athens; the other was constructed by Harpalus of Macedon. This Harpalus, having fled from Alexander out of Asia, crossed with ships into Europe, and arriving among the Athenians, he was captured by them. After bribing both others and friends of Alexander with money, he escaped. Previously he had married a woman named Pythionice—I do not know her exact origin—but she had been a courtesan in Athens and Corinth. He so greatly loved her that after her death he erected for her a tomb surpassing all ancient tombs among the Greeks in worthiness of seeing.

Proper Nouns

Macedonian (Μακεδών) person
Pythionike (Πυθιονίκη) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος) person
Harpalus (Ἅρπαλος) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Rhodian (Ῥόδιος) person
Europe (Εὐρώπη) place Q46 Pleiades
Corinth (Κόρινθος) place Q1363688 Pleiades
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
Asia (Ἀσία) place Q210718
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