Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.4.2

← 1.4.1 1.4.3 →

Passage 1.4.2: Celts outflank Greeks at Thermopylae via a hidden path on Mount Oeta

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ μάλιστα μὲν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀπειρήκεσαν μήκει τοῦ Μακεδονικοῦ πολέμου καὶ προσπταίοντες τὰ πολλὰ ἐν ταῖς μάχαις, ἐξιέναι δὲ ὅμως ὥρμηντο ἐς τὰς Θερμοπύλας σὺν τοῖς ἐλθοῦσι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἑλόμενοι σφίσι τὸν Κάλλιππον τοῦτον ἡγεῖσθαι. καταλαβόντες δὲ ᾗ στενώτατον ἦν, τῆς ἐσόδου τῆς ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα εἶργον τοὺς βαρβάρους· ἀνευρόντες δὲ οἱ Κελτοὶ τὴν ἀτραπόν, ἣν καὶ Μήδοις ποτὲ Ἐφιάλτης ἡγήσατο ὁ Τραχίνιος, καὶ βιασάμενοι Φωκέων τοὺς τεταγμένους ἐπʼ αὐτῇ λανθάνουσι τοὺς Ἕλληνας ὑπερβαλόντες τὴν Οἴτην.

English Translation

The Athenians, more than all the other Greeks, had been exhausted by the protracted nature of the Macedonian war, and having suffered frequent defeats in battle, they nevertheless resolved to march out with the remaining Greeks toward Thermopylae, having selected Kallippos as their leader. When they reached the narrowest part of the pass, they blocked the barbarians from entering Greece. However, the Celts found the hidden path, the same one through which once the Trachinian Ephialtes led the Medes; and having overwhelmed the Phocians who had been stationed there, they secretly crossed Mount Oeta unnoticed by the Greeks.

Proper Nouns

Macedonian (Μακεδονικός) other
Trachinian (Τραχίνιος) other
Callippos (Κάλλιππος) person
Celts (Κελτοί) person
Medes (Μῆδοι) person
Phocian (Φωκεύς) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Ephialtes (Ἐφιάλτης) person
Also in: 1.29.15 9.29.1
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Thermopylae (Θερμοπύλαι) place Q194450 Pleiades
Oeta (Οἴτη) place Q132378
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
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