Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.41.1

← 1.40.6 1.41.2 →

Passage 1.41.1: Alcmene's tomb at Megara

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως κατιοῦσιν, ᾗ πρὸς ἄρκτον τέτραπται τὸ χωρίον, μνῆμά ἐστιν Ἀλκμήνης πλησίον τοῦ Ὀλυμπιείου. βαδίζουσαν γὰρ ἐς Θήβας ἐξ Ἄργους τελευτῆσαι καθʼ ὁδὸν λέγουσιν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις, καὶ τοὺς Ἡρακλείδας ἐς ἀμφισβήτησιν ἐλθεῖν, τοὺς μὲν ἐς Ἄργος ἐθέλοντας ὀπίσω κομίσαι τὸν νεκρὸν τῆς Ἀλκμήνης, τοὺς δʼ αὐτῶν ἐς Θήβας· καὶ γὰρ τοῖς Ἡρακλέους παισὶ τοῖς ἐκ Μεγάρας τάφον εἶναι καὶ Ἀμφιτρύωνος ἐν Θήβαις. ὁ δὲ ἐν Δελφοῖς θεὸς ἔχρησε θάψαι Ἀλκμήνην ἐν τοῖς Μεγάροις ἄμεινον εἶναί σφισιν.

English Translation

As you descend from the acropolis, on the side facing north, there is a tomb of Alcmene near the temple of Olympian Zeus. They say that while she was traveling from Argos to Thebes, Alcmene died on the way at Megara. A dispute then arose among the Heracleidae: some wanted to carry her body back to Argos, while others wished to transport it to Thebes. The sons of Heracles already buried at Megara had a tomb there, while Amphitryon's resting place was in Thebes. However, the god at Delphi gave an oracle that it was better for them to bury Alcmene at Megara.

Proper Nouns

Alcmene (Ἀλκμήνη) person
Amphitryon (Ἀμφιτρύων) person
Heracleidae (Ἡρακλεῖδαι) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Megara (Μέγαρα) place Q42307600
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
Olympieion (Ὀλύμπιεῖον) place Q124644612
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