Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.41.4

← 1.41.3 1.41.5 →

Passage 1.41.4: Alcathous slays a lion on Mount Cithaeron

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

ταῦτα μὲν οὕτω γενέσθαι λέγουσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ γράφειν μὲν ἐθέλω Μεγαρεῦσιν ὁμολογοῦντα, οὐκ ἔχω δὲ ὅπως εὕρωμαι πάντα σφίσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀποθανεῖν μὲν λέοντα ἐν τῷ Κιθαιρῶνι ὑπὸ Ἀλκάθου πείθομαι, Μεγαρέως δὲ Τίμαλκον παῖδα τίς μὲν ἐς Ἄφιδναν ἐλθεῖν μετὰ τῶν Διοσκούρων ἔγραψε; πῶς δʼ ἂν ἀφικόμενος ἀναιρεθῆναι νομίζοιτο ὑπὸ Θησέως, ὅπου καὶ Ἀλκμὰν ποιήσας ᾆσμα ἐς τοὺς Διοσκούρους, ὡς Ἀθήνας ἕλοιεν καὶ τὴν Θησέως ἀγάγοιεν μητέρα αἰχμάλωτον, ὅμως Θησέα φησὶν αὐτὸν ἀπεῖναι;

English Translation

They say these things happened thus; but while I wish to record what is agreed upon by the Megarians, I cannot find myself believing all their claims entirely. Yet I am convinced that a lion was indeed slain by Alcathous on Mount Cithaeron. But regarding Timalcus, son of Megareus—who ever wrote that he came to Aphidna in company with the Dioscuri? And how could it be imagined that, upon arriving, he was killed by Theseus, when even Alcman, in composing a hymn for the Dioscuri on how they captured Athens and took captive Theseus’s mother, nevertheless says that Theseus himself was absent?

Proper Nouns

Dioscuri (Διόσκοροι) deity
Theseus (Θησεύς) person
Megareus (Μεγαρεύς) person
Timalcus (Τίμαλκος) person
Also in: 1.41.3 1.42.4
Alcathous (Ἀλκάθους) person
Alcman (Ἀλκμάν) person
Cithaeron (Κιθαιρών) place Q1147780
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
Aphidna (Ἄφιδνα) place Q618453
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