Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.41.6

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Passage 1.41.6: Alcathous rebuilds Megara’s walls and founds temples to Artemis Agrotera and Apollo Agraeus.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

φαίνεται δὲ τελευτήσαντος Νίσου καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων Μεγαρεῦσιν ἐφθαρμένων ὑπὸ τοῦτον Ἀλκάθους ἀφικόμενος τὸν καιρὸν ἐξ Ἤλιδος· μαρτύριον δέ μοι· τὸ γὰρ τεῖχος ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἅτε τοῦ περιβόλου τοῦ ἀρχαίου καθαιρεθέντος ὑπὸ τῶν Κρητῶν. Ἀλκάθου μὲν καὶ τοῦ λέοντος, εἴτε ἐν τῷ Κιθαιρῶνι αὐτὸν εἴτε καὶ ἑτέρωθι ἀποκτείνας ναὸν Ἀγροτέρας Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ Ἀπόλλωνος ἐποίησεν Ἀγραίου, ἐς τοσόνδε ἔστω μνήμη· ἐκ τούτου δὲ τοῦ ἱεροῦ κατιοῦσι Πανδίονός ἐστιν ἡρῷον. καὶ ὅτι μὲν ἐτάφη Πανδίων ἐν Αἰθυίας Ἀθηνᾶς καλουμένῳ σκοπέλῳ, δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος ἤδη μοι· τιμὰς δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ πόλει παρὰ Μεγαρέων ἔχει.

English Translation

It appears that after Nisus died and affairs in Megara had been ruined in his time, Alcathous arrived from Elis at this critical moment. As evidence for this, he built the city wall anew, since the original fortification had been demolished by the Cretans. Regarding Alcathous and the lion—whether he killed it on Mount Cithaeron or elsewhere—he founded a temple of Artemis Agrotera and Apollo Agraeus; let this much stand as the remembrance of it. Descending from this sanctuary is the hero shrine of Pandion. That Pandion was buried on the crag called "Athena Aethyia," my account has already shown; among the Megarians he is also honored within the city itself.

Proper Nouns

Aithuia Athena (Αἰθυία Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Artemis Agrotera (Ἀγροτέρα Ἄρτεμις) deity
Also in: 1.41.3
Apollo Agraios (Ἀπόλλων Ἀγραῖος) deity
Also in: 1.41.3
Cretans (Κρῆτες) person
Megarians (Μεγαρεῖς) person
Nisos (Νῖσος) person
Pandion (Πανδίων) person
Alcathous (Ἀλκάθους) person
Cithaeron (Κιθαιρών) place Q1147780
Elis (Ἦλις) place Q217667
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