Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.41.7

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Passage 1.41.7: The tomb of Hippolyte at Megara, shaped like an Amazonian shield

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

πλησίον δέ ἐστι τοῦ Πανδίονος ἡρῴου μνῆμα Ἱππολύτης· γράψω δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐς αὐτὴν ὁποῖα Μεγαρεῖς λέγουσιν. ὅτε Ἀμαζόνες ἐπʼ Ἀθηναίους στρατεύσασαι διʼ Ἀντιόπην ἐκρατήθησαν ὑπὸ Θησέως, τὰς μὲν πολλὰς συνέβη μαχομένας αὐτῶν ἀποθανεῖν, Ἱππολύτην δὲ ἀδελφὴν οὖσαν Ἀντιόπης καὶ τότε ἡγουμένην τῶν γυναικῶν ἀποφυγεῖν σὺν ὀλίγαις ἐς Μέγαρα, ἅτε δὲ κακῶς οὕτω πράξασαν τῷ στρατῷ τοῖς τε παροῦσιν ἀθύμως ἔχουσαν καὶ περὶ τῆς οἴκαδε ἐς τὴν Θεμίσκυραν σωτηρίας μᾶλλον ἔτι ἀποροῦσαν ὑπὸ λύπης τελευτῆσαι· καὶ θάψαι αὐτὴν ἀποθανοῦσαν, καί οἱ τοῦ μνήματος σχῆμά ἐστιν Ἀμαζονικῇ ἀσπίδι ἐμφερές.

English Translation

Near the hero-shrine of Pandion is the tomb of Hippolyte. I shall also mention the stories concerning her as told by the Megarians. When the Amazons made war upon the Athenians because of Antiope, they were defeated by Theseus. While the greater number of them perished fighting, Hippolyte, being Antiope's sister and at that time the leader of the women, fled to Megara with a few companions. However, having suffered such calamities with her army, she grieved excessively over their misfortune and was even more deeply troubled by anxiety concerning her safe return home to Themiscyra. In her distress, she died of sorrow. They buried her after her death, and her tomb is shaped like an Amazonian shield.

Proper Nouns

Theseus (Θησεύς) person
Megarians (Μεγαρεῖς) person
Pandion (Πανδίων) person
Athenians (Ἀθῆναι) person
Amazons (Ἀμαζόνες) person
Antiope (Ἀντιόπη) person
Hippolyte (Ἱππολύτη) person
Themiscyra (Θεμίσκυρα) place Q122875
Also in: 1.2.1 1.15.2
Megara (Μέγαρα) place Q42307600
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