Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.43.1

← 1.42.7 1.43.2 →

Passage 1.43.1: Iphigenia's hero-shrine at Megara

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

λέγουσι δὲ εἶναι καὶ Ἰφιγενείας ἡρῷον· ἀποθανεῖν γὰρ καὶ ταύτην ἐν Μεγάροις. ἐγὼ δὲ ἤκουσα μὲν καὶ ἄλλον ἐς Ἰφιγένειαν λόγον ὑπὸ Ἀρκάδων λεγόμενον, οἶδα δὲ Ἡσίοδον ποιήσαντα ἐν καταλόγῳ γυναικῶν Ἰφιγένειαν οὐκ ἀποθανεῖν, γνώμῃ δὲ Ἀρτέμιδος Ἑκάτην εἶναι· τούτοις δὲ Ἡρόδοτος ὁμολογοῦντα ἔγραψε Ταύρους τοὺς πρὸς τῇ Σκυθικῇ θύειν παρθένῳ τοὺς ναυαγούς, φάναι δὲ αὐτοὺς τὴν παρθένον Ἰφιγένειαν εἶναι τὴν Ἀγαμέμνονος. ἔχει δὲ παρὰ Μεγαρεῦσι καὶ Ἄδραστος τιμάς· φασὶ δὲ ἀποθανεῖν παρὰ σφίσι καὶ τοῦτον, ὅτε ἑλὼν Θήβας ἀπῆγεν ὀπίσω τὸν στρατόν, αἴτια δέ οἱ τοῦ θανάτου γῆρας καὶ τὴν Αἰγιαλέως γενέσθαι τελευτήν. καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερὸν ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων ἐποίησεν, ἡνίκα ἦλθε Κάλχαντα οἰκοῦντα ἐν Μεγάροις ἐς Ἴλιον ἕπεσθαι πείσων.

English Translation

They say there is also a hero shrine of Iphigenia, since according to them she died in Megara. Yet I have heard from the Arcadians another account concerning Iphigenia; moreover, I know that Hesiod, in his Catalogue of Women, asserted that Iphigenia did not die, but by the will of Artemis became Hecate. Herodotus, agreeing with this tradition, reported that the Taurians near Scythia sacrificed shipwrecked mariners to a maiden, whom they themselves identified as Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon. Among the Megarians, Adrastus also receives honors. For they say that he too died among them, while he was leading back his army after having taken Thebes. The reasons for his death were given as old age and the news of the demise of his son Aigialeus. Furthermore, Agamemnon dedicated a sanctuary to Artemis, when he came to Megara with the purpose of persuading Calchas, who was then living there, to accompany him to Ilium.

Proper Nouns

Artemis (Ἄρτεμις) deity
Hecate (Ἑκάτη) deity
Aegialeus (Αἰγιαλεύς) person Q4687559
Calchas (Κάλχας) person
Also in: 7.3.7 9.19.6
Megarians (Μεγαρεῖς) person
Taurians (Ταῦροι) person
Agamemnon (Ἀγαμέμνων) person
Arcadians (Ἀρκάδες) person
Adrastus (Ἄδραστος) person
Herodotus (Ἡρόδοτος) person
Hesiod (Ἡσίοδος) person
Iphigenia (Ἰφιγένεια) person
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Megara (Μέγαρα) place Q42307600
Scythia (Σκυθική) place Q845909
Ilium (Ἴλιον) place Q22647
← 1.42.7 1.43.2 →