Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.43.7

← 1.43.6 1.43.8 →

Passage 1.43.7: Coroebus slays Poine, the punitive spirit tormenting Argos.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ Μεγαρεῦσι καὶ Κοροίβου τάφος· τὰ δὲ ἐς αὐτὸν ἔπη κοινὰ ὅμως ὄντα τοῖς Ἀργείων ἐνταῦθα δηλώσω. ἐπὶ Κροτώπου λέγουσιν ἐν Ἄργει βασιλεύοντος Ψαμάθην τὴν Κροτώπου τεκεῖν παῖδα ἐξ Ἀπόλλωνος, ἐχομένην δὲ ἰσχυρῶς τοῦ πατρὸς δείματι τὸν παῖδα ἐκθεῖναι· καὶ τὸν μὲν διαφθείρουσιν ἐπιτυχόντες ἐκ τῆς ποίμνης κύνες τῆς Κροτώπου, Ἀπόλλων δὲ Ἀργείοις ἐς τὴν πόλιν πέμπει Ποινήν. ταύτην τοὺς παῖδας ἀπὸ τῶν μητέρων φασὶν ἁρπάζειν, ἐς ὃ Κόροιβος ἐς χάριν Ἀργείοις φονεύει τὴν Ποινήν. φονεύσας δὲ---οὐ γὰρ ἀνίει σφᾶς δεύτερα ἐπιπεσοῦσα νόσος λοιμώδης---Κόροιβος ἑκὼν ἦλθεν ἐς Δελφοὺς ὑφέξων δίκας τῷ θεῷ τοῦ φόνου τῆς Ποινῆς.

English Translation

The Megarians also possess the tomb of Coroebus; nevertheless, I shall here relate the tale associated with him, though it concerns equally the Argives. It is related that during the reign of Crotopus in Argos, Psamathe, the daughter of King Crotopus, bore a child to Apollo. Through great fear of her father she exposed the infant. The child was discovered and torn apart by Crotopus' shepherd dogs; in retribution, Apollo sent against the Argives a vengeful spirit, named Poine ("Punishment"). They say this being seized children away from their mothers, until Coroebus, seeking to earn the Argives' gratitude, slew Poine. But after he had killed her, a second disaster, a deadly plague, descended upon them and would not relent. Therefore Coroebus willingly journeyed to Delphi, intending to submit himself to the god's judgment for the slaying of Poine.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Poine (Ποινή) other
Also in: 1.43.8
Krotopos (Κρότωπος) person
Koroibos (Κόροιβος) person
Megarians (Μεγαρεῖς) person
Psamathe (Ψαμάθη) person
Also in: 1.43.8 2.19.8
Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
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