Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.5.4

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Passage 1.5.4: Tereus rapes Philomela; Procne avenges her.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

οἱ δὲ παῖδες κατίασί τε ἐκ τῶν Μεγάρων ἐκβαλόντες Μητιονίδας, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν Ἀθηναίων Αἰγεὺς πρεσβύτατος ὢν ἔσχεν. θυγατέρας δὲ οὐ σὺν ἀγαθῷ δαίμονι ἔθρεψεν ὁ Πανδίων, οὐδέ οἱ τιμωροὶ παῖδες ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἐλείφθησαν· καίτοι δυνάμεώς γε ἕνεκα πρὸς τὸν Θρᾷκα τὸ κῆδος ἐποιήσατο. ἀλλʼ οὐδεὶς πόρος ἐστὶν ἀνθρώπῳ παραβῆναι τὸ καθῆκον ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ· λέγουσιν ὡς Τηρεὺς συνοικῶν Πρόκνῃ Φιλομήλαν ᾔσχυνεν, οὐ κατὰ νόμον δράσας τὸν Ἑλλήνων, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἔτι λωβησάμενος τῇ παιδὶ ἤγαγεν ἐς ἀνάγκην δίκης τὰς γυναῖκας. Πανδίονι δὲ καὶ ἄλλος ἀνδριάς ἐστιν ἐν ἀκροπόλει θέας ἄξιος.

English Translation

But the sons, having expelled the sons of Metion, returned from Megara; and Aegeus, being the eldest, obtained the kingship over the Athenians. Yet Pandion reared his daughters under no good fortune, nor did any avenging son remain from their union; yet he had made the marriage-alliance with the Thracian on account of his power. But there is no way for a man to escape the ordained will of the god. They say that Tereus, though living with Procne, dishonored Philomela, doing this contrary to Greek law; and after further mutilating the maiden's body, he compelled the women to take vengeance upon him. There is also another statue of Pandion situated on the Acropolis, worthy of viewing.

Proper Nouns

Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) other
Aegeus (Αἰγεύς) person
Thracian (Θρᾷξ) person
Metionides (Μητιονίδης) person
Pandion (Πανδίων) person
Procne (Πρόκνη) person
Tereus (Τηρεύς) person
Philomela (Φιλομήλη) person
Megara (Μέγαρα) place Q42307600
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
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