Pausanias Analysis

Passage 1.9.3

← 1.9.2 1.9.4 →

Passage 1.9.3: Ptolemy retakes Egypt and utterly destroys Thebes

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Κλεοπάτραν δὲ περιῆλθεν ἡ δίκη τῆς Πτολεμαίου φυγῆς ἀποθανοῦσαν ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου, ὃν αὐτὴ βασιλεύειν ἔπραξεν Αἰγυπτίων. τοῦ δὲ ἔργου φωραθέντος καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου φόβῳ τῶν πολιτῶν φεύγοντος, οὕτω Πτολεμαῖος κατῆλθε καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ἔσχεν Αἴγυπτον· καὶ Θηβαίοις ἐπολέμησεν ἀποστᾶσι, παραστησάμενος δὲ ἔτει τρίτῳ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόστασιν ἐκάκωσεν, ὡς μηδὲ ὑπόμνημα λειφθῆναι Θηβαίοις τῆς ποτε εὐδαιμονίας προελθούσης ἐς τοσοῦτον ὡς ὑπερβαλέσθαι πλούτῳ τοὺς Ἑλλήνων πολυχρημάτους, τό τε ἱερὸν τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς καὶ Ὀρχομενίους. Πτολεμαῖον μὲν οὖν ὀλίγῳ τούτων ὕστερον ἐπέλαβε μοῖρα ἡ καθήκουσα· Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ παθόντες εὖ πολλά τε καὶ οὐκ ἄξια ἐξηγήσεως χαλκοῦν καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ Βερενίκην ἀνέθηκαν, ἣ μόνη γνησία οἱ τῶν παίδων ἦν.

English Translation

Justice overtook Cleopatra for the exile of Ptolemy when she was put to death by Alexander, whom she herself had set up as king over the Egyptians. When the plot was revealed, and Alexander fled in fear of the citizens, Ptolemy thus returned and gained Egypt a second time. He made war on the Thebans who had revolted; having forced their surrender in the third year after their revolt, he reduced them utterly, so that no remembrance at all was left to the Thebans of their past prosperity, which had previously advanced to such a degree that in wealth they surpassed even the richest among the Greeks—the temple at Delphi and the Orchomenians. Shortly after these things, deserved fate overtook Ptolemy himself. As for the Athenians, who had received from him many great kindnesses and numerous favors undeserving of particular mention, they set up bronze statues honoring both him and Berenice, who alone of his children was legitimate.

Proper Nouns

Egyptians (Αἰγύπτιοι) other
Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) other
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) other
Orchomenians (Ὀρχομενιοί) other
Berenice (Βερενίκη) person
Also in: 1.6.8 1.7.1
Cleopatra (Κλεοπάτρα) person
Ptolemy (Πτολεμαῖος) person
Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος) person
Egypt (Αἴγυπτος) place Q79 Pleiades
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
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