Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.19.7

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Passage 10.19.7: Celtic invasion of Macedon and death of Ptolemy Ceraunus.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν Θρᾷκας καὶ τὸ ἔθνος τὸ Τριβαλλῶν ἔμελλε Κερέθριος ἡγήσεσθαι· τοῖς δὲ ἐς Παιονίαν ἰοῦσι Βρέννος ἦσαν καὶ Ἀκιχώριος ἄρχοντες· Βόλγιος δὲ ἐπὶ Μακεδόνας τε καὶ Ἰλλυριοὺς ἤλασε, καὶ ἐς ἀγῶνα πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον κατέστη τότε ἔχοντα τὴν Μακεδόνων βασιλείαν. Πτολεμαῖος δὲ ἦν οὗτος ὃς Σέλευκόν τε ἐδολοφόνησε τὸν Ἀντιόχου, καταπεφευγὼς ὅμως ἱκέτης ὡς αὐτόν, καὶ εἶχεν ἐπίκλησιν Κεραυνὸς διὰ τὸ ἄγαν τολμηρόν. καὶ ὁ μὲν αὐτός τε ὁ Πτολεμαῖος ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ καὶ τῶν Μακεδόνων ἐγένετο οὐκ ἐλαχίστη φθορά· προελθεῖν δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα οὐδὲ τότε ἐθάρσησαν οἱ Κελτοί, καὶ ὁ δεύτερος οὕτω στόλος ἐπανῆλθεν ἐς τὴν οἰκείαν.

English Translation

Now Cerethrius intended to lead an invasion against the Thracians and the tribe of the Triballi; the forces marching towards Paeonia were led by commanders Brennus and Acichorius; and Bolgius attacked the Macedonians and the Illyrians, engaging in battle with Ptolemy, who at that time held the kingship of Macedon. This was the same Ptolemy who had assassinated Seleucus, the son of Antiochus, despite Seleucus having fled to him as a suppliant; this Ptolemy bore the surname Ceraunus ("Thunderbolt") because of his excessive boldness. Now Ptolemy himself died in the combat, and the Macedonians suffered no small disaster. Nevertheless, the Celts did not yet dare to advance upon Greece even at that time, and thus this second expedition returned home.

Proper Nouns

Celts (Κελτοί) people
Also in: 10.15.2
Macedonians (Μακεδόνες) people
Triballi (Τριβαλλοί) people
Illyrians (Ἰλλυριοί) people
Brennus (Βρέννος) person Q849322
Bolgios (Βόλγιος) person Q815552
Cerethrius (Κερέθριος) person
Keraunos (Κεραυνός) person
Also in: 1.16.2
Ptolemy (Πτολεμαῖος) person
Seleucus (Σέλευκος) person
Acichorius (Ἀκιχώριος) person
Antiochus (Ἀντίοχος) person
Thrace, Thracian (Θρᾷξ) place Q60203278
Paeonia (Παιονία) place Q249561
Also in: 5.1.5
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
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