Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.2.4

← 10.2.3 10.2.5 →

Passage 10.2.4: Philomelus' defeat at Neon and his suicide.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

καταλαβοῦσι δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸ ἱερὸν ξενικά τε αὐτίκα τὰ ἰσχυρότατα τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησιν ἠθροίσθη καὶ οἱ Θηβαῖοί σφισιν ἐς πόλεμον ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ καθεστήκεσαν, διάφοροι καὶ τὰ πρότερα ὄντες. χρόνος μὲν δὴ ἐγένετο ὃν ἐπολέμησαν δέκα ἔτη συνεχῶς, καὶ ἐν τοσούτῳ πολέμου μήκει πολλάκις μὲν οἱ Φωκεῖς καὶ τὰ παρʼ αὐτοῖς ξενικὰ ἐνίκησε, πολλάκις δὲ ἦν τὰ τῶν Θηβαίων ἐπικρατέστερα· γενομένης δὲ κατὰ Νεῶνα πόλιν συμβολῆς ἐτράποντο οἱ Φωκεῖς, καὶ ὁ Φιλόμηλος ῥίπτει τε αὑτὸν ἐν τῇ φυγῇ κατὰ ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἀποτόμου κρημνοῦ καὶ ἀφίησιν οὕτω τὴν ψυχήν· ἐτέτακτο δὲ καὶ ἄλλως τοῖς Ἀμφικτύοσιν ἐς τοὺς συλῶντας αὕτη ἡ δίκη.

English Translation

When they had seized the sanctuary, immediately the strongest available foreign mercenary forces of the Greeks gathered against them, and the Thebans openly declared war upon them, being already previously at variance. They then waged war continuously for ten years, and during this lengthy period of warfare the Phokians with their mercenaries repeatedly prevailed, while at other times the Thebans had the upper hand. Eventually, in a battle fought near the city Neon, the Phokians were routed, and in flight Philomelus threw himself from a high, precipitous cliff, thus ending his life. Furthermore, this very penalty had also been appointed by the Amphictyons as punishment upon those who plundered the sanctuary.

Proper Nouns

Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) other Q539051
Amphictyons (Ἀμφικτύονες) person
Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) person
Philomelus (Φιλόμηλος) person Q4484273
Phokians (Φωκεῖς) person
Neon (Νέων) place Q12881477
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