Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.29.9

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Passage 10.29.9: Theseus and Peirithous seated on thrones, with rock binding them.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

κατωτέρω δὲ τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως ἐπὶ θρόνων καθεζόμενοι Θησεὺς μὲν τὰ ξίφη τό τε Πειρίθου καὶ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ταῖς χερσὶν ἀμφοτέραις ἔχει, ὁ δὲ ἐς τὰ ξίφη βλέπων ἐστὶν ὁ Πειρίθους· εἰκάσαις ἂν ἄχθεσθαι τοῖς ξίφεσιν αὐτὸν ὡς ἀχρείοις καὶ ὄφελός σφισιν οὐ γεγενημένοις ἐς τὰ τολμήματα. Πανύασσις δὲ ἐποίησεν ὡς Θησεὺς καὶ Πειρίθους ἐπὶ τῶν θρόνων παράσχοιντο σχῆμα οὐ κατὰ δεσμώτας, προσφύεσθαι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς ἀντὶ δεσμῶν σφισιν ἔφη τὴν πέτραν.

English Translation

Lower than Odysseus, seated upon thrones, are Theseus and Peirithous: Theseus holds in both hands the swords, both that of Peirithous and his own, while Peirithous gazes down upon the swords. One might infer that he is vexed by the weapons, regarding them as useless and of no avail to their daring exploits. Panyassis wrote that Theseus and Peirithous were not seated upon the thrones as prisoners normally would be; rather, he claimed, the rock itself adhered to their flesh instead of bonds.

Proper Nouns

Theseus (Θησεύς) person
Panyassis (Πανύασσις) person
Also in: 9.11.2 10.8.9
Peirithous (Πειρίθοος) person
Odysseus (Ὀδυσσεύς) person
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