Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.31.3

← 10.31.2 10.31.4 →

Passage 10.31.3: Meleager's portrayal and differing accounts of his death.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

Μελέαγρος δὲ ὁ Οἰνέως ἀνωτέρω μὲν ἢ ὁ τοῦ Ὀιλέως Αἴας ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ, ἔοικε δὲ ὁρῶντι ἐς τὸν Αἴαντα. τούτοις πλὴν τῷ Παλαμήδει γένειά ἐστι τοῖς ἄλλοις. ἐς δὲ τοῦ Μελεάγρου τὴν τελευτὴν Ὁμήρῳ μέν ἐστιν εἰρημένα ὡς Ἐρινὺς καταρῶν ἀκούσαι τῶν Ἀλθαίας καὶ ἀποθάνοι κατὰ ταύτην ὁ Μελέαγρος τὴν αἰτίαν, αἱ δὲ Ἠοῖαί τε καλούμεναι καὶ ἡ Μινυὰς ὡμολογήκασιν ἀλλήλαις· Ἀπόλλωνα γὰρ δὴ αὗταί φασιν αἱ ποιήσεις ἀμῦναι Κούρησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς Αἰτωλοὺς καὶ ἀποθανεῖν Μελέαγρον ὑπὸ Ἀπόλλωνος.

English Translation

Meleager, the son of Oeneus, is depicted higher up in the painting than Ajax, son of Oileus, but resembles Ajax to one observing him. With the exception of Palamedes, all these figures are portrayed with beards. Regarding the fate of Meleager, Homer says that a Fury heard Althaea's curses, and thus Meleager died according to this reason. On the other hand, the poems called the "Ehoiai" and the "Minyas" agree with one another, asserting that Apollo fought for the Curetes against the Aetolians, and Meleager was slain by Apollo.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Erinys (Ἐρινύς) deity
Aetolians (Αἰτωλοί) other
Kouretes (Κούρητες) other
Also in: 8.2.2
Minyas (Μινυὰς) other
Ehoiai (Ἠοῖαι) other
Ajax (Αἴας) person Q14566703
Meleager (Μελέαγρος) person
Oileus (Οἰλεύς) person
Also in: 10.31.2
Oineus (Οἰνεύς) person
Palamedes (Παλαμήδης) person
Althaea (Ἀλθαία) person
Also in: 8.45.6 10.31.4
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
← 10.31.2 10.31.4 →