Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.15.4

← 2.15.3 2.15.5 →

Passage 2.15.4: Perseus founds Mycenae; its ruins lie near Argos.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἀνελθοῦσι δὲ ἐς τὸν Τρητὸν καὶ αὖθις τὴν ἐς Ἄργος ἰοῦσίν ἐστι Μυκηνῶν ἐρείπια ἐν ἀριστερᾷ. καὶ ὅτι μὲν Περσεὺς ἐγένετο Μυκηνῶν οἰκιστής, ἴσασιν Ἕλληνες· ἐγὼ δὲ αἰτίαν τε γράψω τοῦ οἰκισμοῦ καὶ διʼ ἥντινα πρόφασιν Ἀργεῖοι Μυκηναίους ὕστερον ἀνέστησαν. ἐν γὰρ τῇ νῦν Ἀργολίδι ὀνομαζομένῃ τὰ μὲν ἔτι παλαιότερα οὐ μνημονεύουσιν, Ἴναχον δὲ βασιλεύοντα τόν τε ποταμὸν ἀφʼ αὑτοῦ λέγουσιν ὀνομάσαι καὶ θῦσαι τῇ Ἥρᾳ.

English Translation

As you ascend to Tretus and again return towards Argos, you find on the left the ruins of Mycenae. The Greeks well know that Perseus was the founder of Mycenae; however, I shall write down both the reason why the city was founded and the particular cause on account of which the Argives later expelled the Mycenaeans. In the area now called the Argolid they have no memory of the oldest events, but of the time when Inachus was king they say that he gave his name to the river and was the first to make sacrifice to Hera.

Proper Nouns

Hera (Ἥρα) deity
Perseus (Περσεύς) person
Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Inachus (Ἴναξ) person
Mycenae (Μυκῆναι) place Q132564
Tretos (Τρητός) place Q133732195
Also in: 2.15.2
Argolis (Ἀργολίς) place Q12649101
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
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