Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.16.2

← 2.16.1 2.16.3 →

Passage 2.16.2: Perseus accidentally kills Acrisius with a discus at Larissa.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

οἱ δὲ Ἄβαντος τοῦ Λυγκέως παῖδες τὴν βασιλείαν ἐνείμαντο, καὶ Ἀκρίσιος μὲν αὐτοῦ κατέμεινεν ἐν τῷ Ἄργει, Προῖτος δὲ τὸ Ἡραῖον καὶ Μιδείαν καὶ Τίρυνθα ἔσχε καὶ ὅσα πρὸς θαλάσσῃ τῆς Ἀργείας· σημεῖά τε τῆς ἐν Τίρυνθι οἰκήσεως Προίτου καὶ ἐς τόδε λείπεται. χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον Ἀκρίσιος Περσέα αὐτόν τε περιεῖναι πυνθανόμενος καὶ ἔργα ἀποδείκνυσθαι, ἐς Λάρισαν ἀπεχώρησε τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Πηνειῷ. Περσεὺς δὲ---ἰδεῖν γὰρ πάντως ἤθελε τὸν γονέα τῆς μητρὸς καὶ λόγοις τε χρηστοῖς καὶ ἔργοις δεξιώσασθαι---ἔρχεται παρʼ αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν Λάρισαν· καὶ ὁ μὲν οἷα ἡλικίᾳ τε ἀκμάζων καὶ τοῦ δίσκου χαίρων τῷ εὑρήματι ἐπεδείκνυτο ἐς ἅπαντας, Ἀκρίσιος δὲ λανθάνει κατὰ δαίμονα ὑποπεσὼν τοῦ δίσκου τῇ ὁρμῇ.

English Translation

The sons of Abas, son of Lynceus, divided the kingdom between them; Acrisius remained at Argos itself, while Proetus took possession of Heraion, Midea, Tiryns, and all the coastal regions of the Argolid. Remains of Proetus' settlement at Tiryns survive even to this day. Later, however, when Acrisius heard that Perseus was alive and performing mighty deeds, he withdrew to Larissa on the banks of the Peneius. Perseus, eager above all to see his mother's father and to treat him kindly both by words and deeds, came to meet him in Larissa. Perseus, who was at that time in vigorous youth and delighted with the newly invented discus, was putting on a demonstration for everyone; and Acrisius, guided by an inescapable fate, unknowingly stepped into the path of the flying discus.

Proper Nouns

Lynceus (Λυγκεύς) person
Perseus (Περσεύς) person
Proetus (Προῖτος) person
Acrisius (Ἀκρίσιος) person
Abas (Ἄβαντας) person
Also in: 1.43.5 2.25.5
Larisa (Λάρισα) place Q178405 Pleiades
Mideia (Μιδεία) place Q502897
Peneios (Πηνειός) place Q376328
Tiryns (Τίρυνς) place Q217379 Pleiades
Argolis (Ἀργεία) place Q12649101
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
Heraion (Ἡραῖον) place Q1607754
← 2.16.1 2.16.3 →