Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.23.2

← 2.23.1 2.23.3 →

Passage 2.23.2: Amphiaraus swallowed by a chasm along with his charioteer Baton.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

καὶ διατελοῦσιν ἐς τόδε τιμῶντες ἔτι. τοῦ Διονύσου δὲ ἐγγυτάτω οἰκίαν ὄψει τὴν Ἀδράστου καὶ ἀπωτέρω ταύτης ἱερὸν Ἀμφιαράου καὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ πέραν Ἐριφύλης μνῆμα. ἑξῆς δὲ τούτων ἐστὶν Ἀσκληπιοῦ τέμενος καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἱερὸν Βάτωνος. ἦν δὲ ὁ Βάτων γένους Ἀμφιαράῳ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τῶν Μελαμποδιδῶν καὶ ἐς μάχην ἐξιόντι ἡνιόχει τοὺς ἵππους· γενομένης δὲ τῆς τροπῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θηβαίων τείχους χάσμα γῆς Ἀμφιάραον καὶ τὸ ἅρμα ὑποδεξάμενον ἠφάνισεν ὁμοῦ καὶ τοῦτον τὸν Βάτωνα.

English Translation

And they continue even to this day to pay him honors. Closest to the temple of Dionysus you will see the house of Adrastus, and farther from it is a sanctuary of Amphiaraus, and beyond this sanctuary the tomb of Eriphyle. Next to these places there is a sacred precinct of Asclepius, and after that a temple of Baton. This Baton was of the same lineage as Amphiaraus, belonging to the family of Melampus, and served as charioteer for the horses as Amphiaraus went forth into battle. Now when the defeat occurred, a chasm in the earth opened near the wall of Thebes, which swallowed up Amphiaraus along with his chariot and at the same time caused this Baton also to vanish.

Proper Nouns

Dionysus (Διόνυσος) deity
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity
Melampodids (Μελαμποδίδαι) other
Baton (Βάτων) person
Also in: 5.17.8 10.10.3
Amphiaraos (Ἀμφιάραος) person
Adrastus (Ἄδραστος) person
Eriphyle (Ἐριφύλη) person
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
← 2.23.1 2.23.3 →