Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.25.4

← 2.25.3 2.25.5 →

Passage 2.25.4: Argive festival of torches

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ταύτῃ μὲν δὴ θέας οὐδὲν ἔτι ἦν ἄξιον· ἑτέρα δὲ ὁδὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πυλῶν τῶν πρὸς τῇ Δειράδι ἐστὶν ἐπὶ Λύρκειαν. ἐς τοῦτο λέγεται τὸ χωρίον Λυγκέα ἀποσωθῆναι τῶν πεντήκοντα ἀδελφῶν μόνον· καὶ ἡνίκα ἐσώθη, πυρσὸν ἀνέσχεν ἐντεῦθεν. συνέκειτο δὲ ἄρα αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν Ὑπερμήστραν ἀνασχεῖν τὸν πυρσόν, ἢν διαφυγὼν Δαναὸν ἐς ἀσφαλὲς ἀφίκηταί ποι· τὴν δὲ καὶ αὐτὴν ἀνάψαι λέγουσιν ἕτερον ἀπὸ τῆς Λαρίσης, δῆλα καὶ ταύτην ποιοῦσαν ὅτι ἐν οὐδενὶ οὐδὲ αὐτὴ καθέστηκεν ἔτι κινδύνῳ. ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ Ἀργεῖοι κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον πυρσῶν ἑορτὴν ἄγουσι.

English Translation

In this direction, indeed, there was no longer anything worth seeing; but another road leads from the gates near Deiras toward Lyrceia. At this spot, it is said, Lynceus alone survived of his fifty brothers; and as soon as he was safe, he raised a torch from there. For he had agreed with Hypermnestra to signal by torchlight if he reached safety, having escaped Danaus; and they say that she herself also, on her part, raised another torch from Larisa, thus plainly indicating that she too was no longer in any danger. For this reason the Argives annually celebrate a festival of torches.

Proper Nouns

Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) other
Danaus (Δαναός) person
Lynceus (Λυγκέας) person
Hypermnestra (Ὑπερμήστρα) person
Deiras (Δειράς) place Q4346630
Also in: 2.24.1 2.25.1
Larisa (Λάρισα) place Q178405 Pleiades
Lyrceia (Λύρκεια) place Q16591866
← 2.25.3 2.25.5 →