Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.26.1

← 2.25.10 2.26.2 →

Passage 2.26.1: Sanctuary of Asklepios near Epidauros.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

κατὰ δὲ τὴν Λῆσσαν ἔχεται τῆς Ἀργείας ἡ Ἐπιδαυρίων· πρὶν δὲ ἢ κατʼ αὐτὴν γενέσθαι τὴν πόλιν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἀφίξῃ τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ. ταύτην τὴν χώραν οὐκ οἶδα οἵτινες πρότερον ᾤκησαν πρὶν Ἐπίδαυρον ἐλθεῖν ἐς αὐτήν· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τοὺς ἀπογόνους Ἐπιδαύρου πυθέσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων ἐδυνάμην. τελευταῖον δὲ πρὶν ἢ παραγενέσθαι Δωριέας ἐς Πελοπόννησον βασιλεῦσαί φασι Πιτυρέα Ἴωνος ἀπόγονον τοῦ Ξούθου. τοῦτον παραδοῦναι λέγουσιν ἀμαχεὶ τὴν γῆν Δηιφόντῃ καὶ Ἀργείοις·

English Translation

Bordering upon Argolis, near Lessa, lies the territory of Epidauros. But before reaching the city itself, you will arrive at the sanctuary of Asklepios. Concerning the earlier inhabitants of this region, prior to Epidauros settling there, I cannot say who they were, nor was I able to hear anything from the local people about Epidauros' descendants. They say, however, that before the arrival of the Dorians into the Peloponnese, the last king there was Pityreus, a descendant of Ion, the son of Xouthos. They add that he surrendered his land without a fight to Deiphontes and the Argives.

Proper Nouns

Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity
Deiphontes (Δηιφόντης) person
Dorieus (Δωριεύς) person
Xuthus (Ξοῦθος) person
Pityreus (Πιτυρεύς) person
Also in: 7.4.2
Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) person
Epidaurus (Ἐπίδαυρος) person
Also in: 2.26.2 2.28.3
Ion (Ἴων) person
Lessa (Λῆσσα) place Q12880025
Also in: 2.25.10
Peloponnese (Πελοπόννησος) place Q78967
Argolis (Ἀργεία) place Q12649101
Epidaurus (Ἐπίδαυρος) place Q233576
← 2.25.10 2.26.2 →