Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.28.5

← 2.28.4 2.28.6 →

Passage 2.28.5: Hyrnetho abducted and killed as Deiphontes rescues her; Cerynes slain.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

καὶ τὴν μὲν οὐδὲν ἔτι ἀποκρινάμενοι συλλαμβάνουσιν, ἀναθέντες δὲ ἐς τὸ ἅρμα ἀπήλαυνον· Δηιφόντῃ δὲ ἀγγέλλει τις τῶν Ἐπιδαυρίων ὡς Κερύνης καὶ Φάλκης ἄγοντες οἴχοιντο ἄκουσαν Ὑρνηθώ. ὁ δὲ αὐτός τε ὡς τάχους εἶχεν ἤμυνε καὶ οἱ Ἐπιδαύριοι πυνθανόμενοι προσεβοήθουν. Δηιφόντης δὲ Κερύνην μὲν ὡς κατελάμβανεν ἀναιρεῖ βαλών, Φάλκην δὲ ἐχόμενον Ὑρνηθοῦς βαλεῖν μὲν ἔδεισε, μὴ ἁμαρτὼν γένοιτο αὐτῆς ἐκείνης φονεύς, συμπλακεὶς δὲ ἐπειρᾶτο ἀφαιρεῖσθαι. Φάλκης δὲ ἀντεχόμενος καὶ ἕλκων βιαιότερον ἀπέκτεινεν ἔχουσαν ἐν γαστρί.

English Translation

No longer giving her any reply, they seized her, placed her on the chariot, and drove away. But one of the Epidaurians informed Deiphontes that Cerynes and Phalces had departed, having taken Hyrnetho by force and against her will. Immediately Deiphontes hastened to her aid as swiftly as possible, and the Epidaurians, upon hearing the news, came in support. When Deiphontes overtook Cerynes, he struck and killed him; but as Phalces was holding Hyrnetho closely, Deiphontes feared to cast a spear lest he miss his aim and unwittingly kill her instead. He grappled with Phalces, trying to wrest her away, but Phalces resisted and pulled on her with such violence that he caused her death, though she was pregnant at the time.

Proper Nouns

Deiphontes (Δηιφόντης) person
Ceryne (Κερύνη) person
Phalces (Φάλκης) person
Also in: 2.11.2 2.28.3
Epidaurians (Ἐπίδαυροι) person
Hyrnetho (Ὑρνηθώ) person
← 2.28.4 2.28.6 →