Pausanias Analysis

Passage 2.33.3

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Passage 2.33.3: The monument of Demosthenes.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

τοῦ περιβόλου δὲ ἐντὸς καὶ τὸ Δημοσθένους μνῆμά ἐστι. καί μοι τὸ δαιμόνιον δεῖξαι μάλιστα ἐπὶ τούτου δοκεῖ καὶ Ὁμήρου πρότερον ὡς εἴη βάσκανον, εἰ δὴ Ὅμηρον μὲν προδιεφθαρμένον τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπὶ τοσούτῳ κακῷ κακὸν δεύτερον πενία πιέζουσα ἐπὶ πᾶσαν γῆν πτωχεύοντα ἦγε, Δημοσθένει δὲ φυγῆς τε συνέπεσεν ἐν γήρᾳ λαβεῖν πεῖραν καὶ ὁ θάνατος ἐγένετο οὕτω βίαιος. εἴρηται μὲν οὖν περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄλλοις καὶ αὐτῷ Δημοσθένει πλεῖστα, ἦ μὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἃ ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίας ἤγαγεν Ἅρπαλος μὴ μεταλαβεῖν αὐτόν·

English Translation

Within the enclosure is also the monument of Demosthenes. In this particular instance especially, I think, divine power has revealed how malevolent fortune can be, just as it did before in Homer’s case. Homer’s eyes were already ruined, yet on top of this great misfortune came the further hardship of poverty, driving him onward as a beggar throughout all lands. So too Demosthenes, in his old age, experienced exile, and his death turned out to be so violent. Now certainly much about him has been said by others, and indeed by Demosthenes himself—but at least he never shared in the money that Harpalus brought over from Asia.

Proper Nouns

Demosthenes (Δημοσθένης) person Q504986
Harpalus (Ἅρπαλος) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
Asia (Ἀσία) place Q210718
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