Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.1.4

← 3.1.3 3.1.5 →

Passage 3.1.4: Hippocoön usurps the Spartan kingship from Tyndareus.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

Κυνόρτα δὲ ἐγένετο Οἴβαλος. οὗτος Γοργοφόνην τε τὴν Περσέως γυναῖκα ἔσχεν ἐξ Ἄργους καὶ παῖδα ἔσχε Τυνδάρεων, ᾧ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας Ἱπποκόων ἠμφισβήτει καὶ κατὰ πρεσβείαν ἔχειν ἠξίου τὴν ἀρχήν. προσλαβὼν δὲ Ἰκάριον καὶ τοὺς στασιώτας παρὰ πολύ τε ὑπερεβάλετο δυνάμει Τυνδάρεων καὶ ἠνάγκασεν ἀποχωρῆσαι δείσαντα, ὡς μὲν Λακεδαιμόνιοί φασιν, ἐς Πελλάναν, Μεσσηνίων δέ ἐστιν ἐς αὐτὸν λόγος Τυνδάρεων φεύγοντα ἐλθεῖν ὡς Ἀφαρέα ἐς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν εἶναί τε Ἀφαρέα τὸν Περιήρους ἀδελφὸν Τυνδάρεω πρὸς μητρός· καὶ οἰκῆσαί τε αὐτὸν τῆς Μεσσηνίας φασὶν ἐν Θαλάμαις καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἐνταῦθα οἰκοῦντι αὐτῷ γενέσθαι.

English Translation

From Cynortas was born Oibalos. He married Gorgophone, the wife of Perseus, from Argos, and had a son Tyndareus. Hippocoön contended with this Tyndareus about the kingship, arguing that he had the stronger claim by birthright. Taking on his side Icarius and his followers, Hippocoön far surpassed Tyndareus in strength and compelled him to flee in fear. According to the Lacedaemonians, he withdrew to Pellana, but the Messenians have a different tradition concerning him; they say that when Tyndareus was driven into exile, he came to Aphareus in Messenia. Aphareus, the son of Perieres, was Tyndareus' maternal half-brother. They claim further that Tyndareus lived in Thalamae in Messenia, and that here, while he was residing there, his children were born.

Proper Nouns

Gorgophone (Γοργοφόνη) person
Also in: 2.21.7 4.2.4
Cynortas (Κυνόρτας) person
Also in: 3.1.3
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Oibalos (Οἴβαλος) person
Also in: 3.15.10 4.12.8
Perieres (Περιήρης) person
Perseus (Περσεύς) person
Tyndareus (Τυνδάρεως) person
Aphareus (Ἀφαρεύς) person
Icarius (Ἰκάριος) person
Hippocoön (Ἱπποκόων) person
Thalamae (Θαλάμαι) place Q16643340
Also in: 3.21.7 3.26.1
Messenia (Μεσσηνία) place Q1247159
Pellana (Πέλλανα) place Q56399014
Also in: 3.21.2 6.8.5
Argos (Ἄργος) place Q13533353
← 3.1.3 3.1.5 →