Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.1.6

← 3.1.5 3.1.7 →

Passage 3.1.6: Aristodemus died at Delphi.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

συναρέσαι γὰρ τῇ Πυθίᾳ φασίν. Ἀριστοδήμῳ δὲ αὐτῷ πρότερον τὴν τελευτὴν συμβῆναι λέγουσιν ἐν Δελφοῖς πρὶν ἢ Δωριέας κατελθεῖν ἐς Πελοπόννησον. οἱ μὲν δὴ ἀποσεμνύνοντες τὰ ἐς αὐτὸν τοξευθῆναι λέγουσιν Ἀριστόδημον ὑπὸ Ἀπόλλωνος, ὅτι οὐκ ἀφίκοιτο ἐπὶ τὸ μαντεῖον, παρὰ δὲ Ἡρακλέους ἐντυχόντος οἱ πρότερον πύθοιτο ὡς ἐς Πελοπόννησον Δωριεῦσι γενήσεται ἥδε ἡ κάθοδος· ὁ δὲ ἀληθέστερος ἔχει λόγος Πυλάδου τοὺς παῖδας καὶ Ἠλέκτρας, ἀνεψιοὺς ὄντας Τισαμενῷ τῷ Ὀρέστου, φονεῦσαι τὸν Ἀριστόδημον.

English Translation

For they say he pleased the Pythia. But Aristodemus himself, it is told, met his death at Delphi before the Dorians descended into the Peloponnesus. Some indeed glorify his story, saying that Aristodemus was shot by Apollo, because he had not approached the oracle but had previously inquired from Heracles, who appeared to him, how the planned descent of the Dorians into the Peloponnesus would turn out. The more truthful account, however, maintains that the sons of Pylades and Electra, cousins of Tisamenus son of Orestes, killed Aristodemus.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Dorieus (Δωριεύς) person
Pythia (Πυθία) person
Pylades (Πυλάδης) person
Tisamenus (Τισαμενός) person
Aristodemos (Ἀριστόδημος) person
Electra (Ἠλέκτρα) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Orestes (Ὀρέστης) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Peloponnese (Πελοπόννησος) place Q78967
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