Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.12.6

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Passage 3.12.6: The Hellenion, the Greek assembly-place with a statue of Athena.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

οὐ μακρὰν δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς ἄγαλμα, ὃ τοὺς ἐς Ἰταλίαν τε καὶ Τάραντα ἀποικισθέντας ἀναθεῖναι λέγουσι. τὸ δὲ χωρίον, ὃ καλοῦσιν Ἑλλήνιον, ἐστὶν εἰρημένον ὡς οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων Ξέρξην διαβαίνοντα ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην παρεσκευάζοντο ἀμυνούμενοι, κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον βουλευσάμενοι τρόπον ὅντινα ἀνθέξουσιν. ὁ δὲ ἕτερος τῶν λόγων τοὺς Μενελάου χάριτι στρατεύσαντας ἐπὶ Ἴλιον βουλεύσασθαί φησιν ἐνταῦθα ὅπως ἀναπλεῦσαί τε ἐς Τροίαν καὶ δίκας δυνήσονται παρὰ Ἀλεξάνδρου λαβεῖν τῆς Ἑλένης ἁρπαγῆς.

English Translation

Not far from it is a statue of Athena, which they say was dedicated by those who colonized Italy and Tarentum. The place, called Hellenion, is said to have received its name because the Greeks assembled here when Xerxes was crossing into Europe, preparing to resist him, and deliberated in this very spot on how they would offer opposition. Another account reports that those who sailed with Menelaus to war against Ilium, gathered here to decide how they might sail to Troy and exact justice from Alexander for abducting Helen.

Proper Nouns

Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) deity
Menelaus (Μενέλαος) person
Xerxes (Ξέρξης) person
Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος) person
Helen (Ἑλένη) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Europe (Εὐρώπη) place Q46 Pleiades
Taras/Tarentum (Τάρας) place
Troy (Τροία) place Q22647
Hellenion (Ἑλλήνιον) place Q124616412
Also in: 3.12.7 3.12.8
Italy (Ἰταλία) place Q913582
Ilium (Ἴλιον) place Q22647
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