Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.12.7

← 3.12.6 3.12.8 →

Passage 3.12.7: Talthybius' tomb and his wrath over the murder of Persian heralds

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

τοῦ δὲ Ἑλληνίου πλησίον Ταλθυβίου μνῆμα ἀποφαίνουσι· δεικνύουσι δὲ καὶ Ἀχαιῶν Αἰγιεῖς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, Ταλθυβίου καὶ οὗτοι φάμενοι μνῆμα εἶναι. Ταλθυβίου δὲ τούτου μήνιμα ἐπὶ τῷ φόνῳ τῶν κηρύκων, οἳ παρὰ βασιλέως Δαρείου γῆν τε καὶ ὕδωρ αἰτήσοντες ἐς τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπέμφθησαν, Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν ἐπεσήμαινεν ἐς τὸ δημόσιον, ἐν Ἀθήναις δὲ ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ ἐς ἑνὸς οἶκον ἀνδρὸς κατέσκηψε Μιλτιάδου τοῦ Κίμωνος· ἐγεγόνει δὲ καὶ τῶν κηρύκων τοῖς ἐλθοῦσιν ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν ὁ Μιλτιάδης ἀποθανεῖν αἴτιος ὑπὸ Ἀθηναίων.

English Translation

Near the Hellēnion, they point out the tomb of Talthybius. The Achaeans of Aegium also show a monument in their agora, claiming it as that of Talthybius. The wrath of this Talthybius over the murder of the heralds who had been sent by King Darius into Greece to demand earth and water fell upon the state of the Lacedaemonians as a whole; but among the Athenians it descended privately, and upon the household of one man—Miltiades, son of Cimon. Miltiades had, indeed, been primarily responsible, in the eyes of the Athenians, for the killing of the heralds who had come to Attica.

Proper Nouns

Aigeans (of Aigeira) (Αἰγειαῖοι) person
Darius (Δαρεῖος) person Q44387
Cimon (Κίμων) person
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Miltiades (Μιλτιάδης) person
Talthybius (Ταλθύβιος) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Achaeans (Ἀχαιοί) person
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
Attica (Ἀττική) place Q122443
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
Hellenion (Ἑλλήνιον) place Q124616412
Also in: 3.12.6 3.12.8
← 3.12.6 3.12.8 →