Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.14.1

← 3.13.9 3.14.2 →

Passage 3.14.1: Memorials at Plataea honoring Leonidas, Pausanias, and Brasidas

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἀγορᾶς πρὸς ἥλιον ἰόντι δυόμενον τάφος κενὸς Βρασίδᾳ τῷ Τέλλιδος πεποίηται· ἀπέχει δὲ οὐ πολὺ τοῦ τάφου τὸ θέατρον, λίθου λευκοῦ, θέας ἄξιον. τοῦ θεάτρου δὲ ἀπαντικρὺ Παυσανίου τοῦ Πλαταιᾶσιν ἡγησαμένου μνῆμά ἐστι, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Λεωνίδου--- καὶ λόγους κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς λέγουσι καὶ τιθέασιν ἀγῶνα, ἐν ᾧ πλὴν Σπαρτιατῶν ἄλλῳ γε οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγωνίζεσθαι---, τὰ δὲ ὀστᾶ τοῦ Λεωνίδου τεσσαράκοντα ἔτεσιν ὕστερον ἀνελομένου ἐκ Θερμοπυλῶν τοῦ Παυσανίου. κεῖται δὲ καὶ στήλη πατρόθεν τὰ ὀνόματα ἔχουσα οἳ πρὸς Μήδους τὸν ἐν Θερμοπύλαις ἀγῶνα ὑπέμειναν.

English Translation

From the marketplace, going toward the setting sun, there is the empty tomb built in honor of Brasidas, son of Tellis. Not far from this tomb is the theater, constructed from white stone, worthy of seeing. Opposite the theater is the memorial of Pausanias, who led the forces at Plataea, and another belonging to Leonidas. Each year they recite speeches over these tombs and hold contests, in which no one except Spartans is permitted to compete. The bones of Leonidas were brought back from Thermopylae by Pausanias forty years later. There stands also a stele bearing the names according to their paternal lineage of those who endured the fight against the Medes at Thermopylae.

Proper Nouns

Brasidas (Βρασίδας) person Q311742
Leonidas (Λεωνίδης) person
Mede (Μῆδος) person
Pausanias (Παυσανίας) person
Spartiates (Σπαρτιάται) person
Tellis (Τέλλις) person
Also in: 7.6.2
Thermopylae (Θερμοπῦλαι) place Q194450 Pleiades
Plataea (Πλαταιαί) place Q742538
← 3.13.9 3.14.2 →