Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.14.3

← 3.14.2 3.14.4 →

Passage 3.14.3: Chionis of Sparta’s Olympic victories and role in founding Cyrene

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐγγυτάτω δὲ τῶν μνημάτων ἃ τοῖς Ἀγιάδαις πεποίηται στήλην ὄψει, γεγραμμέναι δέ εἰσιν ἃς Χίονις ἀνὴρ Λακεδαιμόνιος δρόμου νίκας ἀνείλετο ἄλλας τε καὶ Ὀλυμπίασιν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἑπτὰ ἐγένοντό οἱ νῖκαι, τέσσαρες μὲν σταδίου, διαύλου δὲ αἱ λοιπαί· τὸν δὲ σὺν τῇ ἀσπίδι δρόμον ἐπὶ ἀγῶνι λήγοντι οὐ συνέβαινεν εἶναί πω. Χίονιν δὲ καὶ τοῦ στόλου μετασχεῖν τῷ Θηραίῳ Βάττῳ καὶ Κυρήνην οἰκίσαι σὺν ἐκείνῳ καὶ Λιβύων καταστρέψασθαι τοὺς προσχώρους λέγουσιν.

English Translation

Nearest to the tombs built for the Agiadai, you will see a pillar, on which are recorded the victories that Chionis, a man of Lacedaemon, won at running, including those at Olympia: here he gained seven victories, four in the stadion race, and the rest in the diaulos (double course). At that time the race in armor ("race with the shield") had not yet been established as an event. They say also that Chionis took part in the expedition of Battus of Thera, helped him found Cyrene, and assisted in subduing the neighboring Libyans.

Proper Nouns

Battos (Βάττος) person Q409834
Also in: 10.15.6 10.15.7
Theraean (Θηραῖος) person
Libyans (Λίβυες) person
Lacedaemonian (Λακεδαιμόνιος) person
Chionis (Χίονις) person
Also in: 4.23.4 4.23.10
Agiads (Ἀγιάδαι) person
Also in: 3.14.2
Cyrene (Κυρήνη) place Q44112
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
← 3.14.2 3.14.4 →