Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.17.8

← 3.17.7 3.17.9 →

Passage 3.17.8: Cleonice, a maiden of Byzantium, slain by Pausanias.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ὡς γὰρ δὴ διέτριβε περὶ Ἑλλήσποντον ναυσὶ τῶν τε ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων καὶ αὐτῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, παρθένου Βυζαντίας ἐπεθύμησε· καὶ αὐτίκα νυκτὸς ἀρχομένης τὴν Κλεονίκην---τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα ἦν τῇ κόρῃ---κομίζουσιν οἷς ἐπετέτακτο. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ὑπνωμένον τὸν Παυσανίαν ἐπήγειρεν ὁ ψόφος· ἰοῦσα γὰρ παρʼ αὐτὸν τὸν καιόμενον λύχνον κατέβαλεν ἄκουσα. ἅτε δὲ ὁ Παυσανίας συνειδὼς αὑτῷ προδιδόντι τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ ἐχόμενος ταραχῇ τε ἀεὶ καὶ δείματι, ἐξέστη καὶ τότε καὶ τὴν παῖδα τῷ ἀκινάκῃ παίει.

English Translation

For when he was lingering around the Hellespont with ships both of other Greeks and of the Spartans themselves, he conceived a desire for a young maiden of Byzantium. As soon as night fell, Cleonice—for this was the girl's name—was brought to him by those charged with the task. But as Pausanias slept, a noise awoke him: for the girl, as she approached, accidentally knocked over the burning lamp. Pausanias, conscious of his own betrayal of Greece and continually possessed by turmoil and fear because of it, panicked at that moment also and struck the maiden down with his sword.

Proper Nouns

maiden (παρθένος) other
Cleonice (Κλεονίκη) person
Also in: 3.17.9
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Pausanias (Παυσανίας) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Byzantium (Βυζάντιον) place Q23725
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
Hellespont (Ἑλλήσποντος) place Q1250462
← 3.17.7 3.17.9 →