Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.6.5

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Passage 3.6.5: Lacedaemonians and King Areus decide to attack Antigonus to relieve Athens.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

περικαθημένου δὲ Ἀντιγόνου τὰς Ἀθήνας καὶ τῆς ἐσόδου τῆς ἐς τὴν πόλιν τὰ Ἀθηναίων συμμαχικὰ εἴργοντος, Πάτροκλος ἀποστέλλων ἀγγέλους προέτρεπε Λακεδαιμονίους καὶ Ἀρέα ἄρχειν πρὸς Ἀντίγονον μάχης, ἐκείνων δὲ ἀρξάντων οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ νώτου τοῖς Μακεδόσιν ἔφασκεν ἐπικείσεσθαι· πρότερον δὲ οὐκ εἰκὸς εἶναι σφᾶς Αἰγυπτίους τε ὄντας καὶ ναύτας Μακεδόσιν ἐπιέναι πεζῇ. Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν δὴ παρακινδυνεύειν ὥρμηντο Ἀθηναίων τε εὐνοίᾳ καί τι καὶ ἄξιον μνήμης ἐς τοὺς ἔπειτα ἐργάσασθαι προθυμούμενοι·

English Translation

When Antigonus had blockaded Athens and was preventing their allies from entering the city, Patroclus sent messengers urging the Lacedaemonians and their king Areus to initiate battle against Antigonus. He claimed that once they had begun the attack, he himself would fall upon the Macedonians from behind. Prior to that, he stated, it was not reasonable for himself and his Egyptian sailors to advance by land against Macedonians. The Lacedaemonians, indeed, resolved to risk battle both out of goodwill toward the Athenians and from a desire to accomplish some notable deed worthy of remembrance by future generations.

Proper Nouns

Ares (Ἄρης) deity
Egyptians (Αἰγύπτιοι) person
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Macedonians (Μακεδόνες) person
Patroclus (Πάτροκλος) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Antigonus (Ἀντίγονος) person
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
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