Pausanias Analysis

Passage 3.9.2

← 3.9.1 3.9.3 →

Passage 3.9.2: Corinthian temple of Zeus Olympios burns as an ill omen.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Κορίνθιοι μὲν οὖν, καίπερ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ἔχοντες προθύμως μετασχεῖν τοῦ ἐς τὴν Ἀσίαν στόλου, κατακαυθέντος σφίσιν ἐξαίφνης ναοῦ Διὸς ἐπίκλησιν Ὀλυμπίου, ποιησάμενοι πονηρὸν οἰωνὸν καταμένουσιν ἄκοντες. Ἀθηναίοις δὲ ἦν μὲν ἡ πρόφασις ἐκ τοῦ Πελοποννησίων πολέμου καὶ ἐκ νόσου τῆς λοιμώδους ἐπανήκειν τὴν πόλιν ἐς τὴν πρότερόν ποτε οὖσαν εὐδαιμονίαν· πυνθανόμενοι δὲ διʼ ἀγγέλων ὡς Κόνων ὁ Τιμοθέου παρὰ βασιλέα ἀναβεβηκὼς εἴη, κατὰ τοῦτο ἡσύχαζον μάλιστα.

English Translation

The Corinthians, for their part, although extremely eager to join the expedition against Asia, remained behind reluctantly, having received an unfavorable omen when their temple dedicated to Zeus Olympios suddenly burned down. As for the Athenians, their pretext was that the city was only just recovering from the Peloponnesian war and the widespread plague that had afflicted it, and had not yet returned to its earlier prosperity. In particular, hearing through messengers that Conon, the son of Timotheus, had gone up to the Persian king, they were for this reason especially inclined toward quiet inactivity.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Olympian (Ὀλύμπιος) deity
Corinthians (Κορίνθιοι) person
Conon (Κόνων) person
Peloponnesians (Πελοπόννησος) person
Also in: 8.8.6
Timotheus (Τιμόθεος) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Asia (Ἀσία) place Q210718
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