Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.15.5

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Passage 4.15.5: Aristomenes dedicates a captured Spartan shield in Athena Chalkioikos

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

παραιτουμένου τε, οὕτω στρατηγὸν αὐτοκράτορα εἵλοντο. Ἀριστομένει δὲ παρίστατο μηδʼ ἂν ἄλλον ἀπαξιῶσαι παθεῖν τι ἐν πολέμῳ δράσαντα ἄξια μνήμης· αὑτῷ μέντοι καὶ πρὸ παντὸς ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι, ἔτι ἀρχομένου τοῦ πολέμου Λακεδαιμονίους καταπλήξαντα φαίνεσθαι καὶ ἐς τὰ μέλλοντά σφισι φοβερώτερον. ἅτε δὲ οὕτως ἔχων, ἀφικόμενος νύκτωρ ἐς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα ἀνατίθησιν ἀσπίδα πρὸς τὸν τῆς Χαλκιοίκου ναόν· ἐπεγέγραπτο δὲ Ἀριστομένην ἀπὸ Σπαρτιατῶν διδόναι τῇ θεῷ.

English Translation

Even though he declined, nonetheless they chose him as sole general. Aristomenes himself believed that he would not begrudge another who had done something noteworthy in war achieving distinction; yet as for himself, he considered it altogether vital from the very beginning of the war to strike terror into the Lacedaemonians and to appear more formidable still regarding the events to come. Because he held this belief, he arrived one night into Lacedaemon and dedicated a shield in the temple of Athena Chalkioikos; inscribed upon it was that Aristomenes offered it to the goddess as a gift taken from the Spartans.

Proper Nouns

Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Spartiates (Σπαρτιάται) person
Aristomenes (Ἀριστομένης) person
Lacedaemon (Λακεδαίμων) place Q5690 Pleiades
Chalkioikos (Χαλκιοῖκος) place Q124257868
Also in: 3.17.5 3.17.6
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