Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.16.1

← 4.15.8 4.16.2 →

Passage 4.16.1: Seers Hecas and Theoclus offer pre-battle sacrifices for the Lacedaemonians and Messenians.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ὡς δὲ ἀμφοτέροις προεθύσαντο οἱ μάντεις, Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν Ἕκας ἀπόγονός τε καὶ ὁμώνυμος Ἕκα τοῦ σὺν τοῖς Ἀριστοδήμου παισὶν ἐλθόντος ἐς Σπάρτην, τοῖς δὲ Μεσσηνίοις Θέοκλος---ἐγεγόνει δὲ ὁ Θέοκλος οὗτος ἀπὸ Εὐμάντιδος, Εὔμαντιν δὲ ὄντα Ἠλεῖον τῶν Ἰαμιδῶν Κρεσφόντης ἐπηγάγετο ἐς Μεσσήνην---τότε δὲ παρόντων καὶ τῶν μάντεων σὺν φρονήματι ἀμφότεροι μᾶλλον ἠπείγοντο ἐς τὴν μάχην.

English Translation

And after the seers had offered preliminary sacrifices for both sides—on behalf of the Lacedaemonians, Hecas, a descendant and namesake of that Hecas who had come to Sparta together with the sons of Aristodemus; and on behalf of the Messenians, Theoclus, who was descended from Eumantis (this Eumantis was an Elean, one of the Iamidae, whom Cresphontes had brought into Messene)—then, indeed, with the seers themselves present, both sides, encouraged in spirit, pressed on eagerly to the battle.

Proper Nouns

Eumantis (Εὐμαντίς) person
Eumantis (Εὔμαντις) person
Theoklos (Θέοκλος) person Q31790263
Cresphontes (Κρεσφόντης) person
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Aristodemus (Ἀριστοδήμος) person
Hekas (Ἕκας) person
Also in: 4.21.7 4.21.12
Eleians (Ἠλεῖος) person
Iamidai (Ἰαμίδαι) person
Messene (Μεσσήνη) place Q1022117
Sparta (Σπάρτη) place Q5690 Pleiades
← 4.15.8 4.16.2 →