Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.17.4

← 4.17.3 4.17.5 →

Passage 4.17.4: The "punishment of Neoptolemus": Neoptolemus slain at Delphi after killing Priam.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

περιῆλθε μέντοι καὶ αὐτοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀνὰ χρόνον ἡ Νεοπτολέμειος καλουμένη τίσις. Νεοπτολέμῳ γὰρ τῷ Ἀχιλλέως, ἀποκτείναντι Πρίαμον ἐπὶ τῇ ἐσχάρᾳ τοῦ Ἑρκείου, συνέπεσε καὶ αὐτὸν ἐν Δελφοῖς πρὸς τῷ βωμῷ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος ἀποσφαγῆναι· καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τὸ παθεῖν ὁποῖόν τις καὶ ἔδρασε Νεοπτολέμειον τίσιν ὀνομάζουσι.

English Translation

Yet in due time the Lacedaemonians themselves also experienced the so-called "punishment of Neoptolemus." Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, had slain Priam upon the altar of Zeus Herkeios, and afterwards he himself was likewise slain at Delphi at the altar of Apollo. Due to this occurrence, the suffering of one who endures a fate similar to that he has previously inflicted is called the "punishment of Neoptolemus."

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Herkeios (as an epithet, usually of Zeus) (Ἑρκεῖος) deity
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Neoptolemus (Νεοπτόλεμος) person
Priam (Πρίαμος) person
Achilles (Ἀχιλλεύς) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
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