Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.20.1

← 4.19.6 4.20.2 →

Passage 4.20.1: Delphic oracle to Aristomenes predicting Messene's destruction

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἑνδεκάτῳ δὲ ἔτει τῆς πολιορκίας τήν τε Εἶραν ἐπέπρωτο ἁλῶναι καὶ ἀναστάτους γενέσθαι Μεσσηνίους, καὶ δή σφισιν ἐπετέλεσεν ὁ θεὸς Ἀριστομένει καὶ Θεόκλῳ χρησθέν τι. τούτοις γὰρ ἐλθοῦσιν ἐς Δελφοὺς μετὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τάφρῳ πληγὴν καὶ ἐπερομένοις ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τοσόνδε εἶπεν ἡ Πυθία· εὖτε τράγος πίνῃσι Νέδης ἑλικόρροον ὕδωρ, οὐκέτι Μεσσήνην ῥύομαι· σχεδόθεν γὰρ ὄλεθρος.

English Translation

In the eleventh year of the siege, it was fated that Eira should be captured and the Messenians driven from their land. Indeed, the god fulfilled an oracle delivered earlier to Aristomenes and Theoclus. After their defeat at the trench, they traveled to Delphi and consulted the oracle concerning their safety, and the Pythia replied only this: "When a he-goat drinks the winding waters of the Neda, no longer shall I guard Messene, for destruction is near."

Proper Nouns

god (θεός) deity
Theoclus (Θεόκλος) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιος) person
Pythia (Πυθία) person
Aristomenes (Ἀριστομένης) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Eira (Εἶρα) place Q16575287
Messene (Μεσσήνη) place Q1022117
Neda (Νέδη) place Q1641987
← 4.19.6 4.20.2 →