Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.21.10

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Passage 4.21.10: Theoclus predicts Messene's fall and charges the Lacedaemonians

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

παραστὰς οὖν ὁ μάντις Θέοκλος πρὸς Ἀριστομένην εἶπε· "τί μάτην τόνδε ἔχεις τὸν πόνον; ἁλῶναι Μεσσήνην πάντως ἐστὶ πεπρωμένον, συμφορὰν δὲ τὴν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς πάλαι τε ἡμῖν προεσήμαινεν ἡ Πυθία καὶ ἔναγχος ὁ ἐρινεὸς ἔδειξεν. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ὁ θεὸς αὐτῷ κοινὴν πρὸς τὴν πατρίδα ἐπάγει τὴν τελευτήν· σὺ δὲ σώζειν μὲν ὡς δυνάμεως ἥκεις Μεσσηνίους, σώζειν δὲ καὶ σαυτόν." ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς τοῦτον, ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἔθει· καί οἱ καὶ ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἔπεισιν ἐκβοῆσαι τοσόνδε· "ἀλλʼ οὔ τοι τὸν πάντα γε χρόνον χαίροντες καρπώσεσθε τὰ Μεσσηνίων."

English Translation

Then the seer Theoclus stood beside Aristomenes and said, "Why do you persist in this labor in vain? It is fated that Messene must inevitably fall; long ago the Pythia foretold this misfortune now before our eyes, and recently, too, the fig-tree showed us the same. For me personally, the god brings death shared with my country; but you have come to save the Messenians as best you can—now also save yourself." After speaking thus to Aristomenes, he rushed upon the enemy, and charging against the Lacedaemonians, cried aloud: "Yet know this: you will not forever rejoice in reaping the spoils of Messene!"

Proper Nouns

Pythia (Πυθία) deity
Theoklos (Θέοκλος) person Q31790263
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Aristomenes (Ἀριστομένης) person
Messene (Μεσσήνη) place Q1022117
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