Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.23.8

← 4.23.7 4.23.9 →

Passage 4.23.8: Anaxilas urges slaughter of the besieged Zanclaeans.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τότε δὲ τοὺς Ζαγκλαίους ὅ τε Ἀναξίλας ναυσὶν ἀνταναγομένους ἐνίκησε καὶ οἱ Μεσσήνιοι μάχῃ πεζῇ· Ζαγκλαῖοι δὲ κατὰ γῆν τε ὑπὸ Μεσσηνίων καὶ ναυσὶν ἅμα ἐκ θαλάσσης ὑπὸ Ῥηγίνων πολιορκούμενοι, καὶ ἁλισκομένου σφίσιν ἤδη τοῦ τείχους, ἐπί τε βωμοὺς θεῶν καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἱερὰ καταφεύγουσιν. Ἀναξίλας μὲν οὖν τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις παρεκελεύετο τούς τε ἱκετεύοντας Ζαγκλαίων ἀποκτείνειν καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς γυναιξὶν ὁμοῦ καὶ παισὶν ἀνδραποδίσασθαι·

English Translation

Then Anaxilas defeated the Zanclaeans in a naval engagement, while simultaneously the Messenians defeated them in a pitched land battle. Besieged thus on land by the Messenians and at sea simultaneously by the Rhegians, the Zanclaeans, with their walls already falling into enemy hands, fled for refuge to the altars of the gods and into the sacred precincts. Anaxilas strongly urged the Messenians to kill the Zanclaeans who were supplicating and to enslave the rest along with their women and children.

Proper Nouns

god (θεός) deity
Zanklaians (Ζάγκλαιοι) person
Also in: 4.23.6 4.23.9
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Anaxilas (Ἀναξίλας) person
Rheginians (Ῥηγῖνοι) person
← 4.23.7 4.23.9 →