Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.24.2

← 4.24.1 4.24.3 →

Passage 4.24.2: Damagetus of Ialysus marries Aristomenes' daughter on the Pythia's instruction.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Δαμαγήτῳ δὲ Ῥοδίῳ βασιλεύοντι ἐν Ἰαλυσῷ, τότε δὲ ἥκοντι παρὰ τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα καὶ ἐρωτῶντι ὁπόθεν ἀγαγέσθαι χρὴ γυναῖκα, ἔχρησεν ἡ Πυθία θυγατέρα ἀνδρὸς τῶν Ἑλλήνων τοῦ ἀρίστου λαβεῖν. ὁ δὲ---ἦν γὰρ καὶ τρίτη τῷ Ἀριστομένει θυγάτηρ--- γαμεῖ ταύτην, Ἑλλήνων τῶν τότε ἐκεῖνον μακρῷ δή τινι ἄριστον νομίζων. Ἀριστομένης δὲ ἐς μὲν τὴν Ῥόδον ἀφίκετο σὺν τῇ θυγατρί, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἔς τε Σάρδεις ἐνενόει παρὰ Ἄρδυν τὸν Γύγου καὶ ἐς Ἐκβάτανα τὰ Μηδικὰ ἀναβῆναι παρὰ τὸν βασιλέα Φραόρτην·

English Translation

When Damagetus, who was king of Ialysus in Rhodes, went at this time to the oracle of Apollo and inquired from where he should take a wife, the Pythia replied that he must marry the daughter of the best man among the Greeks. He therefore married the third daughter of Aristomenes, judging him by far the best of all Greeks of that time. Aristomenes accompanied his daughter as far as Rhodes, and from there intended to journey onward—to Sardis, to Ardys son of Gyges, and then up to Ecbatana, the Median capital, to King Phraortes.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) other
Gyges (Γύγης) person Q312537
Also in: 4.21.5 9.29.4
Damagetus (Δαμαγήτης) person Q11916513
Pythia (Πυθία) person
Phraortes (Φραόρτης) person
Aristomenes (Ἀριστομένης) person
Ardys (Ἄρδυς) person
Rhodian (Ῥόδιος) person
Media (Μηδικά) place
Also in: 1.16.3
Sardis (Σάρδεις) place Q232615
Also in: 3.9.5 3.9.8 5.6.5
Ecbatana (Ἐκβάτανα) place Q696193
Also in: 1.16.3
Ialysus (Ἰαλυσός) place Q29963099
Rhodes (Ῥόδος) place Q13533316
← 4.24.1 4.24.3 →