Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.26.7

← 4.26.6 4.26.8 →

Passage 4.26.7: Epiteles digs on Ithome, finds a bronze urn and rescues an imprisoned old woman.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ μὲν ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, Ἐπιτέλει δὲ τῷ Αἰσχίνου τάδε ἐμήνυε---στρατηγεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ Ἀργεῖοι τὸν Ἐπιτέλην καὶ Μεσσήνην ἀνοικίζειν ᾕρηντο--- τοῦτον οὖν τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκέλευεν ὁ ὄνειρος, ἔνθα ἂν τῆς Ἰθώμης εὕρῃ πεφυκυῖαν σμίλακα καὶ μυρσίνην, τὸ μέσον ὀρύξαντα αὐτῶν ἀνασῶσαι τὴν γραῦν· κάμνειν γὰρ ἐν τῷ χαλκῷ καθειργμένην θαλάμῳ καὶ ἤδη λιποψυχεῖν αὐτήν. ὁ δὲ Ἐπιτέλης, ὡς ἐπελάμβανεν ἡμέρα, παραγενόμενος ἐς τὸ εἰρημένον χωρίον ἐπέτυχεν ὀρύσσων ὑδρίᾳ χαλκῇ, καὶ αὐτίκα παρὰ τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν

English Translation

These words he spoke to Epaminondas; but to Epiteles, the son of Aeschines—whom the Argives had chosen as their general to resettle Messene—the dream gave the following message: it bid this man, wherever on Ithome he found a growing ivy and myrtle, to dig between them and rescue the old woman, who lay exhausted and close to fainting, imprisoned in a bronze chamber. Therefore Epiteles, as soon as day dawned, went to the appointed place and began digging; he quickly chanced upon a bronze water-urn, and then immediately went to Epaminondas.

Proper Nouns

Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) people
Aischines/Aeschines (Αἰσχίνης) person
Also in: 6.14.13
Epaminondas (Ἐπαμινώνδας) person
Epiteles (Ἐπιτέλης) person
Also in: 4.26.8
Messene (Μεσσήνη) place Q1022117
Ithome (Ἰθώμη) place Q602538
← 4.26.6 4.26.8 →