Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.3.2

← 4.3.1 4.3.3 →

Passage 4.3.2: Machaon's tomb at Gerenia

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

καὶ γὰρ τοὺς Ἀσκληπιοῦ παῖδας στρατεῦσαί φασιν ἐπʼ Ἴλιον Μεσσηνίους ὄντας, Ἀρσινόης γὰρ Ἀσκληπιὸν τῆς Λευκίππου καὶ οὐ Κορωνίδος παῖδα εἶναι· καὶ Τρίκκαν τε καλοῦσιν ἔρημον ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ χωρίον καὶ ἔπη τῶν Ὁμήρου καταλέγουσιν, ἐν οἷς τὸν Μαχάονα ὁ Νέστωρ τῷ ὀιστῷ βεβλημένον περιέπων ἐστὶν εὐνοϊκῶς· οὐκ ἂν οὖν αὐτὸν εἰ μὴ ἐς γείτονα καὶ ἀνθρώπων βασιλέα ὁμοφύλων προθυμίαν τοσήνδε γε ἐπιδείξασθαι. οἳ δὲ καὶ μάλιστα ἤδη βεβαιοῦνται τὸν ἐς τοὺς Ἀσκληπιάδας λόγον, ἀποφαίνοντες ἐν Γερηνίᾳ Μαχάονος μνῆμα καὶ τὸ ἐν Φαραῖς τῶν Μαχάονος παίδων ἱερόν.

English Translation

For they say that even the sons of Asclepius joined the expedition against Ilium, being themselves Messenians. For, according to their account, Asclepius was the son of Arsinoe, daughter of Leucippus, rather than of Coronis. They also call 'Tricca' a deserted place in Messenia, and quote Homeric verses, wherein Nestor kindly tends Machaon when struck by an arrow. Indeed, he would never have shown such marked concern if Machaon had not been a neighbor and king among kindred peoples. Those who seek above all else to confirm this account about the Asclepiadae point to the tomb of Machaon at Gerenia and to the sanctuary of the sons of Machaon at Pharae.

Proper Nouns

Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός) deity
Koronis (Κορωνίς) person
Leucippus (Λεύκιππος) person
Machaon (Μαχάων) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιος) person
Nestor (Νέστωρ) person
Arsinoe (Ἀρσινόη) person
Asklepiadai (descendants of Asklepios) (Ἀσκληπιάδαι) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
Gerenia (Γερηνία) place Q5550565
Messenia (Μεσσηνία) place Q1247159
Trikka (Τρίκκα) place Q27977394
Pharai (Φᾶραι) place Q1571214
Also in: 4.31.1 7.22.5
Ilion (Ἴλιος) place Q22647
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