Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.34.5

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Passage 4.34.5: Naming of Koroneia: Epimelides' renaming or finding a bronze crow.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὸ μὲν δὴ ὄνομα τὸ ἀρχαῖον εἶχεν Αἴπεια· ἐπεὶ δὲ ὑπὸ Θηβαίων κατήχθησαν ἐς Πελοπόννησον, Ἐπιμηλίδην φασὶν ἀποσταλέντα οἰκιστὴν καλέσαι Κορώνειαν, εἶναι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐκ Κορωνείας τῆς Βοιωτῶν, τοὺς δὲ Μεσσηνίους ἐξ ἀρχῆς τε οὐ κατορθοῦν περὶ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ μᾶλλον ἔτι ἀνὰ χρόνον ἐκνικῆσαι τὸ ἐκείνων ἁμάρτημα. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἕτερος λόγος, ὡς τοῦ τείχους τὰ θεμέλια ὀρύσσοντες ἐπιτύχοιεν κορώνῃ χαλκῇ.

English Translation

The ancient name of the place was indeed Aipeia. But after they had been brought down into the Peloponnese by the Thebans, they say that Epimelides, who had been sent as founder, gave it the name Koroneia, as he himself was from Koroneia in Boeotia. The Messenians, however, did not approve this name from the very beginning, and over time they succeeded still more in rejecting this mistaken naming. Another story is also told, namely that while digging the foundations of the city-wall they came upon a bronze crow ("korone").

Proper Nouns

Epimelides (Ἐπιμηλίδης) person
Also in: 4.34.6
Aipeia (Αἴπεια) place Q21601484
Boeotians (Βοιωτοί) place Q187570
Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) place
Koroneia (Κορώνεια) place Q593295
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) place
Peloponnese (Πελοπόννησος) place Q78967
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