Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.36.3

← 4.36.2 4.36.4 →

Passage 4.36.3: Iphiklos' cattle coveted by Neleus and tied to Heracles' labor

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

εἴη δʼ ἂν Θεσσαλικὸν τὸ γένος τῶν βοῶν τούτων, Ἰφίκλου ποτὲ τοῦ Πρωτεσιλάου πατρός· ταύτας γὰρ δὴ τὰς βοῦς Νηλεὺς ἕδνα ἐπὶ τῇ θυγατρὶ ᾔτει τοὺς μνωμένους, καὶ τούτων ἕνεκα ὁ Μελάμπους χαριζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ Βίαντι ἀφίκετο ἐς τὴν Θεσσαλίαν, καὶ ἐδέθη μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν βουκόλων τοῦ Ἰφίκλου, λαμβάνει δὲ μισθὸν ἐφʼ οἷς αὐτῷ δεηθέντι ἐμαντεύσατο. ἐσπουδάκεσαν δὲ ἄρα οἱ τότε πλοῦτόν τινα συλλέγεσθαι τοιοῦτον, ἵππων καὶ βοῶν ἀγέλας, εἰ δὴ Νηλεύς τε γενέσθαι οἱ βοῦς ἐπεθύμησε τὰς Ἰφίκλου καὶ Ἡρακλεῖ κατὰ δόξαν τῶν ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ βοῶν προσέταξεν Εὐρυσθεὺς ἐλάσαι τῶν Γηρυόνου βοῶν τὴν ἀγέλην.

English Translation

Now the cattle's breed would seem to have been Thessalian, originally belonging to Iphiklos, father of Protesilaos. Indeed, it was these cows that Neleus demanded as a bridal-gift for his daughter from her suitors; and for their sake Melampus, performing a kindness for his brother Bias, journeyed to Thessaly. While there, Melampus was bound by Iphiklos' herdsmen, yet ultimately received payment for having prophesied for Iphiklos regarding the request he had made. It appears that men in those days were indeed eager to amass wealth of this kind—in herds of horses and cattle—since Neleus greatly desired to possess Iphiklos' cattle, and Eurystheus, in accordance with that desire for cattle, ordered Heracles, as is famed, to drive back from Iberia the herd belonging to Geryon.

Proper Nouns

Bias (Βίας) person Q365977
Geryon (Γηρυών) person Q12095887
Also in: 1.35.7
Eurystheus (Εὐρυσθεύς) person Q117453263
Melampus (Μελάμπους) person
Neleus (Νηλεύς) person
Protesilaos (Πρωτεσίλαος) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Iphiklos (Ἰφίκλος) person
Thessaly (Θεσσαλία) place Q1247568
Iberia (Ἰβηρία) place Q1203967
Also in: 6.19.3 10.32.19
← 4.36.2 4.36.4 →