Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.36.6

← 4.36.5 4.36.7 →

Passage 4.36.6: Sphacteria, famed for the Lacedaemonians' disaster and an Athenian Victory dedication.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τοῦ λιμένος δὲ ἡ Σφακτηρία νῆσος προβέβληται, καθάπερ τοῦ ὅρμου τοῦ Δηλίων ἡ Ῥήνεια· ἐοίκασι δὲ αἱ ἀνθρώπειαι τύχαι καὶ χωρία τέως ἄγνωστα ἐς δόξαν προῆχθαι. Καφηρέως τε γάρ ἐστιν ὄνομα τοῦ ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ τοῖς σὺν Ἀγαμέμνονι Ἕλλησιν ἐπιγενομένου χειμῶνος ἐνταῦθα, ὡς ἐκομίζοντο ἐξ Ἰλίου· Ψυττάλειάν τε τὴν ἐπὶ Σαλαμῖνι ἴσμεν ἀπολομένων ἐν αὐτῇ τῶν Μήδων. ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὴν Σφακτηρίαν τὸ ἀτύχημα τὸ Λακεδαιμονίων γνώριμον τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐποίησεν· Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ καὶ Νίκης ἀνέθηκαν ἄγαλμα ἐν ἀκροπόλει χαλκοῦν ἐς μνήμην τῶν ἐν τῇ Σφακτηρίᾳ.

English Translation

The island Sphacteria lies off the harbor, much as Rheneia does off the anchorage of Delos. Human fortunes seem often to cause places previously obscure to attain renown. Thus, the name of Caphereus in Euboea became famous from the storm that befell the Greeks with Agamemnon there as they were returning from Troy; Psyttaleia, near Salamis, is likewise known due to the destruction of the Medes upon it. Similarly, Sphacteria became well-known through the misfortune of the Lacedaemonians. The Athenians set up in bronze a statue of Victory upon the Acropolis in memory of the events at Sphacteria.

Proper Nouns

Nike (Νίκη) deity
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Medes (Μῆδοι) person
Agamemnon (Ἀγαμέμνων) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Delium (Δήλιοι) place
Also in: 8.23.5
Euboea (Εὔβοια) place Q173096
Caphereus (Καφηρεύς) place
Also in: 2.23.1
Salamis (Σαλαμίς) place Q767089
Sphacteria (Σφακτηρία) place Q1303524
Psyttaleia (Ψυττάλεια) place Q2031588
Also in: 1.36.2
Acropolis (ἀκρόπολις) place Q131013
Ilium (Ἴλιον) place Q22647
Rhenia (Ῥήνεια) place Q1475379
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