Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.9.4

← 4.9.3 4.9.5 →

Passage 4.9.4: Lot-chosen sacrifice of an Aepytid maiden to the underworld gods.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

καὶ Τῖσις μὲν ὡς ἀπεσώθη τάχιστα ἐς Ἰθώμην καὶ τὴν μαντείαν παρὰ τὸν βασιλέα ἀνήνεγκε, μετʼ οὐ πολὺ ὑπὸ τῶν τραυμάτων τελευτᾷ· τοὺς δὲ Μεσσηνίους συναθροίσας ὁ Εὐφαὴς ἐπεδείκνυ τὸν χρησμόν· κόρην ἄχραντον νερτέροισι δαίμοσι, κλήρῳ λαχοῦσαν Αἰπυτιδῶν ἀφʼ αἵματος, θυηπολεῖτε νυκτέροισιν ἐν σφαγαῖς. ἢν δὲ σφαλῆτε, καὶ παρʼ ἀλλοίου τότε θύειν, διδόντος ἐς σφαγὴν ἑκουσίως.

English Translation

And Tisis, as soon as he reached Ithome safely, immediately reported the oracle's answer to the king; shortly thereafter, due to his wounds, he died. Euphaes, having gathered the Messenians, disclosed to them the words of the oracle: "To the underworld powers, offer a pure maiden chosen by lot from the bloodline of the Aepytidae, making night sacrifices. But if you fail, thereafter you must sacrifice another, one voluntarily giving himself up to be slain."

Proper Nouns

Aipytids (Αἰπυτίδαι) person
Euphaes (Εὐφαής) person Q5850304
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Tisis (Τῖσις) person
Also in: 4.9.3
Ithome (Ἰθώμη) place Q602538
← 4.9.3 4.9.5 →