Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.1.4

← 5.1.3 5.1.5 →

Passage 5.1.4: Endymion's family and Epeius winning the kingship at Olympia.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τούτου τοῦ Ἐνδυμίωνος Σελήνην φασὶν ἐρασθῆναι, καὶ ὡς θυγατέρες αὐτῷ γένοιντο ἐκ τῆς θεοῦ πεντήκοντα. οἱ δὲ δὴ μᾶλλόν τι εἰκότα λέγοντες Ἐνδυμίωνι λαβόντι Ἀστεροδίαν γυναῖκα---οἱ δὲ τὴν Ἰτώνου τοῦ Ἀμφικτύονος Χρομίαν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ὑπερίππην τὴν Ἀρκάδος---, γενέσθαι δʼ οὖν φασιν αὐτῷ Παίονα καὶ Ἐπειόν τε καὶ Αἰτωλὸν καὶ θυγατέρα ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς Εὐρυκύδαν. ἔθηκε δὲ καὶ ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ δρόμου τοῖς παισὶν ἀγῶνα Ἐνδυμίων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐνίκησε καὶ ἔσχε τὴν βασιλείαν Ἐπειός· καὶ Ἐπειοὶ πρῶτον τότε ὧν ἦρχεν ὠνομάσθησαν.

English Translation

They say that Selene fell in love with this Endymion, and that by the goddess he had fifty daughters. Others, however, giving an account that seems somewhat more credible, say that Endymion married Asterodia,—though some say it was Chromia, daughter of Itonus son of Amphictyon, and others Hyperippe, daughter of Arcas,—and had sons named Paeon, Epeius, and Aetolus, as well as a daughter named Eurycyda. Endymion established at Olympia a race among his sons for the rule; in this race Epeius won and took over the kingdom. And thus for the first time those under his rule were called Epeians.

Proper Nouns

Selene (Σελήνη) deity
Epeioi (Ἐπειοί) people
Aetolians (Αἰτωλός) person
Eurykyda (Εὐρυκύδα) person
Paeon (Παίων) person
Also in: 2.18.8 5.1.5
Chromia (Χρομία) person
Amphictyon (Ἀμφικτύων) person
Arcadian (Ἀρκάς) person
Asterodia (Ἀστεροδία) person
Endymion (Ἐνδυμίων) person
Epeios (Ἐπειός) person
Iton (Ἰτών) person
Also in: 9.1.1
Hyperippe (Ὑπερίππη) person
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
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