Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.18.3

← 5.18.2 5.18.4 →

Passage 5.18.3: Jason marrying Medea, with Aphrodite presiding.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

χιτῶνα δὲ ἐνδεδυκὼς ἀνὴρ τῇ μὲν δεξιᾷ κύλικα, τῇ δὲ ἔχων ἐστὶν ὅρμον, λαμβάνεται δὲ αὐτῶν Ἀλκμήνη· πεποίηται δὲ ἐς τὸν λόγον τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὡς συγγένοιτο Ἀλκμήνῃ Ζεὺς Ἀμφιτρύωνι εἰκασθείς. Μενέλαος δὲ θώρακά τε ἐνδεδυκὼς καὶ ἔχων ξίφος ἔπεισιν Ἑλένην ἀποκτεῖναι, δῆλα ὡς ἁλισκομένης Ἰλίου. Μηδείας δὲ ἐπὶ θρόνου καθημένης Ἰάσων ἐν δεξιᾷ, τῇ δὲ Ἀφροδίτη παρέστηκε· γέγραπται δὲ καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς· Μήδειαν Ἰάσων γαμέει, κέλεται δʼ Ἀφροδίτα.

English Translation

A man, wearing a tunic, holds a goblet in his right hand and a necklace in his left; Alcmene is depicted accepting these gifts. The scene is created according to the Greek myth that Zeus, disguised as Amphitryon, had intercourse with Alcmene. Nearby Menelaus, clad in armor and wielding a sword, rushes forward intending to kill Helen; clearly Troy has been captured. Medea is seated upon a throne, and beside her Jason stands on her right hand; Aphrodite is beside her on the other side. There is also an epigram written beneath these figures: "Jason is marrying Medea, and Aphrodite commands."

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη) deity
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) other
Medea (Μήδεια) person
Menelaus (Μενέλαος) person
Alcmene (Ἀλκμήνη) person
Amphitryon (Ἀμφιτρύων) person
Helen (Ἑλένη) person
Jason (Ἰάσων) person
Ilium (Ἴλιον) place Q22647
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