Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.2.1

← 5.1.11 5.2.2 →

Passage 5.2.1: Murder of Actor's sons by Heracles at Cleonae.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τῷ δὲ Ἡρακλεῖ πρὸς τὸν Αὐγέαν πολεμοῦντι οὐδὲν ὑπῆρχεν ἀποδείκνυσθαι λαμπρόν· ἅτε γὰρ καὶ τόλμῃ καὶ ταῖς ἡλικίαις τοῦ Ἄκτορος τῶν παίδων ἀκμαζόντων, ἐτρέπετο ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἀεὶ τὸ συμμαχικὸν τοῦ Ἡρακλέους, ἐς ὃ Ἰσθμικὰς σπονδὰς Κορινθίων ἐπαγγειλάντων καὶ θεωρῶν ἐς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐρχομένων τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ Ἄκτορος ἀπέκτεινε σφᾶς λοχήσας ὁ Ἡρακλῆς ἐν Κλεωναῖς. ἀφανοῦς δὲ ὄντος τοῦ εἰργασμένου τὸν φόνον μάλιστα ἐποιεῖτο ἡ Μολίνη σπουδὴν τῶν παίδων τὸν αὐτόχειρα ἐξευρεῖν.

English Translation

Heracles gained no distinguished advantage while waging war against Augeas; for the sons of Actor, excelling both in courage and in the vigor of youth, continually routed the forces allied with Heracles, until such time as the Corinthians proclaimed the Isthmian truce. When the sons of Actor came as spectators to attend the games, Heracles ambushed and killed them at Cleonae. Since the perpetrator of this crime remained unknown, their mother Moline made every possible effort to discover who had actually committed the murder of her sons.

Proper Nouns

Isthmian Games (Ἰσθμία) other
Augeas (Αὐγείας) person Q3629529
Corinthians (Κορίνθιοι) person
Moline (Μολίνη) person
Also in: 5.2.2
Actor (Ἄκτωρ) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Cleonae (Κλεωναί) place Q1774167
← 5.1.11 5.2.2 →