Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.21.5

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Passage 5.21.5: Callippus's bribery at the pentathlon and Athens' refusal to pay the Eleans' fine

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Εὐπώλου δὲ ὕστερόν φασιν Ἀθηναῖον Κάλλιππον ἀθλήσαντα πένταθλον ἐξωνήσασθαι τοὺς ἀνταγωνιουμένους χρήμασι, δευτέραν δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς δέκα τε καὶ ἑκατὸν Ὀλυμπιάδα εἶναι ταύτην. ἐπιβληθείσης δὲ τῷ Καλλίππῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀνταγωνισαμένοις ζημίας ὑπὸ Ἠλείων, ἀποστέλλουσιν Ὑπερείδην Ἀθηναῖοι πείσοντα Ἠλείους ἀφεῖναί σφισι τὴν ζημίαν· ἀπειπόντων δὲ Ἠλείων τὴν χάριν, ἐχρῶντο ὑπεροψίᾳ τοιᾷδε ἐς αὐτοὺς οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι, οὔτε ἀποδιδόντες τὰ χρήματα καὶ Ὀλυμπίων εἰργόμενοι, πρὶν ἤ σφισιν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐν Δελφοῖς οὐ πρότερον ἔφησεν ὑπὲρ οὐδενὸς χρήσειν πρὶν ἢ τὴν ζημίαν ἀποδοῖεν Ἠλείοις.

English Translation

After Eupolus, it is said that an Athenian named Callippus, competing in the pentathlon, bribed his rivals with money; this was in the hundred and twelfth Olympiad. When Callippus and those who had competed against him were fined by the Eleans, the Athenians sent Hyperides to persuade the Eleans to remit the penalty. However, when the Eleans refused this favor, the Athenians treated them with such disdain that they neither paid the fine nor participated in the Olympic Games, until the god at Delphi declared that he would respond to none of their inquiries until they had paid the penalty to the Eleans.

Proper Nouns

god (θεός) deity
Olympiad (Ὀλυμπιάς) other
Eupolos (Εὔπωλος) person Q22978072
Also in: 5.21.3 5.21.6
Callippos (Κάλλιππος) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Athenian (Ἀθηναῖος) person
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) person
Hyperides (Ὑπερείδης) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Olympia (Ὀλύμπια) place Q38888 Pleiades
← 5.21.4 5.21.6 →