Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.24.11

← 5.24.10 5.25.1 →

Passage 5.24.11: Zeus Horkios' bronze tablet warning against perjury

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τὸν γοῦν κάπρον καθʼ ὅτου τῶν τομίων Ἀγαμέμνων ἐπώμοσεν ἦ μὴν εἶναι τὴν Βρισηίδα ἑαυτοῦ τῆς εὐνῆς ἀπείρατον, τοῦτον τὸν κάπρον ἀφιέμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ κήρυκος ἐποίησεν ἐς θάλασσαν· ἦ, καὶ ἀπὸ σφάραγον κάπρου τάμε νηλέι χαλκῷ. τὸν μὲν Ταλθύβιος πολιῆς ἁλὸς ἐς μέγα λαῖτμα ῥῖψʼ ἐπιδινήσας, βόσιν ἰχθύσιν. Hom. Il. 19.266-268 οὕτω μὲν τὸ ἀρχαῖον τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐνόμιζον· ἔστι δὲ πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ Ὁρκίου πινάκιον χαλκοῦν, ἐπιγέγραπται δὲ ἐλεγεῖα ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ, δεῖμα ἐθέλοντα τοῖς ἐπιορκοῦσι παριστάναι.

English Translation

Indeed, regarding the boar by which Agamemnon swore an oath declaring that Briseis remained untouched by his bed, Homer showed this boar released into the sea by the herald, saying, "Then cut the boar's throat with pitiless bronze; this boar Talthybius, whirling around, cast into the great expanse of the grey sea as food for fishes." (Hom. Il. 19.266–268) Thus did people of old hold such practices sacred. Before the feet of the image of Zeus Horkios there is a bronze tablet, on which elegiac verses have been inscribed; these lines aim to inspire fear in those inclined to perjury.

Proper Nouns

Homer Iliad (Ὅμηρος Ἰλιάς) other
Also in: 3.19.8 7.20.5
Orkios/Oath (Ὅρκιος) other
Briseis (Βρισηίς) person
Talthybius (Ταλθύβιος) person
Agamemnon (Ἀγαμέμνων) person
← 5.24.10 5.25.1 →