Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.4.4

← 5.4.3 5.4.5 →

Passage 5.4.4: Aetolus' tomb built within the gate leading to Olympia.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τῷ δὲ Ὀξύλῳ Πιερίαν μὲν τῇ γυναικὶ ὄνομα εἶναι λέγουσι, πέρα δὲ τὰ ἐς αὐτὴν οὐ μνημονεύουσιν. Ὀξύλου δὲ γενέσθαι παῖδάς φασιν Αἰτωλὸν καὶ Λαΐαν· προαποθανόντος δὲ Αἰτωλοῦ θάπτουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ γονεῖς ἐν αὐτῇ ποιησάμενοι τῇ πύλῃ τὸ μνῆμα, ἥτις ἐπʼ Ὀλυμπίαν καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἄγει τοῦ Διός· ἔθαψαν δὲ αὐτὸν οὕτω κατὰ μαντείαν, ὡς μήτε ἐκτὸς τῆς πόλεως μήτε ἐντὸς γένοιτο ὁ νεκρός. ἐναγίζει δὲ ὁ γυμνασίαρχος ἔτι καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος τῷ Αἰτωλῷ.

English Translation

They say the name of Oxylus' wife was Pieria, but beyond this they do not mention anything regarding her. Oxylus is said to have had two sons, Aetolus and Laias. Aetolus died before his parents, and they buried him within the very gate that leads towards Olympia and the sanctuary of Zeus, constructing his tomb within it. They buried him thus according to an oracle, so that the corpse might be neither outside nor inside the city. The Gymnasiarch even in my own time continues to perform annual offerings for Aetolus.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Aetolians (Αἰτωλός) person
Laias (Λαΐας) person
Also in: 5.4.5
Pieria (Πιερία) person
Oxylus (Ὀξύλος) person
Also in: 5.3.7 5.4.1 6.24.9
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
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