Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.6.2

← 5.6.1 5.6.3 →

Passage 5.6.2: Arene identified with Samicum

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὰ δὲ ἐρείπια τὰ Ἀρήνης σαφῶς μὲν οὔτε Μεσσηνίων εἶχεν οὐδεὶς οὔτε Ἠλείων ἀποφῆναί μοι· διάφορα δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ πάρεστι τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν εἰκάζειν, πιθανώτατα δὲ ἐφαίνοντό μοι λέγειν οἱ τὸ Σαμικὸν τὰ παλαιότερα ἔτι καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἡρώων Ἀρήνην καλεῖσθαι νομίζοντες. οὗτοι δὲ καὶ ἔπη τῶν ἐν Ἰλιάδι ἔλεγον· ἔστι δέ τις ποταμὸς Μινυήιος εἰς ἅλα βάλλων ἐγγύθεν Ἀρήνης. Hom. Il. 11.722-3

English Translation

Neither of the Messenians nor of the Eleans was able clearly to identify for me the ruins of Arene. Concerning this city, different persons have differing and contradictory conjectures to offer. To me, however, the most convincing account seemed that of those who believe that Samicum was originally and even down to heroic times called Arene. These people referred to certain lines from the Iliad: "There is a river Minyeios that empties into the sea near Arene." (Homer, Iliad 11.722–723)

Proper Nouns

Minyeios (Μινυήιος) other
Iliad (Ἰλιάς) other
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) person
Homer, Iliad (Ὅμηρος Ἰλιάς) person
Samikon (Σαμικόν) place Q3558588
Arene (Ἀρήνη) place Q131911375
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