Pausanias Analysis

Passage 5.8.2

← 5.8.1 5.8.3 →

Passage 5.8.2: Establishment of the Olympic Games by Pelops, Amythaon, Pelias and Neleus

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Πέλοψ δὲ ὕστερον γενεᾷ μάλιστα μετὰ Ἐνδυμίωνα τὸν ἀγῶνα τῷ Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ ἐποίησεν ἀξιολογώτατα ἀνθρώπων τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ. Πέλοπος δὲ τῶν παίδων σκεδασθέντων ἐξ Ἤλιδος ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἄλλην Πελοπόννησον, Ἀμυθάων ὁ Κρηθέως Ἐνδυμίωνι ἀνεψιὸς πρὸς πατρός---εἶναι γάρ φασι καὶ Ἀέθλιον Αἰόλου, Διὸς δὲ ἐπίκλησιν---, ἔθηκεν ὁ Ἀμυθάων τὰ Ὀλύμπια, μετὰ δὲ αὐτὸν Πελίας τε καὶ Νηλεὺς ἐν κοινῷ.

English Translation

After Endymion, it was Pelops who later established the contest for Olympian Zeus in a manner most distinguished among all who preceded him. When the sons of Pelops became scattered from Elis throughout the rest of the Peloponnese, Amythaon, son of Cretheus and cousin to Endymion on his father's side—for they say that Aethlius too was a son of Aeolus, though called a son of Zeus—Amythaon established the Olympic games, and after him Pelias and Neleus jointly maintained them.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Olympian Zeus (Ὀλύμπιος Ζεύς) deity
Olympic Games (Ὀλύμπια) other
Aeolus (Αἴολος) person
Cretheus (Κρηθεύς) person
Also in: 4.2.5 9.36.8
Neleus (Νηλεύς) person
Pelops (Πέλοψ) person
Pelias (Πελίας) person
Aethlios (Ἀέθλιος) person
Also in: 5.1.3
Amythaon (Ἀμυθάων) person
Endymion (Ἐνδυμίων) person
Peloponnese (Πελοπόννησος) place Q78967
Elis (Ἦλις) place Q217667
← 5.8.1 5.8.3 →