Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.3.8

← 6.3.7 6.3.9 →

Passage 6.3.8: Statue of Oebotas dedicated at Delphi.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

Οἰβώτα δὲ τὸν μὲν ἀνδριάντα Ἀχαιοὶ κατὰ πρόσταγμα ἀνέθεσαν τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπὶ Ὀλυμπιάδος ὀγδοηκοστῆς· ἡ δὲ τοῦ σταδίου νίκη τῷ Οἰβώτᾳ γέγονεν Ὀλυμπιάδι ἕκτῃ. πῶς ἂν οὖν τήν γε ἐν Πλαταιαῖς μάχην μεμαχημένος ὁ Οἰβώτας εἴη μετὰ Ἑλλήνων; πέμπτῃ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ ἑβδομηκοστῇ Ὀλυμπιάδι τὸ πταῖσμα ἐγένετο τὸ ἐν Πλαταιαῖς Μαρδονίῳ καὶ Μήδοις. ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν λέγειν μὲν τὰ ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων λεγόμενα ἀνάγκη, πείθεσθαι δὲ πᾶσιν οὐκέτι ἀνάγκη. τὰ δὲ ἄλλα ὁποῖα τὰ συμβάντα ἦν ἐς τὸν Οἰβώταν, τῇ ἐς Ἀχαιοὺς προσέσται μοι συγγραφῇ.

English Translation

The Achaeans dedicated the statue of Oebotas by command of the god Apollo at Delphi in the eightieth Olympiad; but Oebotas’ victory in the foot-race had taken place in the sixth Olympiad. How, then, could Oebotas have fought alongside the Greeks at the battle of Plataea? For the defeat of Mardonius and the Persians at Plataea occurred in the seventy-fifth Olympiad. I myself must indeed relate what is asserted by the Greeks; however, it is no longer necessary to believe everything. As for the other circumstances concerning Oebotas, I will deal with them in my account of the Achaeans.

Proper Nouns

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων) deity
Mardonius (Μαρδόνιος) person
Medes (Μῆδοι) person
Oibotas (Οἰβώτης) person
Also in: 7.17.13
Achaeans (Ἀχαιοὶ) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Plataea (Πλαταιαί) place Q742538
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