Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.4.11

← 6.4.10 6.5.1 →

Passage 6.4.11: Ergoteles, a Cretan runner exiled to Himera who won multiple pan-Hellenic victories.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

Κυνίσκῳ δὲ τῷ ἐκ Μαντινείας πύκτῃ παιδὶ ἐποίησε Πολύκλειτος τὴν εἰκόνα. Ἐργοτέλης δὲ ὁ Φιλάνορος δολίχου δύο ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ νίκας, τοσαύτας δὲ ἄλλας Πυθοῖ καὶ ἐν Ἰσθμῷ τε καὶ Νεμείων ἀνῃρημένος, οὐχ Ἱμεραῖος εἶναι τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, καθάπερ γε τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ φησι, Κρὴς δὲ εἶναι λέγεται Κνώσσιος· ἐκπεσὼν δὲ ὑπὸ στασιωτῶν ἐκ Κνωσσοῦ καὶ ἐς Ἱμέραν ἀφικόμενος πολιτείας τʼ ἔτυχε καὶ πολλὰ εὕρετο ἄλλα ἐς τιμήν. ἔμελλεν οὖν ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς Ἱμεραῖος ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἀναγορευθήσεσθαι.

English Translation

Polycleitus fashioned the statue of Cyniscus, the boxer from Mantinea, who won as a boy. Ergoteles, son of Philanor, who achieved two Olympic victories in the dolichos, and likewise gained twice as many other victories at Delphi, the Isthmus, and Nemea, was originally, as the inscription upon him states, not from Himera, but rather is said to have been a Cretan from Cnossus. Having been exiled from Cnossus due to political strife and having arrived in Himera, he obtained citizenship there and gained many other distinctions and honors. It was therefore natural that he would be proclaimed as Himeraean at the games.

Proper Nouns

Knossian (from Knossos) (Κνώσσιος) person
Cretan (Κρής) person
Kyniskos (Κυνίσκος) person
Polykleitos (Πολύκλειτος) person
Philanor (Φίλανορ) person
Ergoteles (Ἐργοτέλης) person
Himeraios (from Himera) (Ἱμέραιος) person
Knossos (Κνῶσος) place Q173527 Pleiades
Mantineia (Μαντινεία) place Q1160195
Nemea (Νεμέα) place Q748108
Pytho (Πυθώ) place Q23646657
Isthmus (Ἰσθμός) place Q215200
Himera (Ἱμέρα) place Q1111219
Also in: 3.19.13
Olympia (Ὀλυμπία) place Q38888 Pleiades
← 6.4.10 6.5.1 →