Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.4.3

← 6.4.2 6.4.4 →

Passage 6.4.3: Leontiskos of Messene, a Sicilian wrestler famed for defeating opponents by bending their fingers.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

παρὰ δὲ τὸν Σώστρατον παλαιστὴς ἀνὴρ πεποίηται Λεοντίσκος, ἐκ Σικελίας τε ὢν γένος καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ πορθμῷ Μεσσήνης· στεφανωθῆναι δὲ ὑπό τε Ἀμφικτυόνων καὶ δὶς ὑπὸ Ἠλείων, εἶναι δὲ αὐτῷ λέγεται τὴν πάλην καθὰ δὴ καὶ τὸ παγκράτιον τῷ Σικυωνίῳ Σωστράτῳ· καὶ γὰρ τὸν Λεοντίσκον καταβαλεῖν μὲν οὐκ ἐπίστασθαι τοὺς παλαίοντας, νικᾶν δὲ αὐτὸν κλῶντα τοὺς δακτύλους.

English Translation

Next to Sostratos is depicted the wrestler Leontiskos, who was from Sicily, specifically from Messene on the straits. He is said to have been crowned victor by the Amphiktyones and twice by the Eleans. His style of wrestling, it is claimed, was similar to that of the Sicyonian Sostratos in pankration. Indeed, wrestlers found it impossible to throw Leontiskos down; he would defeat them instead by bending their fingers.

Proper Nouns

Amphictyons (Ἀμφικτύονες) other
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) other
Leontiskos (Λεοντίσκος) person
Also in: 6.2.10
Sostratos (Σώστρατος) person
Messene (Μεσσήνη) place Q1022117
Sicily (Σικελία) place Q1460
Sicyon (Σικυών) place Q368628 Pleiades
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