Pausanias Analysis

Passage 6.5.8

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Passage 6.5.8: Polydamas perishes when a cave roof collapses

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα τὸ ὑπὸ Ὁμήρου προθεσπισθὲν ἄλλους τε τῶν φρονησάντων ἐπὶ ἰσχύι καὶ Πουλυδάμαντα ἐπιλήψεσθαι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς αὑτοῦ ῥώμης ἔμελλεν ἀπολεῖσθαι καὶ οὗτος. ἐς σπήλαιον γὰρ οἵ τε ἄλλοι τῶν συμποτῶν καὶ ὁ Πουλυδάμας ἐσῆλθεν ὥρᾳ θέρους, καί πως οὐ κατά τινα ἀγαθὸν δαίμονα ἡ κορυφὴ τηνικαῦτα τοῦ σπηλαίου κατερρήγνυτο, καὶ δῆλα ἦν ὡς αὐτίκα ἐμπεσεῖσθαι καὶ χρόνον οὐκ ἐπὶ πολὺν ἔμελλεν ἀνθέξειν·

English Translation

Thus it came about that the prophecy Homer once uttered would overtake others who trusted in their strength, including Polydamas himself, who likewise was destined to perish because of his own might. It was summer time when Polydamas and his companions who had been drinking together entered a cave. Just then, by an unfortunate fate, the roof of the cave began to crack, clearly on the brink of imminent collapse and unable to hold out much longer.

Proper Nouns

Polydamas (Πουλυδάμας) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
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