Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.17.13

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Passage 7.17.13: Oebotas' tomb and his curse on Achaean Olympic victories.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐν δὲ τῇ χώρᾳ τῇ Δυμαίᾳ καὶ τοῦ δρομέως Οἰβώτα τάφος ἐστί· τούτῳ τῷ Οἰβώτα νικήσαντι Ὀλύμπια Ἀχαιῶν πρώτῳ γέρας οὐδὲν ἐξαίρετον παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐγένετο εὕρασθαι· καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ κατάρας ὁ Οἰβώτας ἐποιήσατο μηδενὶ Ὀλυμπικὴν νίκην ἔτι Ἀχαιῶν γενέσθαι. καὶ---ἦν γάρ τις θεῶν ᾧ τοῦ Οἰβώτα τελεῖσθαι τὰς κατάρας οὐκ ἀμελὲς ἦν---διδάσκονταί ποτε οἱ Ἀχαιοὶ καθʼ ἥντινα αἰτίαν στεφάνου τοῦ Ὀλυμπίασιν ἡμάρτανον, διδάσκονται δὲ ἀποστείλαντες ἐς Δελφούς·

English Translation

In the territory of Dyme is also the tomb of the runner Oebotas. Although this Oebotas was the first among the Achaeans to win at Olympia, they devised no special honor for him. Thus, Oebotas pronounced a curse upon them that no Achaean would henceforth achieve an Olympic victory. Indeed, since a certain god was concerned that the curses of Oebotas should be fulfilled, at last the Achaeans were advised of the reason they were deprived of Olympic crowns; they discovered this by sending envoys to Delphi.

Proper Nouns

god (θεός) deity
Olympic (Ὀλυμπία) other
Oibotas (Οἰβώτης) person
Also in: 6.3.8
Achaeans (Ἀχαιοί) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Dymaea (Δυμαία) place Q60790671
Olympia (Ὀλύμπια) place Q38888 Pleiades
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