Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.19.3

← 7.19.2 7.19.4 →

Passage 7.19.3: Comaatho and Melanippus' sacrilege in Artemis' temple causes plague

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐπέδειξε δὲ ἐπὶ πολλῶν τε δὴ ἄλλων καὶ ἐν τοῖς Μελανίππου παθήμασιν, ὡς μέτεστιν ἔρωτι καὶ ἀνθρώπων συγχέαι νόμιμα καὶ ἀνατρέψαι θεῶν τιμάς, ὅπου καὶ τότε ἐν τῷ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱερῷ Κομαιθὼ καὶ Μελάνιππος καὶ ἐξέπλησαν τοῦ ἔρωτος τὴν ὁρμήν. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔμελλον τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ ἐς τὸ ἔπειτα ἴσα καὶ θαλάμῳ χρήσεσθαι· τοὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους αὐτίκα ἐξ Ἀρτέμιδος μήνιμα ἔφθειρε, τῆς τε γῆς καρπὸν οὐδένα ἀποδιδούσης καὶ νόσοι σφίσιν οὐ κατὰ τὰ εἰωθότα καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν θάνατοι πλείονες ἢ τὰ πρότερα ἐγίνοντο.

English Translation

He demonstrated, by many other examples and particularly through the sufferings of Melanippus, how love has the power to confound human customs and overturn the honors due the gods. For it was there, in the sanctuary of Artemis, that Comaetho and Melanippus yielded to the full force of their passion. Thus, thenceforth the temple was destined to become to them no different from a bridal chamber. But immediately the wrath of Artemis brought ruin upon the people, since the earth yielded no produce and diseases beyond those ordinarily known came upon them, causing deaths among them in greater number than before.

Proper Nouns

Artemis (Ἀρτέμις) deity
Komaitho (Κομαιθώ) person
Melanippos (Μελάνιππος) person
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