Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.21.4

← 7.21.3 7.21.5 →

Passage 7.21.4: Coresus kills himself rather than sacrifice Callirhoe.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

προεξεργασθέντων δὲ ὁπόσα ἐς τὴν θυσίαν ἄλλα ἐκ Δωδώνης μεμαντευμένα ἦν, ἡ μὲν ἱερείου τρόπον ἦκτο ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν, Κόρεσος δὲ ἐφειστήκει μὲν τῇ θυσίᾳ, τῷ δὲ ἔρωτι εἴξας καὶ οὐ τῷ θυμῷ ἑαυτὸν ἀντὶ Καλλιρόης διεργάζεται. ὁ μὲν δὴ ἀπέδειξεν ἔργον ἀνθρώπων ὧν ἴσμεν διατεθεὶς ἐς ἔρωτα ἀπλαστότατα·

English Translation

When everything else prescribed by the oracle from Dodona for the sacrifice had been previously accomplished, Callirhoe was brought to the altar in the manner of a sacrificial victim. Coresus, standing ready to perform the sacrifice, yielded not to anger but to love, and slew himself instead of Callirhoe. Indeed, he showed by his deed that the passions of love can provoke the most genuine acts known among men.

Proper Nouns

Callirhoe (Καλλιρόη) person
Coresus (Κόρεσος) person
Dodona (Δωδώνη) place Q382317
← 7.21.3 7.21.5 →