Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.26.2

← 7.26.1 7.26.3 →

Passage 7.26.2: Hyperesia renamed after Ionians used torched goats to repel Sicyonians.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Ὁμήρου δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔπεσιν Ὑπερησία ὠνόμασται· τὸ δὲ ὄνομα τὸ νῦν ἐγένετο Ἰώνων ἐποικούντων, ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπʼ αἰτίᾳ τοιᾷδε. Σικυωνίων ἀφίξεσθαι στρατὸς ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς πολέμιος ἐς τὴν γῆν· οἱ δὲ ---οὐ γὰρ ἐδόκουν ἀξιόμαχοι τοῖς Σικυωνίοις εἶναι--- ἀθροίζουσιν αἶγας, ὁπόσαι σφίσιν ἦσαν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, συλλέξαντες δὲ ἔδησαν πρὸς τοῖς κέρασιν αὐτῶν δᾷδας, καὶ ὡς πρόσω νυκτὸς ἦν, ἐξάπτουσι τὰς δᾷδας.

English Translation

In the poetry of Homer the place is called Hyperesia; however, its present name originated when the Ionians settled there, and it arose from the following circumstance. An army of Sicyonians intended to invade their territory. Since they themselves were not considered capable of facing the Sicyonians in battle, they gathered together all the goats they had in the region, tied torches to their horns and, when the night was advanced, set fire to the torches.

Proper Nouns

Sicyonians (Σικυώνιοι) person
Ionians (Ἴωνες) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
Hyperesia (Ὑπερησία) place Q3563508
Also in: 7.26.4
← 7.26.1 7.26.3 →