Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.26.9

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Passage 7.26.9: Sympathes' grieving family depiction at Aigeira for a slain warrior.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἐν Αἰγείρᾳ δὲ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ οἰκήματι ἀνήρ τε ἤδη γέρων ἴσα καὶ ὀδυρόμενος καὶ γυναῖκες αἱ τρεῖς ἀφαιρούμεναι ψέλιά εἰσι καὶ ἴσοι νεανίσκοι ταῖς γυναιξί, καὶ ὁ ἐνδεδυκὼς δὲ θώρακα εἷς. τοῦτόν φασιν Ἀχαιοῖς γενομένου πολέμου μαχεσάμενον ἀνδρειότατα Αἰγειρατῶν τελευτῆσαι, καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν οἴκαδε ἀπήγγειλαν· καὶ τοῦδε ἕνεκα αἵ τε ἀδελφαὶ διὰ τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ πένθος ἀποκοσμοῦνται καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἐπονομάζουσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι Συμπαθῆ, ἅτε ἐλεεινὸν καὶ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι.

English Translation

In Aigeira, within this structure, there is portrayed a man already aged who appears grieving greatly, along with three women who are removing bracelets from their wrists, three youths equal in number to the women, and one figure dressed in armor. They say that this man, wearing armor, perished after fighting most bravely of the people of Aigeira during a war against the Achaians; the surviving brothers reported his death back home. On account of this, his sisters are represented in mourning attire due to their grief for him, and the locals call their father Sympathes ("Compassionate"), as he appears pitiable even in the depiction.

Proper Nouns

Aigeiratans (Αἰγειρᾶται) person
Sympatheis (Συμπαθής) person
Achaeans (Ἀχαιοὶ) person
Aigeira (Αἴγειρα) place Q18363976
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