Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.4.8

← 7.4.7 7.4.9 →

Passage 7.4.8: Poseidon fathers Chios; Oenopion and his sons settle the island.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

Ἴωνι δὲ τῷ ποιήσαντι τραγῳδίαν ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ συγγραφῇ τοιάδε εἰρημένα, Ποσειδῶνα ἐς τὴν νῆσον ἔρημον οὖσαν ἀφικέσθαι καὶ νύμφῃ τε ἐνταῦθα συγγενέσθαι καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς ὠδῖνας τῆς νύμφης χιόνα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πεσεῖν ἐς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου Ποσειδῶνα τῷ παιδὶ ὄνομα θέσθαι Χίον· συγγενέσθαι δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἑτέρᾳ νύμφῃ, καὶ γενέσθαι οἱ παῖδας Ἄγελόν τε καὶ Μέλανα· ἀνὰ χρόνον δὲ καὶ Οἰνοπίωνα ἐς τὴν Χίον κατᾶραι ναυσὶν ἐκ Κρήτης, ἕπεσθαι δέ οἱ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας Τάλον καὶ Εὐάνθην καὶ Μέλανα καὶ Σάλαγόν τε καὶ Ἀθάμαντα.

English Translation

In the work of Ion, who composed tragedies, it is said as follows: Poseidon came to the island when it was still uninhabited, and there lay with a nymph. At the time of her childbirth, snow fell from heaven onto the earth, and for this reason Poseidon gave their child the name Chios. He also lay with another nymph, who bore him two sons, Agelos and Melas. Later, Oenopion sailed to Chios from Crete, accompanied by his sons Talos, Euanthes, Melas, Salagos, and Athamas.

Proper Nouns

Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν) deity
Euanthes (Εὐάνθης) person
Also in: 6.4.10
Melas (Μέλας) person
Oinopion (Οἰνοπίων) person
Also in: 7.4.9 7.5.13
Salagos (Σάλαγος) person
Talos (Τάλως) person
Athamas (Ἀθάμας) person
Agelos (Ἄγελος) person
Ion (Ἴων) person
Crete (Κρήτη) place Q34374 Pleiades
Chios (Χίος) place Q56399450
← 7.4.7 7.4.9 →