Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.11.10

← 8.11.9 8.11.11 →

Passage 8.11.10: Oracle warning to Epaminondas about "Pelagos" misread as the sea.

Historical Skeptical

Greek Text

ἐγεγόνει δὲ τῷ Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ μαντεία πρότερον ἔτι ἐκ Δελφῶν πέλαγος αὐτὸν φυλάσσεσθαι· καὶ ὁ μὲν τριήρους τε μὴ ἐπιβῆναι μηδὲ ἐπὶ νεὼς φορτίδος πλεῦσαι δεῖμα εἶχε, τῷ δὲ ἄρα Πέλαγος δρυμὸν καὶ οὐ θάλασσαν προέλεγεν ὁ δαίμων. χωρία δὲ τὰ ὁμώνυμα καὶ Ἀννίβαν ὕστερον τὸν Καρχηδόνιον καὶ πρότερον ἔτι Ἀθηναίους ἠπάτησεν.

English Translation

Epaminondas had previously received an oracle from Delphi that warned him to beware of "Pelagos." Consequently, he was afraid to embark upon a trireme or even sail aboard a merchant vessel; however, the god, it seems, foretold "Pelagos" as a wooded area rather than the sea. Such homonyms misled Hannibal the Carthaginian later, and even earlier deceived the Athenians.

Proper Nouns

Carthaginian (Καρχηδώνιος) other
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Hannibal (Ἀννίβας) person
Also in: 8.11.11
Epaminondas (Ἐπαμινώνδας) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Pelagos (Πέλαγος) place Q125995646
Also in: 8.11.1 8.11.5
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