Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.11.8

← 8.11.7 8.11.9 →

Passage 8.11.8: The tomb of Epaminondas with a serpent-emblazoned shield and two inscriptions.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τῷ τάφῳ δὲ κίων τε ἐφέστηκε καὶ ἀσπὶς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δράκοντα ἔχουσα ἐπειργασμένον· ὁ μὲν δὴ δράκων ἐθέλει σημαίνειν γένους τῶν Σπαρτῶν καλουμένων εἶναι τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν, στῆλαι δέ εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῷ μνήματι, ἡ μὲν ἀρχαία καὶ ἐπίγραμμα ἔχουσα Βοιώτιον, τὴν δὲ αὐτήν τε ἀνέθηκεν Ἀδριανὸς βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ ἐπίγραμμα τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ.

English Translation

Upon his tomb is erected a pillar, and upon it stands a shield adorned with a sculpted serpent. Indeed, this serpent is meant to signify that Epaminondas belonged to the race of those called the Spartoi. There are two inscriptions at the tomb: the older contains an epitaph in the Boeotian dialect; the other was set up later by the Emperor Hadrian, who himself composed the verses inscribed upon it.

Proper Nouns

Boeotian (Βοιώτιος) person
Also in: 2.5.2 10.9.9
Spartoi/Sparti (Σπαρτοί) person
Also in: 9.5.3
Hadrian (Ἀδριανός) person
Epaminondas (Ἐπαμινώνδας) person
← 8.11.7 8.11.9 →