Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.12.3

← 8.12.2 8.12.4 →

Passage 8.12.3: Phialo's exposed son Aechmagoras, his cries imitated by a jay.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τούτου τοῦ Ἀλκιμέδοντος θυγατρὶ συγγενέσθαι Φιαλοῖ ὡς Φιγαλεῖς λέγουσιν Ἡρακλέα· ὡς δὲ ᾔσθετο αὐτὴν ὁ Ἀλκιμέδων τεκοῦσαν, ἐκτίθησιν ἀπολουμένην ἐς τὸ ὄρος, σὺν δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ τὸν παῖδα ὃν ἔτεκε· καλοῦσι δὲ Αἰχμαγόραν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἀρκάδες. ἀνακλαίοντος δὲ ὡς ἐξέκειτο τοῦ παιδός, κίσσα ἡ ὄρνις ἐπήκουέ τε ὀδυρομένου καὶ ἀπεμιμεῖτο τὰ κλαύματα·

English Translation

According to the Phigalians, Heracles had intercourse with Phialo, the daughter of this Alcimedon. When Alcimedon perceived that she had borne a child, he exposed her on the mountain to perish, along with the child she had borne; the Arcadians call this child Aechmagoras. As the child lay exposed and cried aloud, a bird, the jay, heard his weeping and began to imitate his cries.

Proper Nouns

Aichmagoras (Αἰχμαγόρας) person
Phialo (Φιαλή) person
Phigaleians (Φιγαλεῖς) person
Alkimedon (Ἀλκιμέδων) person
Also in: 8.12.2
Arcadians (Ἀρκάδες) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
← 8.12.2 8.12.4 →