Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.14.2

← 8.14.1 8.14.3 →

Passage 8.14.2: Heracles' pits at Pheneus

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

τὰ δὲ βάραθρα οἱ Φενεᾶται ταῦτά φασιν εἶναι χειροποίητα, ποιῆσαι δὲ αὐτὰ Ἡρακλέα τηνικαῦτα ἐν Φενεῷ παρὰ Λαονόμῃ τῇ Ἀμφιτρύωνος μητρὶ οἰκοῦντα· γενέσθαι γὰρ Ἀμφιτρύωνα ἐκ Λαονόμης Ἀλκαίῳ τῆς Γούνεω, γυναικὸς Φενεάτιδος, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ τῆς Πέλοπος Λυσιδίκης. εἰ δὲ Ἡρακλῆς ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ παρὰ τοὺς Φενεάτας μετῴκησε, πείθοιτο ἄν τις διωχθέντα ἐκ Τίρυνθος ὑπὸ Εὐρυσθέως αὐτὸν οὐκ αὐτίκα ἐς Θήβας, πρότερον δὲ ἐς Φενεὸν ἀφικέσθαι.

English Translation

The pits, the Pheneatians say, were made by hand; they assert that Heracles constructed them during the time when he was living in Pheneus with Laonome, the mother of Amphitryon. For they state that Amphitryon was born to Alcaeus, son of Guneus, by Laonome, who was a woman of Pheneus, and not by Lysidice, who was the daughter of Pelops. Now if Heracles truly resided among the Pheneatians, one might reasonably suppose that after being driven out from Tiryns by Eurystheus he did not immediately go to Thebes, but came first to Pheneus.

Proper Nouns

Guneus (Γούνεως) person
Eurystheus (Εὐρυσθεύς) person Q117453263
Laonome (Λαονόμη) person
Lysidike (Λυσιδίκη) person
Pelops (Πέλοψ) person
Pheneatis (Φενεάτις) person
Pheneatae (Φενεᾱ́της) person
Alcaeus (Ἀλκαῖος) person
Also in: 7.20.4 10.8.10
Amphitryon (Ἀμφιτρύων) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Tiryns (Τίρυνς) place Q217379 Pleiades
Pheneus (Φενεός) place Q12885741
← 8.14.1 8.14.3 →