Pausanias Analysis

Passage 8.23.4

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Passage 8.23.4: The Menelaïs plane-tree and spring, said to have been planted by Menelaus.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ ὄρος Κνάκαλος, ἔνθα ἐπέτειον τελετὴν ἄγουσι τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι. ὀλίγον δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν πηγή τέ ἐστι καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ πλάτανος μεγάλη καὶ εὐειδὴς πέφυκε· καλοῦσι δὲ αὐτὴν Μενελαΐδα, Μενέλαον γὰρ στρατὸν ἀθροίζοντα ἐς Τροίαν ἀφικέσθαι τε ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ τὴν πλάτανον φυτεῦσαι λέγοντες· ἐφʼ ἡμῶν δὲ καὶ τὴν πηγὴν κατὰ ταὐτὰ τῇ πλατάνῳ καλοῦσι Μενελαΐδα.

English Translation

They have a mountain called Knakalos, where they celebrate an annual rite in honor of Artemis. A little above the city there is a water-spring, and at this spring has grown up a tall and beautiful plane-tree. They call this tree “Menelaïs,” because they say Menelaus came to this place when gathering his army for Troy and planted the plane-tree beside the spring. In our own day, they also call the spring itself Menelaïs, following the name of the plane-tree.

Proper Nouns

Artemis (Ἄρτεμις) deity
Menelaus (Μενέλαος) person
Knakalos (Κνάκαλος) place Q136554420
Menelaïs (Μενελαΐς) place Q125418912
Troy (Τροία) place Q22647
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