Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.18.4

← 9.18.3 9.18.5 →

Passage 9.18.4: Pionis's smoky tomb at Pioniai

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

ἐν Μυσίᾳ τῇ ὑπὲρ Καΐκου πόλισμά ἐστι Πιονίαι, τὸν δὲ οἰκιστὴν οἱ ἐνταῦθα Πίονιν τῶν τινα ἀπογόνων τῶν Ἡρακλέους φασὶν εἶναι· μελλόντων δὲ ἐναγίζειν αὐτῷ καπνὸς αὐτόματος ἄνεισιν ἐκ τοῦ τάφου. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν συμβαίνοντα εἶδον, Θηβαῖοι δὲ καὶ Τειρεσίου μνῆμα ἀποφαίνουσι, πέντε μάλιστα καὶ δέκα ἀπωτέρω σταδίοις ἢ Οἰδίποδος τοῖς παισίν ἐστιν ὁ τάφος· ὁμολογοῦντες δὲ καὶ οὗτοι συμβῆναι Τειρεσίᾳ τὴν τελευτὴν ἐν τῇ Ἁλιαρτίᾳ, τὸ παρὰ σφίσιν ἐθέλουσιν εἶναι κενὸν μνῆμα.

English Translation

In Mysia, above the Kaïkos, there is a small town called Pioniai. The inhabitants here say that their founder was Pionis, one of the descendants of Herakles. Whenever they intend to offer a sacrifice to him, smoke spontaneously ascends from his tomb. I myself have witnessed this occurring. The Thebans point out the tomb of Teiresias as well, situated approximately fifteen stadia farther away than that of the children of Oedipus. Yet, although even they admit that Teiresias died in the territory of Haliartos, they claim that the burial site in their land is an empty monument.

Proper Nouns

Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) other
Oedipus (Οἰδίπους) person
Pion (Πίων) person
Teiresias (Τειρεσίας) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Caicus (Καΐκος) place Q1737602
Mysia (Μυσία) place Q622319
Pioniai (Πιονίαι) place Q16737855
Haliartos (Ἁλίαρτος) place Q359627
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