Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.20.2

← 9.20.1 9.20.3 →

Passage 9.20.2: City named Graia after an elderly woman, later reverted to its original name.

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

ταύτης τοῦ βίου προελθούσης ἐπὶ μακρότατον τοὺς περιοίκους φασὶν ἀφελόντας τὸ ὄνομα τήν τε γυναῖκα αὐτὴν καλεῖν Γραῖαν καὶ ἀνὰ χρόνον τὴν πόλιν· διαμεῖναί τε τὸ ὄνομα ἐς τοσοῦτον ὡς καὶ Ὅμηρον ἐν καταλόγῳ ποιῆσαι Θέσπειαν Γραῖάν τε καὶ εὐρύχορον Μυκαλησσόν. Hom. Il. 2.498 χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀνεσώσαντο.

English Translation

When this woman's life had extended to a very great age, they say that her neighbours, dropping her actual name, began to call both the woman herself and, in time, the city "Graia." This name continued long enough even for Homer to include it in his Catalogue, writing "Thespeia and Graia and spacious Mykalessos." But later, with the passing of time, the original name was restored.

Proper Nouns

Iliad (Ἰλιάς) other
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
Graia (Γραῖα) place Q15616542
Thespia (Θέσπεια) place Q1141295
Mykalessos (Μυκαλησσός) place Q1529070
← 9.20.1 9.20.3 →