Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.25.2

← 9.25.1 9.25.3 →

Passage 9.25.2: The Dragging of Antigone, where Oedipus' sons killed each other and Antigone dragged Polyneices.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τοῦ δὲ Μενοικέως οὐ πόρρω τάφου τοὺς παῖδας λέγουσιν Οἰδίποδος μονομαχήσαντας ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων· σημεῖον δὲ τῆς μάχης αὐτῶν κίων, καὶ ἀσπὶς ἔπεστιν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ λίθου. δείκνυται δέ τι χωρίον ἔνθα Ἥραν Θηβαῖοί φασιν Ἡρακλεῖ παιδὶ ἔτι ἐπισχεῖν γάλα κατὰ δή τινα ἀπάτην ἐκ Διός· καλεῖται δὲ ὁ σύμπας οὗτος τόπος Σῦρμα Ἀντιγόνης· ὡς γὰρ τὸν τοῦ Πολυνείκους ἄρασθαί οἱ προθυμουμένῃ νεκρὸν οὐδεμία ἐφαίνετο ῥᾳστώνη, δεύτερα ἐπενόησεν ἕλκειν αὐτόν, ἐς ὃ εἵλκυσέ τε καὶ ἐπέβαλεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐτεοκλέους ἐξημμένην τὴν πυράν.

English Translation

Not far from the tomb of Menoikeus, they say, the sons of Oedipus fought in single combat and slew each other. As a memorial of their battle stands a pillar, upon which rests a stone shield. There is also shown a certain place where, according to the Thebans, Hera, through a deception contrived by Zeus, suckled Heracles as a child. The entire area is called the "Dragging of Antigone." For when she was unable, despite her earnest efforts, to lift the body of Polyneices, she conceived instead the plan of dragging it; and indeed she dragged it and cast it onto the lit pyre of Eteocles.

Proper Nouns

Zeus (Ζεύς) deity
Hera (Ἥρα) deity
Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) other
Menoikeus (Μενοικεύς) person
Also in: 9.5.13 9.25.1
Oedipus (Οἰδίπους) person
Polyneices (Πολυνείκης) person
Eteocles (Ἐτεοκλῆς) person
Heracles (Ἡρακλῆς) person
Syrma of Antigone (Σῦρμα Ἀντιγόνης) place
← 9.25.1 9.25.3 →