Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.36.3

← 9.36.2 9.36.4 →

Passage 9.36.3: Destruction of the Phlegyans by Zeus.

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τοὺς δὲ Φλεγύας πολέμῳ μάλιστα Ἑλλήνων χαίρειν μαρτυρεῖ μοι καὶ ἔπη τῶν ἐν Ἰλιάδι περὶ Ἄρεως καὶ Φόβου τοῦ Ἄρεως πεποιημένα, τὼ μὲν ἄρʼ εἰς Ἐφύρους πόλεμον μέτα θωρήσσεσθον ἠὲ μετὰ Φλεγύας μεγαλήτορας· Hom. Il. 13.301-2 Ἐφύρους δὲ ἐνταῦθα ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τοὺς ἐν τῇ Θεσπρωτίδι ἠπείρῳ λέγει. τὸ μὲν δὴ Φλεγυῶν γένος ἀνέτρεψεν ἐκ βάθρων ὁ θεὸς κεραυνοῖς συνεχέσι καὶ ἰσχυροῖς σεισμοῖς· τοὺς δὲ ὑπολειπομένους νόσος ἐπιπεσοῦσα ἔφθειρε λοιμώδης, ὀλίγοι δὲ καὶ ἐς τὴν Φωκίδα διαφεύγουσιν ἐξ αὐτῶν.

English Translation

The fact that the Phlegyans among all the Greeks took particular delight in warfare is testified to me also by the verses from the Iliad about Ares and his son Phobos, composed as follows: "They indeed arm themselves for war among the Ephyrians or among the great-hearted Phlegyans." [Homer, Iliad 13.301–302] By "Ephyrians" here Homer seems to me to speak of those dwelling in Thesprotian Epirus. Now the Phlegyan race was utterly destroyed to its foundations by the god with continual lightning-bolts and powerful earthquakes; and those who survived this were wasted by a pestilential disease that fell upon them. Only a few escaped from among them into Phocis.

Proper Nouns

Phobos (Φόβος) deity
Also in: 5.19.4 5.19.5
Ares (Ἄρης) deity
Iliad (Ἰλιάς) other
Phlegyai (Φλεγύαι) people
Ephyroi (Ἔφυροι) people
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) people
Thesprotis (Θεσπρωτίς) place Q119039542
Phocis (Φωκίς) place Q2637650
← 9.36.2 9.36.4 →