Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.6.2

← 9.6.1 9.6.3 →

Passage 9.6.2: Theban oligarchy exempted from blame for siding with the Medes

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τῆς δὲ αἰτίας ταύτης δημοσίᾳ σφίσιν οὐ μέτεστιν, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς Θήβαις ὀλιγαρχία καὶ οὐχὶ ἡ πάτριος πολιτεία τηνικαῦτα ἴσχυεν· εἰ γοῦν Πεισιστράτου τυραννοῦντος ἔτι ἢ τῶν παίδων Ἀθήνῃσιν ἀφίκετο ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ὁ βάρβαρος, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως οὐ καὶ Ἀθηναίους κατέλαβεν ἂν ἔγκλημα μηδισμοῦ.

English Translation

They are publicly free from this blame, because at that time an oligarchy, rather than the ancestral form of government, held power in Thebes. Indeed, if the barbarians had invaded Greece when Peisistratus or his sons were still ruling as tyrants in Athens, the Athenians, too, would surely have been accused of siding with the Medes.

Proper Nouns

Peisistratus (Πεισίστρατος) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
Hellas (Ἑλλάς) place Q7798
← 9.6.1 9.6.3 →