Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.6.5

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Passage 9.6.5: Theban attempt to expel a Macedonian garrison and portents at Demeter Thesmophoros

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

εἴρηται δέ μοι καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἀτθίδι συγγραφῇ τὸ ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ σφάλμα συμφορὰν γενέσθαι τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἕλλησι· Θηβαίους δὲ καὶ ἐς πλέον κατέλαβεν, οἷς γε καὶ ἐσήχθη ἐς τὴν πόλιν φρουρά. Φιλίππου δὲ ἀποθανόντος καὶ ἐς Ἀλέξανδρον ἡκούσης τῆς Μακεδόνων ἀρχῆς, Θηβαίοις ἐπῆλθεν ἐξελεῖν τὴν φρουράν· ποιήσασι δὲ ταῦτα προεσήμαινεν αὐτίκα ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἐπιόντα ὄλεθρον, καί σφισιν ἐν Δήμητρος ἱερῷ Θεσμοφόρου σημεῖα ἐγένετο ἐναντία ἢ πρὸ τοῦ ἔργου τοῦ ἐν Λεύκτροις·

English Translation

I have already stated in my account of Attica that the defeat at Chaeronea proved disastrous for all of Greece; yet it brought even greater disaster on the Thebans, upon whom a garrison was introduced into their city. After Philip's death, and when the Macedonian rule had passed to Alexander, the Thebans attempted to drive out the garrison. But when they undertook this action, the god immediately foretold their approaching destruction; indeed, portents appeared to them in the sanctuary of Demeter Thesmophoros, opposite in meaning to those signs that had preceded their victory at Leuktra.

Proper Nouns

Demeter (Δήμητρα) deity
Thesmophoros (Θεσμοφόρος) deity
Atthis (Ἀτθίς) other
Thebans (Θηβαῖοι) person
Macedonians (Μακεδόνες) person
Philip (Φίλιππος) person
Alexander (Ἀλέξανδρος) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Leuctra (Λεῦκτρα) place Q56761602
Chaeronea (Χαιρώνεια) place Q13574678
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