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§9.82.1-9.82.3

Pausanias Compares the Persian and Spartan Feasts

Pausanias orders the preparation of both a lavish Persian feast and a simple Spartan meal, pointing out the vast contrast to the Greek generals to mock the folly of the Persian invader.

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§9.82.1

λέγεται δὲ καὶ τάδε γενέσθαι, ὡς1 Ξέρξης φεύγων ἐκ τῆς Ἑλλάδος Μαρδονίῳ τὴν κατασκευὴν καταλίποι2 τὴν ἑωυτοῦ· Παυσανίην ὦν ὁρῶντα τὴν Μαρδονίου κατασκευὴν χρυσῷ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ καὶ παραπετάσμασι ποικίλοισι κατεσκευασμένην, κελεῦσαι τούς τε ἀρτοκόπους καὶ τοὺς ὀψοποιοὺς κατὰ ταὐτὰ καθὼς Μαρδονίῳ δεῖπνον παρασκευάζειν.

​It is also said that the following happened: when Xerxes was fleeing from Greece, he left his own equipment to Mardonius. Now, when Pausanias saw Mardonius’ equipment decorated with gold and silver and embroidered tapestries, he ordered the bakers and the cooks to prepare a dinner in the exact same way as they used to do for Mardonius.

§9.82.2

ὡς δὲ κελευόμενοι οὗτοι ἐποίευν ταῦτα, ἐνθαῦτα τὸν Παυσανίην ἰδόντα κλίνας τε χρυσέας καὶ ἀργυρέας εὖ ἐστρωμένας καὶ τραπέζας τε χρυσέας καὶ ἀργυρέας καὶ παρασκευὴν μεγαλοπρεπέα τοῦ δείπνου, ἐκπλαγέντα τὰ προκείμενα ἀγαθὰ κελεῦσαι ἐπὶ γέλωτι τοὺς ἑωυτοῦ διηκόνους παρασκευάσαι Λακωνικὸν δεῖπνον.

​When they did as they were ordered, Pausanias, seeing the golden and silver couches well spread, and the golden and silver tables, and the magnificent preparation of the dinner, was amazed by the good things laid before him, and for a laugh ordered his own servants to prepare a Spartan dinner.

§9.82.3

ὡς δὲ τῆς θοίνης ποιηθείσης ἦν πολλὸν τὸ μέσον,3 τὸν Παυσανίην γελάσαντα μεταπέμψασθαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων τοὺς στρατηγούς, συνελθόντων δὲ τούτων εἰπεῖν τὸν Παυσανίην, δεικνύντα ἐς ἑκατέρην τοῦ δείπνου παρασκευήν, ἄνδρες Ἕλληνες, τῶνδε εἵνεκα ἐγὼ ὑμέας συνήγαγον, βουλόμενος ὑμῖν τοῦδε τοῦ Μήδων ἡγεμόνος τὴν ἀφροσύνην δέξαι, ὃς τοιήνδε δίαιταν ἔχων ἦλθε ἐς ἡμέας οὕτω ὀϊζυρὴν ἔχοντας ἀπαιρησόμενος.4 ταῦτα μὲν Παυσανίην λέγεται εἰπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς στρατηγοὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων.

​When the meal was prepared and there was a vast difference between the two, Pausanias laughed and sent for the generals of the Greeks. When they had assembled, Pausanias pointed to each of the two preparations of dinner and said: “Men of Greece, I have gathered you for the sake of these things, wishing to show you the folly of this leader of the Medes, who, having such a lifestyle as this, came to us who have one so wretched, to rob us of it.” These things Pausanias is said to have spoken to the generals of the Greeks.

Syntax notes4 items
  1. 9.82.1λέγεται δὲ καὶ τάδε γενέσθαι, ὡς...

    The verb λέγεται introducing hearsay governs the accusative and infinitive construction (γενέσθαι), which in turn has the ὡς clause as an appositive to the demonstrative pronoun τάδε. The subsequent accusatives and infinitives (e.g., Παυσανίην... κελεῦσαι) continue under the governance of this indirect discourse.

  2. 9.82.1καταλίποι

    The optative mood (optative of indirect discourse) is used in the subordinate clause (ὡς clause) because it is in indirect discourse dependent on a past reporting context implied by λέγεται.

  3. 9.82.3ἦν πολλὸν τὸ μέσον

    Literally meaning "the middle was great," this is an idiomatic expression denoting that there was "a vast difference" or "a great contrast" between the two meals prepared.

  4. 9.82.3ἀπαιρησόμενος

    The future middle participle of ἀπαιρέω (to take away/rob), expressing the purpose (in order to rob) relative to the main verb ἦλθε.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.82.1-9.82.3