Polychares
Family: Messenian · Role: Olympic victor · First appears: Book 4 · Chapter 4
At the 4th Olympiad, Polychares entrusted his cattle to Euæphnus, a Spartan he treated as a friend and trusted more than any other Lacedæmonian, so they could graze on his land in return for a share of their produce. In Laconia, Euæphnus sold the cattle and falsely blamed pirates; after Polychares’ son exposed him, Euæphnus killed the boy.
When Polychares received no redress from the authorities, he became reckless and tried to kill every Lacedæmonian he met.
Relationship record
Life events
- Polychares entrusted his cattle to Euæphnus for pasturing in exchange for a share of their produce.(Book 4 · Chapter 4)
- With: Euæphnus
- “This man had much cattle and, because he had not sufficient land to pasture them upon, he handed them over to Euæphnus a Spartan to feed on his land, on condition that he should have a share in the produce of the cattle.”
- Euæphnus sold Polychares’ cattle and falsely claimed pirates had stolen them.(Book 4 · Chapter 4 · 📍 Laconia)
- With: Euæphnus
- “Now Euæphnus was a person who preferred unrighteous gains to acting with integrity, and was generally speaking a wheedling fellow, so he sold the oxen of Polychares to merchants who sailed to Laconia, and went himself to Polychares and reported to him that some pirates had landed on the spot, and violently robbed him both of cattle and herdsmen.”
- Euæphnus slew Polychares’ son after being exposed as the cattle seller.(Book 4 · Chapter 4 · 📍 Laconia)
- With: Euæphnus
- “And when they went on their journey and got to Laconia, Euæphnus dared a deed more unholy than the former, he slew the son of Polychares.”
- After receiving no redress, Polychares became reckless and tried to kill every Lacedæmonian he met.(Book 4 · Chapter 4 · 📍 Lacedæmon)
- “And when he got no redress, though he went continually to the authorities, then he went off his head, and giving way to his anger, and being perfectly reckless of the consequences, endeavoured to kill every Lacedæmonian he met.”
Book 4 · Chapter 4
- with Euæphnus (Polychares entrusted his cattle to Euæphnus for pasturing.) “he handed them over to Euæphnus a Spartan to feed on his land, on condition that he should have a share in the produce of the cattle”
- friends with Euæphnus “Euæphnus, whom he had treated as a friend, and trusted more than all the Lacedæmonians”
- with Euæphnus (Euæphnus killed Polychares's son.) “Euæphnus dared a deed more unholy than the former, he slew the son of Polychares”
Book 4 · Chapter 5
- with Euæphnus (The passage discusses both Polychares and Euæphnus in the context of refusing their extradition, but does not state the precise relationship between them.) “because neither would they give up Euæphnus”
⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →
Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.