ATENA PRONOIA E L’EUDAIMONÍA DI MASSALIA: LA TESTIMONIANZA DI PAUSANIA SULLA FONDAZIONE FOCEA

Abstract

Athena Pronoia and the eudaimonía of Massalìa: Pausanias on the Phocaean foundation
In Book X Pausanias describes two statues offered by the people of Massalia to Athena
and Apollo, in Marmarià and Delphi, and then narrates the origin of the polis Massalia
and the developement of her eudaimonia. In order to evaluate Pausanias’ report it is necessary
to take into account his working method. Beside the literary sources, among
which Herodotus plays a special role, the author considers all information received during
his journey. This allows the re-evaluation of Pausania’s text concerning Massalia and
the chronology of her foundation as a polis.