by Pausanias
[5] ἐνταῦθα καὶ ὁ στρατὸς τῶν Μεσσηνίων ὁ εὔζωνος, ἀφ᾽ οὗ καὶ τούτοις ἤρθη τὰ σημεῖα, ἐχρῶντο ἐπὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους δρόμῳ καὶ περιστάντες ἠκόντιζον ἐς τὰ πλάγια: ὅσοις δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον μετῆν τόλμης, προσέθεόν τε καὶ ἔτυπτον ἐκ χειρός. οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, κίνδυνόν σφισι δεύτερον ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ οὕτως ἀνέλπιστον ὁρῶντες παρόντα, ὅμως οὔτε ἐταράχθησαν ἐπιστρεφόμενοί τε ἐς τοὺς ψιλοὺς ἀμύνεσθαι μὲν ἐπειρῶντο, διὰ δὲ τὴν κουφότητα οὐ χαλεπῶς ἀποφευγόντων ἀπορία τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις καὶ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἤδη καὶ ὀργὴ γίνεται.
[11.5] Then the mobile Messenian force, when the signal was given to them, charged the Lacedaemonians and enveloping them threw javelins on their flanks. All who were of higher courage ran in and struck at close quarters. The Lacedaemonians, faced simultaneously with a second and unforeseen danger, were not demoralized, but turning on the light troops, tried to defend themselves. But, as the enemy with their light equipment drew off without difficulty, the Lacedaemonians were filled with perplexity and, as a consequence, with anger.
[6] πεφύκασι δέ πως οἱ ἄνθρωποι μάλιστα ἔχειν ἀκρατῶς πρὸς τὰ παρ᾽ ἀξίαν: καὶ δὴ καὶ τότε οἵ τε ἤδη τραύματα τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν εἰληφότες καὶ ὅσοι κειμένων τῶν παραστατῶν ἐγίνοντο πρὸς τὴν ἔφοδον τῶν ψιλῶν πρῶτοι προεξέθεόν τε, ὁπότε ἴδοιεν ἐπιφερομένους τοὺς ψιλούς, καὶ ὑπὸ θυμοῦ μακροτέρας τὰς διώξεις ἐποιοῦντο ἀποχωρούντων. οἱ δὲ ψιλοὶ τῶν Μεσσηνίων ὡς τὸ πρῶτον ἤρξαντο, κατὰ χώραν τε μένοντας ἔτυπτον καὶ ἐσηκόντιζον καὶ διωκόντων ἔφθανον ἀποφεύγοντες καὶ πειρωμένοις ἀναστρέφειν αὖθις ἐπῄεσαν.
[11.6] Men are apt to be most annoyed by what they regard as beneath them. So then the Spartans who had already been wounded and all who after the fall of their comrades were the first to meet the attack of the light troops, ran out to meet them when they saw the light troops advancing and hotly extended the pursuit as they retired. The Messenian light troops maintained their original tactics, striking and shooting at them when they stood still, and outstripping them in flight when they pursued, attacking again as they tried to retire.
[7] ταῦτα δὲ ἔδρων σποράδην καὶ ἄλλοι κατ᾽ ἄλλο τῆς τῶν ἐναντίων τάξεως: οἵ τε ὁπλῖται τῶν Μεσσηνίων καὶ συμμάχων θρασύτερον ἐν τῷ τοιῷδε τοῖς κατὰ στόμα αὐτῶν ἐπέκειντο. τέλος δὲ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τῷ τε χρόνῳ καὶ τοῖς τραύμασιν ἀπαγορεύοντες καὶ ἅμα παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ὑπὸ τῶν ψιλῶν ταρασσόμενοι διαλύουσι τὴν τάξιν: τραπέντων δέ, ἐνταῦθά σφισι πλείω παρεῖχον κακὰ οἱ ψιλοί.
[11.7] They did this in separate parties and at different points of the enemy’s line. The Messenian heavy-armed and their allies meantime pressed more boldly on the troops facing them. Finally the Lacedaemonians, worn out by the length of the battle and their wounds, and demoralized contrary to their custom by the light troops, broke their ranks. When they had been routed, the light troops inflicted greater damage on them.
[8] τοὺς δὲ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων διαφθαρέντας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ συλλαβεῖν μὲν οὐχ οἷά τε ἦν ἀριθμῷ, πείθομαι δὲ εἶναι καὶ αὐτὸς πολλούς. ἡ δὲ οἴκαδε ἀναχώρησις τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις καθ᾽ ἡσυχίαν, Κορινθίοις δὲ ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι χαλεπή: διὰ πολεμίας γὰρ ἐγίνετο ὁμοίως διά τε τῆς Ἀργείας πειρωμένοις καὶ παρὰ Σικυῶνα ἀνασωθῆναι.
[11.8] It was impossible to reckon the Lacedaemonian losses in the battle, but I for my part am convinced that they were heavy. The rest made their retreat homewards without molestation, but for the Corinthians it was likely to be difficult, for whether they tried to retire through the Argolid or by Sicyon, in either case it was through enemy country.
12. Λακεδαιμονίους δὲ ἐλύπει μὲν καὶ τὸ γεγονὸς πταῖσμα, τεθνεώτων ἐν τῇ μάχῃ πολλῶν τε καὶ ἀξίων λόγου, παρίστατο δὲ καὶ ἐς τὴν πᾶσαν ἐλπίδα τοῦ πολέμου σφίσιν ἀθύμως ἔχειν: καὶ διὰ τοῦτο θεωροὺς ἀποστέλλουσιν ἐς Δελφούς. τούτοις ἐλθοῦσιν ἡ Πυθία χρᾷ τάδε: “οὔ σε μάχης μόνον ἔργ᾽ ἐφέπειν χερὶ Φοῖβος ἄνωγεν,
ἀλλ᾽ ἀπάτῃ μὲν ἔχει γαῖαν Μεσσηνίδα λαός,
ταῖς δ᾽ αὐταῖς τέχναισιν ἁλώσεται αἷσπερ ὑπῆρξεν.
“
[12.1] XII. The Lacedaemonians were distressed by the reverse that had befallen them. Their losses in the battle were great and included important men, and they were inclined to despair of all hope in the war. For this reason they sent envoys to Delphi, who received the following reply from the Pythia:
Phoebus bids thee pursue not only the task of war with the hand, but by guile a people holds the Messenian land, and by the same arts as they first employed shall the people fall.
[2] ὁ πρὸς ταῦτα τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἐφόροις τέχνας μὲν οὖν προθυμουμένοις οὐκ ἐγίνετο ἀνευρεῖν: οἱ δὲ Ὀδυσσέως τῶν ἔργων ἀπομιμούμενοι τὸ ἐπὶ Ἰλίῳ πέμπουσιν ἄνδρας ἑκατὸν ἐς Ἰθώμην συνήσοντας ἃ μηχανῶνται, λόγῳ δὲ αὐτομόλους: ἦν δὲ καὶ φυγὴ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ κατεγνωσμένη. τούτους ἥκοντας ἀπέπεμπεν αὐτίκα Ἀριστόδημος, Λακεδαιμονίων φήσας τὰ ἀδικήματα καινὰ εἶναι, τὰ δὲ σοφίσματα ἀρχαῖα.
[12.2] At this the kings and ephors were eager to invent stratagems, but failed. They imitated that deed of Odysseus at Troy, and sent a hundred men to Ithome to observe what the enemy were planning, but pretending to be deserters. A sentence of banishment had been openly pronounced on them. On their arrival Aristodemus at once sent them away, saying that the crimes of the Lacedaemonians were new, but their tricks old.
[3] ἁμαρτόντες δὲ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τοῦ ἐγχειρήματος δεύτερα ἐπειρῶντο τῶν Μεσσηνίων διαλῦσαι τὸ συμμαχικόν: ἀντειπόντων δὲ τῶν Ἀρκάδων — παρὰ γὰρ τούτους πρότερον ἀφίκοντο οἱ πρέσβεις — οὕτω τὴν ἐπ᾽ Ἄργος ἐπέσχον πορείαν. Ἀριστόδημος δὲ πυνθανόμενος τὰ πρασσόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων πέμπει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐρησομένους τὸν θεόν, ἡ δὲ Πυθία σφίσιν ἔχρησε:
[12.3] Failing in their attempt, the Lacedaemonians next attempted to break up the Messenian alliance. But when repulsed by the Arcadians, to whom their ambassadors came first, they put off going to Argos. Aristodemus, hearing of the Lacedaemonian intrigues, also sent men to enquire of the god. And the Pythia replie
d to them:
[4] “κῦδός σοι πολέμοιο διδοῖ θεός: ἀλλ᾽ ἀπάταισι
φράζεο μὴ Σπάρτης δόλιος λόχος ἐχθρὸς ἀνέλθῃ
κρείσσων: ἦ γὰρ Ἄρης κείνων εὐήρεα τεύχη
καί τὸ χορῶν στεφάνωμα πικροὺς οἰκήτορας ἕξει,
τῶν δύο συντυχίαις κρυπτὸν λόχον ἐξαναδύντων.
οὐ πρόσθεν δὲ τέλος τόδ᾽ ἐπόψεται ἱερὸν ἦμαρ,
πρὶν τὰ παραλλάξαντα φύσιν τὸξαν χρεὼν ἀφίκηται.
“τότε μὲν δὴ Ἀριστόδημος καὶ οἱ μάντεις ἀπείρως εἶχον συμβαλέσθαι τὸ εἰρημένον: ἔτεσι δὲ ὕστερον οὐ πολλοῖς ἀναφαίνειν τε καὶ ἐς τέλος ἄξειν ἔμελλεν ὁ θεός.
[12.4]
The god gives thee glory in war, but beware lest by guile the hated company of Sparta scale the well-built walls, for mightier is their god of war. And harsh shall be the dwellers in the circle of the dancing ground, when the two have started forth by one chance from the hidden ambush. Yet the holy day shall not behold this ending until their doom o’ertake those which have changed their nature.
At the time Aristodemus and the seers were at a loss to interpret the saying, but in a few years the god was like to reveal it and bring it to fulfillment.
[5] ἕτερα δὲ ἐν τῷ τότε τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις συνέβαινε τοιαῦτα. Λυκίσκου μετοικοῦντος ἐν Σπάρτῃ τὴν θυγατέρα ἐπέλαβεν ἀποθανεῖν, ἣν ἅμα ἀγόμενος ἔφυγεν ἐκ Μεσσήνης. πολλάκις δὲ αὐτὸν φοιτῶντα ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα τῆς παιδὸς λοχήσαντες ἱππεῖς τῶν Ἀρκάδων αἱροῦσιν: ἀναχθεὶς δὲ ἐς τὴν Ἰθώμην καὶ ἐς ἐκκλησίαν καταστὰς ἀπελογεῖτο ὡς οὐ προδιδοὺς τὴν πατρίδα ἀποχωρήσαι, πειθόμενος δὲ τοῖς ῥηθεῖσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ μάντεως ἐς τὴν παῖδα ὡς οὖσαν οὐ γνησίαν.
[12.5] Other things befell the Messenians at that time: while Lyciscus was living abroad in Sparta, death overtook the daughter whom he carried with him on his flight from Messene. As he often visited her tomb, Arcadian horsemen lay in wait and captured him. When carried to Ithome and brought into the assembly he urged that he had not departed a traitor to his country, but because he believed the words of the seer that the girl was not his own.
[6] ταῦτα ἀπολογούμενος οὐ πρότερον ἔδοξεν ἀληθῆ λέγειν πρὶν ἢ παρῆλθεν ἐς τὸ θέατρον ἡ τὴν ἱερωσύνην τότε τῆς Ἥρας ἔχουσα. αὕτη δὲ τεκεῖν τε τὴν παῖδα ὡμολόγει καὶ τῇ Λυκίσκου γυναικὶ ὑποβαλέσθαι δοῦναι: ‘νῦν δὲ’ ἔφη ‘τό τε ἀπόρρητον ἐκφαίνουσα ἥκω καὶ παύσουσα ἐμαυτὴν ἱερωμένην.’ ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ἦν ἐν τῇ Μεσσήνῃ καθεστηκός, ἢν γυναικὸς ἱερωμένης ἢ καὶ ἀνδρὸς προαποθάνῃ τις τῶν παίδων, ἐς ἄλλον τὴν ἱερωσύνην μεταχωρεῖν. νομίζοντες οὖν τὴν γυναῖκα ἀληθῆ λέγειν, τῇ θεῷ τε εἵλοντο ἱερατευσομένην ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνης καὶ Λυκίσκον συγγνωστὰ ἔφασαν εἰργάσθαι.
[12.6] His defence did not win credence until the woman who was then holding the priesthood of Hera came into the theater. She confessed that she was the mother of the girl and had given her to Lyciscus’ wife to pass off as her own. “And now,” she said, “revealing the secret, I have come to lay down my office.” She said this because it was an established custom in Messene that, if a child of a man or woman holding a priesthood died before its parent, the office should pass to another. Accepting the truth of her statement, they chose another woman to take her place as priestess of the goddess, and said that Lyciscus’ deed was pardonable.
[7] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐδόκει σφίσι — καὶ γὰρ εἰκοστὸν ἔτος ἐπῄει τῷ πολέμῳ — πέμπειν αὖθις ἐς Δελφοὺς ἐρησομένους ὑπὲρ νίκης. ἐρομένοις δὲ ἔχρησεν ἡ Πυθία:”τοῖς τρίποδας περὶ βωμὸν Ἰθωμάτᾳ Διὶ πρώτοις
στήσασιν δεκάδων ἀριθμὸν δὶς πέντε δίδωσι
σὺν κύδει πολέμου γαῖαν Μεσσηνίδα δαίμων.
Ζεὺς γὰρ ἔνευσ᾽ οὕτως. ἀπάτη δέ σε πρόσθε τίθησιν
ἥ τ᾽ ὀπίσω τίσις ἐστί, καὶ ἔνθεον ἐξαπατῴης.
ἕρδ᾽ ὅππῃ τὸ χρεών: ἄτη δ᾽ ἄλλοισι πρὸ ἄλλων.
“
[12.7] After this, as the twentieth year of the war was approaching, they resolved to send again to Delphi to ask concerning victory. The Pythia made answer to their question:
To those who first around the altar set up tripods ten times ten to Zeus of Ithome, heaven grants glory in war and the Messenian land. For thus hath Zeus ordained. Deceit raised thee up and punishment follows after, nor would’st thou deceive the god. Act as fate wills, destruction comes on this man before that.
[8] ταῦτ᾽ ἀκούσαντες γεγονέναι τε ἡγοῦντο ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν τὴν μαντείαν καὶ σφίσι διδόναι τὸ τοῦ πολέμου κράτος: οὐ γὰρ αὐτῶν γε ἐχόντων ἐντὸς τείχους τοῦ Ἰθωμάτα τὸ ἱερὸν Λακεδαιμονίους προτέρους ἀναθέντας φθήσεσθαι. καὶ οἱ μὲν ξυλίνους κατασκευάσεσθαι τρίποδας ἔμελλον, οὐ γάρ σφισι περιῆν χρήματα ὡς χαλκοῦς ποιήσασθαι: τῶν δέ τις Δελφῶν τὸν χρησμὸν ἐξήγγειλεν ἐς Σπάρτην. πυθομένοις δὲ ἐν κοινῷ μὲν οὐδέν σφισιν ἐξεγένετο ἀνευρεῖν σοφόν, Οἴβαλος δὲ
[12.8] Hearing this they thought that the oracle was in their favour and granted them victory; for as they themselves possessed the sanctuary of Zeus of Ithome within the walls, the Lacedaemonians could not forestall them in making the dedication. They set about making tripods of wood, as they had not money enough to make them of bronze. But one of the Delphians reported the oracle to Sparta. When they heard it, no plan occurred to them in public,
[9] τὰ μὲν ἄλλα οὐ τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, γνώμην δὲ ὡς ἐδήλωσεν ἀγαθός, ποιησάμενος ὡς ἔτυχε πηλοῦ τρίποδας ἑκατόν, τούτους τε ἀποκεκρυμμένους ἐν πήρᾳ καὶ δίκτυα ἅμα αὐτοῖς ἔφερεν ὡς ἀνὴρ θηρευτής. ἅτε δὲ ὢν ἀγνὼς καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων τοῖς πολλοῖς, ῥᾷον Μεσσηνίους ἐλάνθανεν: ἀναμίξας δὲ αὑτὸν ἀνδράσιν ἀγροίκοις ἐσῆλθέ τε μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐς τὴν Ἰθώμην καὶ ὡς νὺξ τάχιστα ἐπελάμβανεν ἀναθεὶς τοὺς τρίποδας τῷ θεῷ τούτους δὴ τοὺς πηλίνους αὖθις ἐς Σπάρτην ἀπαγγελῶν Λακεδαιμονίοις ᾤχετο.
[12.9] but Oebalus, a man of no repute in general, but evidently shrewd, made a hundred tripods, as best he might, of clay, and hiding them in a bag, carried nets with them like a hunter. As he was unknown even to most of the Lacedaemonians, he would more easily escape detection by the Messenians. Joining some countrymen, he entered Ithome with the
m, and as soon as night fell, dedicated these tripods of clay to the god, and returned to Sparta to tell the Lacedaemonians.
[10] Μεσσηνίους δέ, ὡς εἶδον, ἐτάραξε μὲν μεγάλως, καὶ εἴκαζον — ὥσπερ ἦν — παρὰ Λακεδαιμονίων εἶναι: παρεμυθεῖτο δὲ ὅμως αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἀριστόδημος λέγων ἄλλα τε ἃ ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν εἰκὸς ἦν καὶ τοὺς ξυλίνους τρίποδας — ἐπεποίηντο γὰρ ἤδη — περὶ τοῦ Ἰθωμάτα τὸν βωμὸν ἔστησε. συνέβη δὲ καὶ Ὀφιονέα τὸν μάντιν τοῦτον, τὸν ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλόν, ἀναβλέψαι παραλόγως δὴ μάλιστα ἀνθρώπων: ἐπέλαβε γὰρ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἄλγημα αὐτὸν ἰσχυρόν, καὶ ἀνέβλεψεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
[12.10] The Messenians, when they saw them, were greatly disturbed, thinking, rightly enough, that they were from the Lacedaemonians. Nevertheless Aristodemus encouraged them, saying what the occasion demanded, and setting up the wooden tripods, which had already been made, round the altar of the god of Ithome. It happened also that Ophioneus, the seer who had been blind from birth, received his sight in the most remarkable way. He was seized with a violent pain in the head, and thereupon received his sight.
13. τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν — ἔρρεπε γὰρ ἤδη τὸ χρεὼν ἐς ἅλωσιν τῶν Μεσσηνίων — προεσήμαινεν αὐτοῖς τὰ μέλλοντα ὁ θεός. τό τε γὰρ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἄγαλμα, ὂν χαλκοῦν καὶ αὐτὸ καὶ τὰ ὅπλα, παρῆκε τὴν ἀσπίδα: καὶ Ἀριστοδήμου τῷ Διὶ τῷ Ἰθωμάτᾳ θύειν μέλλοντος τὰ ἱερεῖα, οἱ κριοὶ ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν αὐτόματοι καὶ βίᾳ τὰ κέρατα ἐνράξαντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν ὑπὸ τῆς πληγῆς. τρίτον δὲ ἄλλο συνέβη σφίσιν: οἱ κύνες συνιόντες ἐς τὸ αὐτὸ ἀνὰ πᾶσαν νύκτα ὠρύοντο, τέλος δὲ καὶ ἀπεχώρησαν ἀθρόοι πρὸς τὸ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων στρατόπεδον.