by Polybius
17. About the same time Lycurgus returned from Messenia without having accomplished anything of importance. Afterwards he started again and seized Tegea. The inhabitants having retreated into the citadel, he determined to besiege it; but finding himself unable to make any impression upon it he returned once more to Sparta.
The Eleans after overrunning Dymaea, gained an easy victory over some cavalry that had come out to resist them, by decoying them into an ambush. They killed a considerable number of the Gallic mercenaries, and among the natives whom they took prisoners were Polymedes of Aegium, and Agesipolis, and Diocles of Dyme.
Dorimachus had made his expedition originally, as I have already mentioned, under the conviction that he would be able to devastate Thessaly without danger to himself, and would force Philip to raise the siege of Palus. But when he found Chrysogonus and Petraeus ready in Thessaly to engage him, he did not venture to descend into the plain, but kept close upon the skirts of the mountains; and when news reached him of the Macedonian invasion of Aetolia, he abandoned his attempt upon Thessaly, and hurried home to resist the invaders, whom he found however already departed from Aetolia: and so was too late for the campaign at all points.
Meanwhile the king set sail from Leucas; and after ravaging the territory of Oeanthe as he coasted along, arrived with his whole fleet at Corinth, and dropping anchor in the harbour of Lechaeum, disembarked his troops, and sent his letter-bearers to the allied cities in the Peloponnese, naming a day on which he wished all to be at Tegea by bedtime.
[1] Τεγεατῶν γίνεσθαι πόλει. ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενος, καὶ μείνας οὐδένα χρόνον ἐν τῇ Κορίνθῳ, παρήγγειλε τοῖς Μακεδόσιν ἀναζυγήν. ποιησάμενος δὲ τὴν πορείαν δι᾽ Ἄργους ἧκε δευτεραῖος εἰς Τεγέαν. [2] προσαναλαβὼν δὲ τοὺς ἡθροισμένους τῶν Ἀχαιῶν προῆγε διὰ τῆς ὀρεινῆς, σπουδάζων λαθεῖν τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐμβαλὼν εἰς τὴν χώραν. [3] περιελθὼν δὲ ταῖς ἐρημίαις, τεταρταῖος ἐπέβαλε τοῖς καταντικρὺ τῆς πόλεως λόφοις, καὶ παρῄει δεξιὸν ἔχων τὸ Μενελάιον ἐπ᾽ αὐτὰς τὰς Ἀμύκλας. [4] οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, θεωροῦντες ἐκ τῆς πόλεως παράγουσαν τὴν δύναμιν, ἐκπλαγεῖς ἐγένοντο καὶ περίφοβοι, θαυμάζοντες τὸ συμβαῖνον. [5] ἀκμὴν γὰρ ἦσαν μετέωροι ταῖς διανοίαις ἐκ τῶν προσπιπτόντων ὑπὲρ τοῦ Φιλίππου περὶ τὴν καταφθορὰν τοῦ Θέρμου καὶ καθόλου ταῖς ἐν Αἰτωλίᾳ πράξεσι, καί τις ἐνεπεπτώκει θροῦς παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸν Λυκοῦργον ἐκπέμπειν βοηθήσοντα τοῖς Αἰτωλοῖς. [6] ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ τὸ δεινὸν ἥξειν ἐπὶ σφᾶς οὕτως ὀξέως ἐκ τηλικούτου διαστήματος οὐδὲ διενοεῖτο παράπαν αὐτῶν οὐδείς, ἅτε καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας ἐχούσης ἀκμὴν εὐκαταφρόνητόν τι τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως. διὸ καὶ παρὰ δόξαν αὐτοῖς τῶν πραγμάτων συγκυρούντων εἰκότως ἦσαν ἐκπλαγεῖς. [7] ὁ γὰρ Φίλιππος τολμηρότερον καὶ πρακτικώτερον ἢ κατὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν χρώμενος ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς εἰς ἀπορίαν καὶ δυσχρηστίαν ἅπαντας ἦγε τοὺς πολεμίους. [8] ἀναχθεὶς γὰρ ἐκ μέσης Αἰτωλίας, καθάπερ ἐπάνω προεῖπον, καὶ διανύσας ἐν νυκτὶ τὸν Ἀμβρακικὸν κόλπον, εἰς Λευκάδα κατῆρε. [9] δύο δὲ μείνας ἡμέρας ἐνταῦθα, τῇ τρίτῃ ποιησάμενος ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν τὸν ἀνάπλουν, δευτεραῖος πορθήσας ἅμα τὴν τῶν Αἰτωλῶν παραλίαν ἐν Λεχαίῳ καθωρμίσθη. [10] μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ποιούμενος τὰς πορείας ἑβδομαῖος ἐπέβαλε τοῖς ὑπὲρ τὴν πόλιν κειμένοις παρὰ τὸ Μενελάιον λόφοις, ὥστε τοὺς πλείστους ὁρῶντας τὸ γεγονὸς μὴ πιστεύειν τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν. οἱ μὲν οὖν Λακεδαιμόνιοι, [11] περιδεεῖς γεγονότες διὰ τὸ παράδοξον, ἠπόρουν καὶ δυσχρήστως διέ
18. Then, without making any stay in Corinth, he gave the Macedonians marching orders; and came at the end of a two days’ march by way of Argos to Tegea. There he took on the Achaean troops that had assembled, and advanced by the mountain road, being very desirous to effect an entrance into the territory of the Lacedaemonians before they became aware of it. Thus after a circuitous route through an uninhabited district he came out upon the hills facing the town, and continued his advance right upon Amyclae, keeping the Menelaïum on his right. The Lacedaemonians were dismayed and terrified at seeing from the town the army passing along the hills, and wondered what was happening. For they were still in a state of excitement at the news of Philip which had arrived, — his destruction of Thermus, and his whole campaign in Aetolia; and there was even some talk among them of sending Lycurgus to the assistance of the Aetolians. But no one had so much as thought of danger coming so quickly to their own gates from such a distance, especially as the youth of the king still gave room for a certain feeling of contempt. The event therefore being totally contrary to their expectations, they were naturally in a state of great dismay. For the courage and energy beyond his years, with which Philip acted, reduced all his enemies to a state of the utmost difficulty and terror. For setting out, as I have shown, from the centre of Aetolia, and crossing the Ambracian gulf by night, he passed over to Leucas; and after a two days’ halt there, on the third he renewed his voyage before daybreak, and after a two days’ sail, during which he ravaged the seaboard of the Aetolians, he dropped anchor in Lechaeum; thence, after seven days’ continuous march, he arrived on the heights above Sparta in the neighbourhood of the Menelaïum, — a feat which most of those even who saw it done could scarcely believe.
[1] κειντο πρὸς τὸ παρόν. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππος τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὰς Ἀμύκλας. [2] αἱ δ᾽ Ἀμύκλαι καλούμεναι τόπος ἐστὶ τῆς Λακωνικῆς χώρας καλλιδενδρότατος καὶ καλλικαρπότατος, ἀπέχει δὲ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος ὡς εἴκοσι σταδίους. [3] ὑπάρχει δὲ καὶ τέμενος Ἀπόλλωνος ἐν αὐτῷ σχεδὸν ἐπιφανέστατον τῶν κατὰ τὴν Λακωνικὴν ἱερῶν. κεῖται δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐν τοῖς πρὸς θάλατταν κεκλιμένοις μέρεσι. [4] τῇ δ᾽ ἐπιούσῃ πορθῶν ἅμα τὴν χώραν εἰς τὸν Πύρρου καλούμενον κατέβη χάρακα. δύο δὲ τὰς ἑξῆς ἡμέρας ἐπιδραμὼν καὶ δῃώσας τοὺς σύνεγγυς τόπους, [5] κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὸ Κάρνιον, ὅθεν ὁρμήσας ἦγε πρὸς Ἀσίνην: καὶ ποιησάμενος προσβολάς, οὐδέν γε τῶν προύργου περαίνων, ἀνέζευξε, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἐπιπορευόμενος ἔφθειρε τὴν χώραν πᾶσαν τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ Κρητικὸν πέλαγος τετραμμένην ἕως Ταινάρου. [6] μεταβαλόμενος δ᾽ αὖτις ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν παρὰ τὸν ναύσταθμον τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων, ὃ καλεῖται μὲν Γύθιον, ἔχει δ᾽ ἀσφα�
�ῆ λιμένα, τῆς δὲ πόλεως ἀπέχει περὶ διακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα στάδια. [7] τοῦτο δ᾽ ἀπολιπὼν κατὰ πορείαν δεξιὸν κατεστρατοπέδευσε περὶ τὴν Ἑλείαν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὡς πρὸς μέρος θεωρουμένη πλείστη καὶ καλλίστη χώρα τῆς Λακωνικῆς. [8] ὅθεν ἀφιεὶς τὰς προνομὰς αὐτόν τε τὸν τόπον τοῦτον πάντα κατεπυρπόλει καὶ διέφθειρε τοὺς ἐν αὐτῷ καρπούς, ἀφικνεῖτο δὲ ταῖς προνομαῖς καὶ πρὸς Ἀκρίας καὶ Λεύκας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν τῶν Βοιῶν χώραν.
19. While the Lacedaemonians were thus thoroughly terrified at the unexpected danger, and at a loss what to do to meet it, Philip encamped on the first day at Amyclae: a place in Laconia about twenty stades from Lacedaemon, exceedingly rich in forest and corn, and containing a temple of Apollo, which is about the most splendid of all the temples in Laconia, situated in that quarter of the city which slopes down towards the sea. Next day the king descended to a place called the Camp of Pyrrhus, wasting the country as he went. After devastating the neighbouring districts for the two following days, he encamped near Carnium; thence he started for Asine, and after some fruitless assaults upon it, he started again, and thenceforth devoted himself to plundering all the country bordering on the Cretan Sea as far as Taenarum. Then, once more changing the direction of his march, he advanced to Gythium, the naval arsenal of Sparta, which possesses a safe harbour, and is about thirty stades from the city. Then leaving this on the right, he pitched his camp in the territory of Helos, which of all the districts of Laconia is the most extensive and most beautiful. Thence he sent out foraging parties and wasted the country with fire and sword, and destroyed the crops in it: pushing his devastation as far as Acriae and Leucae, and even to the district of Boeae.
[1] οἱ δὲ Μεσσήνιοι, κομισάμενοι τὰ γράμματα τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Φιλππίου τὰ περὶ τῆς στρατείας, τῇ μὲν ὁρμῇ τῶν ἄλλων οὐκ ἐλείποντο συμμάχων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔξοδον ἐποιήσαντο μετὰ σπουδῆς καὶ τοὺς ἀκμαιοτάτους ἄνδρας ἐξέπεμψαν, πεζοὺς μὲν δισχιλίους, ἱππεῖς δὲ διακοσίους. [2] τῷ δὲ μήκει τῆς ὁδοῦ καθυστερήσαντες τῆς εἰς τὴν Τεγέαν παρουσίας τοῦ Φιλίππου, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἠπόρουν τί δέον εἴη ποιεῖν: [3] ἀγωνιῶντες δὲ μὴ δόξαιεν ἐθελοκακεῖν διὰ τὰς προγεγενημένας περὶ αὐτοὺς ὑποψίας, ὥρμησαν διὰ τῆς Ἀργείας εἰς τὴν Λακωνικήν, βουλόμενοι συνάψαι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Φίλιππον. [4] παραγενόμενοι δὲ πρὸς Γλυμπεῖς χωρίον, ὃ κεῖται περὶ τοὺς ὅρους τῆς Ἀργείας καὶ Λακωνικῆς, πρὸς τοῦτο κατεστρατοπέδευσαν ἀπείρως ἅμα καὶ ῥᾳθύμως: [5] οὔτε γὰρ τάφρον οὔτε χάρακα τῇ παρεμβολῇ περιέβαλον οὔτε τόπον εὐφυῆ περιέβλεψαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν κατοικούντων τὸ χωρίον εὐνοίᾳ πιστεύοντες ἀκάκως πρὸ τοῦ τείχους αὐτοῦ παρενέβαλον. [6] ὁ δὲ Λυκοῦργος, προσαγγελθείσης αὐτῷ τῆς τῶν Μεσσηνίων παρουσίας, ἀναλαβὼν τοὺς μισθοφόρους καί τινας τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων προῆγε, καὶ συνάψας τοῖς τόποις ὑπὸ τὴν ἑωθινὴν ἐπέθετο τῇ στρατοπεδείᾳ τολμηρῶς. οἱ δὲ Μεσσήνιοι, [7] τἄλλα πάντα κακῶς βουλευσάμενοι, καὶ μάλιστα προελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς Τεγέας, μὴ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος ἀξιόχρεως ὑπάρχοντες μήτε πιστεύοντες ἐμπείροις, παρ᾽ αὐτόν γε τὸν κίνδυνον κατὰ τὴν ἐπίθεσιν ὅμως τὸ δυνατὸν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔλαβον πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν: [8] ἅμα γὰρ τῷ συνιδεῖν ἐπιφαινομένους τοὺς πολεμίους ἀφέμενοι πάντων σπουδῇ πρὸς τὸ χωρίον προσέφυγον. [9] διόπερ Λυκοῦργος τῶν μὲν ἵππων ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο τῶν πλείστων καὶ τῆς ἀποσκευῆς, τῶν δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν ζωγρίᾳ μὲν οὐδενὸς ἐκυρίευσε, τῶν δ᾽ ἱππέων ὀκτὼ μόνον ἀπέκτεινε. [10] Μεσσήνιοι μὲν οὖν τοιαύτῃ περιπετείᾳ χρησάμενοι πάλιν δι᾽ Ἄργους εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀνεκομίσθησαν. [11] ὁ δὲ Λυκοῦργος μετεωρισθεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι, παραγενόμενος εἰς τὴν Λακεδαίμονα περὶ παρασκευὴν ἐγίνετο καὶ συνήδρευε μετὰ τῶν φίλων, ὡς οὐκ ἐάσων τὸν Φίλιππον ἐπανελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἄνευ κινδύνου καὶ συμπλοκῆς. [12] ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἑλείας ἀναζεύξας προῆγε, πορθῶν ἅμα τὴν χώραν, καὶ τεταρταῖος αὖθις εἰς τὰς Ἀμύκλας κατῆρε παντὶ τῷ στρατεύματι περὶ μέσον ἡμέρας.
20. On the receipt of the despatch from Philip commanding the levy, the Messenians were no less forward than the other allies to undertake it. They showed indeed great zeal in making the expedition, sending out the flower of their troops, two thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry. Owing, however, to their distance from the seat of war, they arrived at Tegea after Philip had left, and at first were at a loss what to do; but being very anxious not to appear lukewarm in the campaign, because of the suspicions which had attached to them before, they pressed forward through Argolis into Laconia, with a view of effecting a junction with Philip; and having reached a fort called Glympes, which is situated on the frontiers of Argolis and Laconia, they encamped there in an unskilful and careless manner: for they neither entrenched themselves with ditch nor rampart, nor selected an advantageous spot; but trusting to the friendly disposition of the natives, bivouacked there unsuspiciously outside the walls of the fortress. But on news being brought to Lycurgus of the arrival of the Messenians, he took his mercenaries and some Lacedaemonians with him, and reaching the place before daybreak, boldly attacked the camp. Ill advised as the proceedings of the Messenians had been, and especially in advancing from Tegea with inadequate numbers and without the direction of experts, in the actual hour of danger, when the enemy was upon them, they did all that circumstances admitted of to secure their safety. For as soon as they saw the enemy appearing they abandoned everything and took refuge within the fort. Accordingly, though Lycurgus captured most of the horses and the baggage, he did not take a single prisoner, and only succeeded in killing eight of the cavalry. After this reverse, the Messenians returned home through Argolis: but elated with success Lycurgus went to Sparta, and set about preparations for war; and took secret counsel with his friends to prevent Philip from getting safe out of the country without an engagement. Meanwhile the king had started from the district of Helos, and was on his return march, wasting the country as he came; and on the fourth day, about noon, arrived once more with his whole army at Amyclae.
[1] Λυκοῦργος δὲ διαταξάμενος περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος κινδύνου τοῖς ἡγεμόσι καὶ τοῖς φίλοις, αὐτὸς μὲν ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως κατελάβετο τοὺς περὶ τὸ Μενελάιον τόπους, ἔχων τοὺς πάντας οὐκ ἐλάττους δισχιλίων, [2] τοῖς δ᾽ ἐν
τῇ πόλει συνέθετο προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν, ἵν᾽ ὅταν αὐτοῖς αἴρῃ τὸ σύνθημα, σπουδῇ κατὰ πλείους τόπους ἐξαγαγόντες πρὸ τῆς πόλεως τὴν δύναμιν ἐκτάττωσι, βλέπουσαν ἐπὶ τὸν Εὐρώταν, καθ᾽ ὃν ἐλάχιστον τόπον ἀπέχει τῆς πόλεως ὁ ποταμός. [3] τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὸν Λυκοῦργον καὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐν τούτοις ἦν. [4] ἵνα δὲ μὴ τῶν τόπων ἀγνοουμένων ἀνυπότακτα καὶ κωφὰ γίνηται τὰ λεγόμενα, συνυποδεικτέον ἂν εἴη τὴν φύσιν καὶ τάξιν αὐτῶν, [5] ὃ δὴ καὶ παρ᾽ ὅλην τὴν πραγματείαν πειρώμεθα ποιεῖν, συνάπτοντες καὶ συνοικειοῦντες ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀγνοουμένους τῶν τόπων τοῖς γνωριζομένοις καὶ παραδιδομένοις. [6] ἐπεὶ γὰρ τῶν κατὰ πόλεμον κινδύνων τοὺς πλείους καὶ κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλατταν σφάλλουσιν αἱ τῶν τόπων διαφοραί, βουλόμεθα δὲ πάντες οὐχ οὕτως τὸ γεγονὸς ὡς τὸ πῶς ἐγένετο γινώσκειν, [7] οὐ παρολιγωρητέον τῆς τῶν τόπων ὑπογραφῆς ἐν οὐδ᾽ ὁποίᾳ μὲν τῶν πράξεων, ἥκιστα δ᾽ ἐν ταῖς πολεμικαῖς, οὐδ᾽ ὀκνητέον ποτὲ μὲν λιμέσι καὶ πελάγεσι καὶ νήσοις συγχρῆσθαι σημείοις, ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν ἱεροῖς, ὄρεσι, [8] χώραις ἐπωνύμοις, τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ περιέχοντος διαφοραῖς, ἐπειδὴ κοινόταται πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις εἰσὶν αὗται: [9] μόνως γὰρ οὕτως δυνατὸν εἰς ἔννοιαν ἀγαγεῖν τῶν ἀγνοουμένων τοὺς ἀκούοντας, καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον εἰρήκαμεν. [10] ἔστι δ᾽ ἡ τῶν τόπων φύσις τοιαύτη [ὑπὲρ ὧν νῦν δὴ ὁ λό