Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.14.1 Class: Historical

Μεσσηνίων δὲ ὅσοις μὲν ἔτυχον ἐν Σικυῶνι οὖσαι καὶ ἐν Ἄργει προξενίαι καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἀρκάδων τισίν, οὗτοι μὲν ἐς ταύτας τὰς πόλεις ἀπεχώρησαν, ἐς Ἐλευσῖνα δὲ οἱ τοῦ γένους τῶν ἱερέων καὶ θεαῖς ταῖς Μεγάλαις τελοῦντες τὰ ὄργια· ὁ δὲ ὄχλος ὁ πολὺς κατὰ τὰς πατρίδας ἕκαστοι τὰς ἀρχαίας ἐσκεδάσθησαν.

Proper Nouns:

Μεγάλαι Θεαί Μεσσηνίοι Σικυών Ἀρκάδες Ἄργος Ἐλευσῖν

Those of the Messenians who happened to have proxenies at Sicyon and Argos, as well as some among the Arcadians, withdrew to those cities; while to Eleusis withdrew those of the priestly lineage and those who performed the rites for the Great Goddesses. The majority of the populace scattered, each group returning to their own ancestral homelands.

Passage 4.14.2 Class: Historical

Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ πρῶτα μὲν τὴν Ἰθώμην καθεῖλον ἐς ἔδαφος, ἔπειτα καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς πόλεις ἐπιόντες ᾕρουν. ἀνέθεσαν δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λαφύρων τῷ Ἀμυκλαίῳ τρίποδας χαλκοῦς· Ἀφροδίτης ἄγαλμά ἐστιν ἑστηκὸς ὑπὸ τῷ τρίποδι τῷ πρώτῳ, Ἀρτέμιδος δὲ ὑπὸ τῷ δευτέρῳ, Κόρης δὲ ἢ Δήμητρος ὑπὸ τῷ τρίτῳ.

Proper Nouns:

Δήμητρα Κόρη Λακεδαιμόνιοι Ἀμύκλαι Ἀφροδίτη Ἄρτεμις Ἰθώμη

The Lacedaemonians first razed Ithome to the ground, and afterward attacked and captured the remaining cities. From the spoils they dedicated bronze tripods at Amyclae. Beneath the first tripod stands a statue of Aphrodite, beneath the second Artemis, and beneath the third either Kore or Demeter.

Passage 4.14.3 Class: Historical

ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ἀνέθεσαν ἐνταῦθα, τῆς δὲ γῆς τῆς Μεσσηνίας Ἀσιναίοις μὲν ἀνεστηκόσιν ὑπὸ Ἀργείων διδόασιν ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ ταύτην ἣν καὶ νῦν ἔτι οἱ Ἀσιναῖοι νέμονται· τοῖς δὲ Ἀνδροκλέους ἀπογόνοις---ἦν γὰρ δὴ καὶ θυγάτηρ Ἀνδροκλεῖ καὶ παῖδες τῆς θυγατρός, φεύγοντες δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν τελευτὴν τοῦ Ἀνδροκλέους ᾤχοντο ἐς Σπάρτην--- τούτοις τὴν Ὑαμίαν καλουμένην ἀπονέμουσι.

Proper Nouns:

Μεσσηνία Σπάρτη Ἀνδροκλεύς Ἀνδροκλεύς Ἀργεῖοι Ἀσιναῖοι Ἀσιναῖοι Ὑαμία

These votive offerings, indeed, they set up there. But concerning the land of Messenia, to the people of Asine, expelled by the Argives, they granted the coastal territory which even now the Asinaeans inhabit. As for the descendants of Androcles—for Androcles had a daughter whose sons, after their mother's departure, at the death of Androcles fled into Sparta—to these descendants they granted a land called Hyamia.

Passage 4.14.4 Class: Historical

τὰ δὲ ἐς αὐτοὺς Μεσσηνίους παρὰ Λακεδαιμονίων ἔσχεν οὕτως. πρῶτον μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐπάγουσιν ὅρκον μήτε ἀποστῆναί ποτε ἀπʼ αὐτῶν μήτε ἄλλο ἐργάσασθαι νεώτερον μηδέν· δεύτερα δὲ φόρον μὲν οὐδένα ἐπέταξαν εἰρημένον, οἳ δὲ τῶν γεωργουμένων τροφῶν σφισιν ἀπέφερον ἐς Σπάρτην πάντων τὰ ἡμίσεα. προείρητο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἐκφορὰς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ ἄλλων τῶν ἐν τέλει καὶ ἄνδρας ἐκ τῆς Μεσσηνίας καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν ἐσθῆτι ἥκειν μελαίνῃ· καὶ τοῖς παραβᾶσιν ἐπέκειτο ποινή.

Proper Nouns:

Λακεδαιμόνιος Μεσσήνιος Μεσσηνία Σπάρτη

The conditions imposed upon the Messenians by the Lacedaemonians were as follows. First, they compelled them under oath never to revolt against them nor undertake any revolutionary action whatsoever. Second, although they prescribed no fixed tribute, the Messenians were to deliver half of all the produce yielded by their cultivated lands into Sparta. Furthermore, it was also decreed that, at the funerals of kings and other officials, men and women from Messenia must attend dressed in black clothing; and those who violated these conditions were subject to punishment.

Passage 4.14.5 Class: Historical

ἐς τιμωρίας δὲ ἃς ὕβριζον ἐς τοὺς Μεσσηνίους, Τυρταίῳ πεποιημένα ἐστὶν ὥσπερ ὄνοι μεγάλοις ἄχθεσι τειρόμενοι, δεσποσύνοισι φέροντες ἀναγκαίης ὑπὸ λυγρῆς ἥμισυ πᾶν ὅσσων καρπὸν ἄρουρα φέρει. Tyrtaeus, unknown location. ὅτι δὲ καὶ συμπενθεῖν ἔκειτο αὐτοῖς ἀνάγκη, δεδήλωκεν ἐν τῷδε· δεσπότας οἰμώζοντες, ὁμῶς ἄλοχοί τε καὶ αὐτοί, εὖτέ τινʼ οὐλομένη μοῖρα κίχοι θανάτου. Tyrtaeus, unknown location.

Proper Nouns:

Μεσσήνιοι Τυρταῖος

Regarding the punishments and outrages they inflicted upon the Messenians, the following verses composed by Tyrtaeus exist: "Like asses oppressed by great burdens, under harsh necessity, they bore to their masters half of all that the land yields as fruit." And that they were compelled even to join in mourning with their masters, he makes clear in these lines also: "Lamenting their lords, along with their own wives, whenever destructive fate brought death upon any."

Passage 4.14.6 Class: Historical

τοιούτων οὖν οἱ Μεσσήνιοι κατειληφότων καὶ ἅμα ἐς τὰ μέλλοντα οὐδὲν ἐνορῶντες παρὰ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων φιλάνθρωπον, πρό τε δὴ τῶν παρόντων τεθνάναι μαχομένους ἢ καὶ τὸ παράπαν ἐκ Πελοποννήσου φεύγοντας οἴχεσθαι νομίζοντες αἱρετώτερα, ἀφίστασθαι πάντως ἐγίνωσκον. ἐνῆγον δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἐς τοῦτο καὶ οἱ νεώτεροι, πολέμου μὲν ἔτι ἀπείρως ἔχοντες, λαμπροὶ δὲ ὄντες τὰ φρονήματα καὶ ἀποθανεῖν προτιμῶντες ἐν ἐλευθέρᾳ τῇ πατρίδι, εἰ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα εὐδαιμόνως δουλεύειν παρείη.

Proper Nouns:

Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μεσσήνιοι Πελοπόννησος

Since the Messenians had come to such desperate circumstances, and at the same time could foresee nothing humane from the Lacedaemonians in the future, they judged altogether preferable either to die fighting in immediate resistance or even to abandon the Peloponnese entirely. Consequently, they firmly resolved upon revolt. Especially influential in driving them to this decision were the younger men, who, though still lacking experience of war, were spirited in their thoughts and preferred death in a free homeland, rather than prosperous servitude, however favorable other conditions might be.

Passage 4.14.7 Class: Mythic

ἐπετράφη δὲ νεότης καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ τῆς Μεσσηνίας, οἱ δὲ ἄριστοι καὶ ἀριθμὸν πλεῖστοι περὶ τὴν Ἀνδανίαν, ἐν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Ἀριστομένης, ὃς καὶ νῦν ἔτι ὡς ἥρως ἔχει παρὰ Μεσσηνίοις τιμάς. καί οἱ καὶ τὰ τῆς γενέσεως ἐπιφανέστερα ὑπάρξαι νομίζουσι· Νικοτελείᾳ γὰρ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ δαίμονα ἢ θεὸν δράκοντι εἰκασμένον συγγενέσθαι λέγουσι. τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ Μακεδόνας ἐπὶ Ὀλυμπιάδι καὶ ἐπὶ Ἀριστοδάμᾳ Σικυωνίους οἶδα εἰρηκότας, διάφορα δὲ τοσόνδε ἦν·

Proper Nouns:

Μακεδόνες Μεσσήνιοι Μεσσηνία Νικοτέλεια Σικυώνιοι Ἀνδανία Ἀριστοδάμας Ἀριστομένης Ὀλυμπιάς

Elsewhere too within Messenia the young men were entrusted with responsibilities, but the best and the greatest in numbers were stationed around Andania. Among them was Aristomenes as well, who even now continues to receive honors from the Messenians as a hero. They consider him to have had a very distinguished birth, for they say that his mother Nicoteleia united with a divine being or god in the form of a serpent. I know that similar things have been said by the Macedonians regarding Olympias, and by the Sicyonians concerning Aristodama, but there was this distinction:

Passage 4.14.8 Class: Historical

Μεσσήνιοι γὰρ οὐκ ἐσποιοῦσιν Ἀριστομένην Ἡρακλεῖ παῖδα ἢ Διί, ὥσπερ Ἀλέξανδρον Ἄμμωνι οἱ Μακεδόνες καὶ Ἄρατον Ἀσκληπιῷ Σικυώνιοι· Ἀριστομένει δὲ πατέρα Ἑλλήνων μὲν οἱ πολλοὶ Πύρρον φασὶν εἶναι, Μεσσηνίους δὲ οἶδα αὐτὸς ἐπὶ ταῖς σπονδαῖς Ἀριστομένην Νικομήδους καλοῦντας. οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἀκμάζων ἡλικίᾳ καὶ τόλμῃ καὶ ἄλλοι τῶν ἐν τέλει παρώξυνον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπόστασιν· ἐπράσσετο δὲ ταῦτα οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ, κρύφα δὲ ἐς Ἄργος καὶ παρὰ τοὺς Ἀρκάδας ἀπέστελλον, εἴ σφισιν ἀπροφασίστως καὶ μηδὲν ἐνδεεστέρως ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ προτέρου ἀμῦναι θελήσουσιν.

Proper Nouns:

Ζεύς Μακεδόνες Μεσσήνιοι Μεσσήνιοι Πύρρος Σικυώνιοι Ἀλέξανδρος Ἀριστομένης Ἀριστομένης Νικομήδους Ἀρκάδες Ἀσκληπιός Ἄμμων Ἄρατος Ἄργος Ἕλληνες Ἡρακλῆς

For the Messenians do not claim Aristomenes as the son of Heracles or Zeus, as the Macedonians say Alexander was the son of Ammon, or as the Sicyonians assert Aratus was the son of Asclepius. Instead, most of the Greeks say that Aristomenes' father was Pyrrhus, but I myself know that the Messenians, when making oaths, call Aristomenes the son of Nicomedes. At that time Aristomenes, in the prime of his strength and daring, and other leading men stirred them up into revolt. These events did not immediately occur openly; rather, secret embassies were sent to Argos and among the Arcadians, asking whether these peoples would readily and no less eagerly than in the former war wish to come to their defense.

Legend:

Chapter 4.14