Greek passages split into sentences with English translation
| Passage | Sentence | Greek | English | Era | Skepticism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.20.1 | 1 | ἑνδεκάτῳ δὲ ἔτει τῆς πολιορκίας τήν τε Εἶραν ἐπέπρωτο ἁλῶναι καὶ ἀναστάτους γενέσθαι Μεσσηνίους, | In the eleventh year of the siege, it was fated that Eira should be captured and the Messenians driven from their land. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.1 | 2 | καὶ δή σφισιν ἐπετέλεσεν ὁ θεὸς Ἀριστομένει καὶ Θεόκλῳ χρησθέν τι. | Indeed, the god fulfilled an oracle delivered earlier to Aristomenes and Theoclus. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.1 | 3 | τούτοις γὰρ ἐλθοῦσιν ἐς Δελφοὺς μετὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τάφρῳ πληγὴν καὶ ἐπερομένοις ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τοσόνδε εἶπεν ἡ Πυθία· | After their defeat at the trench, they traveled to Delphi and consulted the oracle concerning their safety, and the Pythia replied only this: | ? | ? |
| 4.20.1 | 4 | εὖτε τράγος πίνῃσι Νέδης ἑλικόρροον ὕδωρ, οὐκέτι Μεσσήνην ῥύομαι· σχεδόθεν γὰρ ὄλεθρος. | "When a he-goat drinks the winding waters of the Neda, no longer shall I guard Messene, for destruction is near." | ? | ? |
| 4.20.10 | 1 | ἐπηκροᾶτο δὲ λέγοντος ὁ βουκόλος, καὶ ὡς ἀκριβῶς ἐπύθετο ἕκαστα, αὖθις ἐκ τῶν Μεσσηνίων ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἀφίκετο αὐτόμολος. | The herdsman listened secretly while he spoke, and after learning every detail thoroughly, again deserted from the Messenians back to the Lacedaemonians. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.10 | 2 | Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ οἱ μὲν βασιλεῖς ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου τηνικαῦτα ἀπῆσαν, πολεμαρχῶν δὲ τότε Ἐμπέραμος ὁ τοῦ βουκόλου δεσπότης προσεκάθητο τῇ Εἴρᾳ. | Now the kings of the Lacedaemonians were at that time absent from the camp, but Emperamus, the herdsman's master, acting as polemarch, was stationed before Eira. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.10 | 3 | ἀφικόμενος οὖν ἐς τοῦτον πρῶτα μὲν τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ δρασμῷ παρῃτεῖτο ἁμάρτημα, δεύτερα δὲ ἀνεδίδασκεν ὡς τὴν Εἶραν ἐν τῷ παρόντι μάλιστα αἱρήσουσιν, αὐτὰ ἕκαστα ὁπόσα ᾔσθετο τοῦ Μεσσηνίου διηγούμενος. | After coming to him, the herdsman first sought forgiveness for his earlier desertion, then informed him precisely how they could now best capture Eira, relating exactly each detail he had discovered from the Messenian. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.2 | 1 | εἰσὶ δὲ αἱ πηγαὶ τῆς Νέδας ἐν ὄρει τῷ Λυκαίῳ· | The sources of the river Neda lie on Mount Lycaeus. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.2 | 2 | προελθὼν δὲ ὁ ποταμὸς διὰ τῆς Ἀρκάδων καὶ ἐπιστρέψας αὖθις ἐς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν ὁρίζει τὰ ἐπὶ θαλάσσῃ Μεσσηνίοις καὶ Ἠλείοις τὴν γῆν. | Starting from there, the river flows first through Arcadia and then turns again towards Messenia, marking along the coast the boundary between the territories of the Messenians and the Eleans. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.2 | 3 | τότε δὲ οἳ μὲν τοὺς αἶγας τοὺς ἄρρενας ἐδεδοίκεσαν μὴ πίνωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς Νέδας· | At that time, the Messenians were afraid lest the male goats should drink from the Neda. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.2 | 4 | τοῖς δὲ ἄρα ὁ δαίμων προεσήμαινε τοιόνδε. | But a divine sign foretold for them the following. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.2 | 5 | τὸ δένδρον τὸν ἐρινεόν εἰσιν Ἑλλήνων οἳ καλοῦσιν ὀλύνθην, Μεσσήνιοι δὲ αὐτοὶ τράγον. | There is a certain tree called by some of the Greeks "olynthos" (wild fig), though the Messenians themselves name it "tragos" (goat). | ? | ? |
| 4.20.2 | 6 | τότε οὖν πρὸς τῇ Νέδᾳ πεφυκὼς ἐρινεὸς οὐκ ἐς εὐθὺ ηὔξητο, ἀλλὰ ἔς τε τὸ ῥεῦμα ἐπέστρεφε καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος ἄκροις τοῖς φύλλοις ἐπέψαυε. | At that time, a fig tree near the Neda grew not vertically straight, but bent towards the river current so that with the tips of its branches it touched the water. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.3 | 1 | θεασάμενος δὲ ὁ μάντις Θέοκλος συνεβάλετο ὡς τὸν τράγον τὸν πίνοντα ἐκ τῆς Νέδας προεῖπεν ἡ Πυθία τὸν ἐρινεὸν τοῦτον καὶ ὡς ἤδη Μεσσηνίοις ἥκει τὸ χρεών· | The seer Theoclus, having observed this, understood that the goat drinking from the river Neda corresponded to the oracle of the Pythia concerning this fig tree, and declared that the time of destiny had now arrived for the Messenians. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.3 | 2 | καὶ ἐς μὲν τοὺς ἄλλους εἶχεν ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ, Ἀριστομένην δὲ πρός τε τὸν ἐρινεὸν ἤγαγε καὶ ἀνεδίδασκεν ὡς τῆς σωτηρίας ἐξήκοι σφίσιν ὁ χρόνος. | To all others he kept the matter secret, but he brought Aristomenes to the fig tree and instructed him that the time of their deliverance had come. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.3 | 3 | Ἀριστομένης δὲ ἔχειν οὕτω πείθεται καὶ ἀναβολὴν οὐκέτι εἶναί σφισι, προενοήσατο δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν παρόντων. | Aristomenes was thus persuaded that it was so, and concluded there could be no further delay, perceiving clearly the necessity from their present circumstances. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.4 | 1 | καὶ ἦν γάρ τι ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις, ἔμελλε δὲ ἀφανισθὲν ὑποβρύχιον τὴν Μεσσήνην κρύψειν τὸν πάντα αἰῶνα. | Indeed, the Messenians had a certain secret object; and its disappearance would, it was said, plunge Messene underwater, hiding the city forever. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.4 | 2 | φυλαχθὲν δὲ οἱ Λύκου τοῦ Πανδίονος χρησμοὶ Μεσσηνίους ἔλεγον χρόνῳ ποτὲ ἀνασώσεσθαι τὴν χώραν. | But if guarded safely, according to the oracles of Lycus, son of Pandion, the Messenians would someday regain their land. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.4 | 3 | τοῦτο δὴ ὁ Ἀριστομένης ἅτε ἐπιστάμενος τοὺς χρησμούς, ἐπεὶ νὺξ ἐγίνετο, ἐκόμιζε. | Aristomenes, aware of these prophecies, took it away at nightfall. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.4 | 4 | παραγενόμενος δὲ ἔνθα τῆς Ἰθώμης ἦν τὸ ἐρημότατον, κατώρυξεν ἐς Ἰθώμην τὸ ὄρος. | Reaching the most deserted spot of Mount Ithome, he buried it there, within the mountain. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.4 | 5 | καὶ Δία Ἰθώμην ἔχοντα καὶ θεοὺς οἳ Μεσσηνίους ἐς ἐκεῖνο ἔσωζον φύλακας μεῖναι τῆς παρακαταθήκης αἰτούμενος, μηδὲ ἐπὶ Λακεδαιμονίοις ποιῆσαι τὴν μόνην καθόδου Μεσσηνίοις ἐλπίδα. | He then entreated Zeus of Ithome and the gods who had protected the Messenians up to that time to remain guardians of this buried treasure, and pleaded with them not to let the Spartans extinguish this sole remaining hope for the Messenians' return. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.5 | 1 | μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις ἤρχετο, καθὸ καὶ Τρωσὶν ἔτι πρότερον, γίνεσθαι κακὰ ἀπὸ μοιχείας. | After this, troubles began to afflict the Messenians arising from adultery, much as they had formerly afflicted the Trojans. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.5 | 2 | ἐπεκράτουν μὲν αὐτοὶ ἐπεὶ ἐκράτουν τοῦ τε ὄρους καὶ τοῦ πρὸς τὴν Εἶραν ἄχρι τῆς Νέδας, ἦσαν δὲ οἰκήσεις καὶ ἔξω πυλῶν ἐνίοις. | They still remained superior, since they held control of both the mountain and the area toward Eira as far as the Neda River; and some of them had dwellings even outside of their gate. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.5 | 3 | αὐτόμολος δὲ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς Λακωνικῆς ἄλλος μὲν ἀφίκετο οὐδείς, οἰκέτης δὲ Ἐμπεράμου βουκόλος ἐλαύνων τοῦ δεσπότου τὰς βοῦς· | No one else had deserted to them from Laconia, except only a herdsman, a slave belonging to Emperamus, who had driven his master's cattle over to them. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.5 | 4 | ὁ δὲ Ἐμπέραμος ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐν Σπάρτῃ δόκιμος. | Emperamus was a distinguished man in Sparta. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.6 | 1 | οὗτος ὁ βουκόλος ἔνεμεν οὐ πόρρω τῆς Νέδας. | This herdsman was pasturing his cattle not far from the Neda river. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.6 | 2 | ἀνδρὸς οὖν τῶν Μεσσηνίων τῶν οὐκ ἐντὸς τείχους ἐχόντων οἴκησιν γυναῖκα εἶδεν ἐφʼ ὕδωρ ἐλθοῦσαν· ἐρασθεὶς δὲ διαλεχθῆναί τε ἐτόλμησε καὶ δοὺς δῶρα συγγίνεται. | He saw the wife of a certain Messenian man who lived outside the walls coming to draw water; struck by desire, he dared to address her, and after giving her gifts, he lay with her. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.6 | 3 | καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου τὸν ἄνδρα παρεφύλασσεν αὐτῆς, ὁπότε ἀποχωρήσειεν ἐς τὴν φρουράν. | From that time forth, he watched closely for whenever her husband went away to the guard-station. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.6 | 4 | ἀνὰ μέρος δὲ τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ἐπήγετο ἡ φυλακή· ταύτῃ γὰρ τοὺς πολεμίους μάλιστα ἐδεδοίκεσαν μὴ ὑπερβῶσιν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὴν πόλιν. | Indeed, the Messenians kept watch over the citadel by turns, since at that point especially they feared that their enemies might climb in and invade their city. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.6 | 5 | ὁπότε οὖν οὗτος ἀποχωρήσειε, τηνικαῦτα ὁ βουκόλος ἐφοίτα παρὰ τὴν γυναῖκα. | Thus whenever this man left, the herdsman would then visit the woman. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.7 | 1 | καί ποτε ἔτυχε σὺν ἄλλοις ἐς ἐκεῖνον περιήκουσα ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἡ φυλακή, ἔτυχε δὲ καὶ ὕειν πολλῷ τὸν θεόν, καὶ ἐκλείπουσιν οἱ Μεσσήνιοι τὴν φρουράν· | And once it happened that a guard post at that place had fallen to him and others during the night. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.7 | 2 | τὸ γὰρ ὕδωρ ἐβιάζετο σφᾶς ἀθρόον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταχεόμενον, οὔτε ἐπάλξεων ἐνῳκοδομημένων οὔτε πύργων ὑπὸ σπουδῆς τοῦ τειχισμοῦ, καὶ ἅμα οὐδὲ κινήσεσθαι τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἤλπιζον ἐν ἀσελήνῳ νυκτὶ καὶ οὕτω χειμερίῳ. | It happened also that the god sent down heavy rain, and the Messenians abandoned their guard-post; for the water, pouring from heaven abundantly, overwhelmed them. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.8 | 1 | Ἀριστομένης δὲ οὐ πολλαῖς πρότερον ἡμέραις Κεφαλλῆνα ἔμπορον, ἑαυτῷ ξένον καὶ ἐσάγοντα ἐς τὴν Εἶραν ὁπόσων ἐδέοντο, ἑαλωκότα ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τοξοτῶν Ἀπτεραίων ὧν ἦρχεν Εὐρύαλος Σπαρτιάτης, τοῦτον τὸν Κεφαλλῆνα ἀφαιρούμενος ἐκεῖνον μὲν καὶ τὰ χρήματα ὁπόσα ἦγεν ἀπέσωσεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτέτρωτο καὶ οὐκ ἐδύνατο ἐπιφοιτᾶν τοῖς φυλάσσουσι καθάπερ εἰώθει. | A few days earlier Aristomenes had rescued a certain merchant from Cephallenia—his guest-friend and supplier bringing into Eira all the supplies they required—who had been captured by the Lacedaemonians and the Apteraian archers under the Spartan leader Euryalus. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.8 | 2 | τοῦτο μάλιστα αἴτιον ἐγένετο ἐκλειφθῆναι τὴν ἀκρόπολιν· | While rescuing this Cephallenian and the goods he was bringing, Aristomenes himself was wounded, so severely that he could no longer perform his customary visits to the sentries. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.9 | 1 | τῶν τε δὴ ἄλλων ἕκαστος ἀνεχώρησεν ἀπὸ τῆς φρουρᾶς καὶ τῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ βουκόλου μοιχευομένης ὁ ἀνήρ. | Each of the others withdrew from the watch-post, as did likewise the husband of the woman whom the herdsman was seducing. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.9 | 2 | ἡ δὲ τηνικαῦτα ἔνδον εἶχε τὸν βουκόλον, αἰσθάνεταί τε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπιόντος καὶ αὐτίκα ὡς τάχους εἶχεν ἀποκρύπτει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. | At that time she had the herdsman indoors with her; sensing her husband's arrival, she immediately concealed the man as quickly as possible. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.9 | 3 | ἐσελθόντα δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐφιλοφρονεῖτο ὡς οὔπω πρότερον καὶ ἠρώτα καθʼ ἥν τινα αἰτίαν ἥκοι. | When her husband entered, she greeted him more affectionately than ever before and asked the reason for his return. | ? | ? |
| 4.20.9 | 4 | ὁ δὲ οὔτε μεμοιχευμένην εἰδὼς οὔτε ἔνδον ὄντα τὸν βουκόλον ἐχρῆτο τῷ ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ, καὶ αὐτός τε διὰ τοῦ ὄμβρου τὸ βίαιον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον ἔφασκεν ἀπολελοιπέναι τὴν φρουράν. | He, knowing neither of his wife's adultery nor of the herdsman's presence inside, answered truthfully. | ? | ? |