Passage 4.10.1
Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ ἀκούσαντες τὸν γενόμενον Μεσσηνίοις χρησμὸν ἀθύμως διέκειντο καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἔς τε τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ ἄρχειν ὀκνοῦντες μάχης. ἔτει δὲ ἕκτῳ μετὰ τὸν ἐξ Ἰθώμης Λυκίσκου δρασμὸν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι---τὰ γὰρ ἱερὰ ἐγίνετο αὐτοῖς αἴσια ---στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰθώμην· οἱ δὲ Κρῆτες οὐκέτι παρόντες σφίσιν ἔτυχον. ὑστέρησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ τῶν Μεσσηνίων σύμμαχοι---διʼ ὑποψίας γὰρ οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται καὶ ἄλλοις ἤδη Πελοποννησίων καὶ Ἀρκάσιν ἦσαν καὶ Ἀργείοις μάλιστα---καὶ οἱ μὲν Ἀργεῖοι κρύφα ἔμελλον τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἀφίξεσθαι καὶ ἰδίᾳ δὴ μᾶλλον ἢ μετὰ δόγματος κοινοῦ, τοῖς δὲ Ἀρκάσιν ἡ στρατεία μὲν ἀνείρητο ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ, παρέτυχον δὲ οὐδʼ οὗτοι. τοὺς γὰρ Μεσσηνίους καὶ ἄνευ συμμάχων κινδυνεῦσαι προήγαγεν ἡ δόξα τοῦ χρησμοῦ.
When the Lacedaemonians heard of the oracle given to the Messenians, both they themselves and their kings became disheartened regarding the future and grew hesitant to offer battle. But in the sixth year after Lyciscus had escaped from Ithome, the Lacedaemonians—since the omens from their sacrifices had become favorable—marched against Ithome. The Cretans, however, were no longer there to assist them. And now the allies of the Messenians also fell away, as the Spartans had become suspicious not only of certain other Peloponnesians but especially of the Arcadians and Argives. The Argives intended secretly to withdraw from the Spartans, planning to act on their own initiative rather than according to a common decision. As for the Arcadians, though their participation had been openly announced, even they did not present themselves for battle. Thus, it was the reputation of the oracle itself that emboldened the Messenians to risk combat even without allies.