Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.10.7

← 4.10.6 4.11.1 →

Passage 4.10.7: Warfare under Aristodemus: seasonal raids and Messenian-Arcadian invasions.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τὸν δὲ πόλεμον ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀριστοδήμου βασιλείας ἐπολέμουν λῃστείαις τε κατʼ ὀλίγους ἀεὶ καὶ περὶ τὴν ὡραίαν καταδρομαῖς ἐς τὴν ἀλλήλων χρώμενοι, συνεσέβαλλον δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἀρκάδων τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις ἐς τὴν Λακωνικήν· Ἀργεῖοι δὲ προαναφῆναι μὲν τὸ ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἔχθος οὐκ ἠξίουν, γινομένου δὲ ἀγῶνος παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς μεθέξοντες.

English Translation

During the reign of Aristodemus, warfare consisted of continual raiding in small bands upon one another and incursions into each other's territories around harvest-time. The Messenians also made joint invasions into Laconia, supported by contingents from the Arcadians. The Argives, on the other hand, deemed it improper to openly declare their hostility toward the Lacedaemonians beforehand, yet they held themselves ready to join the conflict once it had begun.

Proper Nouns

Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Argives (Ἀργεῖοι) person
Aristodemus (Ἀριστοδήμος) person
Arcadians (Ἀρκάδες) person
Laconia (Λακωνική) place Q11931074
← 4.10.6 4.11.1 →