Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.15.3

← 4.15.2 4.15.4 →

Passage 4.15.3: Spartan royal succession used to date the Messenian war.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

δῆλα οὖν ἐστιν ὡς ὕστερον τρίτῃ γενεᾷ τὸν πόλεμον οἱ Μεσσήνιοι τόνδε ἐπολέμησαν, ἀποδείκνυσί τε τοῦ χρόνου τὸ συνεχὲς βασιλεύοντας τηνικαῦτα ἐν Σπάρτῃ Ἀνάξανδρον Εὐρυκράτους τοῦ Πολυδώρου, τῆς δὲ οἰκίας τῆς ἑτέρας Ἀναξίδαμον Ζευξιδάμου τοῦ Ἀρχιδάμου τοῦ Θεοπόμπου. κατέβην δὲ ἐς ἀπόγονον Θεοπόμπου τέταρτον, ὅτι Ἀρχίδαμος ὁ Θεοπόμπου προαπέθανε τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐς Ζευξίδαμον υἱιδοῦν ὄντα ἡ Θεοπόμπου περιῆλθεν ἀρχή. Λεωτυχίδης δὲ μετὰ Δημάρατον βασιλεύσας φαίνεται τὸν Ἀρίστωνος· Θεοπόμπου δὲ Ἀρίστων ἀπόγονος ἕβδομος.

English Translation

It is therefore clear that the Messenians fought this war later, in the third generation afterward. The continuous sequence of time is demonstrated by the reign at that time in Sparta of Anaxander, son of Eurycrates, son of Polydorus, and from the other royal house Anaxidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, son of Archidamus, son of Theopompus. I have descended to the fourth descendant from Theopompus, because Archidamus, the son of Theopompus, died before his father, and thus the kingship passed to Zeuxidamus, the grandson of Theopompus. Leotychides is found reigning after Demaratus, the son of Ariston, and Ariston was the seventh descendant from Theopompus.

Proper Nouns

Demaratus (Δημάρατος) person Q334478
Eurycrates (Εὐρυκράτης) person Q777923
Also in: 3.3.4 3.3.5
Zeuxidamas (Ζευξιδάμας) person Q1266218
Theopompus (Θεόπομπος) person
Leotychides (Λεωτυχίδης) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Polydoros (Πολύδωρος) person
Anaxandros (Ἀνάξανδρος) person
Anaxidamus (Ἀναξίδαμος) person
Also in: 3.7.6
Ariston (Ἀρίστων) person
Archidamus (Ἀρχίδαμος) person
Sparta (Σπάρτη) place Q5690 Pleiades
← 4.15.2 4.15.4 →