Passage 4.21.11
μετὰ τοῦτο τοῖς καθʼ αὑτὸν ἀνθεστηκόσιν ἐμπεσὼν ἐκείνους τε ἔκτεινε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐτιτρώσκετο, προεμπλήσας δὲ τὸν θυμὸν τῷ φόνῳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀφίησι τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀριστομένης δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης ὀπίσω τοὺς Μεσσηνίους ἀνεκάλει, πλὴν ὅσοι κατὰ ἀνδραγαθίαν αὐτῶν προεμάχοντο· τούτους δὲ εἴα κατὰ χώραν μένειν· τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς προσέταξε τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἐντὸς τῆς τάξεως ἔχοντας ἐπακολουθεῖν, ᾗπερ ἂν αὐτὸς παρέχηται διέξοδον.
After this, he fell upon those who stood against him, slew them, and was himself wounded; but having first sated his fury with the slaughter of his enemies, he yielded up his spirit. Aristomenes called the Messenians back from the battle, except for those who in their valour were fighting in the forefront; these he allowed to remain in their positions. To all the rest he gave orders, keeping the women and children within the ranks, to follow after him wherever he himself might open up a passage.