Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.22.1

← 4.21.12 4.22.2 →

Passage 4.22.1: Aristocrates, bribed by Sparta, refuses to lead Arcadians to rescue the Messenians

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

οἱ δὲ Ἀρκάδες παραυτίκα τε τὴν κατάληψιν ἐπυνθάνοντο τῆς Εἴρας καὶ αὐτίκα τὸν Ἀριστοκράτην ἐκέλευον σφᾶς ἄγειν ὡς ἢ σώσοντας Μεσσηνίους ἢ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀπολουμένους. ὁ δὲ ἅτε ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος δεδεγμένος δῶρα, οὔτε ἄγειν ἤθελεν εἰδέναι τε ἔφασκεν οὐδένα ἔτι Μεσσηνίων ὅτῳ καὶ ἀμυνοῦσιν ὄντα ὑπόλοιπον.

English Translation

The Arcadians soon learned about the capture of Eira, and immediately urged Aristocrates to lead them forth, either to save the Messenians or to perish along with them. But he, having accepted bribes from Lacedaemon, refused to lead them, and declared he knew of no Messenians still left surviving to whom they might bring aid.

Proper Nouns

Messenians (Μεσσήνιος) person
Aristocrates (Ἀριστοκράτης) person
Arcadian (Ἀρκάς) person
Ira (Εἴρα) place Q16575287
Lacedaemon (Λακεδαίμων) place Q5690 Pleiades
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