Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.22.4

← 4.22.3 4.22.5 →

Passage 4.22.4: Aristomenes plans an evening assault on Sparta to reclaim Messenian possessions.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

φαμένων δὲ ἐθέλειν ἀπεγύμνου τὸ πᾶν, ὡς πάντως τῆς ἐπιούσης ἑσπέρας ἐπὶ τὴν Σπάρτην ἄγειν μέλλοι· Λακεδαιμονίων γὰρ τότε δὴ μάλιστα ἐς τὴν Εἶραν ἀπῆσαν οἱ πολλοί, καὶ ἄλλοι τε ἐπεφοίτων φέροντες καὶ ἄγοντες τὰ Μεσσηνίων. "καὶ ἢν μὲν ἑλεῖν τὴν Σπάρτην καὶ κατασχεῖν δυνηθῶμεν" , ἔφασκεν ὁ Ἀριστομένης, "ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἀποδόντας Λακεδαιμονίοις τὰ ἐκείνων κομίσασθαι τὰ οἰκεῖα· ἁμαρτάνοντες δὲ ὁμοῦ ἀποθανούμεθά γε μνήμης καὶ τοῖς ἔπειτα ἄξια ἐργασάμενοι."

English Translation

When they declared themselves willing, he stripped the place entirely bare, intending by all means to march on Sparta the following evening, for at that very time most of the Lacedaemonians were away at Eira, and others besides had gone there, carrying off Messenian possessions and prisoners. Aristomenes said, "If we succeed in capturing Sparta and holding it, we shall recover our own possessions by exchanging them for what belongs to the Lacedaemonians. But should we fail, we shall at least die together, having achieved deeds worthy of remembrance by posterity."

Proper Nouns

Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Aristomenes (Ἀριστομένης) person
Eira (Εἶρα) place Q16575287
Sparta (Σπάρτη) place Q5690 Pleiades
← 4.22.3 4.22.5 →