Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.23.1

← 4.22.7 4.23.2 →

Passage 4.23.1: Messenian refugees sail to Cyllene and seek Aristomenes to lead them in founding a colony.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τῶν δὲ Μεσσηνίων ὁπόσοι περὶ τὴν Εἶραν ἢ καὶ ἑτέρωθί που τῆς Μεσσηνίας ἐγκατελήφθησαν, τούτους μὲν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι προσένειμαν ἐς τὸ εἱλωτικόν· Πύλιοι δὲ καὶ Μοθωναῖοι καὶ ὅσοι τὰ παραθαλάσσια ᾤκουν, καὶ ναυσὶν ὑπὸ τὴν ἅλωσιν τῆς Εἴρας ἀπαίρουσιν ἐς Κυλλήνην τὸ ἐπίνειον τὸ Ἠλείων. ἐκεῖθεν δὲ παρὰ τοὺς ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ Μεσσηνίους ἀπέστελλον, ἐθέλοντες κοινῷ στόλῳ χώραν ἔνθα οἰκήσουσιν ἀναζητεῖν, καὶ Ἀριστομένην ἐκέλευον ἡγεῖσθαί σφισιν ἐς ἀποικίαν.

English Translation

As for the Messenians who were left behind around Eira or elsewhere in Messenia, the Lacedaemonians assigned them to helot status. The Pylians, Mothonaeans, and all who lived along the coast, sailed away by ship at the time of Eira’s capture to Cyllene, the port of the Eleans. From there they sent messengers to the Messenians in Arcadia, wishing to organize a joint expedition to seek a land in which they could settle; and they urged Aristomenes to lead them to found a colony.

Proper Nouns

Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Methonaeans (Μοθωναῖοι) person
Pylians (Πύλιοι) person
Also in: 6.22.6 6.25.2
Aristomenes (Ἀριστομένης) person
Eleans (Ἠλεῖοι) person
Eira (Εἶρα) place Q16575287
Kyllene (Κυλλήνη) place Q56650616
Messenia (Μεσσηνία) place Q1247159
Arcadia (Ἀρκαδία) place Q12898802
← 4.22.7 4.23.2 →