Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.29.9

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Passage 4.29.9: Messenians and Achaeans defeat Cleomenes at Sellasia and overthrow Sparta.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

πέφυκε δὲ ἄρα ὡς ἐπίπαν μεταπίπτειν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, εἰ δὴ Μεσσηνίοις Ἀρκάδας τε ἀντισῶσαι καὶ τὸ ἀδοκητότερον ἔτι ἑλεῖν Σπάρτην ὁ δαίμων ἔδωκεν· Κλεομένει γὰρ περὶ Σελλασίαν ἐμαχέσαντο ἐναντία καὶ τὴν Σπάρτην Ἀράτῳ καὶ Ἀχαιοῖς συγκαθεῖλον.

English Translation

Indeed, it seems that human affairs are in general subject to sudden reversals, since fate allowed the Messenians not only to find an equal footing alongside the Arcadians, but, even more unexpectedly, to take Sparta. For at Sellasia they fought against Cleomenes, and joining with Aratus and the Achaeans, they brought about the downfall of Sparta itself.

Proper Nouns

daimon (δαίμων) deity
Also in: 8.7.7
Cleomenes (Κλεομένης) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Aratus (Ἀράτης) person
Arcadians (Ἀρκάδες) person
Achaeans (Ἀχαιοὶ) person
Sellasia (Σελλασία) place Q59431661
Sparta (Σπάρτη) place Q5690 Pleiades
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