Pausanias Analysis

Passage 4.5.1

← 4.4.8 4.5.2 →

Passage 4.5.1: Spartan and Messenian accounts of the causes of their war

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν δὴ Πολυχάρους τε ἕνεκα οὐκ ἐκδοθέντος σφίσι καὶ διὰ τὸν Τηλέκλου φόνον, καὶ πρότερον ἔτι ὑπόπτως ἔχοντες διὰ τὸ Κρεσφόντου κακούργημα ἐς τὸν κλῆρον, πολεμῆσαι λέγουσι· Μεσσήνιοι δὲ περὶ Τηλέκλου ἀντιλέγουσι τὰ εἰρημένα ἤδη μοι καὶ Αἴπυτον τὸν Κρεσφόντου συγκαταχθέντα ἀποφαίνουσιν ὑπὸ Ἀριστοδήμου τῶν παίδων, ὃ μήποτʼ ἂν ποιῆσαι σφᾶς Κρεσφόντῃ γε ὄντας διαφόρους.

English Translation

The Lacedaemonians say that they went to war both because Polycharis was not handed over to them, and because of the murder of Teleclus; and even before this, they had been suspicious due to the wrongdoing committed against Cresphontes concerning the inheritance. But the Messenians deny the accounts given about Teleclus, as I have already recounted, and they also point out that Aepytus, the son of Cresphontes, was restored to the throne by Aristodemus, son of Aristomachus—something they would never have done had they really been at odds with Cresphontes himself.

Proper Nouns

Aipytos (Αἴπυτος) person
Cresphontes (Κρεσφόντης) person
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Messenians (Μεσσήνιοι) person
Polycharos (Πολύχαρος) person
Also in: 4.4.6
Teleclus (Τηλεκλός) person
Aristodemus (Ἀριστοδήμος) person
← 4.4.8 4.5.2 →