Passage 4.8.4
Μεσσηνίοις δὲ †ἐς ἅπαντα ἐς τὸ ἴσον ἥ τε ἀπόνοια καὶ τὸ ἐς τὸν θάνατον εὔθυμον· καὶ ὁπόσα μὲν πάσχοιεν, ἀναγκαῖα μᾶλλον τοῖς πατρίδα σεμνύνουσιν ἢ δεινὰ ἐνόμιζον, ἃ δὲ ἔδρων, αὐτοί τε ἡγοῦντο εἰργάσθαι μειζόνως καὶ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις συμβαίνειν χαλεπώτερα. καὶ οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν προεκπηδῶντες τῆς τάξεως τολμήματα λαμπρὰ ἀπεδείκνυντο, τοῖς δὲ καὶ ἐπικαίρως τετρωμένοις καὶ ἐμπνέουσιν ὀλίγον ὅμως ἡ ἀπόνοια ἤκμαζε.
But among the Messenians, a reckless courage and a cheerful resolve facing death attended them universally in equal measure. Whatever hardships they suffered, they regarded rather as obligations befitting those who honored their homeland, not as grievous calamities; and as for the deeds they performed, they themselves considered these achievements even greater while being yet more distressing to the Lacedaemonians. Some among them, rushing forward ahead of their ranks, displayed brilliant acts of bravery, and even among those critically wounded at the decisive moment, who scarcely still drew breath, their resolute defiance continued to flourish.