Description of Greece

​Megalopolis is the newest of the cities, not only of the Arcadian ones, but also of those among the Greeks, except for those whose inhabitants have migrated due to the misfortune of the Roman rule. The Arcadians came together into it for the sake of strength, because they knew that the Argives, in even older times, were in danger of being subdued by the Lacedaemonians in war almost every single day, but after they had increased Argos in population by destroying Tiryns, Hysiae, Orneae, Mycenae, Midea, and any other insignificant town in Argolis, they both became less afraid of the Lacedaemonians and at the same time gained strength over their neighbors.

​With such an intention the Arcadians moved to the joint settlement, but Epaminondas the Theban might justly be called the founder of the city; for he was the one who aroused the Arcadians to the settlement, and he sent a thousand chosen Thebans and Pammenes as commander to defend the Arcadians if the Lacedaemonians should try to prevent the settlement. There were also chosen as founders by the Arcadians themselves: Lycomedes, Opoleas, Timon, and Proxenus—the latter two from Tegea, and Lycomedes and Opoleas being Mantineans— Cleolaus and Acriphius of the Clitorians, Eucampidas and Hieronymus from Maenalus, and Possicrates and Theoxenus of the Parrhasians.

​And the cities were as many as the Arcadians were persuaded to abandon, though they were their homelands, out of eagerness and because of their hatred for the Lacedaemonians: Alea, Pallantium, Eutaea, Sumateum, Asea, Peraetheis, Helisson, Oresthasium, Dipaea, Lycaea—these from Maenalus; and from the Eutresians: Tricoloni, Zoitium, Charisia, Ptolederma, Cnausum, and Paroreia;

​and from the Aegytae: Aegys, Scirtonium, Malea, Cromoe, Blenina, and Leuctrum; and of the Parrhasians: Lycosura, Thocnia, Trapezus, Proseis, Acacesium, Acontium, Macaria, and Daseae; and of the Cynurians in Arcadia: Gortys, Thisoa near Lycaeum, Lycaeatae, and Aliphera; and of those belonging to Orchomenus: Thisoa, Methydrium, and Teuthis; and there was also added the district called Tripolis: Callia, Dipoena, and Nonacris.

​Now the rest of the Arcadian people did not depart from the common decree and gathered into Megalopolis with eagerness; but the Lycaeatae, Tricoloneans, Lycosurians, and Trapezuntians alone of the Arcadians changed their minds, and—for they did not agree to abandon their ancient cities—some of them were brought to Megalopolis by force and against their will, while the Trapezuntians departed from the Peloponnese ​altogether, that is, those of them who were left and had not been immediately put to death by the Arcadians in their anger. Those of them who escaped and sailed up in ships to the Pontus were received as fellow-citizens by those who held Trapezus on the Euxine, as they were their metropolitans and namesakes. But for the Lycosurians, although they had been disobedient, there was nevertheless respect from the Arcadians, because they had fled as suppliants to the sanctuary of Demeter and Despoina.

​Of the other cities that have been listed, some are completely deserted in my time, but the Megalopolitans hold others as villages: Gortys, Dipoena, Thisoa near Orchomenus, Methydrium, Teuthis, Calliae, and Helisson; but Pallantium alone among them was destined, as it turned out, to experience a gentler fate even then. And for the Alipherians, it has remained from the beginning down to this day that they are considered a city.

​Megalopolis was founded in the same year, and a few months later, as the defeat of the Lacedaemonians at Leuctra took place, when Phrasicleides was archon at Athens, in the second year of the hundred and second Olympiad, in which Damon of Thurii won the foot-race.

​And for the Megalopolitans, while they were enrolled in the alliance of the Thebans, there was no fear of the Lacedaemonians. But when the Thebans became involved in the war called the Sacred War, and the Phocians pressed hard upon them—who held the territory bordering on Boeotia and were not lacking in money, since they had seized the sanctuary at Delphi—