- Source
- Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.27.10-8.27.17
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-10-31
This section narrates the struggles of Megalopolis against the Lacedaemonians under the rise of Macedon, detailing the reigns of the tyrants Aristodemus and Lydiades, the miraculous preservation from Agis' siege by the North Wind, and the city's eventual capture by Cleomenes.
τηνικαῦτα οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι προθυμίας μὲν ἕνεκα Ἀρκάδας τε ἂν τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας ἐποίησαν1 ἀναστάτους, ἀμυνομένων δὲ τῶν τότε οὐκ ἀθύμως καὶ ἅμα τῶν περιοίκων ἀπροφασίστως σφίσιν ἐπικουρούντων, λόγου μὲν συνέπεσεν οὐδὲν ἄξιον γενέσθαι παρὰ οὐδετέρων· Φίλιππον δὲ τὸν Ἀμύντου καὶ Μακεδόνων τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐχ ἥκιστα αὐξηθῆναι τὸ ἔχθος τὸ Ἀρκάδων ἐς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐποίησε, καὶ Ἕλλησιν ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ καὶ αὖθις περὶ Θεσσαλίαν τοῦ ἀγῶνος οὐ μετέσχον οἱ Ἀρκάδες.
At that time, the Lacedaemonians would have driven out the other Arcadians and the Megalopolitans from their homes, as far as their eagerness was concerned, but since those of that time defended themselves not without spirit and at the same time the neighbors assisted them without hesitation, it happened that nothing worthy of mention was achieved by either side. And the hatred of the Arcadians toward the Lacedaemonians was a major cause for the increase of Philip the son of Amyntas and the dominion of the Macedonians, and the Arcadians took no part in the struggle of the Greeks at Chaeronea, nor again in Thessaly.
χρόνον δὲ οὐ μετὰ πολὺν Ἀριστόδημος Μεγαλοπολίταις ἀνέφυ τύραννος, Φιγαλεὺς μὲν γένος καὶ υἱὸς Ἀρτύλα, ποιησαμένου δὲ αὐτὸν Τριταίου2 τῶν οὐκ ἀδυνάτων ἐν Μεγάλῃ πόλει· τούτῳ τῷ Ἀριστοδήμῳ καὶ τυραννοῦντι ἐξεγένετο ὅμως ἐπικληθῆναι Χρηστῷ. ἐπὶ τούτου τυραννοῦντος ἐσβάλλουσιν ἐς τὴν Μεγαλοπολῖτιν στρατιᾷ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως Κλεομένους ὁ πρεσβύτατος τῶν παίδων Ἀκρότατος· ἐγενεαλόγησα δὲ ἤδη τά τε ἐς τοῦτον καὶ ἐς τὸ πᾶν γένος τῶν ἐν Σπάρτῃ βασιλέων. γενομένης δὲ ἰσχυρᾶς μάχης καὶ ἀποθανόντων πολλῶν παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων κρατοῦσιν οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται τῇ συμβολῇ· καὶ ἄλλοι τε διεφθάρησαν Σπαρτιατῶν καὶ Ἀκρότατος, οὐδέ οἱ τὴν πατρῴαν παραλαβεῖν ἐξεγένετο ἀρχήν.
Not long afterwards, Aristodemus arose as tyrant for the Megalopolitans; by birth he was a Phigalean and the son of Artylas, but Tritaeus, one of the influential men in Megalopolis, had adopted him. To this Aristodemus, even though he was a tyrant, it was nevertheless granted to be surnamed “the Good.” Under his tyranny, the Lacedaemonians and Acrotatus, the eldest of the children of King Cleomenes, invaded the Megalopolitan territory with an army; I have already traced the genealogy both of him and of the whole race of the kings in Sparta. A fierce battle took place and many fell on both sides, but the Megalopolitans won the encounter; among other Spartans, Acrotatus also was killed, and it was not granted to him to succeed to his father’s rule.
μετὰ δὲ Ἀριστόδημον τελευτήσαντα δύο μάλιστα ὕστερον γενεαῖς ἐτυράννησε Λυδιάδης, οἴκου μὲν οὐκ ἀφανοῦς, φύσιν δὲ φιλότιμος ὢν καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα, ὡς ἐπέδειξεν ὕστερον, καὶ φιλόπολις. ἔσχε μὲν γὰρ ἔτι νέος ὢν τὴν ἀρχήν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤρχετο φρονεῖν, κατέπαυεν ἑαυτὸν ἑκὼν τυραννίδος, καίπερ ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἤδη οἱ τῆς ἀρχῆς καθωρμισμένης.3 Μεγαλοπολιτῶν δὲ συντελούντων ἤδη τότε ἐς τὸ Ἀχαϊκόν, ὁ Λυδιάδης ἔν τε αὐτοῖς Μεγαλοπολίταις καὶ ἐν τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἀχαιοῖς ἐγένετο οὕτω δόκιμος ὡς Ἀράτῳ παρισωθῆναι τὰ ἐς δόξαν.
After the death of Aristodemus, about two generations later, Lydiades became tyrant; he was of a not undistinguished house, by nature ambitious, and not least, as he showed later, patriotic. For he obtained the rule while still young; but when he began to think maturely, he voluntarily laid down the tyranny, although his rule was already safely anchored for him. Since the Megalopolitans were already by then members of the Achaean League, Lydiades became so highly esteemed both among the Megalopolitans themselves and among all the Achaeans as to be equalled to Aratus in respect of fame.
Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ αὐτοί τε πανδημεὶ καὶ ὁ τῆς οἰκίας βασιλεὺς τῆς ἑτέρας Ἆγις ὁ Εὐδαμίδου στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ Μεγάλην πόλιν παρασκευῇ μείζονι καὶ ἀξιολογωτέρᾳ τῆς ὑπὸ Ἀκροτάτου συναχθείσης· καὶ μάχῃ τε ἐπεξελθόντας τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας ἐνίκησαν καὶ μηχάνημα ἰσχυρὸν προσάγοντες τῷ τείχει τὸν πύργον τὸν ταύτῃ διʼ αὐτοῦ σείουσι καὶ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν καταρρίψειν τῷ μηχανήματι ἤλπιζον.
And the Lacedaemonians themselves in full force, and Agis the son of Eudamidas, the king of the other house, marched against Megalopolis with a larger and more formidable force than that gathered by Acrotatus. They defeated in battle the Megalopolitans who had marched out to meet them, and bringing a powerful engine against the wall, they shook the tower at that point with it, hoping to throw it down on the next day with the engine.
ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα οὐχ Ἕλλησιν ὁ Βορέας ἔσεσθαι μόνον τοῖς πᾶσιν ὄφελος, τοῦ Μήδων ναυτικοῦ ταῖς Σηπιάσι προσράξας τὰς πολλάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Μεγαλοπολίτας ὁ ἄνεμος οὗτος ἐρρύσατο μὴ ἁλῶναι· κατέλυσέ τε γὰρ τὸ μηχάνημα τοῦ Ἄγιδος καὶ διεφόρησεν ἐς ἀπώλειαν παντελῆ βιαίῳ τῷ πνεύματι ὁμοῦ καὶ συνεχεῖ. ὁ δὲ Ἆγις ὅτῳ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Βορέου μὴ ἑλεῖν τὴν Μεγαλόπολιν ἐγένετο ἐμποδών,4 ἔστιν ὁ τὴν ἐν Ἀχαΐᾳ Πελλήνην ἀφαιρεθεὶς ὑπὸ Ἀράτου καὶ Σικυωνίων καὶ ὕστερον πρὸς Μαντινείᾳ χρησάμενος τῷ τέλει.
But it was destined, as it turned out, that Boreas (the North Wind) would be a benefit not only to all the Greeks, when it dashed most of the Persian fleet against Sepias, but this wind also saved the Megalopolitans from being captured. For it threw down the engine of Agis and scattered it to complete destruction by its wind, which was at once violent and continuous. And this Agis, for whom the actions of the North Wind became an obstacle to capturing Megalopolis, is the one who was deprived of Pellene in Achaea by Aratus and the Sicyonians and who later met his end near Mantinea.
μετὰ δὲ οὐ πολὺν χρόνον Κλεομένης ὁ Λεωνίδου Μεγαλόπολιν κατέλαβεν ἐν σπονδαῖς. Μεγαλοπολιτῶν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ εὐθὺς τότε ἀμύνοντες τῇ πατρίδι ἐπεπτώκεσαν, ἔνθα καὶ Λυδιάδην ἀγωνιζόμενον ἀξίως λόγου κατέλαβεν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τὸ χρεών· τοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν Φιλοποίμην ὁ Κραύγιδος ὅσον τε τὰ δύο μέρη τῶν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ καὶ παῖδας ἅμα ἔχων καὶ γυναῖκας διέφυγεν ἐς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν.
Not long afterwards, Cleomenes the son of Leonidas captured Megalopolis during a truce. And of the Megalopolitans, some had fallen during that very night while defending their homeland, where fate also overtook Lydiades in the battle as he fought in a manner worthy of mention. But others of them were brought to safety in Messenia by Philopoemen the son of Craugis, who took with him about two-thirds of the men of military age, along with children and women.
Κλεομένης δὲ τούς τε ἐγκαταληφθέντας ἐφόνευε καὶ κατέσκαπτέ τε καὶ ἔκαιε τὴν πόλιν. Μεγαλοπολῖται μὲν δὴ τρόπον ὁποῖον ἀνεσώσαντο τὴν αὑτῶν καὶ ὁποῖα κατελθοῦσιν αὖθις ἐπράχθη σφίσι, δηλώσει τοῦ λόγου μοι τὰ ἐς Φιλοποίμενα· Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ τῷ δήμῳ τοῦ τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν παθήματος μέτεστιν αἰτίας οὐδέν, ὅτι σφίσιν ἐκ βασιλείας μετέστησεν ἐς τυραννίδα ὁ Κλεομένης τὴν πολιτείαν.
Cleomenes slaughtered those who had been left behind, and both razed and burned the city. In what manner the Megalopolitans recovered their own city and what things were done by them when they returned will be made clear in my account concerning Philopoemen. But the common people of the Lacedaemonians share no blame for the misfortune of the Megalopolitans, because Cleomenes had changed their constitution for them from a kingship into a tyranny.
Μεγαλοπολίταις δὲ καὶ Ἡραιεῦσι κατὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ἤδη μοι τοῦ Βουφάγου ποταμοῦ περὶ τὰς πηγάς εἰσιν ὅροι τῆς χώρας. γενέσθαι δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ Βουφάγου φασὶν ἥρωος, εἶναι δὲ Ἰαπετοῦ τε παῖδα αὐτὸν καὶ Θόρνακος. ταύτην καὶ ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ Θόρνακα ὀνομάζουσι. λέγουσι δὲ καὶ ὡς ἐν Φολόῃ τῷ ὄρει τοξεύσειεν Ἄρτεμις Βουφάγον ἔργα τολμήσαντα οὐχ ὅσια ἐς τὴν θεόν.
For the Megalopolitans and the Heraeans, according to what has already been said by me, the boundaries of their territory are near the springs of the Bouphagus river. They say that the name of the river was derived from the hero Bouphagus, and that he was the son of Iapetus and Thornax. This female Thornax they also name Thornax in Laconia. And they also say that on Mount Pholoe Artemis shot Bouphagus with arrows, because he had dared unholy deeds against the goddess.
- 8.27.10ἂν ... ἐποίησαν
The past indicative (aorist) with the particle ἄν expresses a past unreal condition ('would have made/driven out'). Combined here with προθυμίας μὲν ἕνεκα ('as far as eagerness was concerned'), it implies that the Lacedaemonians would have completely devastated the population of the other Arcadians and Megalopolitans, had they not been prevented by active defense and immediate assistance from neighbors.
- 8.27.11ποιησαμένου δὲ αὐτὸν Τριταίου
Genitive absolute construction. The middle voice of the verb ποιέω (ποιέομαι) is used here in the specific sense of 'to adopt' (literally, 'to make for oneself as a child'), with Tritaeus (Τριταίου) serving as the subject of the participle.
- 8.27.12καίπερ ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἤδη οἱ τῆς ἀρχῆς καθωρμισμένης
The conjunction καίπερ with the genitive absolute (καθωρμισμένης with the subject τῆς ἀρχῆς) expresses concession ('although...'). The dative pronoun οἱ ('for him') refers to Lydiades, and the phrase metaphorically describes his rule (τῆς ἀρχῆς) as having already been brought safely to anchor (καθορμίζω).
- 8.27.14ὅτῳ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Βορέου μὴ ἑλεῖν τὴν Μεγαλόπολιν ἐγένετο ἐμποδών
The dative relative pronoun ὅτῳ refers to the antecedent Agis (Ἆγις) and is governed by the adjective ἐμποδών ('in the way, an obstacle'). The subject of the relative clause is the neuter plural phrase τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Βορέου ('the events of the North Wind'). The infinitive μὴ ἑλεῖν ('not to capture') depends on ἐμποδών, indicating the action that was obstructed.