Historical Solidarity of Messenians and Arcadians — Polybius, The Histories Book 4 (4.33.1–4.33.12), Greek & English

§4.33.1

ὁ δὲ λόγος οὗτος ἔχει μὲν ἴσως καὶ διὰ τῶν πάλαι γεγονότων πίστιν.

This argument perhaps finds confirmation also through the events of old.

§4.33.2

οἱ γὰρ Μεσσήνιοι πρὸς ἄλλοις πολλοῖς καὶ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Λυκαίου βωμὸν ἀνέθεσαν στήλην ἐν τοῖς κατʼ Ἀριστομένην καιροῖς, καθάπερ καὶ Καλλισθένης φησί, γράψαντες τὸ γράμμα τοῦτο· πάντως ὁ χρόνος εὗρε δίκην ἀδίκῳ βασιλῆι, εὗρε δὲ Μεσσήνη σὺν Διὶ τὸν προδότην ῥηιδίως. χαλεπὸν δὲ λαθεῖν¹ θεὸν ἄνδρʼ ἐπίορκον. χαῖρε, Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ, καὶ σάω Ἀρκαδίαν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ τῆς αὑτῶν ἐστερήθησαν, οἷον εἰ² περὶ δευτέρας πατρίδος, ὥς γʼ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τοῖς θεοῖς εὐχόμενοι σῴζειν τὴν Ἀρκαδίαν, τοῦτʼ ἀνέθεσαν τὸ γράμμα.

For the Messenians, in addition to many other things, set up a stele near the altar of Zeus Lycaeus in the times of Aristomenes, as Callisthenes also says, after inscribing this epigram: “Time has surely found justice for the unjust king, and Messene with the help of Zeus has easily found the traitor. It is difficult for a perjured man to escape the notice of God. Hail, Lord Zeus, and save Arcadia.” For when they were deprived of their own land, as if praying to the gods for a second fatherland, so at least it seems to me, to save Arcadia, they dedicated this inscription.

§4.33.5

καὶ τοῦτʼ εἰκότως ἐποίουν· οὐ γὰρ μόνον αὐτοὺς Ἀρκάδες ὑποδεξάμενοι κατὰ τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας ὑπὸ τὸν Ἀριστομένειον πόλεμον ὁμεστίους ἐποιήσαντο καὶ πολίτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ἐψηφίσαντο τοῖς ἐν ἡλικίᾳ διδόναι τῶν Μεσσηνίων, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἀναζητήσαντες τὴν Ἀριστοκράτους τοῦ βασιλέως προδοσίαν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῇ καλουμένῃ περὶ Τάφρον αὐτόν τʼ ἀνεῖλον καὶ τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ πᾶν ἠφάνισαν.

And they did this with good reason; for the Arcadians, not only receiving them upon their expulsion from their own land during the Aristomenean war, made them hearth-sharers and citizens, but also voted to give their daughters in marriage to those of the Messenians who were of age, and besides this, having investigated the treachery of King Aristocrates in the battle called the Battle of the Trench, they put him to death and utterly destroyed his whole race.

§4.33.7

οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ χωρὶς τῶν πάλαι τὰ τελευταῖα γεγονότα μετὰ τὸν Μεγάλης πόλεως καὶ Μεσσήνης συνοικισμὸν ἱκανὴν ἂν παράσχοι πίστιν τοῖς ὑφʼ ἡμῶν εἰρημένοις.

Nevertheless, apart from the events of old, the most recent occurrences after the settlement of Megalopolis and Messene would afford sufficient confirmation for what we have said.

§4.33.8

καθʼ οὓς γὰρ καιρούς, τῆς περὶ Μαντίνειαν μάχης τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀμφιδήριτον ἐχούσης τὴν νίκην διὰ τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδου θάνατον, ἐκώλυον Λακεδαιμόνιοι μετέχειν τῶν σπονδῶν Μεσσηνίους, ἀκμὴν³ σφετεριζόμενοι ταῖς ἐλπίσι τὴν Μεσσηνίαν, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο διέσπευσαν Μεγαλοπολῖται καὶ πάντες οἱ κοινωνοῦντες Ἀρκάδων τῆς αὐτῶν συμμαχίας ὥστε Μεσσηνίους μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν συμμάχων προσδεχθῆναι καὶ μετασχεῖν τῶν ὅρκων καὶ διαλύσεων, Λακεδαιμονίους δὲ μόνους ἐκσπόνδους γενέσθαι τῶν Ἑλλήνων.

For at the time when, the battle of Mantinea having left the victory of the Greeks undecided because of the death of Epaminondas, the Lacedaemonians were preventing the Messenians from participating in the treaty, still claiming Messenia in their hopes, the Megalopolitans and all the Arcadians who shared in their alliance made such great haste that the Messenians were received by the allies and participated in the oaths and reconciliation, while the Lacedaemonians alone of the Greeks were excluded from the treaty.

§4.33.10

ἃ τίς οὐκ ἂν τῶν ἐπιγινομένων ἐν νῷ τιθέμενος νομίσειε καλῶς εἰρῆσθαι τὰ μικρῷ πρότερον ὑφʼ ἡμῶν δεδηλωμένα;

Who among posterity, taking these things to mind, would not think that what we declared shortly before was well said?

§4.33.11

ταῦτα μὲν οὖν εἰρήσθω⁴ μοι χάριν Ἀρκάδων καὶ Μεσσηνίων, ἵνα μνημονεύοντες τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτοῖς περὶ τὰς πατρίδας ἀτυχημάτων ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων ἀληθινῶς ἀντέχωνται τῆς πρὸς αὑτοὺς εὐνοίας καὶ πίστεως, καὶ μήτε φόβον ὑφορώμενοι μήτʼ εἰρήνης ἐπιθυμοῦντες ἐγκαταλείπωσιν ἀλλήλους

Now, let these things be said by me for the sake of the Arcadians and Messenians, so that, remembering the misfortunes that befell them concerning their homelands caused by the Lacedaemonians, they may truly hold fast to their goodwill and faith toward one another, and neither suspecting fear nor desiring peace may they desert one another.

Syntax notes4 items

4.33.3λαθεῖν
The subject of the infinitive λαθεῖν ("to escape notice") is the accusative ἄνδρα ἐπίορκον ("a perjured man"), and its object is θεόν ("God"). Literally: "It is difficult for a perjured man to escape the notice of God."
4.33.4οἷον εἰ
A hypothetical expression meaning "as if," modifying the participle εὐχόμενοι to convey the metaphorical nuance of "as if praying for a second fatherland."
4.33.8ἀκμὴν
In classical Attic prose, this is usually the accusative of a noun meaning "acme" or "peak," but in Hellenistic Greek (Koine) and frequently in Polybius, it is used adverbially to mean "still" or "yet" (ἔτι).
4.33.11εἰρήσθω
The third-person singular perfect passive imperative of λέγω, used as a formulaic expression to mark a transition or conclusion in a discussion: "let this have been said by me" or "let this suffice to be said." It is accompanied by the dative of agent/interest μοι.

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-25) · Revision history (1, latest 2026-09-21)

2026-09-21 AI review — translation 1

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0543.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.33.1-4.33.12