§20.1οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἔπραττον.
These, then, were doing these things.
ὁ δὲ Δεινοκράτης μάλιστα τὸν χρόνον ὡς σωτήριον τῷ Φιλοποίμενι δεδοικώς καὶ φθάσαι τὰ παρὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν βουλόμενος, ἐπεὶ νὺξ ἐπῆλθε καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἀπεχώρησε τῶν Μεσσηνίων, ἀνοίξας τὸ δεσμωτήριον εἰσέπεμψε δημόσιον οἰκέτην φάρμακον κομίζοντα, προσενεγκεῖν καὶ παραστῆναι μέχρι ἂν ἐκπίῃ κελεύσας.
But Dinocrates, fearing above all that time might be a means of safety for Philopoemen, and wishing to forestall the action of the Achaeans, when night came on and the multitude of the Messenians withdrew, opened the prison and sent in a public slave carrying poison, ordering him to offer it and to stand by until he should drink it all.
§20.2ἔτυχε μὲν οὖν ἐν τῷ χλαμυδίῳ κατακείμενος, οὐ καθεύδων, ἀλλὰ λύπῃ καὶ θορύβῳ κατεχόμενος, ἰδὼν δὲ φῶς καὶ παρεστῶτα πλησίον τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔχοντα τὴν κύλικα τοῦ φαρμάκου, συναγαγὼν μόλις ἑαυτὸν ὑπʼ ἀσθενείας ἀνεκάθιζε.
Now it happened that he was lying down in his cloak, not sleeping, but overcome by grief and trouble; and when he saw the light and the man standing near him holding the cup of poison, raising himself with difficulty on account of his weakness, he sat up.
καὶ δεξάμενος ἠρώτησεν εἴ τι περὶ τῶν ἱππέων καὶ μάλιστα Λυκόρτα πεπυ·
And receiving it, he asked if he had heard anything about the horsemen, and especially Lycortas.
§20.3σμένος ἐστίν, εἰπόντος δὲ τἀνθρώπου διαπεφευγέναι τοὺς πολλούς, ἐπένευσε τῇ κεφαλῇ, καὶ διαβλέψας πρᾴως πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον,
εὖ λέγεις,
εἶπεν,
εἰ μὴ πάντα κακῶς πεπράχαμεν. ἄλλο δὲ μηδὲν εἰπὼν μηδὲ φθεγξάμενος ἐξέπιε καὶ πάλιν αὑτὸν ἀπέκλινεν, οὐ πολλὰ πράγματα τῷ φαρμάκῳ παρασχών, ἀλλʼ ἀποσβεσθεὶς ταχὺ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν.
And when the man said that most of them had escaped, he nodded his head, and looking gently at the man, "You bring good news," said he, "if we have not fared utterly ill in all things." Then, saying nothing more nor making any sound, he drank it and laid himself down again, not giving much trouble to the poison, but being quickly extinguished because of his weakness.