§6.84.1Ἀργεῖοι μέν νυν διὰ ταῦτα Κλεομένεα φασὶ μανέντα ἀπολέσθαι κακῶς· αὐτοὶ δὲ Σπαρτιῆται φασὶ ἐκ δαιμονίου μὲν οὐδενὸς μανῆναι Κλεομένεα, Σκύθῃσι δὲ ὁμιλήσαντά μιν ἀκρητοπότην γενέσθαι καὶ ἐκ τούτου μανῆναι.
The Argives, then, say that because of these things Cleomenes went mad and died miserably; but the Spartans themselves say that Cleomenes did not go mad from any divine cause, but that by associating with the Scythians he became a drinker of unmixed wine, and went mad from this.
§6.84.2Σκύθας γὰρ τοὺς νομάδας, ἐπείτε σφι Δαρεῖον ἐμβαλεῖν ἐς τὴν χώρην, μετὰ ταῦτα μεμονέναι μιν τίσασθαι, πέμψαντας δὲ ἐς Σπάρτην συμμαχίην τε ποιέεσθαι καὶ συντίθεσθαι ὡς χρεὸν εἴη αὐτοὺς μὲν τοὺς Σκύθας παρὰ Φᾶσιν ποταμὸν πειρᾶν ἐς τὴν Μηδικὴν ἐσβάλλειν, σφέας δὲ τοὺς Σπαρτιήτας κελεύειν ἐξ Ἐφέσου ὁρμωμένους ἀναβαίνειν καὶ ἔπειτα ἐς τὠυτὸ ἀπαντᾶν.
For the nomad Scythians, ever since Darius invaded their country, were eager to take vengeance on him, and having sent envoys to Sparta, they made an alliance and agreed that while they, the Scythians, should try to invade Media by way of the river Phasis, they bid them, the Spartans, to start from Ephesus and march inland, and then to meet at the same place.
§6.84.3Κλεομένεα δὲ λέγουσι ἡκόντων τῶν Σκυθέων ἐπὶ ταῦτα ὁμιλέειν σφι μεζόνως, ὁμιλέοντα δὲ μᾶλλον τοῦ ἱκνεομένου μαθεῖν τὴν ἀκρητοποσίην παρʼ αὐτῶν· ἐκ τούτου δὲ μανῆναί μιν νομίζουσι Σπαρτιῆται.
And they say that when the Scythians came for this purpose, Cleomenes associated with them too much, and by associating more than was proper, he learned the habit of drinking unmixed wine from them; and from this the Spartans think he went mad.
ἔκ τε τόσου, ὡς αὐτοὶ λέγουσι, ἐπεὰν ζωρότερον βούλωνται πιεῖν, Ἐπισκύθισον λέγουσι. οὕτω δὴ Σπαρτιῆται τὰ περὶ Κλεομένεα λέγουσι· ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκέει τίσιν ταύτην ὁ Κλεομένης Δημαρήτῳ ἐκτῖσαι.
And since then, as they themselves say, whenever they want to drink stronger wine, they say, 'Pour Scythian style.' Thus indeed the Spartans speak of the matters concerning Cleomenes; but to me it seems that Cleomenes paid this penalty to Demaratus.