§4.10.1Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ ἀκούσαντες τὸν γενόμενον Μεσσηνίοις χρησμὸν ἀθύμως διέκειντο καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἔς τε τὰ λοιπὰ καὶ ἄρχειν ὀκνοῦντες μάχης.
The Lacedaemonians, having heard of the oracle that had been given to the Messenians, were themselves also disheartened, as were their kings, both in other respects and because they shrank from beginning a battle.
ἔτει δὲ ἕκτῳ μετὰ τὸν ἐξ Ἰθώμης Λυκίσκου δρασμὸν οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι—τὰ γὰρ ἱερὰ ἐγίνετο αὐτοῖς αἴσια —στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰθώμην· οἱ δὲ Κρῆτες οὐκέτι παρόντες σφίσιν ἔτυχον.
And in the sixth year after the flight of Lyciscus from Ithome, the Lacedaemonians—for the sacrifices turned out favorable for them—marched against Ithome; but the Cretans happened to be no longer present with them.
ὑστέρησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ τῶν Μεσσηνίων σύμμαχοι—διʼ ὑποψίας γὰρ οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται καὶ ἄλλοις ἤδη Πελοποννησίων καὶ Ἀρκάσιν ἦσαν καὶ Ἀργείοις μάλιστα—καὶ οἱ μὲν Ἀργεῖοι κρύφα ἔμελλον τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἀφίξεσθαι καὶ ἰδίᾳ δὴ μᾶλλον ἢ μετὰ δόγματος κοινοῦ, τοῖς δὲ Ἀρκάσιν ἡ στρατεία μὲν ἀνείρητο ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ, παρέτυχον δὲ οὐδʼ οὗτοι.
And the allies of the Messenians also arrived too late—for the Spartans were already held in suspicion by others of the Peloponnesians, both by the Arcadians and especially by the Argives—and the Argives indeed were intending to arrive secretly from the Lacedaemonians and privately rather than by a common decree, while for the Arcadians, the expedition had been publicly forbidden, and these did not arrive either.
τοὺς γὰρ Μεσσηνίους καὶ ἄνευ συμμάχων κινδυνεῦσαι προήγαγεν ἡ δόξα τοῦ χρησμοῦ.
For the reputation of the oracle led the Messenians to run the risk even without allies.
§4.10.2τὰ μὲν οὖν πολλὰ οὐδέν τι ἐγένετο διάφορα ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας μάχης, ἥ τε ἡμέρα καὶ τότε μαχομένους προαπέλιπεν· οὐ μέντοι βιασθῆναί γε οὐδέτερον κέρας ἢ καὶ λόχον μνημονεύουσιν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τὴν τάξιν, ὡς ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἐτάχθησαν, συμμεῖναί φασιν, ἀλλʼ ἀφʼ ἑκατέρων τοὺς ἀρίστους συνελθόντας ἐς τὸ μεσαίτατον ἐνταῦθα τὸν πάντα ἔχειν πόνον.
In most respects, then, things were not at all different from the previous battle, and the day abandoned them while they were still fighting, just as before; however, they do not record that either wing or even a company was forced back, since they say that not even the battle-array remained together as it had been drawn up from the beginning, but that the best men from both sides, having come together in the very center, there bore the whole brunt of the struggle.
§4.10.3ὁ γὰρ Εὐφαὴς πλέον τι ἢ βασιλέα εἰκὸς ἦν προθυμούμενος καὶ ἀφειδῶς τοῖς περὶ τὸν Θεόπομπον ἐγκείμενος τραύματα πολλά τε καὶ οὐκ ἰάσιμα λαμβάνει· λιποψυχήσαντα δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ πεσόντα οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ ὀλίγον ὅμως ἐμπνέοντα ἐποιοῦντο παρʼ αὑτοὺς ἑλκύσαι σπουδήν.
For Euphaes, showing greater eagerness than was fitting for a king, and pressing unsparingly upon those around Theopompus, received many and incurable wounds; and when he fainted and fell, though still breathing a little, the Lacedaemonians made a great effort to drag him to their side.
ἐπήγειρε δὲ καὶ τοὺς Μεσσηνίους ἥ τε ἐς τὸν Εὐφαῆ προϋπάρχουσα εὔνοια καὶ τὰ ὀνείδη τὰ μέλλοντα· φονευομένοις τε ὑπὲρ τοῦ βασιλέως ἄμεινόν σφισιν ἐφαίνετο προΐεσθαι τὰς ψυχὰς ἢ ἐκεῖνον προεμένων ἀποσωθῆναί τινα.
And the Messenians also were aroused both by their pre-existing goodwill toward Euphaes and by the impending reproaches; and it seemed better to them to throw away their lives fighting for their king, than for any of them to escape safe after abandoning him.
§4.10.4τότε μὲν δὴ πεσὼν ὁ Εὐφαὴς τήν τε μάχην ἐπεμήκυνε καὶ προήγαγεν ἐς πλέον παρὰ ἑκατέρων τὰ τολμήματα· ὕστερον δὲ ἀνήνεγκε μὲν καὶ ᾔσθετο ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαττον ἐσχήκασιν ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ, ἡμέραις δὲ οὐ πολλαῖς ἀποθνήσκει, βασιλεύσας Μεσσηνίων τρία ἔτη καὶ δέκα καὶ πολεμήσας Λακεδαιμονίοις τὸν πάντα τῆς βασιλείας χρόνον.
At that time, indeed, the fall of Euphaes both prolonged the battle and led to greater deeds of daring on both sides; but later he recovered consciousness and perceived that they had not had the worst of it in the action, and within a few days he died, having ruled over the Messenians for thirteen years, and having waged war against the Lacedaemonians for the entire time of his reign.
§4.10.5Εὐφαεῖ δὲ οὐκ ὄντων παίδων τὸν αἱρεθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ δήμου κατελείπετο ἔχειν τὴν ἀρχήν, Κλέοννίς τε καὶ Δᾶμις ἐς ἀμφισβήτησιν Ἀριστοδήμῳ προῆλθον, τά τε ἄλλα καὶ τὰ ἐς πόλεμον διαφέρειν νομιζόμενοι·
Since Euphaes had no children, it was left to the one chosen by the people to hold the rule; and Cleonnis and Damis entered into a contest with Aristodemus, being considered superior both in other respects and in matters of war.
τὸν δὲ Ἄντανδρον οἱ πολέμιοι κατειργάσαντο ἐν τῇ μάχῃ προκινδυνεύοντα Εὐφαοῦς.
As for Antander, the enemy had slain him in the battle while he was fighting in front of Euphaes.
ἦσαν δὲ καὶ τῶν μάντεων αἱ γνῶμαι κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἀμφοτέρων, Ἐπηβόλου καὶ Ὀφιονέως, μὴ σφᾶς ἀνδρὶ ἐναγεῖ καὶ θυγατρὸς μίασμα ἐπικειμένῳ δοῦναι τὴν Αἰπύτου καὶ τῶν ἀπογόνων τιμήν· §4.10.6ᾑρέθη δὲ ὅμως καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀριστόδημος.
And the opinions of both of the seers, Epebolus and Ophioneus, were in agreement, that they should not give the honor of Aepytus and his descendants to a man who was polluted and lay under the defilement of his daughter's death; nevertheless, Aristodemus was chosen and became king.
ὁ δὲ Ὀφιονεὺς οὗτος ὁ τῶν Μεσσηνίων μάντις τυφλὸς ὢν εὐθὺς ἐκ γενετῆς μαντικήν τινα εἶχε τοιαύτην· πυνθανόμενος τὰ γινόμενα ἑκάστοις ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ ἐν κοινῷ προέλεγεν οὕτω τὰ μέλλοντα.
And this Ophioneus, the seer of the Messenians, being blind from birth, had a certain sort of prophetic power of this kind: by inquiring about what was happening to individuals both privately and in public, he would thus foretell the future.
οὗτος μὲν τρόπον ἐμαντεύετο τὸν εἰρημένον, Ἀριστόδημος δὲ βασιλεύσας τῷ τε δήμῳ διέμεινε τὰ εἰκότα χαρίζεσθαι προθυμούμενος καὶ τοὺς ἐν τέλει τούς τε ἄλλους καὶ μάλιστα Κλέοννιν καὶ Δᾶμιν ἦγεν ἐν τιμῇ· διὰ θεραπείας δὲ εἶχε καὶ τὰ τῶν συμμάχων, Ἀρκάδων τε τοῖς δυνατοῖς καὶ ἐς Ἄργος καὶ Σικυῶνα ἀποστέλλων δῶρα.
He indeed prophesied in the manner described, but Aristodemus, having become king, continued to be eager to gratify the people in reasonable ways, and held the men in authority, both the others and especially Cleonnis and Damis, in high honor; and he also cultivated the goodwill of the allies, sending gifts to the powerful among the Arcadians and to Argos and Sicyon.
§4.10.7τὸν δὲ πόλεμον ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀριστοδήμου βασιλείας ἐπολέμουν λῃστείαις τε κατʼ ὀλίγους ἀεὶ καὶ περὶ τὴν ὡραίαν καταδρομαῖς ἐς τὴν ἀλλήλων χρώμενοι, συνεσέβαλλον δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῶν Ἀρκάδων τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις ἐς τὴν Λακωνικήν· Ἀργεῖοι δὲ προαναφῆναι μὲν τὸ ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἔχθος οὐκ ἠξίουν, γινομένου δὲ ἀγῶνος παρεσκευάζοντο ὡς μεθέξοντες.
And they waged the war during the reign of Aristodemus, always employing raids in small numbers and incursions into each other's territory at the harvest season, and some from the Arcadians also joined the Messenians in invading Laconia; while the Argives did not think fit to declare their hatred toward the Lacedaemonians beforehand, but when a struggle should occur, they were preparing to take part.