§4.19.1Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ παραυτίκα μὲν ὑπὸ ἀνδρῶν ἀπηγγέλλετο αὐτομόλων, ὡς Ἀριστομένης ἐπανήκοι σῶς·
Immediately, it was reported to the Lacedaemonians by deserters that Aristomenes had returned safe.
νομιζομένου δὲ ἀπίστου κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἢ εἴ τινα τεθνεῶτα ἐλέγετο ἀναβιῶναι, παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοιόνδε Ἀριστομένους ὑπῆρξεν ἐς πίστιν.
But as this was considered as incredible as if it were said that some dead man had come to life again, the following proof was provided by Aristomenes himself to command belief.
Κορίνθιοι Λακεδαιμονίοις δύναμιν ὡς συνεξαιρήσοντας τὴν Εἶραν ἀποστέλλουσι.
The Corinthians dispatched a force to the Lacedaemonians to help them utterly destroy Eira.
§4.19.2τούτους παρὰ τῶν κατασκόπων πυνθανόμενος ὁ Ἀριστομένης τῇ πορείᾳ τε ἀτακτότερον χρῆσθαι καὶ ταῖς στρατοπεδείαις ἀφυλάκτως, ἐπιτίθεται νύκτωρ σφίσι·
Having learned from scouts that they were marching in a rather disorderly fashion and keeping an unguarded camp, Aristomenes attacked them by night.
καὶ τῶν τε ἄλλων καθευδόντων ἔτι ἐφόνευσε τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας Ὑπερμενίδην καὶ Ἀχλαδαῖον καὶ Λυσίστρατον καὶ Σίδεκτον ἀποκτίννυσι.
While the rest were still asleep, he slew most of them and killed their leaders, Hypermenides, Achladaeus, Lysistratus, and Sidectus.
διαρπάσας δὲ καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν τὴν στρατηγίδα παρέστησεν εὖ εἰδέναι Σπαρτιάταις ὡς Ἀριστομένης καὶ οὐκ ἄλλος Μεσσηνίων ἐστὶν ὁ ταῦτα εἰργασμένος.
By plundering the general's tent, he made it clear to the Spartans that it was Aristomenes and no other of the Messenians who had done this.
§4.19.3ἔθυσε δὲ καὶ τῷ Διὶ τῷ Ἰθωμάτᾳ τὴν θυσίαν ἣν ἑκατομφόνια ὀνομάζουσιν.
He also offered to Zeus of Ithome the sacrifice which they call Hekatomphonia.
αὕτη δὲ καθεστήκει μὲν ἐκ παλαιοτάτου, θύειν δὲ αὐτὴν Μεσσηνίων ἐνομίζετο ὁπόσοι πολεμίους ἄνδρας κατεργάσαιντο ἑκατόν.
This had been established from ancient times, and it was the custom for any of the Messenians who had slain a hundred enemies to offer it.
Ἀριστομένει δέ, ὅτε ἐπὶ Κάπρου σήματι ἐμαχέσατο, θύσαντι ἑκατομφόνια πρῶτον, δεύτερα ἤδη θῦσαι καὶ ὁ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ τῶν Κορινθίων παρέσχε φόνος.
Aristomenes, who had first offered the Hekatomphonia when he fought at the Boar's Grave, was now enabled to offer a second one by the slaughter of the Corinthians during the night.
τοῦτον μὲν δὴ λέγουσι καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς ὕστερον θῦσαι καταδρομαῖς θυσίαν τρίτην, Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ—ἐπῄει γὰρ
They say that he even offered a third sacrifice of this kind after his later raids.
§4.19.4Ὑακίνθια—πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ Εἴρᾳ τεσσαράκοντα ἐποιήσαντο ἡμερῶν σπονδάς·
Meanwhile, the Lacedaemonians—for the Hyakinthia was approaching—made a truce of forty days with those in Eira.
καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ἀναχωρήσαντες οἴκαδε ἑώρταζον, Κρῆτες δὲ τοξόται— μετεπέμψαντο γὰρ ἔκ τε Λύκτου καὶ ἑτέρων πόλεων μισθωτούς—οὗτοί σφισιν ἀνὰ τὴν Μεσσηνίαν ἐπλανῶντο.
While they themselves withdrew home to celebrate the festival, some Cretan archers—for they had summoned mercenaries from Lyctos and other cities—were roaming about Messenia.
Ἀριστομένην οὖν, ἅτε ἐν σπονδαῖς ἀπωτέρω τῆς Εἴρας γενόμενον καὶ προϊόντα ἀδεέστερον, ἑπτὰ ἄνδρες ἀπὸ τῶν τοξοτῶν τούτων ἐλόχησαν, συλλαβόντες δὲ τοῖς ἱμᾶσιν οἷς εἶχον ἐπὶ ταῖς φαρέτραις δέουσιν·
Seven of these archers, therefore, lay in wait for Aristomenes, who, because of the truce, had gone further from Eira and was proceeding too carelessly; they captured him and bound him with the straps they had on their quivers.
§4.19.5ἑσπέρα γὰρ ἐπῄει.
For evening was coming on.
δύο μὲν οὖν ἐς Σπάρτην ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ἐλθόντες Λακεδαιμονίοις Ἀριστομένην εὐηγγελίζοντο ἡλωκέναι· οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ ἀποχωροῦσιν ἐς ἀγρὸν τῶν ἐν τῇ Μεσσηνίᾳ.
Two of them, then, went to Sparta and brought the good news to the Lacedaemonians that Aristomenes had been captured; the rest withdrew to a farm in Messenia.
ἐνταῦθα ᾤκει κόρη σὺν μητρὶ παρθένος, πατρὸς ὀρφανή.
There lived a maiden with her mother, fatherless.
τῇ δὲ προτέρᾳ νυκτὶ εἶδεν ὄψιν ἡ παῖς· λέοντα ἐς τὸν ἀγρὸν λύκοι σφίσιν ἤγαγον δεδεμένον καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντα ὄνυχας, αὐτὴ δὲ τοῦ δεσμοῦ τὸν λέοντα ἀπέλυσε καὶ ἀνευροῦσα ἔδωκε τοὺς ὄνυχας, οὕτω τε διασπασθῆναι τοὺς λύκους ἔδοξεν ὑπὸ τοῦ λέοντος.
On the previous night, the girl had seen a vision: wolves brought to their farm a lion, bound and without claws, and she herself released the lion from his bonds, found his claws and gave them to him, and so it seemed that the wolves were torn to pieces by the lion.
§4.19.6τότε δὲ ὡς τὸν Ἀριστομένην ἐσάγουσιν οἱ Κρῆτες, συνεφρόνησεν ἡ παρθένος ὕπαρ ἥκειν τὸ ἐν τῇ νυκτί οἱ πεφηνὸς καὶ ἀνηρώτα τὴν μητέρα ὅστις εἴη·
And then, when the Cretans brought in Aristomenes, the maiden realized that what had appeared to her in the night had come to pass in reality, and she asked her mother who he was.
μαθοῦσα δὲ ἐπερρώσθη τε καὶ ἀπιδοῦσα ἐς αὐτὸν τὸ προσταχθὲν συνῆκεν.
On learning this, she took courage, and looking at him, she understood what was commanded.
οἶνον οὖν τοῖς Κρησὶν ἐγχέουσα ἀνέδην, ὡς σφᾶς ἡ μέθη κατελάμβανεν, ὑφαιρεῖται τοῦ μάλιστα ὑπνωμένου τὸ ἐγχειρίδιον· τὰ μὲν δὴ δεσμὰ τοῦ Ἀριστομένους ἔτεμεν ἡ παρθένος, ὁ δὲ παραλαβὼν τὸ ξίφος ἐκείνους διειργάσατο.
Therefore, pouring out wine unstintingly for the Cretans, as sleep from drunkenness overcame them, she stole the dagger of the one who was most soundly asleep; then the maiden cut the bonds of Aristomenes, and he, taking the sword, dispatched them.
ταύτην τὴν παρθένον λαμβάνει γυναῖκα Γόργος Ἀριστομένους· ἐδίδου δὲ Ἀριστομένης τῇ παιδὶ ἐκτίνων σῶστρα, ἐπεὶ Γόργῳ οὐκ ἦν πω δέκατον καὶ ὄγδοον ἔτος, ὅτε ἔγημεν.
This maiden Gorgus, the son of Aristomenes, took to wife; and Aristomenes gave the girl to him in payment of his ransom, since Gorgus was not yet eighteen years old when he married.