§4.21.7ἀλλὰ ὁ θεὸς τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπήγαγεν ἀθρόον μᾶλλον μετὰ ἰσχυροῦ τῶν βροντῶν τοῦ ψόφου καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐναντίαις ταῖς ἀστραπαῖς ἐξέπλησσε.
But the god brought on the water even more abundantly, together with a strong noise of thunder, and blinded their eyes with the flashing lightning facing them.
τοῖς δὲ Λακεδαιμονίοις ταῦτα πάντα παρίστη φρόνημα, καὶ αὐτὸν ἀμύνειν σφίσιν ἔφασαν τὸν θεόν· καὶ—ἤστραπτε γὰρ τούτοις κατὰ δεξιὰ—ἀπέφαινεν Ἕκας ὁ μάντις ὡς αἴσιον εἴη τὸ σημεῖον.
To the Lacedaemonians all this gave courage, and they said that the god himself was helping them; and—for it lightened on their right—Hekas the seer declared that the sign was favorable.
§4.21.8οὗτος δὲ καὶ στρατήγημα ἐξεῦρε τοιόνδε.
And he also devised a stratagem of the following kind.
ἀριθμῷ καὶ πολὺ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι περιῆσαν· ἅτε δὲ οὐκ ἐν εὐρυχωρίᾳ σφίσιν οὐδὲ κατὰ σύνταγμα ἐγγινομένης τῆς μάχης, ἄλλων δὲ ἐν ἄλλῳ τῆς πόλεως ποιουμένων τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἀχρείους ἀπὸ ἑκάστης τάξεως συνέβαινεν εἶναι τοὺς τελευταίους.
The Lacedaemonians were far superior in number; but since the battle did not take place for them in an open space nor in organized formation, but with different men carrying on the struggle in different parts of the city, it happened that the last men of each rank were useless.
τούτους ἐκέλευεν ἀποχωρήσαντας ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον σιτίων μεταλαβεῖν καὶ ὕπνου καὶ αὖθις πρὸ ἑσπέρας ἥκειν τοῖς ὑπομενοῦσιν αὐτῶν διαδεξομένους τὸν πόνον.
He ordered these, having withdrawn to the camp, to partake of food and sleep, and to return again before evening to relieve the distress of those of them who were holding out.
§4.21.9καὶ οἳ μὲν ἀναπαυόμενοί τε καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος μαχόμενοι μᾶλλον ἀντήρκουν, τοῖς δὲ Μεσσηνίοις πανταχόθεν παρίστατο ἀπορία· μεθʼ ἡμέραν γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ νύκτα συνεχῶς οἱ αὐτοὶ τρίτην ἠμύνοντο.
And those indeed, both resting and fighting in turn, held out better, but to the Messenians helplessness presented itself from every side; for the same men were defending themselves continually for a third day and night.
ἤδη τε ἡμέρα ἦν καὶ ἥ τε ἀυπνία καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ τε καὶ ῥῖγος ἐπίεζε σφᾶς, ὅ τε λιμὸς καὶ ἡ δίψα ἐπέκειτο· μάλιστα δὲ αἱ γυναῖκες ἀηθείᾳ τε πολέμου καὶ τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας ἀπειρήκεσαν.
And already it was day, and both sleeplessness and the rain from heaven and the cold pressed upon them, and hunger and thirst were upon them; and most of all the women, through unfamiliarity with war and the continuity of hardship, had given up.
§4.21.10παραστὰς οὖν ὁ μάντις Θέοκλος πρὸς Ἀριστομένην εἶπε· “τί μάτην τόνδε ἔχεις τὸν πόνον;
Therefore, the seer Theoklos, standing beside Aristomenes, said: "Why do you have this labor in vain?
ἁλῶναι Μεσσήνην πάντως ἐστὶ πεπρωμένον, συμφορὰν δὲ τὴν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς πάλαι τε ἡμῖν προεσήμαινεν ἡ Πυθία καὶ ἔναγχος ὁ ἐρινεὸς ἔδειξεν.
For Messene to be taken is completely fated, and the Pythia long ago portended to us the disaster which is now before our eyes, and lately the wild fig tree showed it.
ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ὁ θεὸς αὐτῷ κοινὴν πρὸς τὴν πατρίδα ἐπάγει τὴν τελευτήν· σὺ δὲ σώζειν μὲν ὡς δυνάμεως ἥκεις Μεσσηνίους, σώζειν δὲ καὶ σαυτόν. ” ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς τοῦτον, ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους ἔθει· καί οἱ καὶ ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἔπεισιν ἐκβοῆσαι τοσόνδε· “ἀλλʼ οὔ τοι τὸν πάντα γε χρόνον χαίροντες καρπώσεσθε τὰ Μεσσηνίων. ” §4.21.11μετὰ τοῦτο τοῖς καθʼ αὑτὸν ἀνθεστηκόσιν ἐμπεσὼν ἐκείνους τε ἔκτεινε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐτιτρώσκετο, προεμπλήσας δὲ τὸν θυμὸν τῷ φόνῳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀφίησι τὴν ψυχήν.
To me indeed the god brings a death in common with my fatherland; but you, save the Messenians as far as you have power, and save yourself as well." And when he had said this to him, he ran against the enemy; and it came upon him also to cry out this much to the Lacedaemonians: "But indeed you shall not enjoy the possessions of the Messenians with joy for all time!" After this, falling upon those who opposed him, he both killed them and was himself wounded, and having beforehand satisfied his anger with the slaughter of the enemies, he gave up his life.
Ἀριστομένης δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης ὀπίσω τοὺς Μεσσηνίους ἀνεκάλει, πλὴν ὅσοι κατὰ ἀνδραγαθίαν αὐτῶν προεμάχοντο· τούτους δὲ εἴα κατὰ χώραν μένειν· τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς προσέταξε τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἐντὸς τῆς τάξεως ἔχοντας ἐπακολουθεῖν, ᾗπερ ἂν αὐτὸς παρέχηται διέξοδον.
But Aristomenes called back the Messenians from the battle, except those of them who were fighting in front because of their bravery; and he allowed these to remain in their place; but he ordered the rest, having their women and children inside the rank, to follow behind, wherever he himself might provide an exit.
§4.21.12καὶ τούτων μὲν τοῖς τελευταίοις Γόργον καὶ Μάντικλον ἐπέστησεν ἄρχοντας· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀναδραμὼν ἐς τοὺς προτεταγμένους τῆς τε κεφαλῆς τῷ νεύματι καὶ τοῦ δόρατος τῇ κινήσει δῆλος ἦν διέξοδόν τε αἰτούμενος καὶ ἀποχωρεῖν ἤδη βεβουλευμένος.
And of these he appointed Gorgos and Mantiklos as leaders over the last; but he himself, running up to those stationed in front, by the nod of his head and the movement of his spear made it clear that he was requesting a passage and had already resolved to withdraw.
τῷ τε οὖν Ἐμπεράμῳ καὶ Σπαρτιατῶν τοῖς παροῦσι διεῖναι τοὺς Μεσσηνίους ἤρεσκε μηδὲ λυσσῶντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἐς τὸ ἔσχατον ἀπονοίας ἥκοντας ἐξαγριᾶναι πέρα· καὶ ἅμα οὕτω σφᾶς ποιεῖν Ἕκας ὁ μάντις ἐκέλευεν.
Therefore, it pleased both Emperamos and those of the Spartans present to let the Messenians pass, and not to enrage further men who were raging and had reached the extreme of desperation; and at the same time Hekas the seer ordered them to do so.