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Pausanias · Description of Greece §4.3.6-4.3.10

Death of Cresphontes and Rule of Aepytus' Line

Passage 142 of 465 · Greek

Summary

Cresphontes establishes his palace in Stenyclerus but is killed in a rebellion of the wealthy due to his populist rule. His sole surviving son, Aepytus, recovers the throne, and his descendants maintain their rule over generations, demonstrating piety through the establishment of sanctuaries and sacred rites.

§4.3.6Μεσσηνίων δὲ τῶν ἀρχαίων οὐκ ἐγένετο ὑπὸ τῶν Δωριέων ὁ δῆμος ἀνάστατος, ἀλλὰ βασιλεύεσθαί τε συγχωροῦσιν ὑπὸ Κρεσφόντου καὶ ἀναδάσασθαι πρὸς τοὺς Δωριέας τὴν γῆν· ταῦτα δέ σφισιν εἴκειν παρίστατο ὑποψίᾳ πρὸς τοὺς βασιλεύοντας, ὅτι ἦσαν ἐξ Ἰωλκοῦ τὸ ἀνέκαθεν οἱ Νηλεῖδαι.
The common people of the ancient Messenians were not expelled from their homes by the Dorians, but they agreed both to be ruled by Cresphontes and to redistribute the land with the Dorians; they were inclined to yield to these terms because of their suspicion toward their former rulers, since the Neleidae were originally from Iolcus.
γυναῖκα δὲ ἔσχε Κρεσφόντης Μερόπην τὴν Κυψέλου, βασιλεύοντος τότε Ἀρκάδων, ἀφʼ ἧς ἄλλοι τε δὴ παῖδες ἐγένοντο αὐτῷ καὶ νεώτατος Αἴπυτος·
Cresphontes married Merope, the daughter of Cypselus, who was then ruling the Arcadians, from whom other children were born to him, and Aepytus as the youngest.
§4.3.7τὰ δὲ βασίλεια, ἔνθα αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ παῖδες ἔμελλον οἰκήσειν, ᾠκοδομήσατο ἐν Στενυκλήρῳ.
He built the palace, where he himself and his children were to dwell, in Stenyclerus.
τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀρχαῖον οἱ βασιλεῖς οἵ τε ἄλλοι καὶ ὁ Περιήρης ᾤκουν ἐν Ἀνδανίᾳ, κτίσαντος δὲ Ἀφαρέως Ἀρήνην αὖθις Ἀφαρεὺς καὶ οἱ παῖδες ἐνταῦθα ᾤκησαν· ἐπὶ δὲ Νέστορος καὶ τῶν ἀπογόνων ἐν Πύλῳ τὰ βασίλεια ἦν· Κρεσφόντης δὲ ἐν Στενυκλήρῳ τὸν βασιλέα οἰκεῖν κατεστήσατο.
For in ancient times the other kings and Perieres dwelt in Andania, but when Aphareus founded Arene, Aphareus and his children lived there in turn; in the time of Nestor and his descendants, the palace was in Pylos; but Cresphontes established that the king should dwell in Stenyclerus.
διοικούμενον δὲ αὐτὸν τὰ πολλὰ ἐς χάριν τοῦ δήμου μᾶλλον οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες αὐτόν τε Κρεσφόντην ἐπαναστάντες καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀποκτείνουσι τοὺς λοιπούς, ὁ δὲ Αἴπυτος—παῖδα §4.3.8γὰρ ἔτι ὄντα ἔτρεφεν αὐτὸν ὁ Κύψελος— περιγίνεται μόνος τοῦ οἴκου, καὶ ὡς ἀνὴρ ἐγένετο, οἱ Ἀρκάδες κατάγουσιν αὐτὸν ἐς Μεσσήνην· συγκατήγαγον δὲ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ βασιλεῖς τῶν Δωριέων, οἵ τε Ἀριστοδήμου παῖδες καὶ Ἴσθμιος ὁ Τημένου.
Since he administered most things more to the favor of the common people, those who possessed wealth rose up against him, killing both Cresphontes himself and the rest of his sons; but Aepytus— for Cypselus was still rearing him while he was a child—alone of the house survived, and when he became a man, the Arcadians restored him to Messene; the remaining kings of the Dorians, namely the children of Aristodemus and Isthmius the son of Temenus, also helped in his restoration.
Αἴπυτος δὲ ὡς ἐβασίλευσεν, ἐτιμωρήσατο μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς τοὺς φονέας, ἐτιμωρήσατο δὲ καὶ ὅσοι τοῦ φόνου παραίτιοι καθεστήκεσαν· προσαγόμενος δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἐν τέλει τῶν Μεσσηνίων θεραπείαις, ὅσοι δὲ ἦσαν τοῦ δήμου, δωρεαῖς, ἐς τοσοῦτο προέβη τιμῆς ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἀπογόνους Αἰπυτίδας ἀντὶ Ἡρακλειδῶν κληθῆναι.
When Aepytus became king, he punished the murderers of his father, and also punished all who had been accomplices in the murder; by winning over the leading men of the Messenians with attentions and those of the common people with gifts, he advanced so far in honor that even his descendants were called Aepytidae instead of Heracleidae.
§4.3.9Γλαύκῳ δὲ τῷ Αἰπύτου βασιλεύσαντι μετὰ Αἴπυτον τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἐξήρκεσε μιμήσασθαι τὸν πατέρα ἔν τε τοῖς κοινοῖς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἰδιώτας, εὐσεβείας δὲ ἐς πλέον προέβη.
To Glaucus, the son of Aepytus, who ruled after Aepytus, it was sufficient in other respects to imitate his father both in public affairs and toward private individuals, but in piety he went further.
καὶ γὰρ τοῦ Διὸς τὸ ἐπὶ τῇ κορυφῇ τῆς Ἰθώμης τέμενος, ἀνέντων Πολυκάονος καὶ Μεσσήνης, οὐκ ἔχον παρὰ τοῖς Δωριεῦσι πω τιμάς, Γλαῦκος ἦν ὁ καὶ τούτοις σέβειν καταστησάμενος· καὶ Μαχάονι τῷ Ἀσκληπιοῦ πρῶτος ἔθυσεν ἐν Γερηνίᾳ, γέρα δὲ ἀπένειμε Μεσσήνῃ τῇ Τριόπα τὰ νομιζόμενα ἥρωσιν.
For indeed, the sanctuary of Zeus on the summit of Ithome, which Polycaon and Messene had dedicated, had not yet received honors among the Dorians, and it was Glaucus who established for these people also to worship there; he was also the first to sacrifice to Machaon, the son of Asclepius, in Gerenia, and he assigned to Messene, the daughter of Triopas, the honors customary for heroes.
§4.3.10Ἴσθμιος δὲ ὁ Γλαύκου καὶ ἱερὸν τῷ Γοργάσῳ καὶ Νικομάχῳ τὸ ἐν Φαραῖς ἐποίησεν· Ἰσθμίου δὲ γίνεται Δωτάδας, ὃς ἐπίνεια καὶ ἄλλα τῆς Μεσσηνίας παρεχομένης τὸ ἐν Μοθώνῃ κατεσκευάσατο.
Isthmius, the son of Glaucus, also built the sanctuary for Gorgasus and Nicomachus in Pharae; and of Isthmius was born Dotadas, who, while Messenia provided other harbors, constructed the one in Mothone.
Συβότας δὲ ὁ Δωτάδα τῷ τε ποταμῷ κατεστήσατο τῷ Παμίσῳ κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον θύειν τὸν βασιλεύοντα καὶ Εὐρύτῳ τῷ Μελανέως ἐναγίζειν ἐν Οἰχαλίᾳ πρὸ τῆς τελετῆς τῶν Μεγάλων θεῶν ἀγομένης ἔτι ἐν Ἀνδανίᾳ.
Sybotas, the son of Dotadas, established that the ruling king should sacrifice every year to the river Pamisus, and that he should make offerings to Eurytus, the son of Melaneus, in Oechalia before the celebration of the Great Goddesses, which was still being held in Andania.

Notes

  1. 4.3.6ταῦτα δέ σφισιν εἴκειν παρίστατο — The subject of the verb `παρίστατο` (used here in an impersonal sense, meaning 'to occur to one's mind' or 'to be inclined') is the infinitive `εἴκειν` (to yield). The pronoun `σφισιν` is the dative of interest referring to the Messenians: 'it occurred to them to yield to these terms.'
  2. 4.3.7διοικούμενον δὲ αὐτὸν τὰ πολλά — The middle-passive participle `διοικούμενον` (accusative singular masculine) modifies `αὐτόν` (referring to Cresphontes). This accusative is placed at the beginning of the clause in anticipation of the direct object `αὐτόν τε Κρεσφόντην` of the subsequent main verb `ἀποκτείνουσι`. `τὰ πολλά` is an adverbial accusative ('in most respects').
  3. 4.3.8ὁ δὲ Αἴπυτος — The nominative subject `ὁ δὲ Αἴπυτος` finds its main predicate verb in `περιγίνεται` after a long parenthetical clause (`παῖδα γὰρ ... ὁ Κύψελος`). Within the parenthesis, `αὐτόν` is the accusative pronoun referring back to Aepytus. This distance between the subject and the main verb is caused by the parenthetical insertion.
  4. 4.3.9Γλαύκῳ δὲ ... ἐξήρκεσε — The verb `ἐξήρκεσε` is used impersonally ('it was sufficient') with the dative `Γλαύκῳ`, taking the infinitive `μιμήσασθαι` (to imitate) as its logical subject: 'for Glaucus, it was sufficient in other respects to imitate his father...'
  5. 4.3.10τῆς Μεσσηνίας παρεχομένης — This is a genitive absolute construction. The direct object of the main verb `κατεσκευάσατο` (constructed/improved) is the neuter phrase `τὸ ἐν Μοθώνῃ` (the one in Mothone, referring to the harbor), which refers back to the preceding noun `ἐπίνεια` (harbors, neuter plural accusative) and its modifier `ἄλλα` (other). The genitive absolute clause indicates the background: 'while Messenia provided other harbors.'

Cite this passage

Pausanias, Description of Greece §4.3.6-4.3.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.3.6-4.3.10

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