§4.81.1κατὰ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Φίλιππος ἔπραττε τὰ κατὰ τὴν Τριφυλίαν, καὶ Χείλων ὁ Λακεδαιμόνιος, ὑπολαμβάνων αὑτῷ καθήκειν κατὰ γένος τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ βαρέως φέρων τὴν γεγενημένην ὑπεροψίαν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν ἐφόρων ἐν τῇ κατὰ τὸν Λυκοῦργον κρίσει περὶ τῆς βασιλείας, κινεῖν ἐπεβάλετο τὰ καθεστῶτα.
At the same time that Philip was managing the affairs in Triphylia, Cheilon the Lacedaemonian, conceiving that the kingship belonged to him by right of birth, and being deeply resentful of the slight shown to him by the ephors in the decision concerning the kingship in favor of Lycurgus, set about to overthrow the established constitution.
§4.81.2νομίσας δʼ, εἰ τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν αὐτὴν ἔλθοι Κλεομένει καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑποδείξαι τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς κληρουχίας καὶ τῶν ἀναδασμῶν, ταχέως ἐπακολουθήσειν αὐτῷ τὸ πλῆθος, ὥρμησε πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν.
Thinking that, if he went the same way as Cleomenes, and held out to the multitude the hope of allotments of land and re-distributions of property, the masses would quickly follow him, he set about the enterprise.
§4.81.3συμφρονήσας δὲ περὶ τούτων πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, καὶ λαβὼν κοινωνοὺς τῆς τόλμης εἰς διακοσίους τὸ πλῆθος, ἐγίνετο πρὸς τῷ συντελεῖν τὴν ἐπίνοιαν.
Having combined on these plans with his friends, and having gained associates in his daring scheme to the number of about two hundred, he set about carrying his design into execution.
§4.81.4θεωρῶν δὲ μέγιστον ἐμπόδιον ὑπάρχον αὑτῷ πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν τὸν Λυκοῦργον καὶ τοὺς ἐφόρους τοὺς περιθέντας ἐκείνῳ τὴν βασιλείαν, ὥρμησε πρῶτον ἐπὶ τούτους.
And seeing that Lycurgus and the ephors who had invested him with the kingship were the greatest obstacle in his way for his attempt, he made his first attempt upon them.
§4.81.5τοὺς μὲν οὖν ἐφόρους δειπνοῦντας καταλαβών, πάντας αὐτοῦ κατέσφαξε, τῆς τύχης τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν αὐτοῖς ἐπιθείσης δίκην· καὶ γὰρ ὑφʼ οὗ καὶ περὶ οὗ ταῦτʼ ἔπαθον, δικαίως αὐτοὺς ἄν τις φήσειε πεπονθέναι.
So, having surprised the ephors while they were at dinner, he slaughtered them all on the spot, fortune inflicting upon them their fitting punishment; for considering by whom and on whose account they suffered this, one might say they suffered justly.
§4.81.6ὁ δὲ Χείλων, τὰ κατὰ τούτους συντελεσάμενος, παρῆν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Λυκούργου καὶ κατέλαβε μὲν ἔνδον, οὐ μὴν ἐδυνήθη γʼ ἐγκρατὴς αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι.
Cheilon, having finished with these men, appeared at the house of Lycurgus and found him indeed inside, but was not, however, able to get him into his power.
§4.81.7διὰ γάρ τινων κατοικούντων ἐκ γειτόνων ἐκκλαπεὶς καὶ διαδρὰς ἔλαθεν αὐτόν.
For being smuggled out and escaping by the help of some neighbors, he eluded him.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἀνεχώρησε ταῖς ἀνοδίαις εἰς τὴν ἐν τῇ Τριπόλει προσαγορευομένην Πελλήνην.
Lycurgus therefore withdrew by pathless ways to Pellene, which is situated in Tripolis.
§4.81.8ὁ δὲ Χείλων ἀπεσφαλμένος τοῦ κυριωτάτου πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβολὴν ἀθύμως διέκειτο, πράττειν δʼ ὅμως ἠναγκάζετο τὸ συνεχές.
Cheilon, having failed in the most important part of his attempt, was dispirited, but was nevertheless compelled to proceed with his plans.
§4.81.9διόπερ εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν εἰσβαλὼν τοῖς μὲν ἐχθροῖς προσέφερε τὰς χεῖρας, τοὺς δʼ οἰκείους καὶ φίλους παρεκάλει, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ὑπεδείκνυε τὰς ἄρτι ῥηθείσας ἐλπίδας.
Therefore, rushing into the Agora, he laid hands on his enemies, and exhorted his relations and friends, while holding out to the rest the hopes I have just mentioned.
§4.81.10οὐδενὸς δὲ προσέχοντος αὐτῷ, τἀναντία δὲ συστρεφομένων ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, συννοήσας τὸ γινόμενον, ἀπεχώρει λαθραίως, καὶ διελθὼν τὴν χώραν ἧκε μόνος εἰς τὴν Ἀχαΐαν ἐκπεπτωκώς.
But since no one paid attention to him, and on the contrary, the people were banding together against him, perceiving what was happening, he withdrew secretly, and passing through the country, arrived alone as an exile in Achaea.
οἱ δὲ Λακεδαιμόνιοι, §4.81.11δείσαντες τὴν τοῦ Φιλίππου παρουσίαν, τἀπὸ τῆς χώρας ἀπεσκευάζοντο καὶ τὸ τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν Ἀθήναιον κατασκάψαντες ἐξέλιπον.
Meanwhile, the Lacedaemonians, fearing the presence of Philip, removed their property from the country, and having razed Athenaeum, the fortress of the Megalopolitans, abandoned it.
Λακεδαιμόνιοι μὲν οὖν, §4.81.12ἀπὸ τῆς Λυκούργου νομοθεσίας καλλίστῃ χρησάμενοι πολιτείᾳ καὶ μεγίστην ἔχοντες δύναμιν ἕως τῆς ἐν Λεύκτροις μάχης, αὖτις ἐπὶ τἀναντία τραπείσης αὐτοῖς τῆς τύχης, καὶ τοὔμπαλιν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ἀεὶ καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς πολιτείας αὐτῶν προβαινούσης, §4.81.13τέλος πλείστων μὲν πόνων καὶ στάσεων ἐμφυλίων πεῖραν εἶχον, πλείστοις δʼ ἐπάλαισαν ἀναδασμοῖς καὶ φυγαῖς, πικροτάτης δὲ δουλείας πεῖραν ἔλαβον ἕως τῆς Νάβιδος τυραννίδος, οἱ τὸ πρὶν οὐδὲ τοὔνομα δυνηθέντες ἀνασχέσθαι ῥᾳδίως αὐτῆς.
So the Lacedaemonians, having enjoyed the finest constitution since the legislation of Lycurgus, and having possessed the greatest power until the battle of Leuctra, when fortune turned in the opposite direction for them, and their constitution conversely degenerated more and more, finally experienced the greatest labors and civil strifes, and struggled with numerous re-distributions of land and banishments, and experienced the bitterest slavery down to the tyranny of Nabis, they who in former times could not easily endure even the very name of it.
§4.81.14τὰ μὲν οὖν πάλαι καὶ τὰ πλείω περὶ Λακεδαιμονίων εἰς ἑκάτερον μέρος ὑπὸ πολλῶν εἴρηται τάδε.
Now, these ancient events and most of the details concerning the Lacedaemonians have been told in both directions by many writers.
ἐναργέστατα δʼ ἐστὶν ἀφʼ οὗ Κλεομένης ὁλοσχερῶς κατέλυσε τὸ πάτριον πολίτευμα.
These things have been most manifest ever since Cleomenes completely overthrew the ancestral constitution.
νῦν δʼ ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ῥηθήσεται κατὰ τοὺς ἁρμόζοντας ἀεὶ καιρούς.
They will now be spoken of by us at the appropriate occasions as they arise.