Ἀρχίδαμος

Lines

1 – 4 5 – 7 8 – 10 11 – 13 14 – 17 18 – 19 20 – 22 23 – 25 26 – 27 28 – 30 31 – 33 34 – 37 38 – 41 42 – 44 45 – 47 48 – 50 51 – 52 53 – 54 55 – 58 59 – 61 62 – 63 64 – 67 68 – 70 71 – 73 74 – 77 78 – 80 81 – 83 84 – 86 87 – 89 90 – 93 94 – 96 97 – 99 100 – 104 105 – 109 110 – 111

İngilizce İngilizce

20 Assuming this to be the purport of the oracle, they joined forces with your forefathers and organized an army, sharing meantime their own country with their followers,That is, the common folk of the Dorians as distinguished from the descendants of Heracles, the ancestors of Archidamus. but receiving from them the kingship as the prize reserved for themselves alone; then having confirmed these covenants by mutual pledges, they set out upon the expedition.

21 The perils which befell them on the march, and the other incidentsSuch as are told in Apollod. 2.8.3. which have no bearing on the present theme, I need not take the time to describe. Let it suffice that, having conquered in war those who dwelt in the regions which I have mentioned, they divided their kingdom into three parts.Procles and Eurysthenes, twin sons of Aristodemus, along with Temenos and Cresphontes, sons of Aristomachus, drew lots for Argos, Lacedaemon, and Messene. Now you men of Sparta have until this day remained faithful to the oaths and to the covenants which you made with my forefathers;

22 therefore in time past you have fared better than the rest of the world, and in time to come you may reasonably hope, if you continue as you have been, to fare better than at present. But the Messenians went so far in their wickedness that they plotted against and slew Cresphontes, albeit he was the founder of their state, the sovereign of their land, a descendant of Heracles, and once the leader of their armies.