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

23 His sons, however, escaped the perils which confronted them and threw themselves upon the mercy of Sparta, beseeching us to come to the aid of their dead fatherAccording to the usual account, it was Aepytus, a son of Cresphontes, who avenged the death of his father. Apollod. 2.8.5. and offering us their land. And you, after inquiring of Apollo, and being directed by him to accept this gift and avenge the wronged, thereupon beleaguered the Messenians, forced them to surrender, and thus gained possession of their territory.

24 I have not, it is true, recounted in detail our original titles to this land (for the present occasion does not permit me to go into legendary history, and I have had to set them forth with too great brevity for clearness); yet I am sure that even this brief statement makes it evident to all that there is no difference whatever between the way in which we acquired the land which is acknowledged to be ours and the land to which our claim is disputed. For we inhabit Lacedaemon because the sons of Heracles gave it to us, because Apollo directed us to do so, and because we fought and conquered those who held it; and Messene we received from the same people, in the same way, and by taking the advice of the same oracle.

25 To be sure, if we are in a mood not to defend our title to anything, not even if they demand that we abandon Sparta itself, it is idle to be concerned about Messene; but if not one of you would consent to live if torn from the fatherland, then you ought to be of the same mind about that country; for in both cases we can advance the same justifications and the same reasons for our claim.