Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 2.9

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[1]
Κλεομένης ὁ Λεωνίδου τοῦ Κλεωνύμου παραλαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν Σπάρτῃ Παυσανίαν ἐμιμεῖτο τυραννίδος τε ἐπιθυμῶν καὶ νόμοις τοῖς καθεστηκόσιν οὐκ ἀρεσκόμενος. ἅτε δὲ ὄντι αὐτῷ Παυσανίου θερμοτέρῳ καὶ οὐ φιλοψύχῳ ταχὺ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ φρονήματος καὶ τόλμης κατείργαστο, καὶ βασιλέα τε οἰκίας τῆς ἑτέρας Εὐρυδαμίδαν παῖδα ἔτι ἀνελὼν φαρμάκῳ διὰ τῶν ἐφορευόντων ἐς Ἐπικλείδαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν μετέστησε τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὸ κράτος τῆς γερουσίας καταλύσας πατρονόμους τῷ λόγῳ κατέστησεν ἀντʼ αὐτῶν. ἐπιθυμῶν δὲ πραγμάτων μειζόνων καὶ ἀρχῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἐπέθετο Ἀχαιοῖς πρώτοις, συμμάχους ἐλπίζων ἕξειν ἢν κρατήσῃ καὶ μάλιστα ἐμποδὼν οὐκ ἐθέλων εἶναί οἱ τοῖς δρωμένοις.

[2] συμβαλὼν δὲ περὶ Δύμην τὴν ὑπὲρ Πατρῶν, Ἀράτου καὶ τότε ἡγουμένου τῶν Ἀχαιῶν, νικᾷ τῇ μάχῃ. τοῦτο Ἄρατον ἠνάγκασεν ὑπέρ τε Ἀχαιῶν καὶ αὐτῆς Σικυῶνος δείσαντα Ἀντίγονον ἐπάγεσθαι. Κλεομένους δὲ παραβάντος ἣν πρὸς Ἀντίγονον συνέθετο εἰρήνην καὶ παράσπονδα ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ καὶ ἄλλα δράσαντος καὶ Μεγαλοπολίτας ποιήσαντος ἀναστάτους, οὕτω διαβάντος ἐς Πελοπόννησον Ἀντιγόνου συμβάλλουσιν Ἀχαιοὶ Κλεομένει περὶ Σελλασίαν. νικησάντων δὲ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν Σελλασία τε ἠνδραποδίσθη καὶ αὐτὴ Λακεδαίμων ἑάλω. Λακεδαιμονίοις μὲν οὖν 0 ἀπέδωκεν Ἀντίγονος καὶ Ἀχαιοὶ πολιτείαν τὴν πάτριον·

[3] τῶν δὲ Λεωνίδου παίδων Ἐπικλείδας μὲν ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ, Κλεομένην δὲ φεύγοντα ἐς Αἴγυπτον καὶ τιμῆς παρὰ Πτολεμαίῳ πρῶτα ἔχοντα συνέβη δεθῆναι, καταγνωσθέντα Αἰγυπτίων ἄνδρας ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα συνιστάναι. καὶ ἀπέδρα μὲν ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου καὶ τοῖς Ἀλεξανδρεῦσιν ἀρχὴν θορύβου παρέσχε· τέλος δέ, ὡς ἡλίσκετο, ἀπέσφαξεν αὑτόν. Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ ἄσμενοι Κλεομένους ἀπαλλαγέντες βασιλεύεσθαι μὲν οὐκέτι ἠξίωσαν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ καὶ ἐς τόδε διαμένει σφίσιν ἐκείνης τῆς πολιτείας. Ἀράτῳ δὲ Ἀντίγονος ἅτε ἀνδρὶ εὐεργέτῃ καὶ συγκατειργασμένῳ λαμπρὰ οὕτω διέμεινεν εὔνους.

[4] Φίλιππος δὲ ὡς παρέλαβε τὴν ἀρχήν —οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸν Ἄρατος θυμῷ πολλὰ ἐς τοὺς ἀρχομένους χρώμενον ἐπῄνει, τὰ δὲ καὶ ὡρμημένον ἐπεῖχε μὴ ποιεῖν—, τούτων ἕνεκεν ἀπέκτεινεν Ἄρατον, οὐδὲν προϊδομένῳ δούς οἱ φάρμακον. καὶ τὸν μὲν ἐξ Αἰγίου —ταύτῃ γὰρ τὸ χρεὼν ἐπέλαβεν αὐτὸν—ἐς Σικυῶνα κομίσαντες θάπτουσι, καὶ τὸ ἡρῷον Ἀράτειον ἔτι ὀνομάζεται· Φιλίππῳ δὲ καὶ ἐς Εὐρυκλείδην καὶ Μίκωνα Ἀθηναίους ὅμοια εἰργάσθη· καὶ γὰρ τούσδε ὄντας ῥήτορας καὶ οὐκ ἀπιθάνους τῷ δήμῳ φαρμάκοις ἔκτεινεν.

[5] ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα καὶ αὐτῷ Φιλίππῳ τὸ ἀνδροφόνον φάρμακον ἔσεσθαι συμφορά· τὸν γάρ οἱ παῖδα Δημήτριον ὁ νεώτερος τῶν Φιλίππου παίδων Περσεὺς φαρμάκῳ διέφθειρε καὶ διʼ αὐτὸ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ ἀθυμήσαντι παρέσχεν αἰτίαν ἀποθανεῖν. παρεδήλωσα δὲ τάδε ἀπιδὼν ἐς τὸ Ἡσιόδου σὺν θεῷ πεποιημένον, τὸν ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ βουλεύοντα ἄδικα ἐς αὑτὸν πρῶτον τρέπειν. 0

[6]
μετὰ δὲ τὸ Ἀράτου ἡρῷον ἔστι μὲν Ποσειδῶνι Ἰσθμίῳ βωμός, ἔστι δὲ Ζεὺς Μειλίχιος καὶ Ἄρτεμις ὀνομαζομένη Πατρῴα, σὺν τέχνῃ πεποιημένα οὐδεμιᾷ· πυραμίδι δὲ ὁ Μειλίχιος, ἡ δὲ κίονί ἐστιν εἰκασμένη. ἐνταῦθα καὶ βουλευτήριόν σφισι πεποίηται καὶ στοὰ καλουμένη Κλεισθένειος ἀπὸ τοῦ οἰκοδομήσαντος· ᾠκοδόμησε δὲ ἀπὸ λαφύρων ὁ Κλεισθένης αὐτὴν τὸν πρὸς Κίρρᾳ πόλεμον συμπολεμήσας Ἀμφικτύοσι. τῆς δὲ ἀγορᾶς ἐστιν ἐν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ Ζεὺς χαλκοῦς, τέχνη Λυσίππου, παρὰ δὲ αὐτὸν Ἄρτεμις ἐπίχρυσος.

[7] πλησίον δὲ Ἀπόλλωνός ἐστιν ἱερὸν Λυκίου, κατερρυηκός τε ἤδη καὶ ἥκιστα θέας ἄξιον. φοιτώντων γὰρ λύκων σφίσιν ἐπὶ τὰς ποίμνας ὡς μηδένα εἶναι καρπὸν ἔτι ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, ὁ θεὸς τόπον τινὰ εἰπὼν ἔνθα ἔκειτο αὖον ξύλον, τούτου φλοιὸν ἔχρησε τοῦ ξύλου καὶ κρέας ὁμοῦ προθεῖναι τοῖς θηρίοις· καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὐτίκα ὡς ἐγεύσαντο διέφθειρεν ὁ φλοιός, τὸ ξύλον δὲ ἐκεῖνο ἔκειτο μὲν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Λυκίου, ὅ τι δὲ ἦν δένδρον οὐδὲ οἱ τῶν Σικυωνίων ἐξηγηταὶ συνίεσαν.

[8] τούτου δέ εἰσιν εἰκόνες ἐφεξῆς χαλκαῖ· τὰς Προίτου θυγατέρας λέγουσιν εἶναι σφᾶς, τὸ δὲ ἐπίγραμμα ἐς γυναῖκας ἄλλας εἶχεν. ἐνταῦθα Ἡρακλῆς χαλκοῦς ἐστι· Λύσιππος ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν Σικυώνιος, καὶ πλησίον Ἑρμῆς ἕστηκεν Ἀγοραῖος.

Description of Greece. Pausanias. ed. Friedrich Spiro. Leipzig. 1903.

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Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Ἑλλάδος Περιηγήσεως (Greek) (Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.)

Translations (2)

Description of Greece Perseus (Pausanias. Pausanias Description of Greece, Volumes 1-4. Jones, W.H.S. (William Henry Samuel), translator; Ormerod, Henry Arderne, translator. London, New York: W. Heinemann, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1918-1935.) — 2.9 focus

[1]
Cleomenes, the son of Leonidas, the son of Cleonymus, having succeeded to the kingship at Sparta , resembled Pausanias¹ in being dissatisfied with the established constitution and in aiming at a tyranny. A more fiery man than Pausanias, and no coward, he quickly succeeded by spirit and daring in accomplishing all his ambition. He poisoned Eurydamidas, the king of the other² royal house, while yet a boy, raised to the throne by means of the ephors his brother Epicleidas, destroyed the power of the senate, and appointed in its stead a nominal Council of Fathers. Ambitious for greater things and for supremacy over the Greeks, he first attacked the Achaeans, hoping if successful to have them as allies, and especially wishing that they should not hinder his activities.

[2] Engaging them at Dyme beyond Patrae , Aratus being still leader of the Achaeans, he won the victory.³ In fear for the Achaeans and for Sicyon itself, Aratus was forced by this defeat to bring in Antigouus as an ally. Cleomenes had violated the peace which he had made with Antigonus and had openly acted in many ways contrary to treaty, especially in laying waste Megalopolis . So Antigonus crossed into the Peloponnesus and the Achaeans met Cleomenes at Sellasia .⁴ The Achaeans were victorious, the people of Sellasia were sold into slavery, and Lacedaemon itself was captured. Antigonus and the Achaeans restored to the Lacedaemonians the constitution of their fathers;

[3] but of the children of Leonidas, Epicleidas was killed in the battle, and Cleomenes fled to Egypt . Held in the highest honor by Ptolemy, he came to be cast into prison, being convicted of inciting Egyptians to rebel against their king. He made his escape from prison and began a riot among the Alexandrians, but at last, on being captured, he fell by his own hand. The Lacedaemonians, glad to be rid of Cleomenes, refused to be ruled by kings any longer, but the rest of their ancient constitution they have kept to the present day. Antigonus remained a constant friend of Aratus, looking upon him as a benefactor who hid helped him to accomplish brilliant deeds.

[4] But when Philip succeeded to the throne, since Aratus did not approve of his violent treatment of his subjects, and in some cases even opposed the accomplishment of his purposes, he killed Aratus by giving him secretly a dose of poison. This fate came upon Aratus at Aegium, from which place he was carried to Sicyon and buried, and there is still in that city the hero-shrine of Aratus. Philip treated two Athenians, Eurycleides and Micon, in a similar way. These men also, who were orators enjoying the confidence of the people, he killed by poison.

[5] After all, Philip himself in his turn was fated to suffer disaster through the fatal cup. Philip's son, Demetrius, was poisoned by Perseus, his younger son, and grief at the murder brought the father also to his grave. I mention the incident in passing, with my mind turned to the inspired words of the poet Hesiod,⁵ that he who plots mischief against his neighbor directs it first to himself.

[6]
After the hero-shrine of Aratus is an altar to Isthmian Poseidon, and also a Zeus Meilichius (Gracious) and an Artemis named Patroa (Paternal), both of them very inartistic works. The Meilichius is like a pyramid, the Artemis like a pillar. Here too stand their council-chamber and a portico called Cleisthenean from the name of him who built it. It was built from spoils by Cleisthenes, who helped the Amphictyons in the war at Cirrha .⁶ In the market-place under the open sky is a bronze Zeus, a work of Lysippus,⁷ and by the side of it a gilded Artemis.

[7] Hard by is a sanctuary of Apollo Lycius (Wolf-god), now fallen into ruins and not worth any attention. For wolves once so preyed upon their flocks that there was no longer any profit therefrom, and the god, mentioning a certain place where lay a dry log, gave an oracle that the bark of this log mixed with meat was to be set out for the beasts to eat. As soon as they tasted it the bark killed them, and that log lay in my time in the sanctuary of the Wolf-god, but not even the guides of the Sicyonians knew what kind of tree it was.

[8] Next after this are bronze portrait statues, said to be the daughters of Proetus, but the inscription I found referred to other women. Here there is a bronze Heracles, made by Lysippus the Sicyonian, and hard by stands Hermes of the Market-place.

English (Jones and Ormerod; retranslated Gregory Nagy, CHS, 2018) (OCR draft) Experimental (CHS Pausanias Reader retranslation by Gregory Nagy, based on Jones and Ormerod, with marked Greek terms, notes, quotations, and bibliographic attributions preserved.) — 2.9 focus

[1] Kleomenes, the son of Leonidas, the son of Kleonymos, having succeeded to the kingship at Sparta, resembled Pausanias in being dissatisfied with the established constitution and in aiming at a tyranny. A more fiery man than Pausanias, and no coward, he quickly succeeded by spirit and daring in accomplishing all his ambition. He poisoned Eurydamidas, the king of the other royal house, while yet a boy, raised to the throne by means of the ephors his brother Epikleidas, destroyed the power of the senate, and appointed in its stead a nominal Council of Fathers. Ambitious for greater things and for supremacy over the Greeks, he first attacked the Achaeans, hoping if successful to have them as allies, and especially wishing that they should not hinder his activities.

[2] Engaging them at Dyme beyond Patrai, Aratos being still leader of the Achaeans, he won the victory. In fear for the Achaeans and for Sikyon itself, Aratos was forced by this defeat to bring in Antigonos as an ally. Kleomenes had violated the peace which he had made with Antigonos and had openly acted in many ways contrary to treaty, especially in laying waste Megalopolis. So Antigonos crossed into the Peloponnesus and the Achaeans met Kleomenes at Sellasia. The Achaeans were victorious, the people of Sellasia were sold into slavery, and Lacedaemon itself was captured. Antigonos and the Achaeans restored to the Lacedaemonians the constitution of their fathers;

[3] but of the children of Leonidas, Epikleidas was killed in the battle, and Kleomenes fled to Egypt. Held in the highest honor by Ptolemy, he came to be cast into prison, being convicted of inciting Egyptians to rebel against their king. He made his escape from prison and began a riot among the Alexandrians, but at last, on being captured, he fell by his own hand. The Lacedaemonians, glad to be rid of Kleomenes, refused to be ruled by kings any longer, but the rest of their ancient constitution they have kept to the present day. Antigonos remained a constant friend of Aratos, looking upon him as a benefactor who had helped him to accomplish brilliant deeds.

[4] But when Philip succeeded to the throne, since Aratos did not approve of his violent treatment of his subjects, and in some cases even opposed the accomplishment of his purposes, he killed Aratos by giving him secretly a dose of poison. This fate came upon Aratos at Aigion, from which place he was carried to Sikyon and buried, and there is still in that city the hero-shrine of Aratos. Philip treated two Athenians, Eurykleides and Mikon, in a similar way. These men also, who were orators enjoying the confidence of the people, he killed by poison.

[5] After all, Philip himself in his turn was fated to suffer disaster through the fatal cup. Philip’s son, Demetrios, was poisoned by Perseus, his younger son, and grief at the murder brought the father also to his tomb. I mention the incident in passing, with my mind turned to the inspired words of the poet Hesiod, that he who plots mischief against his neighbor directs it first to himself.

[6] After the hero-shrine of Aratos is an altar to Isthmian Poseidon, and also a Zeus Meilichios (Gracious) and an Artemis named Patroa (Paternal), both of them very inartistic works. The Meilichios is like a pyramid, the Artemis like a pillar. Here too stand their council-chamber and a portico called Cleisthenean from the name of him who built it. It was built from spoils by Cleisthenes, who helped the Amphiktyones in the war at Cirrha. In the marketplace under the open sky is a bronze Zeus, a work of Lysippos, and by the side of it a gilded Artemis.

[7] Hard by is a sanctuary of Apollo Lykios (wolf-god), now fallen into ruins and not worth any attention. For wolves once so preyed upon their flocks that there was no longer any profit therefrom, and the god, mentioning a certain place where lay a dry log, gave an oracle that the bark of this log mixed with meat was to be set out for the beasts to eat. As soon as they tasted it the bark killed them, and that log lay in my time in the sanctuary of the Wolf-god, but not even the guides of the Sikyonians knew what kind of tree it was.

[8] Next after this are bronze portrait statues, said to be the daughters of Proitos, but the inscription I found referred to other women. Here there is a bronze Hēraklēs, made by Lysippos the Sikyonian, and hard by stands Hermes of the Marketplace.

New Alexandria Commentaries

Gregory Nagy, Editors: Angelia Hanhardt and Keith DeStone, Web producer: Noel Spencer, Consultant for images: Jill Curry Robbins, \[\[Noel gives this a separate URN\]\]

Pausanias Description of Greece 2.9

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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