Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 8.27

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[1]
ἡ δὲ Μεγάλη πόλις νεωτάτη πόλεών ἐστιν οὐ τῶν Ἀρκαδικῶν μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησι, πλὴν ὅσων κατὰ συμφορὰν ἀρχῆς τῆς Ῥωμαίων μεταβεβήκασιν οἰκήτορες· συνῆλθον δὲ ὑπὲρ ἰσχύος ἐς αὐτὴν οἱ Ἀρκάδες, ἅτε καὶ Ἀργείους ἐπιστάμενοι τὰ μὲν ἔτι παλαιότερα μόνον οὐ κατὰ μίαν ἡμέραν ἑκάστην κινδυνεύοντας ὑπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων παραστῆναι τῷ πολέμῳ, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνθρώπων πλήθει τὸ Ἄργος ἐπηύξησαν καταλύσαντες Τίρυνθα καὶ Ὑσιάς τε καὶ Ὀρνεὰς καὶ Μυκήνας καὶ Μίδειαν καὶ εἰ δή τι ἄλλο πόλισμα οὐκ ἀξιόλογον ἐν τῇ Ἀργολίδι ἦν, τά τε ἀπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων ἀδεέστερα τοῖς Ἀργείοις ὑπάρξαντα καὶ ἅμα ἐς τοὺς περιοίκους ἰσχὺν γενομένην αὐτοῖς.

[2] γνώμῃ μὲν τοιαύτῃ συνῳκίζοντο οἱ Ἀρκάδες, τῆς πόλεως δὲ οἰκιστὴς Ἐπαμινώνδας ὁ Θηβαῖος σὺν τῷ δικαίῳ καλοῖτο ἄν· τούς τε γὰρ Ἀρκάδας οὗτος ἦν ὁ ἐπεγείρας ἐς τὸν συνοικισμὸν Θηβαίων τε χιλίους λογάδας καὶ Παμμένην ἀπέστειλεν ἡγεμόνα ἀμύνειν τοῖς Ἀρκάσιν, εἰ κωλύειν πειρῶνται οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι τὸν οἰκισμόν. ᾑρέθησαν δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀρκάδων οἰκισταὶ Λυκομήδης καὶ Ὁπολέας καὶ Τίμων τε καὶ Πρόξενος, οὗτοι μὲν ἐκ Τεγέας, Λυκομήδης δὲ καὶ Ὁπολέας Μαντινεῖς, 0 Κλειτορίων δὲ Κλεόλαος καὶ Ἀκρίφιος, Εὐκαμπίδας δὲ καὶ Ἱερώνυμος ἐκ Μαινάλου, Παρρασίων δὲ Ποσσικράτης τε καὶ Θεόξενος.

[3] πόλεις δὲ τοσαίδε ἦσαν ὁπόσας ὑπό τε προθυμίας καὶ διὰ τὸ ἔχθος τὸ Λακεδαιμονίων πατρίδας σφίσιν οὔσας ἐκλιπεῖν ἐπείθοντο οἱ Ἀρκάδες, Ἀλέα Παλλάντιον Εὐταία Σουμάτειον Ἀσέα Περαιθεῖς Ἑλισσὼν Ὀρεσθάσιον Δίπαια Λύκαια· ταύτας μὲν ἐκ Μαινάλου· ἐκ δὲ Εὐτρησίων Τρικόλωνοι καὶ Ζοίτιον καὶ Χαρισία καὶ Πτολέδερμα καὶ Κναῦσον καὶ Παρώρεια·

[4] παρὰ δὲ Αἰγυτῶν Αἴγυς καὶ Σκιρτώνιον καὶ Μαλέα καὶ Κρῶμοι καὶ Βλένινα καὶ Λεῦκτρον· Παρρασίων δὲ Λυκοσουρεῖς Θωκνεῖς Τραπεζούντιοι Προσεῖς Ἀκακήσιον Ἀκόντι ον Μακαρία Δασέα· ἐκ δὲ Κυνουραίων τῶν ἐν Ἀρκαδίᾳ Γόρτυς καὶ Θεισόα ἡ πρὸς Λυκαίῳ καὶ Λυκαιᾶται καὶ Ἀλίφηρα· ἐκ δὲ τῶν συντελούντων ἐς Ὀρχομενὸν Θεισόα Μεθύδριον Τεῦθις· προσεγένετο δὲ καὶ Τρίπολις ὀνομαζομένη, Καλλία καὶ Δίποινα καὶ Νώνακρις.

[5] τὸ μὲν δὴ ἄλλο Ἀρκαδικὸν οὔτε τι παρέλυε τοῦ κοινοῦ δόγματος καὶ συνελέγοντο ἐς τὴν Μεγάλην πόλιν σπουδῇ· Λυκαιᾶται δὲ καὶ Τρικολωνεῖς καὶ Λυκοσουρεῖς τε καὶ Τραπεζούντιοι μετεβάλοντο Ἀρκάδων μόνοι, καὶ—οὐ γὰρ συνεχώρουν ἔτι τὰ ἄστη τὰ ἀρχαῖα ἐκλιπεῖν— οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν καὶ ἄκοντες ἀνάγκῃ κατήγοντο ἐς τὴν Μεγάλην πόλιν, Τραπεζούντιοι δὲ ἐκ Πελοποννήσου 0

[6] τὸ παράπαν ἐξεχώρησαν, ὅσοι γε αὐτῶν ἐλείφθησαν καὶ μὴ σφᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ παραυτίκα διεχρήσαντο οἱ Ἀρκάδες· τοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν ἀνασωθέντας ἀναπλεύσαντας ναυσὶν ἐς τὸν Πόντον συνοίκους ἐδέξαντο μητροπολίτας τʼ ὄντας καὶ ὁμωνύμους οἱ Τραπεζοῦντα ἔχοντες τὴν ἐν τῷ Εὐξείνῳ. Λυκοσουρεῦσι δὲ καὶ ἀπειθήσασιν ἐγένετο ὅμως παρὰ τῶν Ἀρκάδων αἰδὼς Δήμητρός τε ἕνεκα καὶ Δεσποίνης ἐλθοῦσιν ἐς τὸ ἱερόν.

[7] τῶν δὲ ἄλλων τῶν κατειλεγμένων πόλεων αἱ μὲν ἐς ἅπαν εἰσὶν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν ἔρημοι, τὰς δὲ ἔχουσιν οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται κώμας, Γόρτυνα Διποί νας Θεισόαν τὴν πρὸς Ὀρχομενῷ Μεθύδριον Τεῦθιν Καλλιὰς Ἑλισσόντα· μόνη δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν Παλλάντιον ἔμελλεν ἄρα ἠπιωτέρου πειρᾶσθαι καὶ τότε τοῦ δαίμονος. τοῖς δὲ Ἀλιφηρεῦσι παραμεμένηκεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πόλιν σφᾶς καὶ ἐς τόδε νομίζεσθαι.

[8] συνῳκίσθη δὲ ἡ Μεγάλη πόλις ἐνιαυτῷ τε τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ μησίν τε ὀλίγοις ὕστερον ἢ τὸ πταῖσμα ἐγένετο Λακεδαιμονίων τὸ ἐν Λεύκτροις, Φρασικλείδου μὲν Ἀθήνησιν ἄρχοντος, δευτέρῳ δὲ ἔτει τῆς ἑκατοστῆς Ὀλυμπιάδος καὶ δευτέρας, ἣν Δάμων Θούριος ἐνίκα στάδιον.

[9]
Μεγαλοπολίταις δὲ ἐς τὴν Θηβαίων συμμαχίαν ἐγγραφεῖσιν ἀπὸ Λακεδαιμονίων δεῖμα ἦν οὐδέν. ὡς δὲ ἐς τὸν πόλεμον τὸν ἱερὸν ὀνομασθέντα οἱ Θηβαῖοι κατέστησαν καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπέκειντο οἱ Φωκεῖς, τήν τε ὅμορον τῇ Βοιωτῶν ἔχοντες καὶ ὄντες οὐκ ἀδύνατοι χρήμασιν ἅτε τὸ ἱερὸν τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς κατειληφότες, 0

[10] τηνικαῦτα οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι προθυμίας μὲν οὖν ἕνεκα Ἀρκάδας τε ἂν τοὺς ἄλλους καὶ τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας ἐποίησαν ἀναστάτους, ἀμυνομένων δὲ τῶν τότε οὐκ ἀθύμως καὶ ἅμα τῶν περιοίκων ἀπροφασίστως σφίσιν ἐπικουρούντων, λόγου μὲν συνέπεσεν οὐδὲν ἄξιον γενέσθαι παρὰ οὐδετέρων· Φίλιππον δὲ τὸν Ἀμύντου καὶ Μακεδόνων τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐχ ἥκιστα αὐξηθῆναι τὸ ἔχθος τὸ Ἀρκάδων ἐς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐποίησε, καὶ Ἕλλησιν ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ καὶ αὖθις περὶ Θεσσαλίαν τοῦ ἀγῶνος οὐ μετέσχον οἱ Ἀρκάδες.

[11] χρόνον δὲ οὐ μετὰ πολὺν Ἀριστόδημος Μεγαλοπολίταις ἀνέφυ τύραννος, Φιγαλεὺς μὲν γένος καὶ υἱὸς Ἀρτύλα, ποιησαμένου δὲ αὐτὸν Τριταίου τῶν οὐκ ἀδυνάτων ἐν Μεγάλῃ πόλει· τούτῳ τῷ Ἀριστοδήμῳ καὶ τυραννοῦντι ἐξεγένετο ὅμως ἐπικληθῆναι Χρηστῷ. ἐπὶ τούτου τυραννοῦντος ἐσβάλλουσιν ἐς τὴν Μεγαλοπολῖτιν στρατιᾷ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως Κλεομένους ὁ πρεσβύτατος τῶν παίδων Ἀκρότατος· ἐγενεαλόγησα δὲ ἤδη τά τε ἐς τοῦτον καὶ ἐς τὸ πᾶν γένος τῶν ἐν Σπάρτῃ βασιλέων. γενομένης δὲ ἰσχυρᾶς μάχης καὶ ἀποθανόντων πολλῶν παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων κρατοῦσιν οἱ Μεγαλοπολῖται τῇ συμβολῇ· καὶ ἄλλοι τε διεφθάρησαν Σπαρτιατῶν καὶ Ἀκρότατος, οὐδέ οἱ τὴν πατρῴαν παραλαβεῖν ἐξεγένετο ἀρχήν.

[12] μετὰ δὲ Ἀριστόδημον τελευτήσαντα δύο μάλιστα ὕστερον γενεαῖς ἐτυράννησε Λυδιάδης, οἴκου μὲν οὐκ ἀφανοῦς, φύσιν δὲ φιλότιμος ὢν καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα, ὡς ἐπέδειξεν ὕστερον, καὶ φιλόπολις. ἔσχε μὲν γὰρ ἔτι νέος ὢν τὴν ἀρχήν· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤρχετο φρονεῖν, κατέπαυεν 0 ἑαυτὸν ἑκὼν τυραννίδος, καίπερ ἐς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἤδη οἱ τῆς ἀρχῆς καθωρμισμένης. Μεγαλοπολιτῶν δὲ συντελούντων ἤδη τότε ἐς τὸ Ἀχαϊκόν, ὁ Λυδιάδης ἔν τε αὐτοῖς Μεγαλοπολίταις καὶ ἐν τοῖς πᾶσιν Ἀχαιοῖς ἐγένετο οὕτω δόκιμος ὡς Ἀράτῳ παρισωθῆναι τὰ ἐς δόξαν.

[13] Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ αὐτοί τε πανδημεὶ καὶ ὁ τῆς οἰκίας βασιλεὺς τῆς ἑτέρας Ἆγις ὁ Εὐδαμίδου στρατεύουσιν ἐπὶ Μεγάλην πόλιν παρασκευῇ μείζονι καὶ ἀξιολογωτέρᾳ τῆς ὑπὸ Ἀκροτάτου συναχθείσης· καὶ μάχῃ τε ἐπεξελθόντας τοὺς Μεγαλοπολίτας ἐνίκησαν καὶ μηχάνημα ἰσχυρὸν προσάγοντες τῷ τείχει τὸν πύργον τὸν ταύτῃ διʼ αὐτοῦ σείουσι καὶ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν καταρρίψειν τῷ μηχανήματι ἤλπιζον.

[14] ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα οὐχ Ἕλλησιν ὁ Βορέας ἔσεσθαι μόνον τοῖς πᾶσιν ὄφελος, τοῦ Μήδων ναυτικοῦ ταῖς Σηπιάσι προσράξας τὰς πολλάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Μεγαλοπολίτας ὁ ἄνεμος οὗτος ἐρρύσατο μὴ ἁλῶναι· κατέλυσέ τε γὰρ τὸ μηχάνημα τοῦ Ἄγιδος καὶ διεφόρησεν ἐς ἀπώλειαν παντελῆ βιαίῳ τῷ πνεύματι ὁμοῦ καὶ συνεχεῖ. ὁ δὲ Ἆγις ὅτῳ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ Βορέου μὴ ἑλεῖν τὴν Μεγαλόπολιν ἐγένετο ἐμποδών, ἔστιν ὁ τὴν ἐν Ἀχαΐᾳ Πελλήνην ἀφαιρεθεὶς ὑπὸ Ἀράτου καὶ Σικυωνίων καὶ ὕστερον πρὸς Μαντινείᾳ χρησάμενος τῷ τέλει.

[15] μετὰ δὲ οὐ πολὺν χρόνον Κλεομένης ὁ Λεωνίδου Μεγαλόπολιν κατέλαβεν ἐν σπονδαῖς. Μεγαλοπολιτῶν δὲ οἱ μὲν ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ εὐθὺς τότε ἀμύνοντες τῇ πατρίδι ἐπεπτώκεσαν, ἔνθα καὶ Λυδιάδην ἀγωνιζόμενον ἀξίως λόγου κατέλαβεν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τὸ χρεών· τοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν Φιλοποίμην ὁ Κραύγιδος ὅσον τε τὰ δύο μέρη τῶν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ καὶ παῖδας ἅμα ἔχων 0 καὶ γυναῖκας διέφυγεν ἐς τὴν Μεσσηνίαν.

[16] Κλεομένης δὲ τούς τε ἐγκαταληφθέντας ἐφόνευε καὶ κατέσκαπτέ τε καὶ ἔκαιε τὴν πόλιν. Μεγαλοπολῖται μὲν δὴ τρόπον ὁποῖον ἀνεσώσαντο τὴν αὑτῶν καὶ ὁποῖα κατελθοῦσιν αὖθις ἐπράχθη σφίσι, δηλώσει τοῦ λόγου μοι τὰ ἐς Φιλοποίμενα· Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ τῷ δήμῳ τοῦ τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν παθήματος μέτεστιν αἰτίας οὐδέν, ὅτι σφίσιν ἐκ βασιλείας μετέστησεν ἐς τυραννίδα ὁ Κλεομένης τὴν πολιτείαν.

[17]
Μεγαλοπολίταις δὲ καὶ Ἡραιεῦσι κατὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ἤδη μοι τοῦ Βουφάγου ποταμοῦ περὶ τὰς πηγάς εἰσιν ὅροι τῆς χώρας. γενέσθαι δὲ τῷ ποταμῷ τὸ ὄνομα ἀπὸ Βουφάγου φασὶν ἥρωος, εἶναι δὲ Ἰαπετοῦ τε παῖδα αὐτὸν καὶ Θόρνακος. ταύτην καὶ ἐν τῇ Λακωνικῇ Θόρνακα ὀνομάζουσι. λέγουσι δὲ καὶ ὡς ἐν Φολόῃ τῷ ὄρει τοξεύσειεν Ἄρτεμις Βουφάγον ἔργα τολμήσαντα οὐχ ὅσια ἐς τὴν θεόν.

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

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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.) — 8.27 focus

[1]
Megalopolis is the youngest city, not of Arcadia only, but of Greece , with the exception of those whose inhabitants have been removed by the accident of the Roman domination. The Arcadians united into it to gain strength, realizing that the Argives also were in earlier times in almost daily danger of being subjected by war to the Lacedaemonians, but when they had increased the population of Argos by reducing Tiryns , Hysiae, Orneae, Mycenae , Mideia, along with other towns of little importance in Argolis , the Argives had less to fear from the Lacedaemonians, while they were in a stronger position to deal with their vassal neighbors.

[2] It was with this policy in view that the Arcadians united, and the founder of the city might fairly be considered Epaminondas of Thebes . For lie it was who gathered the Arcadians together for the union and despatched a thousand picked Thebans under Pammenes to defend the Arcadians, if the Lacedaemonians should try to prevent the union. There were chosen as founders by the Arcadians, Lycomedes and Hopoleas of Mantineia , Timon and Proxenus of Tegea , Cleolaus and Acriphius of Cleitor, Eucampidas and Hieronymus of Maenalus, Possicrates and Theoxenus of the Parrhasians.

[3] The following were the cities which the Arcadians were persuaded to abandon through their zeal and because of their hatred of the Lacedaemonians, in spite of the fact that these cities were their homes: Alea , Pallantium, Eutaea, Sumateium, Asea , Peraethenses, Helisson, Oresthasium, Dipaea, Lycaea; these were cities of Maenalus. Of the Eutresian cities Tricoloni , Zoetium, Charisia, Ptolederma, Cnausum, Paroreia.

[4] From the Aegytae: Aegys, Scirtonium, Malea, Cromi , Blenina, Leuctrum. Of the Parrhasians Lycosura, Thocnia, Trapezus , Prosenses, Acacesium, Acontium, Macaria, Dasea. Of the Cynurians in Arcadia : Gortys , Theisoa by Mount Lycaeus, Lycaea, Aliphera. Of those belonging to Orchomenus : Theisoa, Methydrium , Teuthis . These were joined by Tripolis , as it is called, Callia, Dipoena, Nonacris.

[5] The Arcadians for the most part obeyed the general resolution and assembled promptly at Megalopolis . But the people of Lycaea, Tricoloni , Lycosura and Trapezus , but no other Arcadians, repented and, being no longer ready to abandon their ancient cities, were, with the exception of the last, taken to Megalopolis by force against their will,

[6] while the inhabitants of Trapezus departed altogether from the Peloponnesus , such of them as were left and were not immediately massacred by the exasperated Arcadians. Those who escaped with their lives sailed away to Pontus and were welcomed by the citizens of Trapezus on the Euxine as their kindred, as they bore their name and came from their mother-city. The Lycosurians, although they had disobeyed, were nevertheless spared by the Arcadians because of Demeter and the Mistress, in whose sanctuary they had taken refuge.

[7] Of the other cities I have mentioned, some are altogether deserted in our time, some are held by the people of Megalopolis as villages, namely Gortys , Dipoenae, Theisoa near Orchomenus , Methydrium , Teuthis , Calliae, Helisson. Only one of them, Pallantium, was destined to meet with a kindlier fate even then. Aliphera has continued to be regarded as a city from the beginning to the present day.

[8] Megalopolis was united into one city in the same year, but a few months later, as occurred the defeat of the Lacedaemonians at Leuctra, when Phrasicleides was archon at Athens , in the second year of the hundred and second Olympiad,¹ when Damon of Thurii was victor in the foot-race.

[9]
When the citizens of Megalopolis had been enrolled in the Theban alliance they had nothing to fear from the Lacedaemonians. But when the Thebans became involved in what was called the Sacred War, and they were hard pressed by the Phocians, who were neighbors of the Boeotians, and wealthy because they had seized the sanctuary at Delphi ,

[10] then the Lacedaemonians, if eagerness would have done it, would have removed bodily the Megalopolitans and the other Arcadians besides; but as the Arcadians of the day put up a vigorous defence, while their vassal neighbors gave them wholehearted assistance, no achievement of note was accomplished by either side. But the hatred felt by the Arcadians for the Lacedaemonians was not a little responsible for the rise of Philip, the son of Amyntas, and of the Macedonian empire, and the Arcadians did not help the Greeks at Chaeroneia or again in the struggle in Thessaly .

[11] After a short time a tyrant arose at Megalopolis in the person of Aristodemus, a Phigalian by birth and a son of Artylas, who had been adopted by Tritaeus, an influential citizen of Megalopolis . This Aristodemus, in spite of his being a tyrant, nevertheless won the surname of “the Good.” During his tyranny the territory of Megalopolis was invaded by the Lacedaemonians under Acrotatus, the eldest of the sons of King Cleomenes, whose lineage I have already traced with that of all the other Spartan kings.² A fierce battle took place, and after many had fallen on both sides the army of Megalopolis had the better of the encounter. Among the Spartan killed was Acrotatus, who never succeeded to the throne of his fathers.

[12] Some two generations after the death of Aristodemus, Lydiades became tyrant, a man of distinguished family, by nature ambitious and, as he proved later, a devoted patriot. For he came to power while still young, but on reaching years of discretion he was minded to resign voluntarily the tyranny, although by this time his power was securely established. At this time Megalopolis was already a member of the Achaean League, and Lydiades became so famous among not only the people of Megalopolis but also all the Achaeans that he rivalled the fame of Aratus.

[13] The Lacedaemonians with all their forces under Agis, the son of Eudamidas, the king of the other house, attacked Megalopolis with larger and stronger forces than those collected by Acrotatus. They overcame in battle the men of Megalopolis , who came out against them, and bringing up a powerful engine against the wall they shook by it the tower in this place, and hoped on the morrow to knock it down by the engine.

[14] But the north wind was not only to prove a help to the whole Greek nation, when it dashed the greater part of the Persian fleet on the Sepiad rocks, but it also saved Megalopolis from being captured. For it blew violently and continuously, and broke up the engine of Agis, scattering it to utter destruction. The Agis whom the north wind prevented from taking Megalopolis is the man from whom was taken Pellene in Achaia by the Sicyonians under Aratus, and later he met his end at Mantineia .

[15] Shortly afterwards Cleomenes the son of Leonidas seized Megalopolis during a truce. Of the Megalopolitans some fell at once on the night of the capture in the defence of their country, when Lydiades too met his death in he battle,³ fighting nobly; others, about two-thirds of those of military age along with the women and children, escaped to Messenia with Philopoemen the son of Craugis.

[16] But those who were caught in the city were massacred by Cleomenes, who razed it to the ground and burnt it. How the Megalopolitans restored their city, and their achievements on their return, will be set forth in my account of Philopoemen. The Lacedaemonian people were in no way responsible for the disaster to Megalopolis , because Cleomenes had changed their constitution from a kingship to a tyranny.

[17]
As I have already related, the boundary between Megalopolis and Heraea is at the source of the river Buphagus. The river got its name, they say, from a hero called Buphagus, the son of Iapetus and Thornax. This is what they call her in Laconia also. They also say that Artemis shot Buphagus on Mount Pholoe because he attempted an unholy sin against her godhead.

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.) — 8.27 focus

[1] Megalopolis is the youngest city, not of Arcadia only, but of Greece, with the exception of those whose inhabitants have been removed by the accident of the Roman domination. The Arcadians united into it to gain strength, realizing that the Argives also were in earlier times in almost daily danger of being subjected by war to the Lacedaemonians, but when they had increased the population of Argos by reducing Tiryns, Hysiae, Orneae, Mycenae, Mideia, along with other towns of little importance in Argolis, the Argives had less to fear from the Lacedaemonians, while they were in a stronger position to deal with their vassal neighbors.

[2] It was with this policy in view that the Arcadians united, and the founder of the city might fairly be considered Epameinondas of Thebes. For lie it was who gathered the Arcadians together for the union and despatched a thousand picked Thebans under Pammenes to defend the Arcadians, if the Lacedaemonians should try to prevent the union. There were chosen as founders by the Arcadians, Lykomedes and Hopoleas of Mantineia, Timon and Proxenos of Tegea, Kleolaos and Akriphios of Kleitor, Eucampidas and Hieronymos of Mainalos, Possikrates and Theoxenos of the Parrhasians.

[3] The following were the cities which the Arcadians were persuaded to abandon through their zeal and because of their hatred of the Lacedaemonians, in spite of the fact that these cities were their homes: Alea, Pallantion, Eutaea, Sumateium, Asea, Peraethenses, Helisson, Oresthasium, Dipaea, Lykaia; these were cities of Mainalos. Of the Eutresian cities Tricoloni, Zoetium, Kharisia, Ptolederma, Cnausum, Paroreia.

[4] From the Aigytai: Aigys, Scirtonium, Malea, Cromi, Blenina, Leuctrum. Of the Parrhasians Lykosoura, Thocnia, Trapezus, Prosenses, Acacesium, Acontium, Makaria, Dasea. Of the Cynurians in Arcadia: Gortys, Theisoa by Mount Lykaios, Lykaia, Aliphera. Of those belonging to Orkhomenos: Theisoa, Methydrium, Teuthis. These were joined by Tripolis, as it is called, Kallia, Dipoena, Nonacris.

[5] The Arcadians for the most part obeyed the general resolution and assembled promptly at Megalopolis. But the people of Lykaia, Tricoloni, Lykosoura and Trapezus, but no other Arcadians, repented and, being no longer ready to abandon their ancient cities, were, with the exception of the last, taken to Megalopolis by force against their will,

[6] while the inhabitants of Trapezus departed altogether from the Peloponnesus, such of them as were left and were not immediately massacred by the exasperated Arcadians. Those who escaped with their lives sailed away to Pontos and were welcomed by the citizens of Trapezus on the Euxine as their kindred, as they bore their name and came from their mother-city. The people of Lykosoura, although they had disobeyed, were nevertheless spared by the Arcadians because of Demeter and the Mistress, in whose sanctuary they had taken refuge.

[7] Of the other cities I have mentioned, some are altogether deserted in our time, some are held by the people of Megalopolis as villages, namely Gortys, Dipoenae, Theisoa near Orkhomenos, Methydrium, Teuthis, Kalliai, Helisson. Only one of them, Pallantion, was destined to meet with a kindlier fate even then. Aliphera has continued to be regarded as a city from the beginning to the present day.

[8] Megalopolis was united into one city in the same year, but a few months later, as occurred the defeat of the Lacedaemonians at Leuktra, when Phrasikleides was archon [ arkhōn] in Athens, in the second year of the hundred and second Olympiad, when Damon of Thourioi was victor in the foot-race.

[9] When the citizens of Megalopolis had been enrolled in the Theban alliance they had nothing to fear from the Lacedaemonians. But when the Thebans became involved in what was called the Sacred War, and they were hard pressed by the men of Phokis, who were neighbors of the Boeotians, and wealthy because they had seized the sanctuary at Delphi,

[11] After a short time a tyrant arose at Megalopolis in the person of Aristodemos, a Phigalian by birth and a son of Artylas, who had been adopted by Tritaios, an influential citizen of Megalopolis. This Aristodemos, in spite of his being a tyrant, nevertheless won the surname of “the Good.” During his tyranny the territory of Megalopolis was invaded by the Lacedaemonians under Akrotatos, the eldest of the sons of King Kleomenes, whose lineage I have already traced with that of all the other Spartan kings. A fierce battle took place, and after many had fallen on both sides the army of Megalopolis had the better of the encounter. Among the Spartan killed was Akrotatos, who never succeeded to the throne of his fathers.

[12] Some two generations after the death of Aristodemos, Lydiades became tyrant, a man of distinguished family, by nature ambitious and, as he proved later, a devoted patriot. For he came to power while still young, but on reaching years of discretion he was minded to resign voluntarily the tyranny, although by this time his power was securely established. At this time Megalopolis was already a member of the Achaean League, and Lydiades became so famous among not only the people of Megalopolis but also all the Achaeans that he rivalled the fame of Aratos.

[13] The Lacedaemonians with all their forces under Agis, the son of Eudamidas, the king of the other house, attacked Megalopolis with larger and stronger forces than those collected by Akrotatos. They overcame in battle the men of Megalopolis, who came out against them, and bringing up a powerful engine against the wall they shook by it the tower in this place, and hoped on the morrow to knock it down by the engine.

[14] But the north wind was not only to prove a help to the whole Greek nation, when it dashed the greater part of the Persian fleet on the Sepiad rocks, but it also saved Megalopolis from being captured. For it blew violently and continuously, and broke up the engine of Agis, scattering it to utter destruction. The Agis whom the north wind prevented from taking Megalopolis is the man from whom was taken Pellene in Achaea by the Sikyonians under Aratos, and later he met his end at Mantineia.

[15] Shortly afterwards Kleomenes the son of Leonidas seized Megalopolis during a truce. Of the Megalopolitans some fell at once on the night of the capture in the defence of their country, when Lydiades too met his death in he battle, fighting nobly; others, about two-thirds of those of military age along with the women and children, escaped to Messenia with Philopoimen the son of Kraugis.

[16] But those who were caught in the city were massacred by Kleomenes, who razed it to the ground and burned it. How the Megalopolitans restored their city, and their achievements on their return, will be set forth in my account of Philopoimen. The Lacedaemonian people were in no way responsible for the disaster to Megalopolis, because Kleomenes had changed their constitution from a kingship to a tyranny.

[17] As I have already related, the boundary between Megalopolis and Heraia is at the source of the river Bouphagos. The river got its name, they say, from a hero called Bouphagos, the son of Iapetos and Thornax. This is what they call her in Laconia also. They also say that Artemis shot Bouphagos on Mount Pholoe because he attempted an unholy sin against her godhead.

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 8.27

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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