Kitap 6
Leotychides said in the disputes that you were already pregnant by your former husband when you came to Ariston. Others say more foolishly that you approached to one of the servants, the ass-keeper, and that I am his son.
I adjure you by the gods to speak what is true. If you have done anything of what they say, you are not the only one; you are in company with many women. There is much talk at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta that Ariston did not have child-bearing seed in him, or his former wives would have given him children.”
Thus he spoke. His mother answered, “My son, since you adjure me by entreaties to speak the truth, I will speak out to you all that is true. On the third night after Ariston brought me to his house, a phantom resembling him came to me. It came and lay with me and then put on me the garlands which it had.
It went away, and when Ariston came in later and saw me with the garlands, he asked who gave them to me. I said he did, but he denied it. I swore an oath that just a little while before he had come in and lain with me and given me the garlands, and I said it was not good of him to deny it.
When he saw me swearing, he perceived that this was some divine affair. For the garlands had clearly come from the hero's precinct which is established at the courtyard doors, which they call the precinct of Astrabacus, and the seers responded that this was the same hero who had come to me. Thus, my son, you have all you want to know.
Either you are from this hero and Astrabacus the hero is your father, or Ariston is, for I conceived you that night. As for how your enemies chiefly attack you, saying that Ariston himself, when your birth was announced, denied in front of a large audience that you were his because the ten months had not yet been completed, he spoke an idle word, out of ignorance of such things.
Some women give birth after nine months or seven months; not all complete the ten months. I gave birth to you, my son, after seven months. A little later Ariston himself recognized that he had blurted out that speech because of foolishness. Do not believe other stories about your manner of birth. You have heard the whole truth. May the wife of Leotychides himself, and the wives of the others who say these things, give birth to children fathered by ass-keepers.”
Thus his mother spoke. After learning what he desired, Demaratus took provisions and travelled to +Elis [21.4,37.8833] (Perseus) Elis, pretending that he was going to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to inquire of the oracle. But the Lacedaemonians suspected that he planned to escape and went in pursuit.
Demaratus somehow went across to +Zakinthos [20.9,37.783] (inhabited place), Nisos Zakinthos, Zakinthos, Ionian Islands, Greece, Europe Zacynthus from +Elis [21.4,37.8833] (Perseus) Elis before them; the Lacedaemonians crossed over after him and laid hands on him, carrying off his servants. But the Zacynthians refused to give him up, and later he crossed from there to Asia (continent)Asia and went to king Darius, who received him in grand style and gave him lands and cities.
So Demaratus reached Asia (continent)Asia through such chances, a man who had gained much renown in Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon by his many achievements and his wisdom, and by conferring on the state the victory in a chariot-race he had won at Olympia [21.6333,37.65] (Perseus)Olympia; he was the only king of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta who did this.
Leutychides son of Menares succeeded to the kingship after Demaratus was deposed. A son was born to him, Zeuxidemus, called by some of the Spartans Cyniscus. This Zeuxidemus never became king of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, for he died before Leutychides, leaving his son Archidemus.
After the loss of Zeuxidemus, Leutychides married a second wife, Eurydame, sister of Menius and daughter of Diactorides; by her he had no male offspring, but a daughter, Lampito, to whom Archidemus son of Zeuxidemus was married by Leutychides.
But Leutychides also did not come to old age in Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta; he was punished for his dealings with Demaratus as I will show. He led a Lacedaemonian army to +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly,The date is uncertain; about 475 or 470, probably. and when he could have subdued all the country he took a great bribe.
After being caught in the act of hoarding a sleeve full of silver there in the camp, he was brought before a court and banished from Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, and his house was destroyed. He went into exile at Tegea [22.4,37.5] (Perseus) Tegea and died in that country.
This happened long afterwards. When Cleomenes' dealings with Demaratus came off successfully, he immediately took Leutychides with him and went to punish the Aeginetans, with whom he was terribly angry because of their insulting behavior.
When the Aeginetans saw that both kings had come after them, they now deemed it best to offer no further resistance; the kings chose ten men of +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina who were most honored for wealth and lineage, among them Crius son of Polycritus and Casambus son of Aristocrates, the two most powerful men in +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina; they carried them to Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica and gave them into the keeping of the Athenians, the bitterest foes of the Aeginetans.
Later Cleomenes' treacherous plot against Demaratus became known; he was seized with fear of the Spartans and secretly fled to +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly. From there he came to +Arcadia [22.25,37.583] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Arcadia and stirred up disorder, uniting the Arcadians against Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta; among his methods of binding them by oath to follow him wherever he led was his zeal to bring the chief men of +Arcadia [22.25,37.583] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Arcadia to the city of Nonacris and make them swear by the water of the Styx.The “water of Styx” is a mountain torrent flowing through a desolate ravine on the N. face of Chelmos.
Near this city is said to be the Arcadian water of the Styx, and this is its nature: it is a stream of small appearance, dropping from a cliff into a pool; a wall of stones runs round the pool. Nonacris, where this spring rises, is a city of +Arcadia [22.25,37.583] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Arcadia near Pheneus.
When the Lacedaemonians learned that Cleomenes was doing this, they took fright and brought him back to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta to rule on the same terms as before. Cleomenes had already been not entirely in his right mind, and on his return from exile a mad sickness fell upon him: any Spartan that he happened to meet he would hit in the face with his staff.
For doing this, and because he was out of his mind, his relatives bound him in the stocks. When he was in the stocks and saw that his guard was left alone, he demanded a dagger; the guard at first refused to give it, but Cleomenes threatened what he would do to him when he was freed, until the guard, who was a helot, was frightened by the threats and gave him the dagger.
Cleomenes took the weapon and set about slashing himself from his shins upwards; from the shin to the thigh he cut his flesh lengthways, then from the thigh to the hip and the sides, until he reached the belly, and cut it into strips; thus he died, as most of the Greeks say, because he persuaded the Pythian priestess to tell the tale of Demaratus. The Athenians alone say it was because he invaded +Eleusis [23.5583,38.0417] (Perseus) Eleusis and laid waste the precinct of the gods. The Argives say it was because when Argives had taken refuge after the battle in their temple of Argus Cp. Hdt. 6.80. he brought them out and cut them down, then paid no heed to the sacred grove and set it on fire.
As Cleomenes was seeking divination at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi, the oracle responded that he would take Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos. When he came with Spartans to the river Erasinus, which is said to flow from the Stymphalian The Stymphalian lake, near the base of Cyllene, discharges itself into a cavern at the foot of a cliff; the river which reappears near Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos (the Erasinus) has been generally identified with this stream. lake (this lake issues into a cleft out of sight and reappears at Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos, and from that place onwards the stream is called by the Argives Erasinus)—when Cleomenes came to this river he offered sacrifices to it.
The omens were in no way favorable for his crossing, so he said that he honored the Erasinus for not betraying its countrymen, but even so the Argives would not go unscathed. Then he withdrew and led his army seaward to Thyrea, where he sacrificed a bull to the sea and carried his men on shipboard to the region of +Tiryns [22.8167,37.6] (Perseus) Tiryns and to +Navplion [22.8,37.566] (inhabited place), Nomos Argolidhos, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Nauplia.
The Argives heard of this and came to the coast to do battle with him. When they had come near +Tiryns [22.8167,37.6] (Perseus) Tiryns and were at the place called Hesipeia, they encamped opposite the Lacedaemonians, leaving only a little space between the armies. There the Argives had no fear of fair fighting, but rather of being captured by a trick.
This was the affair referred to by that oracle which the Pythian priestess gave to the Argives and Milesians in common, which ran thus: When the female defeats the maleThis would be fulfilled by a victory of the female Σπάρτη over the male Ἀργος. And drives him away, winning glory in Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos, She will make many Argive women tear their cheeks. As someday one of men to come will say: The dread thrice-coiled serpent died tamed by the spear.
All these things coming together spread fear among the Argives. Therefore they resolved to defend themselves by making use of the enemies' herald, and they performed their resolve in this way: whenever the Spartan herald signalled anything to the Lacedaemonians, the Argives did the same thing.
When Cleomenes saw that the Argives did whatever was signalled by his herald, he commanded that when the herald cried the signal for breakfast, they should then put on their armor and attack the Argives.
The Lacedaemonians performed this command, and when they assaulted the Argives they caught them at breakfast in obedience to the herald's signal; they killed many of them, and far more fled for refuge into the grove of Argus, which the Lacedaemonians encamped around and guarded.
Then Cleomenes' plan was this: He had with him some deserters from whom he learned the names, then he sent a herald calling by name the Argives that were shut up in the sacred precinct and inviting them to come out, saying that he had their ransom. (Among the Peloponnesians there is a fixed ransom of two minae to be paid for every prisoner.) So Cleomenes invited about fifty Argives to come out one after another and murdered them.
Somehow the rest of the men in the temple precinct did not know this was happening, for the grove was thick and those inside could not see how those outside were faring, until one of them climbed a tree and saw what was being done. Thereafter they would not come out at the herald's call.
Then Cleomenes bade all the helots pile wood about the grove; they obeyed, and he burnt the grove. When the fire was now burning, he asked of one of the deserters to what god the grove belonged; the man said it was of Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos. When he heard that, he groaned aloud, “Apollo, god of oracles, you have gravely deceived me by saying that I would take Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos; this, I guess, is the fulfillment of that prophecy.”
Then Cleomenes sent most of his army back to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, while he himself took a thousand of the best warriors and went to the temple of Hera About four miles N.E. of Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos. to sacrifice. When he wished to sacrifice at the altar the priest forbade him, saying that it was not holy for a stranger to sacrifice there. Cleomenes ordered the helots to carry the priest away from the altar and whip him, and he performed the sacrifice. After doing this, he returned to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta.
But after his return his enemies brought him before the ephors, saying that he had been bribed not to take Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos when he might have easily taken it. Cleomenes alleged (whether falsely or truly, I cannot rightly say; but this he alleged in his speech) that he had supposed the god's oracle to be fulfilled by his taking of the temple of Argus; therefore he had thought it best not to make any attempt on the city before he had learned from the sacrifices whether the god would deliver it to him or withstand him;
when he was taking omens in Hera's temple a flame of fire had shone forth from the breast of the image, and so he learned the truth of the matter, that he would not take Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos. If the flame had come out of the head of the image, he would have taken the city from head to foot utterly; but its coming from the breast signified that he had done as much as the god willed to happen. This plea of his seemed to the Spartans to be credible and reasonable, and he far outdistanced the pursuit of his accusers.
But Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos was so wholly deprived of men that their slaves took possession of all affairs, ruling and governing until the sons of the slain men grew up. Then they recovered Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos for themselves and cast out the slaves; when they were driven out, the slaves took possession of +Tiryns [22.8167,37.6] (Perseus) Tiryns by force.
For a while they were at peace with each other; but then there came to the slaves a prophet, Cleander, a man of Phigalea in +Arcadia [22.25,37.583] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Arcadia by birth; he persuaded the slaves to attack their masters. From that time there was a long-lasting war between them, until with difficulty the Argives got the upper hand.About 468, apparently.
The Argives say this was the reason Cleomenes went mad and met an evil end; the Spartans themselves say that Cleomenes' madness arose from no divine agent, but that by consorting with Scythians he became a drinker of strong wine, and the madness came from this.
The nomadic Scythians, after Darius had invaded their land, were eager for revenge, so they sent to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta and made an alliance. They agreed that the Scythians would attempt to invade Media by way of the river +Poti [41.683,42.183] (inhabited place), regions under republican jurisdiction, Georgia, Asia Phasis, and they urged the Spartans to set out and march inland from +Ephesus [27.316,37.916] (deserted settlement), Izmir Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, Asia Ephesus and meet the Scythians.
They say that when the Scythians had come for this purpose, Cleomenes kept rather close company with them, and by consorting with them more than was fitting he learned from them to drink strong wine. The Spartans consider him to have gone mad from this. Ever since, as they themselves say, whenever they desire a strong drink they call for “a Scythian cup.” Such is the Spartan story of Cleomenes; but to my thinking it was for what he did to Demaratus that he was punished thus.
When the Aeginetans heard that Cleomenes was dead, they sent messengers to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta to cry out against Leutychides concerning the hostages that were held at Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens. The Lacedaemonians then assembled a court and gave judgment that Leutychides had done violence to the Aeginetans; and they condemned him to be given up and carried to +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina in requital for the men that were held at Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens.