Pausanias' description of Greece, Volume I.

by active approximately 150-175 Pausanias

CHAPTER XII.

The Lacedæmonians were troubled at this reverse that had befallen them, and at the many excellent warriors they had lost in the battle. And they despaired of success in the war, so they sent envoys to Delphi. And this was the oracle the Pythian Priestess gave. ‘Phœbus bids you not only apply yourselves to warlike deeds, but as it was by cunning that the people got the Messenian land, by the selfsame cunning as it was got shall it be taken.’ The kings and Ephors, though they were very anxious to do so, could not find out a good plan till they imitated the wiliness of Odysseus at Ilium. They sent 100 men to Ithome to spy out the enemies’ designs, who were to pretend to be deserters. And to keep up the cheat these men were publicly condemned at Sparta as deserters. But on their arrival Aristodemus sent them home again at once, saying, “The injuries done to the Lacedæmonians are recent, their craft ancient.” The Lacedæmonians having failed in this manœuvre next attempted to tamper with the allies of the Messenians. But as the Arcadians rejected their overtures, for to them the envoys went first, they did not proceed to Argos. And Aristodemus hearing of all these intrigues on the part of the Lacedæmonians sent himself messengers to consult the oracle at Delphi. And this was the answer of the Pythian priestess. “The glory in the war the god gives you, but take care that the treacherous hostile ambush be not too much for you through Spartan wiles; for if Ares is to have their well-wrought armour, and the garlands of their dances are to belong to sorrowing owners, then must they avoid the appearance of two hidden things. Nor shall the sacred light of day behold the end of all this till fate shall come to the things that change their nature.” Aristodemus however and the seers could not understand what was meant: but a few years afterwards the god threw light on it and fulfilled it. Remarkable things too happened at this time to the Messenians. As Lyciscus lived as a resident alien at Sparta his daughter, whom he had taken with him in his flight from Messene, chanced to die. And as he often went to visit his daughter’s grave, some Arcadian cavalry lay in wait for him and carried him off. And he was taken to Ithome, and being brought before the assembly he made his defence; he had not left his country he said intending treason, but in consequence of believing the assertion of the seer that she was not his genuine daughter. In this line of defence he was not believed to be speaking the truth till a woman, who was at that time the priestess of Hera, came into the theatre. And she confessed that the child was hers, and that she had given it to the wife of Lyciscus to palm off as her own. And now (she continued) by revealing my secret I shall depose myself from my priesthood. This she said because it was a custom in Messene that, if any of the children of a priest or priestess died, the priesthood should pass to somebody else. Thinking therefore that the woman was speaking the truth, they chose for the goddess a priestess in her place, and said that Lyciscus had acted in a pardonable way.

And after that they resolved, for it was the 20th year of the war, to send again to Delphi to enquire about their chance of victory. And to their enquiry the Pythian Priestess returned this answer. “To those who shall first set up 100 tripods at the altar of Zeus of Ithome the god will give the Messenian land with fame in war. This is the will of Zeus. But guile moves you on, and behind is vengeance, and you cannot deceive the god. Act as fate shall determine. Ruin takes people by turns.” When they heard this they thought the oracle was in their favour, and promised them victory in the war; for as they were in possession of the temple of Zeus within the walls of Ithome, they thought the Lacedæmonians could not be beforehand with them in erecting tripods. And so they intended making wooden tripods, for they had not means enough to make tripods of brass. But somebody from Delphi reported the oracle at Sparta. And the Spartans had a public consultation about it, but could hit upon no plan, but Œbalus, a man of no great repute but evidently possessed of good judgment, made 100 tripods of clay roughly, and took them with him and nets as if he were a hunter. And being unknown even to most of the Lacedæmonians he easily escaped the detection of the Messenians. For joining himself with some countrymen he went with them into Ithome, and directly night came on he offered these clay tripods to the god, and returned to Sparta and told the Lacedæmonians what he had done. And the Messenians when they saw what had happened were terribly upset, and guessed (as indeed was the case) that it was a trick of the Lacedæmonians: however Aristodemus consoled them with arguments suited to the present conjuncture, and placed their wooden tripods which were already made at the altar at Ithome. It happened also that Ophioneus, the seer who was blind from birth, greatly to the surprise of all men recovered his sight: for he had a sharp headache and recovered his sight after it.