CHAPTER XXII.
Directly the Arcadians heard of the capture of Eira, they at once begged Aristocrates to lead them to save the Messenians or perish with them. But he having been bribed by the Lacedæmonians refused to lead them, and said that he knew none of the Messenians were alive for them to assist. But when the Arcadians received more certain intelligence that some survived who had been compelled to leave Eira, they set out to meet them at Mount Lycæus, having got ready both food and raiment, and sent certain influential persons to comfort the Messenians and guide them on their march. And when they got safe to Mount Lycæus the Arcadians welcomed them, and treated them kindly in other respects, and invited them to dwell in their cities, and said they would give them a share of the land. But Aristomenes in his grief for the capture of Eira and his hatred to the Lacedæmonians contrived the following plan. He selected from the whole body 500 Messenians, who he knew were prodigal of their lives, and selected them in the hearing of the other Arcadians and Aristocrates, not knowing that he was a traitor—for he thought Aristocrates had fled through cowardice and want of manliness rather than in treason—and he asked the 500 in his presence, whether they would die with him to avenge their country. And when they said they would he revealed his whole plan, that the following evening he intended to lead them to Sparta. For at this time most of the Lacedæmonians were at Eira, and others were busy in plundering the property of the Messenians. “And if we should capture Sparta and keep it,” continued Aristomenes, “we shall be able to exchange it for Messene: and if we fail we shall die together, having done deeds that posterity will not forget.” After he had made this speech, about 300 of the Arcadians wished to join him in his desperate undertaking. And for the moment they delayed their departure, as the victims were not auspicious. On the following day however they knew that their secret had been revealed to the Lacedæmonians, and that they had been betrayed by Aristocrates for the second time. For Aristocrates had at once disclosed by letter the design of Aristomenes, and given the letter to his most trusty slave, and sent it to Anaxander at Sparta. And on his return this slave was intercepted by some Arcadians who had previously been hostile to Aristocrates, and were now rather suspicious about him. And having intercepted this slave they brought him before the Arcadians, and showed the people the answer of Anaxander from Lacedæmon. It was to the effect that, just as Aristocrates’ flight at an opportune moment from the Great Trench had not been unrewarded by the Lacedæmonians, so he should not be without further reward for his present information. And when this was reported to them all, the Arcadians began to stone Aristocrates, and urged the Messenians to do the same. But they looked at Aristomenes. And he looked on the ground and wept. So the Arcadians stoned Aristocrates to death, and cast him unburied out of their borders, and put up a pillar in the temple of Lycæan Zeus with the following inscription. “Time is sure to bring justice at last to an unjust king, and time with Zeus’ cooperation has easily found out Messene’s traitor. It is difficult for a perjured man to escape the god. Hail, royal Zeus, and save Arcadia.”