Description of Greece: Reception of Messenians after Fall of Eira

οἱ δὲ Ἀρκάδες παραυτίκα τε τὴν κατάληψιν ἐπυνθάνοντο τῆς Εἴρας καὶ
αὐτίκα τὸν Ἀριστοκράτην ἐκέλευον σφᾶς ἄγειν ὡς ἢ σώσοντας Μεσσηνίους ἢ
σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀπολουμένους. ὁ δὲ ἅτε ἐκ τῆς Λακεδαίμονος δεδεγμένος δῶρα,
οὔτε ἄγειν ἤθελεν εἰδέναι τε ἔφασκεν οὐδένα ἔτι Μεσσηνίων ὅτῳ καὶ
ἀμυνοῦσιν ὄντα ὑπόλοιπον. τότε δὲ ὡς σαφέστερον ᾐσθάνοντο περιόντας
καὶ ἐκλείπειν τὴν Εἶραν βεβιασμένους, αὐτοὶ μὲν περὶ τὸ ὄρος σφᾶς τὸ
Λύκαιον ἔμελλον ὑποδέξεσθαι, προετοιμασάμενοι καὶ ἐσθῆτα καὶ σιτία,
ἄνδρας δὲ τῶν ἐν τέλει πέμπουσι παραμυθεῖσθαί τε τοὺς Μεσσηνίους καὶ
ἡγεμόνας ἅμα τῆς πορείας γενέσθαι. καὶ τοὺς μέν, ὡς ἐς τὸ Λύκαιον
ἀνεσώθησαν, ἐξένιζον καὶ τὰ ἄλλα εὐνοϊκῶς περιεῖπον οἱ Ἀρκάδες,
κατανέμειν τε ἐς τὰς πόλεις ἤθελον καὶ ἀναδάσασθαι δι’ ἐκείνους τὴν
γῆν.

1. As soon as the Arcadians heard of the capture of Eira, they at once ordered Aristocrates to lead them to the rescue of the Messenians or to death with them. But he, being in receipt of bribes from Lacedaemon, refused to lead them, and said that he knew that no Messenian survived for them to help.

2. When they obtained more certain news, that they survived and had been forced to desert Eira, they themselves proposed to receive them at Mount Lykaion after preparing clothing and food, and sent some of their leading men to comfort the Messenians and also to be their guides on the way. After their safe arrival at Mount Lykaion, the Arcadians entertained them and treated them kindly in every way, offering to distribute them among their towns and to make a new distribution of their land on their account.