Description of Greece

Not long afterwards the Messenians occupied Elis, employing strategy and daring alike. The Eleians in the earliest times were the most law-abiding of the Peloponnesians, but when Philip the son of Amyntas did all the harm to Greece that has been related, he also bribed the leading men in Elis; the Eleians were divided by factions for the first time and came to blows, it is said.

Henceforward it was likely to be more easy for quarrels to arise among men whose counsels were divided on account of the Lacedaemonians, and they arrived at civil war. Learning this, the Lacedaemonians were preparing to assist their partisans in Elis. While they were being organized in squadrons and distributed in companies, a thousand picked Messenian troops arrived hurriedly at Elis with Laconian blazons on their shields.

Seeing their shields, all the Laconising party in Elis thought their supporters had arrived and received them into the fortress. But having obtained admission in this way, the Messenians drove out the supporters of the Lacedaemonians and made over the city to their own partisans.

The trick is Homer's, but the Messenians plainly imitated it opportunely, for Homer represents Patroclus in the Iliad[*](Hom. Il. 16.281) clad in the arms of Achilles, and says that the barbarians were filled with the belief that it was Achilles attacking them, and that their front ranks were thrown into confusion. Other stratagems are the invention of Homer, the coming of the two Greek spies by night among the Trojans, instead of one[*](Hom. Il. 10.220) and later a man coming to Troy, who pretends to be a deserter but actually is to find out their secrets.

Again, the Trojans who, through youth or years were not of fighting age, he posted as garrison of the walls,[*](Hom. Il. 8.517) while the men of military age were encamped against the Greeks. The wounded Greeks in Homer arm the fighting men, so that even they may not be altogether idle. Indeed Homer's ideas have proved useful to men in every matter.

Not long after the affair at Elis, the Macedonians and Demetrius the son of Philip, son of Demetrius,[*](See, however, Polyb. 3.19, where it is stated that it was Demetrius of Pharos who made the raid.) captured Messene. I have already, in my account of Sicyon,[*](Paus. 2.9.5) narrated most of the crimes of Perseus against Philip himself and against Demetrius the son of Philip. These are the facts relating to the capture of Messene.