In all these particulars about their kings, as I was curious, the
Arcadians gave me full information. And as to the nation generally,
their most ancient historical event is the war against Ilium, and
next their fighting against the Lacedæmonians in conjunction with the
Messenians; they also took part in the action against the Medes at
Platæa. And rather from compulsion than choice they fought under the
Lacedæmonians against the Athenians, and crossed into Asia Minor with
Agesilaus, and were present at the battle of Leuctra in Bœotia. But on
other occasions they exhibited their suspicion of the Lacedæmonians,
and after the reverse of the Lacedæmonians at Leuctra they at once left
them and joined the Thebans. They did not join the Greeks in fighting
against Philip and the Macedonians at Chæronea, or in Thessaly against
Antipater, nor did they fight against them, but they remained neutral.
And they did not (they say) share in fighting against the Galati at
Thermopylæ, only because they were afraid that, in the absence from
home of the flower of their young men, the Lacedæmonians would ravage
their land. And the Arcadians were of all the Greeks the most zealous
members of the Achæan League. And all that happened to them that I
could ascertain, not publicly but privately in their several cities, I
shall describe as I come to each part of the subject.
The passes into Arcadia from Argolis are by Hysiæ and across the
mountain Parthenium into the district of Tegea, and two by Mantinea
through what are called _Holm-Oak_ and _Ladder_. _Ladder_ is the
broadest, and has steps cut in it. And when you have crossed that pass
you come to Melangea, which supplies the people of Mantinea with water
to drink. And as you advance from Melangea, about seven stades further,
you come to a well called the well of the Meliastæ. These Meliastæ
have orgies to Dionysus, and they have a hall of Dionysus near the
well, and a temple to Aphrodite Melænis (_Black_). There seems no other
reason for this title of the goddess, than that men generally devote
themselves to love in the darkness of night, not like the animals in
broad daylight. The other pass over Artemisium is far narrower than
_Ladder-pass_. I mentioned before that Artemisium has a temple and
statue of Artemis, and that in it are the sources of the river Inachus,
which as long as it flows along the mountain road is the boundary
between the Argives and Mantineans, but when it leaves this road flows
thenceforward through Argolis, and hence Æschylus and others call it
the Argive river.