Volume 1
The geography of Strabo / Literally translated, with notes. The first six books by H. C .Hamilton, esq., the remainder by W. Falconer.
- Strabo
- Date:
- 1854-1857
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The geography of Strabo / Literally translated, with notes. The first six books by H. C .Hamilton, esq., the remainder by W. Falconer. Source: Wellcome Collection.
441/542 page 427
![was disclosed they desisted, and the Lacedasmonians per- suaded them, through the instrumentality of their fathers, to leave the country and colonize: and advised them, if they should get possession of a convenient place, to abide in it, but if not, they promised that a fifth part of Messenia should be divided amongst them on their return. So they departed and found the Greeks caiTying on hostilities against the barba- rians, and taking part in the perils of the war, they obtained possession of Tarentum, which they colonized. 4. At one time, when the government of the Tarentines had assumed a democratic form, they rose to great importance ; for they possessed the greatest fleet of any state in those parts, and could bring into the field an army of 30,000 foot and 3000 horse, exclusive of a select body of 1000 cavalry called Ilipparchi.* They likewise encouraged the Pythagorean phi- losophy, and Arehytas, who for a long time presided over the government of their state, gave it his special support.^ But at a later period their luxury, which was produced by their prosperity, increased to that degree that their general holidays or festivals exceeded in number the days of the year ; and hence arose an inefficient government, and as One proof of their im- statesmanlike acts we may adduce their employment of foreign generals ; for they sent for Alexander,^ king of the Molossi, to come and assist them against the Messapii and Leucani. They had before that employed Archidamus, the son of Agesilaus;'* afterwards they called in Cleonymus^ and Aga- thocles,® and later, when they rose against the Romans, Pyr- rhus.^ They were not able even to retain the respect of those whom they had invited, but rather merited their disgust. Alexander [of Epirus] was so disi)leased with them that he endeavoured to remove the seat of the general council of the Greek states in Italy, which was accustomed to assemble at Ileraclea, a city of the Tarentines, to a city of the Tliurii ; and he commanded that some place on the river Acalandrus,** ‘ See Heyne, Opusc. Acad. tom. ii. p. 223, not. h. ^ He is said to have entertained Plato during his sojourn here. Archy- tas flourished about the commencement of the fourth century b. c., and was still living in the year 349 b. c. ’ About 332 or 3.39 ii. c. See lleyn. Opusc. Acad. tom. ii. p. Ml. * About .338 B. c. ® About 303 n. c. ® About 330 n. c. ' About 281 B. c. * Cramer, in his Ancient Italy, has very justly remarked that the name](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24872556_0001_0441.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
