The Wealth of Elis
But when the Elean garrison of Lasion heard of the
note
coming of the Macedonians, and were informed of what had taken place at Psophis,
they at once abandoned the town; so that
upon his arrival the king took it immediately, and by way
of enhancing his favours to the Achaeans handed Lasion
also over to them; and in a similar spirit restored Stratus
to the Telphusians, which was also evacuated by the Eleans.
On the fifth day after settling these matters he arrived at
Olympia. note There he offered a sacrifice to Zeus
and entertained his officers at a banquet;
and, having given his army three days' rest, commenced
his return march. After advancing some way into Elis, he
allowed foraging parties to scour the country while he himself
lay encamped near Artemisium, as it is called; and after receiving the booty there, he removed to the Dioscurium. note In
the course of this devastation of the country the number of the
captives was indeed great, but a still greater number made
their escape to the neighbouring villages and strongholds. note For
Elis is more populous, as well as more richly
furnished with slaves and other property, than
the rest of the Peloponnese: and some of the Eleans are so
enamoured of a country life, that there are cases of families
who, being in enjoyment of considerable wealth, have for two
or three generations never entered a public law-court
at all. note
And this result is brought about by the great care and attention
bestowed upon the agricultural class by the government, to
see that their law-suits should be settled on the spot, and every
necessary of life abundantly supplied them. To me it seems
that they owed these laws and customs originally to the wide
extent of their arable land, and still more to the fact that their
lives were under the protection of religion; for, owing to the
Olympic assembly, their territory was especially exempted by
the Greeks from pillage; and they had accordingly been free
from all injury and hostile invasion.
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