The Elean garrison of Lasion, hearing of the approach of the Macedonians and learning what had befallen <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Psophis&groupId=917&placeId=1646">Psophis</a>, at once abandoned the town.
The king took the city immediately on his arrival and, as a further testimony of his generous intentions towards the League, gave up Lasion also to the Achaeans. He likewise restored to the Telphusians the town of Stratus, which had been evacuated by the Eleans,
and after completing these arrangements reached <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Olympia&groupId=809&placeId=1462">Olympia</a> five days later, where he sacrificed to the god and entertained his captains, and, having given all his army a three days\' rest, again moved on.
Advancing into <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elis&groupId=560&placeId=1048">Elis</a> he sent out foraging parties to scour the country, and himself encamped at the place called the <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Artemisium&groupId=371&placeId=701">Artemisium</a>,
where he waited for the booty and then went on to the Dioscurium. When the country was plundered, the number of captives was great, and still more numerous were those who escaped to the neighbouring villages and strong places.
For <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Elis&groupId=560&placeId=1048">Elis</a> is much more thickly inhabited and more full of slaves and farm stock than any other part of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Peloponnese&groupId=861&placeId=1552">Peloponnese</a>.
Some of the Eleans in fact are so fond of country life, that though men of substance, they have not for two or three generations shown their faces in the law-courts, and this because those who occupy themselves with politics show the greatest concern for their fellow-citizens in the country and see that justice is done to them on the spot, and that they are plentifully furnished with all the necessaries of life.
As it seems to me, they have adopted such a system from old time and legislated accordingly in a measure because of the large extent of their territory, but chiefly owing to the sacrosanct life they formerly led,
having, ever since the Greeks conferred immunity on them owing to the Olympian games, dwelt in a country which was holy and safe from pillage, with no experience of danger and entirely unmenaced by war.
Walbank Commentary