<head>Zeno's Account of the Attack on Messene</head>Next as to their account of the treacherous attempt<note anchored="yes" place="marg" id="note24">Zeno's account of the attack of Nabis upon Messene. See<ref target="b16c13" targOrder="U">ch. 13</ref>.</note>upon Messene. Zeno says that "Nabis started from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a>, crossed the Eurotas near the tributary called the Hoplites, and advanced along the narrow road past Poliasium until he arrived at Sallasia, thence past <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pharae&groupId=878&placeId=1582">Pharae</a> to Thalamae, and so to the river Pamisus." About which I do not know what to say. It is just as if one were to say that a man started from <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Corinth&groupId=493&placeId=928">Corinth</a> and marched through the Isthmus and arrived at the Scironean way, and then came straight to the Contoporian road, and journeyed past <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Mycenae&groupId=777&placeId=1408">Mycenae</a> to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Argos&groupId=361&placeId=689">Argos</a>. For such a statement would not be merely slightly wrong but wholly contradictory. For the Isthmus and the Scironian rocks are east of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Corinth&groupId=493&placeId=928">Corinth</a>, while the Contoporian road and <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Mycenae&groupId=777&placeId=1408">Mycenae</a> are nearly due south-west; so that it is completely impossible to go by way of the former to the latter. The same may be said about Lacedaemon; for the Eurotas and Sallasia are to the northeast of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Sparta&groupId=660&placeId=1208">Sparta</a>, while Thalamae, <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Pharae&groupId=878&placeId=1582">Pharae</a>, and the Pamisus are<pb n="184" />to the south-west. Therefore it is not possible to go to Sallasia, nor necessary to cross the Eurotas, if a man means to go to <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Messenia&groupId=760&placeId=1380">Messenia</a> by way of Thalamae.
Walbank Commentary