XIX.  The Messenians who were in the city, greatly excited at the news, assembled at the gates.  When they saw Philopoemen dragged along and treated in a manner so unworthy of a man who had gained such glorious victories, most of them felt compassion for him, and were moved to tears as they reflected how uncertain a thing is human power.  Thus gradually they expressed aloud their kindly feeling towards him, saying that his former benefits and the liberty which he bestowed upon them by driving out the despot Nabis, ought to be had in remembrance.  There were some few, however, who in order to gain favour with Deinokrates, advised him to put Philopoemen to death by torture, pointing out that he was a dangerous enemy, and would be peculiarly exasperated against Deinokrates if he now were to regain his freedom after having been his captive and having been insulted by him.  Finally they put him into what was called the Treasury, a subterranean chamber with no window or communication with the outward air, and no door even, but closed by a great stone.  There they left him, putting the great stone over the entrance, and placing a guard of armed men round it.

Meanwhile the Achaean horsemen rallied from their flight, and as Philopoemen was nowhere to be seen, they thought that he must have fallen.  They remained for a long while, searching for him, and reproaching themselves with having obtained dishonourable safety by abandoning to the enemy their leader, who had laid down his life for them.  Afterwards they pushed forward, inquiring everywhere for him, and at length learned that he had been captured.  They at once sent the news to the various cities of the Achaean league, who took the matter greatly to heart, determined to demand Philopoemen publicly from the Messenians, and prepared for a campaign on his behalf.

XX.  While they were acting thus, Deinokrates feared that delay might save Philopoemen’s life.  Wishing therefore to be beforehand with the Achaeans, as soon as night came on, and the greater part of the Messenians had retired, he opened the prison and sent into it a public slave with a draught of poison, ordering him to stand by Philopoemen until he had drunk it.  Philopoemen was lying down wrapped in his cloak, not asleep, but full of trouble and distress of mind.  When he saw the light and the slave with the poison standing beside him, he, with great difficulty on account of his weakness, raised himself into a sitting posture.  He then took the cup into his hand, and inquired whether he knew anything about the knights, especially about one Lykortas.  When the slave answered that most of them had escaped, he nodded his head, looked kindly upon him, and answered, “You tell me good news, if we are not all unfortunate.”  He uttered no other word, but drank the poison and laid down again.  In his weak condition he was unable to offer any resistance to the operations of the drug, and died immediately.