Polycrates never reached Egypt, but when they arrived on their voyage at
Carpathos, 37 they considered with themselves, and resolved not to sail
on any further: others say that they reached Egypt and being kept under
guard there, they made their escape from thence. Then, as they were
sailing in to Samos, Polycrates encountered them with ships and engaged
battle with them; and those who were returning home had the better and
landed in the island; but having fought a land-battle in the island,
they were worsted, and so sailed to Lacedemon. Some however say that
those from Egypt defeated Polycrates in the battle; but this in my
opinion is not correct, for there would have been no need for them to
invite the assistance of the Lacedemonians if they had been able by
themselves to bring Polycrates to terms. Moreover, it is not reasonable
either, seeing that he had foreign mercenaries and native archers very
many in number, to suppose that he was worsted by the returning Samians,
who were but few. Then Polycrates gathered together the children and
wives of his subjects and confined them in the ship-sheds, keeping them
ready so that, if it should prove that his subjects deserted to the side
of the returning exiles, he might burn them with the sheds.
46. When those of the Samians who had been driven out by Polycrates
reached Sparta, they were introduced before the magistrates and spoke
at length, being urgent in their request. The magistrates however at the
first introduction replied that they had forgotten the things which had
been spoken at the beginning, and did not understand those which were
spoken at the end. After this they were introduced a second time, and
bringing with them a bag they said nothing else but this, namely that
the bag was in want of meal; to which the others replied that they had
overdone it with the bag. 38 However, they resolved to help them.
47. Then the Lacedemonians prepared a force and made expedition to
Samos, in repayment of former services, as the Samians say, because the
Samians had first helped them with ships against the Messenians; but the
Lacedemonians say that they made the expedition not so much from desire
to help the Samians at their request, as to take vengeance on their own
behalf for the robbery of the mixing-bowl which they had been bearing as
a gift to Croesus, 39 and of the corslet which Amasis the king of Egypt
had sent as a gift to them; for the Samians had carried off the corslet
also in the year before they took the bowl; and it was of linen with
many figures woven into it and embroidered with gold and with cotton;
and each thread of this corslet is worthy of admiration, for that being
itself fine it has in it three hundred and sixty fibres, all plain to
view. Such another as this moreover is that which Amasis dedicated as an
offering to Athene at Lindos.
48. The Corinthians also took part with zeal in this expedition against
Samos, that it might be carried out; for there had been an offence
perpetrated against them also by the Samians a generation before 40 the
time of this expedition and about the same time as the robbery of the
bowl. Periander the son of Kypselos had despatched three hundred sons of
the chief men of Corcyra to Alyattes at Sardis to be made eunuchs; and
when the Corinthians who were conducting the boys had put in to Samos,
the Samians, being informed of the story and for what purpose they were
being conducted to Sardis, first instructed the boys to lay hold of the
temple of Artemis, and then they refused to permit the Corinthians to
drag the suppliants away from the temple: and as the Corinthians cut the
boys off from supplies of food, the Samians made a festival, which they
celebrate even to the present time in the same manner: for when night
came on, as long as the boys were suppliants they arranged dances of
maidens and youths, and in arranging the dances they made it a rule of
the festival that sweet cakes of sesame and honey should be carried, in
order that the Corcyrean boys might snatch them and so have support; and
this went on so long that at last the Corinthians who had charge of the
boys departed and went away; and as for the boys, the Samians carried
them back to Corcyra.
49. Now, if after the death of Periander the Corinthians had been on
friendly terms with the Corcyreans, they would not have joined in the
expedition against Samos for the cause which has been mentioned; but as
it is, they have been ever at variance with one another since they first
colonised the island. 41 This then was the cause why the Corinthians had
a grudge against the Samians.
50. Now Periander had chosen out the sons of the chief men of Corcyra
and was sending them to Sardis to be made eunuchs, in order that he
might have revenge; since the Corcyreans had first begun the offence and
had done to him a deed of reckless wrong. For after Periander had killed
his wife Melissa, it chanced to him to experience another misfortune
in addition to that which had happened to him already, and this was as
follows:—He had by Melissa two sons, the one of seventeen and the other
of eighteen years. These sons their mother's father Procles, who was
despot of Epidauros, sent for to himself and kindly entertained, as was
to be expected seeing that they were the sons of his own daughter; and
when he was sending them back, he said in taking leave of them: "Do
ye know, boys, who it was that killed your mother?" Of this saying
the elder of them took no account, but the younger, whose name was
Lycophron, was grieved so greatly at hearing it, that when he reached
Corinth again he would neither address his father, nor speak to him when
his father would have conversed with him, nor give any reply when he
asked questions, regarding him as the murderer of his mother. At length
Periander being enraged with his son drove him forth out of his house.
51. And having driven him forth, he asked of the elder son what his
mother's father had said to them in his conversation. He then related
how Procles had received them in a kindly manner, but of the saying
which he had uttered when he parted from them he had no remembrance,
since he had taken no note of it. So Periander said that it could not be
but that he had suggested to them something, and urged him further with
questions; and he after that remembered, and told of this also. Then
Periander taking note of it 42 and not desiring to show any indulgence,
sent a messenger to those with whom the son who had been driven forth
was living at that time, and forbade them to receive him into their
houses; and whenever having been driven away from one house he came to
another, he was driven away also from this, since Periander threatened
those who received him, and commanded them to exclude him; and so being
driven away again he would go to another house, where persons lived who
were his friends, and they perhaps received him because he was the son
of Periander, notwithstanding that they feared.
52. At last Periander made a proclamation that whosoever should either
receive him into their houses or converse with him should be bound
to pay a fine 43 to Apollo, stating the amount that it should be.
Accordingly, by reason of this proclamation no one was willing either to
converse with him or to receive him into their house; and moreover
even he himself did not think it fit to attempt it, since it had been
forbidden, but he lay about in the porticoes enduring exposure: and
on the fourth day after this, Periander seeing him fallen into squalid
misery and starvation felt pity for him; and abating his anger he
approached him and began to say: "Son, which of these two is to be
preferred, the fortune which thou dost now experience and possess, 44 or
to inherit the power and wealth which I possess now, by being submissive
to thy father's will? Thou however, being my son and the prince 45 of
wealthy Corinth, didst choose nevertheless the life of a vagabond by
making opposition and displaying anger against him with whom it behoved
thee least to deal so; for if any misfortune happened in those matters,
for which cause thou hast suspicion against me, this has happened to me
first, and I am sharer in the misfortune more than others, inasmuch as I
did the deed 46 myself. Do thou however, having learnt by how much to be
envied is better than to be pitied, and at the same time what a grievous
thing it is to be angry against thy parents and against those who are
stronger than thou, come back now to the house." Periander with these
words endeavoured to restrain him; but he answered nothing else to his
father, but said only that he ought to pay a fine to the god for having
come to speech with him. Then Periander, perceiving that the malady of
his son was hopeless and could not be overcome, despatched a ship to
Corcyra, and so sent him away out of his sight, for he was ruler also of
that island; and having sent him away, Periander proceeded to make war
against his father-in-law Procles, esteeming him most to blame for the
condition in which he was; and he took Epidauros and took also Procles
himself and made him a prisoner.
53. When however, as time went on, Periander had passed his prime and
perceived within himself that he was no longer able to overlook and
manage the government of the State, he sent to Corcyra and summoned
Lycophron to come back and take the supreme power; for in the elder of
his sons he did not see the required capacity, but perceived clearly
that he was of wits too dull. Lycophron however did not deign even to
give an answer to the bearer of his message. Then Periander, clinging
still in affection to the youth, sent to him next his own daughter, the
sister of Lycophron, supposing that he would yield to her persuasion
more than to that of others; and she arrived there and spoke to him
thus: "Boy, dost thou desire that both the despotism should fall to
others, and also the substance of thy father, carried off as plunder,
rather than that thou shouldest return back and possess them? Come
back to thy home: cease to torment thyself. Pride is a mischievous
possession. Heal not evil with evil. Many prefer that which is
reasonable to that which is strictly just; and many ere now in seeking
the things of their mother have lost the things of their father.
Despotism is an insecure thing, and many desire it: moreover he is now
an old man and past his prime. Give not thy good things unto others."
She thus said to him the most persuasive things, having been before
instructed by her father: but he in answer said, that he would never
come to Corinth so long as he heard that his father was yet alive. When
she had reported this, Periander the third time sent an envoy, and said
that he desired himself to come to Corcyra, exhorting Lycophron at the
same time to come back to Corinth and to be his successor on the throne.
The son having agreed to return on these terms, Periander was preparing
to sail to Corcyra and his son to Corinth; but the Corcyreans, having
learnt all that had taken place, put the young man to death, in order
that Periander might not come to their land. For this cause it was that
Periander took vengeance on those of Corcyra.
54. The Lacedemonians then had come with a great armament and were
besieging Samos; and having made an attack upon the wall, they occupied
the tower which stands by the sea in the suburb of the city, but
afterwards when Polycrates came up to the rescue with a large body they
were driven away from it. Meanwhile by the upper tower which is upon
the ridge of the mountain there had come out to the fight the foreign
mercenaries and many of the Samians themselves, and these stood their
ground against the Lacedemonians for a short while and then began to fly
backwards; and the Lacedemonians followed and were slaying them.
55. Now if the Lacedemonians there present had all been equal on that
day to Archias and Lycopas, Samos would have been captured; for Archias
and Lycopas alone rushed within the wall together with the flying
Samians, and being shut off from retreat were slain within the city of
the Samians. I myself moreover had converse in Pitane (for to that
deme he belonged) with the third in descent from this Archias, another
Archias the son of Samios the son of Archias, who honoured the Samians
of all strangers most; and not only so, but he said that his own father
had been called Samios because his father Archias had died by a glorious
death in Samos; and he said that he honoured Samians because his
grandfather had been granted a public funeral by the Samians.
56. The Lacedemonians then, when they had been besieging Samos for
forty days and their affairs made no progress, set forth to return to
Peloponnesus. But according to the less credible account which has been
put abroad of these matters Polycrates struck in lead a quantity of a
certain native coin, and having gilded the coins over, gave them to the
Lacedemonians, and they received them and upon that set forth to depart.
This was the first expedition which the Lacedemonians (being Dorians)
4601 made into Asia.
57. Those of the Samians who had made the expedition against Polycrates
themselves also sailed away, when the Lacedemonians were about to desert
them, and came to Siphnos: for they were in want of money, and the
people of Siphnos were then at their greatest height of prosperity and
possessed wealth more than all the other islanders, since they had
in their island mines of gold and silver, so that there is a treasury
dedicated at Delphi with the tithe of the money which came in from
these mines, and furnished in a manner equal to the wealthiest of these
treasuries: and the people used to divide among themselves the money
which came in from the mines every year. So when they were establishing
the treasury, they consulted the Oracle as to whether their present
prosperity was capable of remaining with them for a long time, and the
Pythian prophetess gave them this reply:
"But when with white shall be shining 47 the hall of the city 48
in Siphnos,
And when the market is white of brow, one wary is needed
Then, to beware of an army 49 of wood and a red-coloured herald."
Now just at that time the market-place and city hall of the Siphnians
had been decorated with Parian marble.
58. This oracle they were not able to understand either then at first or
when the Samians had arrived: for as soon as the Samians were putting in
50 to Siphnos they sent one of their ships to bear envoys to the city:
now in old times all ships were painted with red, and this was that
which the Pythian prophetess was declaring beforehand to the Siphnians,
bidding them guard against the "army of wood" and the "red-coloured
herald." The messengers accordingly came and asked the Siphnians to lend
them ten talents; and as they refused to lend to them, the Samians began
to lay waste their lands: so when they were informed of it, forthwith
the Siphnians came to the rescue, and having engaged battle with them
were defeated, and many of them were cut off by the Samians and shut out
of the city; and the Samians after this imposed upon them a payment of a
hundred talents.
59. Then from the men of Hermion they received by payment of money the
island of Hydrea, which is near the coast of Peloponnese, and they gave
it in charge to the Troizenians, but they themselves settled at Kydonia
which is in Crete, not sailing thither for that purpose but in order
to drive the Zakynthians out of the island. Here they remained and were
prosperous for five years, so much so that they were the builders of
the temples which are now existing in Kydonia, and also of the house of
Dictyna. 51 In the sixth year however the Eginetans together with the
Cretans conquered them in a sea-fight and brought them to slavery; and
they cut off the prows of their ships, which were shaped like boars, and
dedicated them in the temple of Athene in Egina. This the Eginetans did
because they had a grudge against the Samians; for the Samians had first
made expedition against Egina, when Amphicrates was king in Samos, and
had done much hurt to the Eginetans and suffered much hurt also from
them. Such was the cause of this event:
60, and about the Samians I have spoken at greater length, because they
have three works which are greater than any others that have been made
by Hellenes: first a passage beginning from below and open at both ends,
dug through a mountain not less than a hundred and fifty fathoms 52 in
height; the length of the passage is seven furlongs 53 and the height
and breadth each eight feet, and throughout the whole of it another
passage has been dug twenty cubits in depth and three feet in breadth,
through which the water is conducted and comes by the pipes to the city,
brought from an abundant spring: and the designer of this work was a
Megarian, Eupalinos the son of Naustrophos. This is one of the three;
and the second is a mole in the sea about the harbour, going down to
a depth of as much as 54 twenty fathoms; and the length of the mole is
more than two furlongs. The third work which they have executed is a
temple larger than all the other temples of which we know. Of this the
first designer was Rhoicos the son of Philes, a native of Samos. For
this reason I have spoken at greater length of the Samians.
61. Now while Cambyses the son of Cyrus was spending a long time in
Egypt and had gone out of his right mind, there rose up against him two
brothers, Magians, of whom the one had been left behind by Cambyses
as caretaker of his household. This man, I say, rose up against him
perceiving that the occurrence of the death of Smerdis was being kept
secret, and that there were but few of the Persians who were aware of
it, while the greater number believed without doubt that he was still
alive. Therefore he endeavoured to obtain the kingdom, and he formed his
plan as follows:—he had a brother (that one who, as I said, rose up
with him against Cambyses), and this man in form very closely resembled
Smerdis the son of Cyrus, whom Cambyses had slain, being his own
brother. He was like Smerdis, I say, in form, and not only so but he had
the same name, Smerdis. Having persuaded this man that he would manage
everything for him, the Magian Patizeithes brought him and seated him
upon the royal throne: and having so done he sent heralds about to
the various provinces, and among others one to the army in Egypt, to
proclaim to them that they must obey Smerdis the son of Cyrus for the
future instead of Cambyses.
62. So then the other heralds made this proclamation, and also the
one who was appointed to go to Egypt, finding Cambyses and his army at
Agbatana in Syria, stood in the midst and began to proclaim that which
had been commanded to him by the Magian. Hearing this from the herald,
and supposing that the herald was speaking the truth and that he had
himself been betrayed by Prexaspes, that is to say, that when Prexaspes
was sent to kill Smerdis he had not done so, Cambyses looked upon
Prexaspes and said: "Prexaspes, was it thus that thou didst perform for
me the thing which I gave over to thee to do?" and he said: "Master, the
saying is not true that Smerdis thy brother has risen up against thee,
nor that thou wilt have any contention arising from him, either great or
small: for I myself, having done that which thou didst command me to do,
buried him with my own hands. If therefore the dead have risen again to
life, then thou mayest expect that Astyages also the Mede will rise up
against thee; but if it is as it was beforetime, there is no fear
now that any trouble shall spring up for you, at least from him. Now
therefore I think it well that some should pursue after the herald and
examine him, asking from whom he has come to proclaim to us that we are
to obey Smerdis as king."
63. When Prexaspes had thus spoken, Cambyses was pleased with the
advice, and accordingly the herald was pursued forthwith and returned.
Then when he had come back, Prexaspes asked him as follows: "Man, thou
sayest that thou art come as a messenger from Smerdis the son of Cyrus:
now therefore speak the truth and go away in peace. I ask thee whether
Smerdis himself appeared before thine eyes and charged thee to say this,
or some one of those who serve him." He said: "Smerdis the son of Cyrus
I have never yet seen, since the day that king Cambyses marched to
Egypt: but the Magian whom Cambyses appointed to be guardian of his
household, he, I say, gave me this charge, saying that Smerdis the son
of Cyrus was he who laid the command upon me to speak these things to
you." Thus he spoke to them, adding no falsehoods to the first, and
Cambyses said: "Prexaspes, thou hast done that which was commanded thee
like an honest man, and hast escaped censure; but who of the Persians
may this be who has risen up against me and usurped the name of
Smerdis?" He said: "I seem to myself, O king, to have understanding
of this which has come to pass: the Magians have risen against thee,
Patizeithes namely, whom thou didst leave as caretaker of thy household,
and his brother Smerdis."
64. Then Cambyses, when he heard the name of Smerdis, perceived at once
the true meaning of this report and of the dream, for he thought in his
sleep that some one had reported to him that Smerdis was sitting
upon the royal throne and had touched the heaven with his head: and
perceiving that he had slain his brother without need, he began to
lament for Smerdis; and having lamented for him and sorrowed greatly for
the whole mishap, he was leaping upon his horse, meaning as quickly as
possible to march his army to Susa against the Magian; and as he leapt
upon his horse, the cap of his sword-sheath fell off, and the sword
being left bare struck his thigh. Having been wounded then in the same
part where he had formerly struck Apis the god of the Egyptians, and
believing that he had been struck with a mortal blow, Cambyses asked
what was the name of that town, and they said "Agbatana." Now even
before this he had been informed by the Oracle at the city of Buto that
in Agbatana he should bring his life to an end: and he supposed that he
should die of old age in Agbatana in Media, where was his chief seat of
power; but the oracle, it appeared, meant in Agbatana of Syria. So when
by questioning now he learnt the name of the town, being struck with
fear both by the calamity caused by the Magian and at the same time by
the wound, he came to his right mind, and understanding the meaning of
the oracle he said: "Here it is fated that Cambyses the son of Cyrus
shall end his life."