Herodotus tells a marvellous story of one Aristeas, a poet of
Proconnesus, an island of the Propontis. This man, coming by chance
into a fuller's workshop in his native place, suddenly fell down dead.
As the man was of considerable rank, the fuller immediately, quitting
and locking up his shop, proceeded to inform his family of what had
happened. The relations went accordingly, having procured what was
requisite to give the deceased the rites of sepulture, to the shop;
but, when it was opened, they could discover no vestige of Aristeas,
either dead or alive. A traveller however from the neighbouring town
of Cyzicus on the continent, protested that he had just left that
place, and, as he set foot in the wherry which had brought him over,
had met Aristeas, and held a particular conversation with him. Seven
years after, Aristeas reappeared at Proconnesus, resided there a
considerable time, and during this abode wrote his poem of the wars of
the one-eyed Arimaspians and the Gryphons. He then again disappeared
in an unaccountable manner. But, what is more than all extraordinary,
three hundred and forty years after this disappearance, he shewed
himself again at Metapontum, in Magna Graecia, and commanded the
citizens to erect a statue in his honour near the temple of Apollo in
the forum; which being done, he raised himself in the air; and flew
away in the form of a crow. [91]