in doing this, they did considerable damage to the Atheni

ans.

82. The enmity that was due of old from the Ægineta to the Athenians proceeded from this origin. The land of the Epidaurians yielded no fruit; the Epidaurians, therefore, sent to consult the oracle at Delphi concerning this calamity. The Pythian bade them erect statues of Damia and Auxesia, and when they had erected them it would fare better with them. The Epidaurians then asked whether the statues should be of brass or stone; but the Pythian did not allow it to be of either, but of the wood of a cultivated olive. The Epidaurians thereupon requested the Athenians to permit them to cut down an olive-tree, thinking that they were the most sacred; and it is said that there were olive-trees in no other part of the world at that time. The Athenians said that they would permit them, on condition that they should annually bring victims to Minerva Polias and Erectheus. The Epidaurians, having agreed to these terms, obtained what they asked for, and having made statues from these olive-trees, erected them, and their land became fruitful, and they fulfilled their engagements to the Athenians. 83. At that time, and before, the Æginetæ obeyed the Epidaurians, both in other respects, and crossing over to Epidaurus, the Æginetæ gave and received justice from one another. But afterward, having built ships, and having recourse to foolish confidence, they revolted from the Epidaurians, and being at variance, they did them much damage, as they were masters of the sea; and, moreover, they took away from them those statues of Damia and Auxesia, and carried them off, and erected them in the interior of their own territory, the name of which is Ea, and about twenty stades distant from the city. Having erected them in this spot, they propitiated them with sacrifices and derisive dances of women, ten men being assigned to each deity as leaders of the chorus, and the choruses reviled, not any men, but the women of the country. The Epidaurians also had such religious ceremonies, but their religious ceremonies are kept secret. 84. When these statues had been stolen, the Epidaurians ceased to fulfill their engagements to the Athenians. The Athenians sent to expostulate with the Epidaurians, but they demonstrated that they were not in * That is, "brought and defended actions there."

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reality guilty of injustice; for as long as they had the statues in their country they fulfilled their engagements, but when they had been deprived of them it was not just that they should still pay the tribute, but they bid them demand it of the Ægineta who possessed them. Upon this the Athenians, having sent to Ægina, demanded back the statues; but the Æginetæ made answer that they had nothing to do with the Athenians. 85. The Athenians say that after this demand some of their citizens were sent in a single trireme, who, being sent by the commonwealth, and arriving at Ægina, attempted to drag these statues from the pedestals, as made from their wood, in order that they might carry them away; but not being able to get possession of them in that way, they threw cords about the statues, and hauled them along, and as they were hauling them, thunder, and with the thunder an earthquake, came on, and the crew of the trireme, who were hauling them, were in consequence deprived of their senses, and in this condition slew one another as enemies, till only one of the whole number was left and escaped to Phalerum. 86. Thus the Athenians say that it happened; but the Æginitæ say that the Athenians did not come with a single ship, for that they could easily have repulsed one, or a few more than one, even though they had no ships of their own. But they say that they sailed against their territory with many ships, and that they yielded and did not hâzard a sea fight. They are, however, unable to explain this clearly, whether they yielded because they were conscious that they would be inferior in a sea fight, or with the purpose of doing what they did. They say, however, that the Athenians, when no one prepared to give them battle, disembarked from the ships and proceeded toward the statues; and that, not being able to wrench them from their pedestals, they then threw cords round them, and hauled them until the statues being hauled did the same thing; herein relating what is not credible to me, but may be so to some one else; for they say that they fell on their knees, and have ever since continued in that posture. The Æginitæ say that the Athenians did this; but concerning themselves, that, being informed that the Athenians were about to make war upon them, they prepared the Argives to assist them; and, accordingly, that the Athenians landed on the territory of Ægina, and that the Argives

came to their assistance; and that they crossed over to the island from Epidaurus unperceived, and fell upon the Athenians unexpectedly, cutting off their retreat to the ships; and at this moment the thunder and earthquake happened. 87. Such is the account given by the Argives and Ægineta; and it is admitted by the Athenians that only one of their number was saved, and escaped to Attica; but the Argives affirm that this one man survived when they destroyed the Attic army; the Athenians, on the contrary, say, when the deity destroyed it; and that this one did not survive, but perished in the following manner: on his return to Athens, he gave an account of the disaster, and the wives of the men who had gone on the expedition against Ægina, when they heard it, being enraged that he alone of the whole number should be saved, crowded round this man, and piercing him with the clasps of their garments, each asked him where her own husband was: thus he died. This action of the women seemed to the Athenians more dreadful than the disaster itself; however, they had no other way of punishing the women, they therefore compelled them to change their dress for the Ionian; for before that time the wives of the Athenians wore the Dorian dress, which closely resembles the Corinthian; they changed it, therefore, for a linen tunic, that they might not use clasps. Yet if we follow the truth, this garment is not originally Ionian, but Carian; for the whole ancient Grecian dress of the women was the same as that which we now call Dorian. 88. In consequence of this event, it became a custom with both the Argives and the Æginetæ to do this; to make their clasps one half larger than the measure before established, and that the women should chiefly dedicate clasps in the temple of these deities; and to bring no other Attic article within the temple, not even a pitcher; but a law was made that they should drink there in future from vessels of their own country. Accordingly, from that time the wives of the Argives and Æginetæ, on account of their quarrel with the Athenians, continued even to my time to wear clasps larger than formerly.

89. The origin of the enmity entertained by the Athenians against the Ægineta was such as has been described. At that time, therefore, when the Thebans called upon them, the Æginetæ, recalling to mind what had taken place respecting

the statues, readily assisted the Boeotians. The Ægineta therefore laid waste the maritime places of Attica, and when the Athenians were preparing to march against the Æginetæ, an oracle came from Delphi enjoining them "to wait for thirty years from the period of the injury committed by the Æginetæ, and in the thirty-first year, after building a temple to Eacus, to begin the war against the Æginetæ, and then they would succeed according to their wishes; but if they should march against them immediately, they should in the mean while endure much and also inflict much, but in the end would subdue them." When the Athenians heard this answer reported, they erected that temple to Æacus which now stands in the forum, yet they could not bear to wait thirty years, when they heard that they ought to wait, though they had suffered such indignities from the Ægineta. 90. But as they were preparing to take their revenge, an affair, set on foot by the Lacedæmonians, became an impediment; for the Lacedæmonians, being informed of the practices of the Alcmæonida toward the Pythia, and those of the Pythia against themselves and the Pisistratidæ, considered it a double misfortune, because they had expelled men who were their own friends out of their country, and because, when they had done this, no gratitude was shown them by the Athenians. In addition to this, the oracles urged them on, telling them that they would suffer many and grievous indignities from the Athenians, of which oracles they knew nothing before, but then became acquainted with them on the return of Cleomenes to Sparta. Cleomenes got the oracles from the Acropolis of the Athenians; the Pisistratida had had them before, and left them in the temple when they were expelled; and as they were left behind, Cleomenes took them away. 91. When the Lacedæmonians obtained the oracles, and saw the Athenians increasing in power, and not at all disposed to submit to them, taking into consideration that if the people of Attica should continue free they would become of equal weight with themselves, but if depressed by a tyranny would be weak and ready to obey; having considered each of these things, they sent for Hippias, son of Pisistratus, from Sigeum, on the Hellespont, to which place the Pisistratidæ had retired. And when Hippias came, in compliance with their invitation, the Spartans, having summoned also the embassadors of the

rest of their confederates, addressed them as follows: "Confederates, we are conscious that we have not acted rightly; for, being induced by lying oracles, the men who were our best friends, and who had promised to keep Athens subject to us, them we expelled from their country, and then, having done this, we delivered the city to an ungrateful people, who, after they had been set at liberty, and had lifted up their heads through our means, have insultingly ejected us and our king; and having obtained renown, are growing in power, as their neighbors the Boeotians and Chalcidians have already learned full well, and as others will soon learn to their cost.5 Since, then, in doing these things, we have committed an error, we will now endeavor, with your assistance, to remedy the mischief and punish them; for on this very account we sent for Hippias, who is here present, and summoned you from your cities, that by common consent, and combined forces, we may take him back to Athens, and restore to him what we took away."

92. Thus these spoke; but the majority of the confederates did not approve of their proposition. The rest kept silence, but Sosicles the Corinthian spoke as follows: "Surely the heavens will sink beneath the earth, and the earth ascend aloft above the heavens; men will live in the sea, and the fishes where men did before, now that you, O Lacedæmonians, abolish equality, dissolve a commonwealth, and prepare to restore tyrannies in the cities, than which there is nothing more unjust, nor more cruel among men. If, in truth, this appears to you a good thing, that cities should be ruled by tyrants, do you first set up a tyrant over yourselves, and then attempt to set them up over others. But now, while ye yourselves are altogether unacquainted with tyrannical power, and watch with jealousy that such a thing should not happen in Sparta, ye behave contemptuously toward your allies. But if ye had been taught by experience, as we have, ye would have a better proposal to make to us than you now do. (2.) The

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τάχα δέ τις καὶ ἄλλος ἐκμαθήσεται ἁμαρτών. I have ventured on a new mode of translating this passage, which appears to me more in accordance with the Greek idiom. Baehr, whose version is most simple and literal, renders it "and perhaps some one else will learn that he has committed an error;" meaning the Lacedæmonians themselves, to whom the speaker doubtless alludes.