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them, that "they were Minya, descendants of those heroes who sailed in the Argo, and that they, having touched at Lemnos, begot them." The Lacedæmonians, having heard this account of the extraction of the Minya, sent a second time to inquire with what design they had come to their territory, and lighted fires; they said, that being ejected by the Pelasgians, they had come to their fathers; for that it was most proper for them so to do; and they requested leave to dwell with them, participating in their honours, and being allotted a portion of land. The Lacedæmonians determined to receive the Minyæ on the terms they themselves proposed; and the sailing of the Tyndaride in the Argo especially induced them to do this: having, therefore, received the Minyæ, they assigned them a portion of land, and distributed them among their tribes, and they immediately contracted marriages, and gave to others the wives they brought from Lemnos. 146. But when no long time had elapsed, the Minya became insolent, and demanded a share in the sovereignty, and committed other crimes. The Lacedæmonians therefore determined to put them to death, and having seized them, they threw them into prison. Now those whom they kill, the Lacedæmonians kill by night, but no one by day. When, therefore, they were about to put them to death, the wives of the Minya, who were citizens, and daughters to the principal Spartans, begged permission to enter the prison, and confer each with her husband. The Lacedæmonians gave them permission, not suspecting any fraud on their part, but they, when they entered, did as follows: having given all the clothes they had on to their husbands, themselves took their husbands' clothes. Upon which, the Minyæ, having put on the women's dress, passed out as women, and having thus escaped, again seated themselves on Mount Taygetus.

147. At the same time Theras, son of Austesion, son to Tisamenus, son of Thersander, son of Polynices, set out from Lacedæmon on a colonizing expedition. This Theras was by birth a Cadmæan, brother to the mother of Aristodemus's sons, Eurysthenes and Procles; and while these youths were yet infants, Theras had the kingdom of Sparta under his guardianship. But when the youths were grown up and assumed the government, Theras, not brooking to be ruled by others after he had tasted the pleasures of power, declared

that he would not remain at Lacedæmon, but would sail away to his own kindred. In the island now called Thera, the same that was formerly Callista, lived the descendants of Membliares, the son of Paciles a Phoenician. For Cadmus,

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son of Agenor, when in quest of Europa, touched at the island now called Thera; and whether when he touched at it the country pleased him, or whether for some other reason he chose to do so, he left in this island both others of the Phonicians, and, moreover, his own kinsman, Membliares: these men occupied the island, then called Callista, during eight generations, before Theras came from Lacedæmon. 148. To these people, then, Theras went, having, with a multitude drawn out of the tribes, set out, purposing to dwell with them, and on no account to drive them out, but by all means to conciliate them. But when the Minya who had escaped from the prison seated themselves on Mount Taygetus, as the Lacedæmonians determined to destroy them, Theras begged that they might not be put to death, and promised that he would himself take them out of the country. Lacedæmonians acceding to his request, he set sail with three thirty-oared galleys, to the descendants of Membliares, taking with him not all the Minyæ, but some few of them ; for the greater number of them went over to Paroreates and Caucones; and having driven them out from their country, distributed themselves into six divisions, and then founded the following cities there; Leprium, Macistus, Phrixas, Pyrgus, Epium, and Nudium: most of these the Eleans have destroyed in my time. The name of Thera was given to the island after the founder. 149. His son refused to accompany him in his voyage, therefore he said that he would leave him as a sheep among wolves: in consequence of this speech, the name of Oiolycus was given to this youth, and this name chanced to prevail. To this Oiolycus was born Ægeus, from whom the Ægidæ, a principal tribe in Sparta, are named. As the children of the men of this tribe did not survive, they erected a temple, in obedience to an oracle, to the furies of Laius and Edipus; and after that, the same thing happened in Thera to those who were descended from these men.

150. To this part of the story the Lacedæmonians agree with the Theræans; but after this, the Theræans only say

that what follows took place. Grinus, son of Asanius, who was a descendant of this Theras, and reigned over the island Thera, came to Delphi, bringing a hecatomb from the city; and divers of the citizens attended him, and among them, Battus, son to Polymnestus, who was of the family of Euphemus, one of the Minya. And as Grinus, king of the Theræans, was consulting the oracle concerning other affairs, the Pythian admonished him to "build a city in Libya." But he answered, "I, O prince, am now too old and heavy to move myself; therefore command one of these young men to do this;" and as he said these words, he pointed to Battus. At that time so much passed. But after their departure, they paid no attention to the oracle, neither knowing in what part of the world Libya was, nor daring to send out a colony on an uncertainty. 151. For seven years after this, no rain fell in Thera; during which period, every tree in the island, except one, was withered up; and when the Theræans consulted the oracle, the Pythian objected to them the colonization of Libya. When they found no remedy for the evil, they despatched messengers to Crete, to inquire if any of the Cretans, or strangers settled among them, had ever gone to Libya. These messengers, wandering about the island, arrived in the city of Itanus; and here they became acquainted with a purple-dyer, whose name was Corobius; he said, that being driven by the winds, he had gone to Libya, and to Platea, an island of Libya: having persuaded this man by a promise of reward, they took him to Thera. At first, men sailed from Thera to explore, not many in number: and when Corobius had conducted them to this island Platea, they left Corobius there with provisions for a few months, and themselves sailed back with all speed to give the Theræans tidings of the island. 152. But these men staying away longer than the time agreed upon, Corobius was reduced to the last necessity; when a Samian vessel, whose master was Colæus, sailing for Egypt, was driven to this Platea. The Samians, having heard the whole account from Corobius, left him provisions for a year; and they, having got under weigh from the island, and being anxious to reach Egypt, set sail, and were carried away by an east wind; and as the wind did not abate, having passed through the columns of Hercules, they arrived at Tartessus, under divine guidance. That port was at that time unfrequented; so that these men

returning home, gained from their cargo the largest profits of any of the Grecians we know of with certainty, next to Sostratus, son of Laodamas of Ægina, for with him it is impossible for any one to compete. The Samians, therefore, having set apart the tenth of their gains, amounting to six talents, made a vessel of brass, after the fashion of an Argolic bowl, and around it the heads of griffins project over; and they dedicated it in the temple of Juno, having placed under it three colossal figures of brass, seven cubits in height, leaning on their knees. And on this occasion the Cyrenæans and Theræans first contracted a great friendship with the Samians. 153. The Theræans, when they left Corobius in the island and returned to Thera, took back word that they had taken possession of an island off the coast of Libya: the Theræans therefore resolved to send one of every family,' chosen by lot; and to send men from all their districts, which were seven in number; and appointed Battus to be their leader and king. Thus then they fitted out two fifty-oared galleys for Platea.

154. The Theræans give this account; in the rest of the story the Theræans are supported by the Cyrenæans: for the Cyrenæans in no respect agree with the Theræans in what relates to Battus, for they tell the story thus. There is a city of Crete called Axus, in which Etearchus was king; he having a motherless daughter, whose name was Phronima, married another wife; she coming into the family, thought proper to be a stepmother indeed to Phronima, treating her shamefully, and contriving every mischief she could against her; and at last, having charged her with unchastity, persuaded her husband that such was the case. He, prevailed on by his wife, formed a wicked design against his daughter. There was then at Axus one Themison, a Theræan merchant; this man Etearchus received hospitably, and made him swear that he would serve him in any thing he should desire. When he had bound him by oath, he delivered his daughter to him, and commanded him to take her away, and throw her into the sea. But Themison, grieved at the deceitfulness of the oath, broke off the compact of friendship, and did as follows. Having taken the damsel with him, he set sail; and

7 Literally "brother from brother."

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when he was in the open sea, for the purpose of absolving himself from the oath imposed by Etearchus, he bound her round with ropes, and let her down into the sea; then having drawn her up again, he departed for Thera. 155. After that Polymnestus, a man of distinction among the Theræans, took Phronima for his concubine, and after some time he had a son by her, who had an impediment in his speech and lisped, to whom the name of Battus was given, as both the Theræans and Cyrenæans say; but, as I am of opinion, some other name; and it was afterwards changed to Battus when he arrived in Libya, deriving that name both from the oracle pronounced to him at Delphi, and from the rank to which he attained. For the Libyans call a king Battus, and for this reason I think that the Pythian, when delivering the oracle, addressed him in the Libyan tongue, knowing that he would be a king in Libya. For when he had reached man's estate, he came to Delphi about his voice; and to his inquiries the Pythian gave the following answer: "Battus, you are come about your voice; king Phoebus Apollo sends you to found a colony in Libya, abounding in sheep." As if she had said in the Grecian language, “0 king, you are come about your voice." He answered as follows: "O king, I came indeed to consult you about my voice, but you give me an answer as to other impossible things, bidding me colonize Libya: with what power? with what force?" By saying this he did not persuade the Pythian to give him any other answer; and as she was repeating the same response as before, he in the mean while left her, and returned to Thera. 156. After this, Battus himself and the other Theræans fell anew into troubles; but the Theræans, not knowing whence their misfortunes came, sent to Delphi to inquire concerning their present sufferings. The Pythian answered, that it would fare better with them, when with Battus they had founded Cyrene in Libya. Upon this, the Theræans despatched Battus with two fifty-oared galleys. But these having sailed to Libya, for they had nothing else that they could do, returned back to Thera; the Theræans, however, beat them off as they drew to shore, and would not suffer them to approach the land, but commanded them to sail back again. Thus compelled, they sailed back again, and settled

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