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he　contrived　this　artifice。　He　had　all　the　corn　that　was　in　the　city；　whether　belonging　to　himself　or　to　private　persons；　brought　into　the　market…place；　and　issued　an　order　that　the　Milesians　should　hold　themselves　in　readiness；　and；　when　he　gave　the　signal；　should；　one　and　all；　fall　to　drinking　and　revelry。　　　　　The　purpose　for　which　he　gave　these　orders　was　the　following。　He　hoped　that　the　Sardian　herald；　seeing　so　great　store　of　corn　upon　the　ground；　and　all　the　city　given　up　to　festivity；　would　inform　Alyattes　of　it；　which　fell　out　as　he　anticipated。　The　herald　observed　the　whole；　and　when　he　had　delivered　his　message；　went　back　to　Sardis。　This　circumstance　alone；　as　I　gather；　brought　about　the　peace　which　ensued。　Alyattes；　who　had　hoped　that　there　was　now　a　great　scarcity　of　corn　in　Miletus；　and　that　the　people　were　worn　down　to　the　last　pitch　of　suffering；　when　he　heard　from　the　herald　on　his　return　from　Miletus　tidings　so　contrary　to　those　he　had　expected；　made　a　treaty　with　the　enemy　by　which　the　two　nations　became　close　friends　and　allies。　He　then　built　at　Assesus　two　temples　to　Minerva　instead　of　one；　and　shortly　after　recovered　from　his　malady。　Such　were　the　chief　circumstances　of　the　war　which　Alyattes　waged　with　Thrasybulus　and　the　Milesians。　　　　　This　Periander；　who　apprised　Thrasybulus　of　the　oracle；　was　son　of　Cypselus；　and　tyrant　of　Corinth。　In　his　time　a　very　wonderful　thing　is　said　to　have　happened。　The　Corinthians　and　the　Lesbians　agree　in　their　account　of　the　matter。　They　relate　that　Arion　of　Methymna；　who　as　a　player　on　the　harp；　was　second　to　no　man　living　at　that　time；　and　who　was；　so　far　as　we　know；　the　first　to　invent　the　dithyrambic　measure；　to　give　it　its　name；　and　to　recite　in　it　at　Corinth；　was　carried　to　Taenarum　on　the　back　of　a　dolphin。　　　　　He　had　lived　for　many　years　at　the　court　of　Periander；　when　a　longing　came　upon　him　to　sail　across　to　Italy　and　Sicily。　Having　made　rich　profits　in　those　parts；　he　wanted　to　recross　the　seas　to　Corinth。　He　therefore　hired　a　vessel；　the　crew　of　which　were　Corinthians；　thinking　that　there　was　no　people　in　whom　he　could　more　safely　confide；　and；　going　on　board；　he　set　sail　from　Tarentum。　The　sailors；　however；　when　they　reached　the　open　sea；　formed　a　plot　to　throw　him　overboard　and　seize　upon　his　riches。　Discovering　their　design；　he　fell　on　his　knees；　beseeching　them　to　spare　his　life；　and　making　them　welcome　to　his　money。　But　they　refused；　and　required　him　either　to　kill　himself　outright；　if　he　wished　for　a　grave　on　the　dry　land；　or　without　loss　of　time　to　leap　overboard　into　the　sea。　In　this　strait　Arion　begged　them；　since　such　was　their　pleasure；　to　allow　him　to　mount　upon　the　quarter…deck；　dressed　in　his　full　costume；　and　there　to　play　and　sing；　and　promising　that；　as　soon　as　his　song　was　ended；　he　would　destroy　himself。　Delighted　at　the　prospect　of　hearing　the　very　best　harper　in　the　world；　they　consented；　and　withdrew　from　the　stern　to　the　middle　of　the　vessel：　while　Arion　dressed　himself　in　the　full　costume　of　his　calling；　took　his　harp；　and　standing　on　the　quarter…deck；　chanted　the　Orthian。　His　strain　ended；　he　flung　himself；　fully　attired　as　he　was；　headlong　into　the　sea。　The　Corinthians　then　sailed　on　to　Corinth。　As　for　Arion；　a　dolphin；　they　say；　took　him　upon　his　back　and　carried　him　to　Taenarum；　where　he　went　ashore；　and　thence　proceeded　to　Corinth　in　his　musician's　dress；　and　told　all　that　had　happened　to　him。　Periander；　however；　disbelieved　the　story；　and　put　Arion　in　ward；　to　prevent　his　leaving　Corinth；　while　he　watched　anxiously　for　the　return　of　the　mariners。　On　their　arrival　he　summoned　them　before　him　and　asked　them　if　they　could　give　him　any　tiding　of　Arion。　They　returned　for　answer　that　he　was　alive　and　in　good　health　in　Italy；　and　that　they　had　left　him　at　Tarentum；　where　he　was　doing　well。　Thereupon　Arion　appeared　before　them；　just　as　he　was　when　he　jumped　from　the　vessel：　the　men；　astonished　and　detected　in　falsehood；　could　no　longer　deny　their　guilt。　Such　is　the　account　which　the　Corinthians　and　Lesbians　give；　and　there　is　to　this　day　at　Taenarum；　an　offering　of　Arion's　at　the　shrine；　which　is　a　small　figure　in　bronze；　representing　a　man　seated　upon　a　dolphin。　　　　　Having　brought　the　war　with　the　Milesians　to　a　close；　and　reigned　over　the　land　of　Lydia　for　fifty…seven　years；　Alyattes　died。　He　was　the　second　prince　of　his　house　who　made　offerings　at　Delphi。　His　gifts；　which　he　sent　on　recovering　from　his　sickness；　were　a　great　bowl　of　pure　silver；　with　a　salver　in　steel　curiously　inlaid；　a　work　among　all　the　offerings　at　Delphi　the　best　worth　looking　at。　Glaucus；　the　Chian；　made　it；　the　man　who　first　invented　the　art　of　inlaying　steel。　　　　　On　the　death　of　Alyattes；　Croesus；　his　son；　who　was　thirty…five　years　old；　succeeded　to　the　throne。　Of　the　Greek　cities；　Ephesus　was　the　first　that　he　attacked。　The　Ephesians；　when　he　laid　siege　to　the　place；　made　an　offering　of　their　city　to　Diana；　by　stretching　a　rope　from　the　town　wall　to　the　temple　of　the　goddess；　which　was　distant　from　the　ancient　city；　then　besieged　by　Croesus；　a　space　of　seven　furlongs。　They　were；　as　I　said；　the　first　Greeks　whom　he　attacked。　Afterwards；　on　some　pretext　or　other；　he　made　war　in　turn　upon　every　Ionian　and　Aeolian　state；　bringing　forward；　where　he　could；　a　substantial　ground　of　complaint；　where　such　failed　him；　advancing　some　poor　excuse。　　　　　In　this　way　he　made　himself　master　of　all　the　Greek　cities　in　Asia；　and　forced　them　to　become　his　tributaries；　after　which　he　began　to　think　of　building　ships；　and　attacking　the　islanders。　Everything　had　been　got　ready　for　this　purpose；　when　Bias　of　Priene　（or；　as　some　say；　Pittacus　the　Mytilenean）　put　a　stop　to　the　project。　The　king　had　made　inquiry　of　this　person；　who　was　lately　arrived　at　Sardis；　if　there　were　any　news　from　Greece；　to　which　he　answered；　〃Yes；　sire；　the　islanders　are　gathering　ten　thousand　horse；　designing　an　expedition　against　thee　and　against　thy　capital。〃　Croesus；　thinking　he　spake　seriously；　broke　out；　〃Ah；　might　the　gods　put　such　a　thought　into　their　minds　as　to　attack　the　sons　of　the　Lydians　with　cavalry！〃　〃It　seems；　oh！　king；〃　rejoined　the　other；　〃that　thou　desirest　earnestly　to　catch　the　islanders　on　horseback　upon　the　mainland；…　thou　knowest　well　what　would　come　of　it。　But　what　thinkest　thou　the　islanders　desire　better；　now　that　they　hear　thou　art　about　to　build　ships　and　sail　against　them；　than　to　catch　the　Lydians　at　sea；　and　there　revenge　on　them　the　wrongs　of　their　brothers　upon　the　mainland；　whom　thou　holdest　in　slavery？〃　Croesus　was　charmed　with　the　turn　of　the　speech；　and　thinking　there　was　reason　in　what　was　said；　gave　up　his　ship…building　and　concluded　a　league　of　amity　with　the　Ionians　of　the　isles。　　　　　Croesus　afterwards；　in　the　course　of　many　years；　brought　under　his　sway　almost　all　the　nations　to　the　west　of　the　Halys。　The　Lycians　and　Cilicians　alone　continued　free；　all　the　other　tribes　he　reduced　and　held　in　subjection。　They　were　the　following：　the　Lydians；　Phrygians；　Mysians；　Mariandynians；　Chalybians；　Paphlagonians；　Thynian　and　Bithynian　Thracians；　Carians；　Ionians；　Dorians；　Aeolians　and　Pamphylians。　　　　　When　all　these　conquests　had　been　added　to　the　Lydian　empire；　and　the　prosperity　of　Sardis　was　now　at　its　height；　there　came　thither；　one　after　another；　all　the　sages　of　Greece　living　at　the　time；　and　among　them　Solon；　the　Athenian。　He　was　on　his　travels；　having　left　Athens　to　be　absent　ten　years；　under　the　pretence　of　wishing　to　see　the　world；　but　really　to　avoid　being　forced　to　repeal　any　of　the　laws　which；　at　the　request　of　the　Athenians；　he　had　made　for　them。　Without　his　sanction　the　Athenians　could　not　repeal　them；　as　they　had　bound　themselves　under　a　heavy　curse　to　be　governed　for　ten　years　by　the　laws　which　should　be　imposed　on　them　by　Solon。　　　　　On　this　account；　as　well　as　to　see　the　world；　Solon　set　out　upon　his　travels；　in　the　course　of　which　he　went　to　Egypt　to　the　court　of　Amasis；　and　also　came　on　a　visit　to　Croesus　at　Sardis。　Croesus　received　him　as　his　guest；　and　lodged　him　in　the　royal　palace。　On　the　third　or　fourth　day　after；　he　bade　his　servants　conduct　Solon。　over　his　treasuries；　and　show　him　all　their　greatness　and　magnificence。　When　he　had　seen　them　all；　and；　so　far　as　time　allowed；　inspected　them；　Croesus　addressed　this　question　to　him。　〃Stranger　of　Athens；　we　have　heard　much　of　thy　wisdom　and　of　thy　travels　through　many　lands；　from　love　of　knowledge　and　a　wish　to　see　the　world。　I　am　curious　therefore　to　inquire　of　thee；　whom；　of　all　the　men　that　thou　hast　seen；　thou　deemest　the　most　happy？〃　This　he　asked　because　he　thought　himself　the　happiest　of　mortals：　but　Solon　answered　him　without　flattery；　according　to　his　true　sentiments；　〃Tellus　of　Athens；　sire。〃　Full　of　astonishment　at　what　he　heard；　Croesus　demanded　sharply；　〃And　wherefore　dost　thou　deem　Tellus　happiest？〃　To　which　the　other　replied；　〃First；　because　his　country　was　flourishing　in　his　days；　and　he　himself　had　sons　both　beautiful　and　good；　and　he　lived　to　see　children　born　to　each　of　them；　and　these　children　all　grew　up；　and　further　because；　after　a　life　spent　in　what　our　people　look　upon　as　comfort；　his　end　was　surpassingly　glorious。　In　a　battle　between　the　Athenians　and　their　neighbours　near　Eleusis；　he　came　to　the