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ommanded　them　to　shut　their　doors　against　him。　Still；　as　fast　as　he　was　forced　to　leave　one　house　he　went　to　another；　and　was　received　by　the　inmates；　for　his　acquaintance；　although　in　no　small　alarm；　yet　gave　him　shelter；　as　he　was　Periander's　son。　　　　　At　last　Periander　made　proclamation　that　whoever　harboured　his　son　or　even　spoke　to　him；　should　forfeit　a　certain　sum　of　money　to　Apollo。　On　hearing　this　no　one　any　longer　liked　to　take　him　in；　or　even　to　hold　converse　with　him；　and　he　himself　did　not　think　it　right　to　seek　to　do　what　was　forbidden；　so；　abiding　by　his　resolve；　he　made　his　lodging　in　the　public　porticos。　When　four　days　had　passed　in　this　way；　Periander；　secing　how　wretched　his　son　was；　that　he　neither　washed　nor　took　any　food；　felt　moved　with　compassion　towards　him；　wherefore；　foregoing　his　anger；　he　approached　him；　and　said；　〃Which　is　better；　oh！　my　son；　to　fare　as　now　thou　farest；　or　to　receive　my　crown　and　all　the　good　things　that　I　possess；　on　the　one　condition　of　submitting　thyself　to　thy　father？　See；　now；　though　my　own　child；　and　lord　of　this　wealthy　Corinth；　thou　hast　brought　thyself　to　a　beggar's　life；　because　thou　must　resist　and　treat　with　anger　him　whom　it　least　behoves　thee　to　oppose。　If　there　has　been　a　calamity；　and　thou　bearest　me　ill　will　on　that　account；　bethink　thee　that　I　too　feel　it；　and　am　the　greatest　sufferer；　in　as　much　as　it　was　by　me　that　the　deed　was　done。　For　thyself；　now　that　thou　knowest　how　much　better　a　thing　it　is　to　be　envied　than　pitied；　and　how　dangerous　it　is　to　indulge　anger　against　parents　and　superiors；　come　back　with　me　to　thy　home。〃　With　such　words　as　these　did　Periander　chide　his　son；　but　the　son　made　no　reply；　except　to　remind　his　father　that　he　was　indebted　to　the　god　in　the　penalty　for　coming　and　holding　converse　with　him。　Then　Periander　knew　that　there　was　no　cure　for　the　youth's　malady；　nor　means　of　overcoming　it；　so　he　prepared　a　ship　and　sent　him　away　out　of　his　sight　to　Corcyra；　which　island　at　that　time　belonged　to　him。　As　for　Procles；　Periander；　regarding　him　as　the　true　author　of　all　his　present　troubles；　went　to　war　with　him　as　soon　as　his　son　was　gone；　and　not　only　made　himself　master　of　his　kingdom　Epidaurus；　but　also　took　Procles　himself；　and　carried　him　into　captivity。　　　　　As　time　went　on；　and　Periander　came　to　be　old；　he　found　himself　no　longer　equal　to　the　oversight　and　management　of　affairs。　Seeing；　therefore；　in　his　eldest　son　no　manner　of　ability；　but　knowing　him　to　be　dull　and　blockish；　he　sent　to　Corcyra　and　recalled　Lycophron　to　take　the　kingdom。　Lycophron；　however；　did　not　even　deign　to　ask　the　bearer　of　this　message　a　question。　But　Periander's　heart　was　set　upon　the　youth；　so　he　sent　again　to　him；　this　time　by　his　own　daughter；　the　sister　of　Lycophron；　who　would；　he　thought；　have　more　power　to　persuade　him　than　any　other　person。　Then　she；　when　she　reached　Corcyra；　spoke　thus　with　her　brother：…　〃Dost　thou　wish　the　kingdom；　brother；　to　pass　into　strange　hands；　and　our　father's　wealth　to　be　made　a　prey；　rather　than　thyself　return　to　enjoy　it？　Come　back　home　with　me；　and　cease　to　punish　thyself。　It　is　scant　gain；　this　obstinacy。　Why　seek　to　cure　evil　by　evil？　Mercy；　remember；　is　by　many　set　above　justice。　Many；　also；　while　pushing　their　mother's　claims　have　forfeited　their　father's　fortune。　Power　is　a　slippery　thing…　it　has　many　suitors；　and　he　is　old　and　stricken　in　years…　let　not　thy　own　inheritance　go　to　another。〃　Thus　did　the　sister；　who　had　been　tutored　by　Periander　what　to　say；　urge　all　the　arguments　most　likely　to　have　weight　with　her　brother。　He　however　made　answer；　〃That　so　long　as　he　knew　his　father　to　be　still　alive；　he　would　never　go　back　to　Corinth。〃　When　the　sister　brought　Periander　this　reply；　he　sent　his　son　a　third　time　by　a　herald；　and　said　he　would　come　himself　to　Corcyra；　and　let　his　son　take　his　place　at　Corinth　as　heir　to　his　kingdom。　To　these　terms　Lycophron　agreed；　and　Periander　was　making　ready　to　pass　into　Corcyra　and　his　son　to　return　to　Corinth；　when　the　Corcyraeans；　being　informed　of　what　was　taking　place；　to　keep　Periander　away；　put　the　young　man　to　death。　For　this　reason　it　was　that　Periander　took　vengeance　on　the　Corcyraeans。　　　　　The　Lacedaemonians　arrived　before　Samos　with　a　mighty　armament；　and　forthwith　laid　siege　to　the　place。　In　one　of　the　assaults　upon　the　walls；　they　forced　their　way　to　the　top　of　the　tower　which　stands　by　the　sea　on　the　side　where　the　suburb　is；　but　Polycrates　came　in　person　to　the　rescue　with　a　strong　force；　and　beat　them　back。　Meanwhile　at　the　upper　tower；　which　stood　on　the　ridge　of　the　hill；　the　besieged；　both　mercenaries　and　Samians；　made　a　sally；　but　after　they　had　withstood　the　Lacedaemonians　a　short　time；　they　fled　backwards；　and　the　Lacedaemonians；　pressing　upon　them；　slew　numbers。　　　　　If　now　all　who　were　present　had　behaved　that　day　like　Archias　and　Lycopas；　two　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　Samos　might　have　been　taken。　For　these　two　heroes；　following　hard　upon　the　flying　Samians；　entered　the　city　along　with　them；　and；　being　all　alone；　and　their　retreat　cut　off；　were　slain　within　the　walls　of　the　place。　I　myself　once　fell　in　with　the　grandson　of　this　Archias；　a　man　named　Archias　like　his　grandsire；　and　the　son　of　Samius；　whom　I　met　at　Pitana；　to　which　canton　he　belonged。　He　respected　the　Samians　beyond　all　other　foreigners；　and　he　told　me　that　his　father　was　called　Samius；　because　his　grandfather　Archias　died　in　Samos　so　gloriously；　and　that　the　reason　why　he　respected　the　Samians　so　greatly　was　that　his　grandsire　was　buried　with　public　honours　by　the　Samian　people。　　　　　The　Lacedaemonians　besieged　Samos　during　forty　days；　but　not　making　any　progress　before　the　place；　they　raised　the　siege　at　the　end　of　that　time；　and　returned　home　to　the　Peloponnese。　There　is　a　silly　tale　told　that　Polycrates　struck　a　quantity　of　the　coin　of　his　country　in　lead；　and；　coating　it　with　gold；　gave　it　to　the　Lacedaemonians；　who　on　receiving　it　took　their　departure。　　　　　This　was　the　first　expedition　into　Asia　of　the　Lacedaemonian　Dorians。　　　　　The　Samians　who　had　fought　against　Polycrates；　when　they　knew　that　the　Lacedaemonians　were　about　to　forsake　them；　left　Samos　themselves；　and　sailed　to　Siphnos。　They　happened　to　be　in　want　of　money；　and　the　Siphnians　at　that　time　were　at　the　height　of　their　greatness；　no　islanders　having　so　much　wealth　as　they。　There　were　mines　of　gold　and　silver　in　their　country；　and　of　so　rich　a　yield；　that　from　a　tithe　of　the　ores　the　Siphnians　furnished　out　a　treasury　at　Delphi　which　was　on　a　par　with　the　grandest　there。　What　the　mines　yielded　was　divided　year　by　year　among　the　citizens。　At　the　time　when　they　formed　the　treasury；　the　Siphnians　consulted　the　oracle；　and　asked　whether　their　good　things　would　remain　to　them　many　years。　The　Pythoness　made　answer　as　follows：…

　　　　When　the　Prytanies'seat　shines　white　in　the　island　of　Siphnos；　　　　　White…browed　all　the　forum…need　then　of　a　true　seer's　wisdom…　　　　　Danger　will　threat　from　a　wooden　host；　and　a　herald　in　scarlet。

Now　about　this　time　the　forum　of　the　Siphnians　and　their　townhall　or　prytaneum　had　been　adorned　with　Parian　marble。　　　　　The　Siphnians；　however；　were　unable　to　understand　the　oracle；　either　at　the　time　when　it　was　given；　or　afterwards　on　the　arrival　of　the　Samians。　For　these　last　no　sooner　came　to　anchor　off　the　island　than　they　sent　one　of　their　vessels；　with　an　ambassage　on　board；　to　the　city。　All　ships　in　these　early　times　were　painted　with　vermilion；　and　this　was　what　the　Pythoness　had　meant　when　she　told　them　to　beware　of　danger　〃from　a　wooden　host；　and　a　herald　in　scarlet。〃　So　the　ambassadors　came　ashore　and　besought　the　Siphnians　to　lend　them　ten　talents；　but　the　Siphnians　refused；　whereupon　the　Samians　began　to　plunder　their　lands。　Tidings　of　this　reached　the　Siphnians；　who　straightway　sallied　forth　to　save　their　crops；　then　a　battle　was　fought；　in　which　the　Siphnians　suffered　defeat；　and　many　of　their　number　were　cut　off　from　the　city　by　the　Samians；　after　which　these　latter　forced　the　Siphnians　to　give　them　a　hundred　talents。　　　　　With　this　money　they　bought　of　the　Hermionians　the　island　of　Hydrea；　off　the　coast　of　the　Peloponnese；　and　this　they　gave　in　trust　to　the　Troezenians；　to　keep　for　them；　while　they　themselves　went　on　to　Crete；　and　founded　the　city　of　Cydonia。　They　had　not　meant；　when　they　set　sail；　to　settle　there；　but　only　to　drive　out　the　Zacynthians　from　the　island。　However　they　rested　at　Cydonia；　where　they　flourished　greatly　for　five　years。　It　was　they　who　built　the　various　temples　that　may　still　be　seen　at　that　place；　and　among　them　the　fane　of　Dictyna。　But　in　the　sixth　year　they　were　attacked　by　the　Eginetans；　who　beat　them　in　a　sea…fight；　and；　with　the　help　of　the　Cretans；　reduced　them　all　to　slavery。　The　beaks　of　their　ships；　which　carried　the　figure　of　a　wild　boar；　they　sawed　off；　and　laid　them　up　in　the　temple　of　Minerva　in　Egina。　The　Eginetans　took　part　against　the　Samians　on　account　of　an　ancient　grudge；　since　the　Samians　had　first；　when　Amphicrates　was　king　of　Samos；　made　war　on　them　and　done　great　harm　to　their　island；　suffering；　however；　much　damage　also　themselves。　Such　was　the　reason　which　moved　the　Eginetans　to　make　this　attack。　　　　　I　have　dwelt　the　longer　on　the　affairs　of　the　Samians；　because