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re　consult　the　oracle。　The　Lacedaemonians；　however；　suspecting　that　he　meant　to　fly　his　country；　sent　men　in　pursuit　of　him；　but　Demaratus　hastened；　and　leaving　Elis　before　they　arrived；　sailed　across　to　Zacynthus。　The　Lacedaemonians　followed；　and　sought　to　lay　hands　upon　him；　and　to　separate　him　from　his　retinue；　but　the　Zacynthians　would　not　give　him　up　to　them：　so　he　escaping；　made　his　way　afterwards　by　sea　to　Asia；　and　presented　himself　before　King　Darius；　who　received　him　generously；　and　gave　him　both　lands　and　cities。　Such　was　the　chance　which　drove　Demaratus　to　Asia；　a　man　distinguished　among　the　Lacedaemonians　for　many　noble　deeds　and　wise　counsels；　and　who　alone　of　all　the　Spartan　kings　brought　honour　to　his　country　by　winning　at　Olympia　the　prize　in　the　four…horse　chariot…race。　　　　　After　Demaratus　was　deposed；　Leotychides；　the　son　of　Menares；　received　the　kingdom。　He　had　a　son；　Zeuxidamus；　called　Cyniscus　by　many　of　the　Spartans。　This　Zeuxidamus　did　not　reign　at　Sparta；　but　died　before　his　father；　leaving　a　son；　Archidamus。　Leotychides；　when　Zeuxidamus　was　taken　from　him；　married　a　second　wife；　named　Eurydame；　the　sister　of　Menius　and　daughter　of　Diactorides。　By　her　he　had　no　male　offspring；　but　only　a　daughter　called　Lampito；　whom　he　gave　in　marriage　to　Archidamus；　Zeuxidamus'　son。　　　　　Even　Leotychides；　however；　did　not　spend　his　old　age　in　Sparta；　but　suffered　a　punishment　whereby　Demaratus　was　fully　avenged。　He　commanded　the　Lacedaemonians　when　they　made　war　against　Thessaly；　and　might　have　conquered　the　whole　of　it；　but　was　bribed　by　a　large　sum　of　money。　It　chanced　that　he　was　caught　in　the　fact；　being　found　sitting　in　his　tent　on　a　gauntlet；　quite　full　of　silver。　Upon　this　he　was　brought　to　trial　and　banished　from　Sparta；　his　house　was　razed　to　the　ground；　and　he　himself　fled　to　Tegea；　where　he　ended　his　days。　But　these　events　took　place　long　afterwards。　　　　　At　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking；　Cleomenes；　having　carried　his　proceedings　in　the　matter　of　Demaratus　to　a　prosperous　issue；　forthwith　took　Leotychides　with　him；　and　crossed　over　to　attack　the　Eginetans；　for　his　anger　was　hot　against　them　on　account　of　the　affront　which　they　had　formerly　put　upon　him。　Hereupon　the　Eginetans；　seeing　that　both　the　kings　were　come　against　them；　thought　it　best　to　make　no　further　resistance。　So　the　two　kings　picked　out　from　all　Egina　the　ten　men　who　for　wealth　and　birth　stood　the　highest；　among　whom　were　Crius；　son　of　Polycritus；　and　Casambus；　son　of　Aristocrates；　who　wielded　the　chief　power；　and　these　men　they　carried　with　them　to　Attica；　and　there　deposited　them　in　the　hands　of　the　Athenians；　the　great　enemies　of　the　Eginetans。　　　　　Afterwards；　when　it　came　to　be　known　what　evil　arts　had　been　used　against　Demaratus；　Cleomenes　was　seized　with　fear　of　his　own　countrymen；　and　fled　into　Thessaly。　From　thence　he　passed　into　Arcadia；　where　he　began　to　stir　up　troubles；　and　endeavoured　to　unite　the　Arcadians　against　Sparta。　He　bound　them　by　various　oaths　to　follow　him　whithersoever　he　should　lead；　and　was　even　desirous　of　taking　their　chief　leaders　with　him　to　the　city　of　Nonacris；　that　he　might　swear　them　to　his　cause　by　the　waters　of　the　Styx。　For　the　waters　of　Styx；　as　the　Arcadians　say；　are　in　that　city；　and　this　is　the　appearance　they　present：　you　see　a　little　water；　dripping　from　a　rock　into　a　basin；　which　is　fenced　round　by　a　low　wall。　Nonacris；　where　this　fountain　is　to　be　seen；　is　a　city　of　Arcadia　near　Pheneus。　　　　　　When　the　Lacedaemonians　heard　how　Cleomenes　was　engaged；　they　were　afraid；　and　agreed　with　him　that　he　should　come　back　to　Sparta　and　be　king　as　before。　So　Cleomenes　came　back；　but　had　no　sooner　returned　than　he；　who　had　never　been　altogether　of　sound　mind；　was　smitten　with　downright　madness。　This　he　showed　by　striking　every　Spartan　he　met　upon　the　face　with　his　sceptre。　On　his　behaving　thus；　and　showing　that　he　was　gone　quite　out　of　his　mind；　his　kindred　imprisoned　him；　and　even　put　his　feet　in　the　stocks。　While　so　bound；　finding　himself　left　alone　with　a　single　keeper；　he　asked　the　man　for　a　knife。　The　keeper　at　first　refused；　whereupon　Cleomenes　began　to　threaten　him；　until　at　last　he　was　afraid；　being　only　a　helot；　and　gave　him　what　he　required。　Cleomenes　had　no　sooner　got　the　steel　than；　beginning　at　his　legs；　he　horribly　disfigured　himself；　cutting　gashes　in　his　flesh；　along　his　legs；　thighs；　hips；　and　loins；　until　at　last　he　reached　his　belly；　which　he　likewise　began　to　gash；　whereupon　in　a　little　time　he　died。　The　Greeks　generally　think　that　this　fate　came　upon　him　because　he　induced　the　Pythoness　to　pronounce　against　Demaratus；　the　Athenians　differ　from　all　others　in　saying　that　it　was　because　he　cut　down　the　sacred　grove　of　the　goddesses　when　he　made　his　invasion　by　Eleusis；　while　the　Argives　ascribe　it　to　his　having　taken　from　their　refuge　and　cut　to　pieces　certain　argives　who　had　fled　from　battle　into　a　precinct　sacred　to　Argus；　where　Cleomenes　slew　them；　burning　likewise　at　the　same　time；　through　irreverence；　the　grove　itself。　　　　　For　once；　when　Cleomenes　had　sent　to　Delphi　to　consult　the　oracle；　it　was　prophesied　to　him　that　he　should　take　Argos；　upon　which　he　went　out　at　the　head　of　the　Spartans；　and　led　them　to　the　river　Erasinus。　This　stream　is　reported　to　flow　from　the　Stymphalian　lake；　the　waters　of　which　empty　themselves　into　a　pitch…dark　chasm；　and　then　（as　they　say）　reappear　in　Argos；　where　the　Argives　call　them　the　Erasinus。　Cleomenes；　having　arrived　upon　the　banks　of　this　river；　proceeded　to　offer　sacrifice　to　it；　but；　in　spite　of　all　that　he　could　do；　the　victims　were　not　favourable　to　his　crossing。　So　he　said　that　he　admired　the　god　for　refusing　to　betray　his　countrymen；　but　still　the　Argives　should　not　escape　him　for　all　that。　He　then　withdrew　his　troops；　and　led　them　down　to　Thyrea；　where　he　sacrificed　a　bull　to　the　sea；　and　conveyed　his　men　on　shipboard　to　Nauplia　in　the　Tirynthian　territory。　　　　　The　Argives；　when　they　heard　of　this；　marched　down　to　the　sea　to　defend　their　country；　and　arriving　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Tiryns；　at　the　place　which　bears　the　name　of　Sepeia；　they　pitched　their　camp　opposite　to　the　Lacedaemonians；　leaving　no　great　space　between　the　hosts。　And　now　their　fear　was　not　so　much　lest　they　should　be　worsted　in　open　fight　as　lest　some　trick　should　be　practised　on　them；　for　such　was　the　danger　which　the　oracle　given　to　them　in　common　with　the　Milesians　seemed　to　intimate。　The　oracle　ran　as　follows：…

　　　　Time　shall　be　when　the　female　shall　conquer　the　male；　and　shall　　　　　　　chase　him　　　　　Far　away…　gaining　so　great　praise　and　honour　in　Argos；　　　　　Then　full　many　an　Argive　woman　her　cheeks　shall　mangle　　　　　Hence；　in　the　times　to　come　'twill　be　said　by　the　men　who　are　　　　　　　unborn；　　　　　〃Tamed　by　the　spear　expired　the　coiled　terrible　serpent。〃

At　the　coincidence　of　all　these　things　the　Argives　were　greatly　cast　down；　and　so　they　resolved　that　they　would　follow　the　signals　of　the　enemy's　herald。　Having　made　this　resolve；　they　proceeded　to　act　as　follows：　whenever　the　herald　of　the　Lacedaemonians　gave　an　order　to　the　soldiers　of　his　own　army；　the　Argives　did　the　like　on　their　side。　　　　　Now　when　Cleomenes　heard　that　the　Argives　were　acting　thus；　he　commanded　his　troops　that；　so　soon　as　the　herald　gave　the　word　for　the　soldiers　to　go　to　dinner；　they　should　instantly　seize　their　arms　and　charge　the　host　of　the　enemy。　Which　the　Lacedaemonians　did　accordingly；　and　fell　upon　the　Argives　just　as；　following　the　signal；　they　had　begun　their　repast；　whereby　it　came　to　pass　that　vast　numbers　of　the　Argives　were　slain；　while　the　rest；　who　were　more　than　they　which　died　in　the　fight；　were　driven　to　take　refuge　in　the　grove　of　Argus　hard　by；　where　they　were　surrounded；　and　watch　kept　upon　them。　　　　　When　things　were　at　this　pass　Cleomenes　acted　as　follows：　Having　learnt　the　names　of　the　Argives　who　were　shut　up　in　the　sacred　precinct　from　certain　deserters　who　had　come　over　to　him；　he　sent　a　herald　to　summon　them　one　by　one；　on　pretence　of　having　received　their　ransoms。　Now　the　ransom　of　prisoners　among　the　Peloponnesians　is　fixed　at　two　minae　the　man。　So　Cleomenes　had　these　persons　called　forth　severally；　to　the　number　of　fifty；　or　thereabouts；　and　massacred　them。　All　this　while　they　who　remained　in　the　enclosure　knew　nothing　of　what　was　happening；　for　the　grove　was　so　thick　that　the　people　inside　were　unable　to　see　what　was　taking　place　without。　But　at　last　one　of　their　number　climbed　up　into　a　tree　and　spied　the　treachery；　after　which　none　of　those　who　were　summoned　would　go　forth。　　　　　Then　Cleomenes　ordered　all　the　helots　to　bring　brushwood；　and　heap　it　around　the　grove；　which　was　done　accordingly；　and　Cleomenes　set　the　grove　on　fire。　As　the　flames　spread　he　asked　a　deserter　〃Who　was　the　god　of　the　grove？〃　whereto　the　other　made　answer；　〃Argus。〃　So　he；　when　he　heard　that；　uttered　a　loud　groan；　and　said：…　　　　　〃Greatly　hast　thou　deceived　me；　Apollo；　god　of　prophecy；　in　saying　that　I　should　take　Argos。　I　fear　me　thy　oracle　has　now　got　its　accomplishment。〃　　　　　Cleomenes　now　sent　home　the　greater　part　of　his　army；　while　with　a　thousand　of　his　best　troops　he　proceeded　to　the　temple　of　Juno；　to　offer　sacrifice。　When　however　he　would　have　slain　the　victim　on　the　altar　himself；　the　priest　forbade　him；　as　it　was　not　lawful　（he　said）　for　a　foreigner　to　sacrifice　in　that　temple。　At　this　Cleomenes　ordered　his　helots　to　drag　the　priest　from　the　altar　and　scourge　him；　while　he　performed　the　sacrifice　himself；　after　which　he　went　back　to　Sparta。　　　　　Thereupon　his　enemies　brought　him　up　before　the　Ephors；　and　made　it　a　charge　against　him　that　he　had　allowed　himself　to　be　bribed；　and　on　that　account　had　not　taken　Argos　when　he　might　have　captured　it　easily。　To　this　he　answered…　whether　truly　or　falsely　I　cannot　say　with　certainty…　but　at　any　rate　his　answer　to　the　charge　was　that　〃so　soon　as　he　discovered　the　sacred　precinct　which　he　had　taken　to　belong　to　Argos；　he　directly　imagined　that　the　oracle　had　received　its　accomplishment；　he　therefore　thought　it　not　good　to　attempt　the　town；　at　the　least　until　he　had　inquired　by　sacrifice；　and　ascertained　if　the　god　meant　to　grant　him　the　place；　or　was　determined　to　oppose　his　taking　it。　So　he　offered　in　the　temple　of　Juno；　and　when　the　omens　were　propitious；　imme