---
title: "Bravery of Women · Mulierum virtutes"
author: "Plutarch"
translator: "Isaac Chauncy, rev. William W. Goodwin"
languages: [grc, en]
shelf: "Philosophy"
url: https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/
cite: "Plutarch, tr. Isaac Chauncy, rev. William W. Goodwin, Bravery of Women · Mulierum virtutes. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/"
---

# Bravery of Women · Mulierum virtutes

*Plutarch, tr. Isaac Chauncy, rev. William W. Goodwin*

Stories of the courage of women, the Trojan women, the women of Argos, Chiomara and others.

> Greek: ed. Grēgorios N. Vernardakēs, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-greekLit, tlg0007.tlg083, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Isaac Chauncy, rev. William W. Goodwin, from the Perseus Digital Library (tlg0007.tlg083.perseus-eng4). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## Contents

1. [Sections 1–13](https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/1.md)
2. [Sections 14–19](https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/2.md)
3. [Sections 19–27](https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/3.md)

## 1. Sections 1–13

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/1/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/1/#p-N

[¶0] 0. Concerning the virtues of women, O Clea, I am not of the same mind with Thucydides. For he would prove that she is the best woman concerning whom there is the least discourse made by people abroad, either to her praise or dispraise; judging that, as the person, so the very name of a good woman ought to be retired and not gad abroad. But to us Gorgias seems more accurate, who requires that not only the face but the fame of a woman should be known to many. For the Roman law seems exceeding good, which permits due praises to be given publicly both to men and women after death. Wherefore when Leontis, a most excellent woman, departed this life, immediately we made a long oration to thee about her, and truly not devoid of philosophical consolation; and now (as thou didst desire) I send thee in writing the rest of my speech and conversation, carrying with it an historical demonstration that the virtue of a man and woman is one and the same. And although it be not composed for the tickling of the ear, yet if there be jucundity in the nature of an example to him that is persuaded of the truth of it, my narration fails riot of that grace which works conviction; neither is it ashamed of commixing the Graces with the Muses in the sweetest harmony (as Euripides saith), while it engageth confidence especially through that part of the soul which is studious of grace and beauty. For surely, if, whilst we asserted the art of painting to be the same, whether performed by men or women, we produced the same sort of draughts wrought by women which Apelles, Zeuxis, or Nicomachus hath left, is there any one who would reprehend us as attempting rather to humor and cajole men than to convince them? Verily I do not think it. Moreover, if, whilst we go to make appear that the poetic or comic art is not one thing in men and another in women, we compare Sappho’s verses with Anacreon’s, or the Sibylline oracles with those of Bacis, can any one justly blame this way of argumentation, because it insinuates a credence into the pleased and delighted hearers? No one surely would say this. Neither can a man truly any waybetter learn the resemblance and the difference between feminine and virile virtue than by comparing together lives with lives, exploits with exploits, as the products of some great art; duly considering whether the magnanimity of Semiramis carries with it the same character and impression with that of Sesostris, or the cunning of Tanaquil the same with that of King Servius, or the discretion of Porcia the same with that of Brutus, or that of Pelopidas with Timoclea,— regarding that quality of these virtues wherein lie their chiefest point and force. Moreover, virtues do admit some other differences, like peculiar colors, by reason of men’s dispositions, and are assimilated to the manners and temperaments of the bodies wherein they are, yea, to the education and manner of diet. Achilles was courageous in one manner, Ajax in another; the subtlety of Ulysses was not like that of Nestor, neither were Cato and Agesilaus just after the same manner; neither was Eirene a lover of her husband as Alcestis was; neither was Cornelia magnanimous in the same way with Olympias. But, for all this, we do not say that there are many kinds of fortitude, prudence, and justice specifically distinct, so long as their individual dissimilitudes exclude none of them from the specific definitions. Those things now which are very commonly discoursed of, and of which I know thou hast had the exact history and knowledge from solid books, I will at present omit, unless there be some public and recorded matters worth your hearing, which have escaped the historians of former times. And seeing that many worthy things, both public and private, have been done by women, it is not amiss to give a brief historical account of those that are public, in the first place.

> Greek: 0. περὶ ἀρετῆς, ὦ Κλέα, γυναικῶν οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ Θουκυδίδῃ γνώμην ἔχομεν. ὁ μὲν γάρ, ἧς ἂν ἐλάχιστος ᾖ παρὰ τοῖς ἐκτὸς ψόγου πέρι ἢ ἐπαίνου λόγος, ἀρίστην ἀποφαίνεται, καθάπερ τὸ σῶμα καὶ τοὔνομα τῆς ἀγαθῆς γυναικὸς οἰόμενος δεῖν κατάκλειστον εἶναι καὶ ἀνέξοδον. ἡμῖν δὲ κομψότερος μὲν ὁ Γοργίας φαίνεται, κελεύων μὴ τὸ εἶδος ἀλλὰ τὴν δόξαν εἶναι πολλοῖς γνώριμον τῆς γυναικός· ἄριστα δʼ ὁ Ῥωμαίων δοκεῖ νόμος ἔχειν, ὥσπερ ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναιξὶ δημοσίᾳ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν τοὺς προσήκοντας ἀποδιδοὺς ἐπαίνους. διὸ καὶ Λεοντίδος τῆς ἀρίστης ἀποθανούσης εὐθύς τε μετὰ σοῦ τότε πολὺν λόγον εἴχομεν οὐκ ἀμοιροῦντα παραμυθίας φιλοσόφου, καὶ νῦν, ὡς ἐβουλήθης, τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τῶν λεγομένων εἰς τὸ μίαν εἶναι καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς ἀρετὴν προσανέγραψά σοι, τὸ ἱστορικὸν ἀποδεικτικὸν ἔχοντα καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν μὲν ἀκοῆς οὐ συντεταγμένον εἰ δὲ τῷ πείθοντι καὶ τὸ τέρπον ἔνεστι φύσει τοῦ παραδείγματος, οὐ φεύγει χάριν ἀποδείξεως συνεργὸν ὁ λόγος οὐδʼ αἰσχύνεται ταῖς Μούσαις τὰς Χάριτας συγκαταμιγνὺς καλλίστην συζυγίαν ὡς Εὐριπίδης φησίν, ἐκ τοῦ φιλοκάλου μάλιστα τῆς ψυχῆς ἀναδούμενος τὴν πίστιν. φέρε γάρ, εἰ λέγοντες τὴν αὐτὴν εἶναι ζωγραφίαν ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν παρειχόμεθα τοιαύτας γραφὰς γυναικῶν, οἵας Ἀπελλῆς ἀπολέλοιπεν ἢ Ζεῦξις ἢ Νικόμαχος, ἆρʼ ἄν τις ἐπετίμησεν ἡμῖν, ὡς τοῦ χαρίζεσθαι καὶ ψυχαγωγεῖν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ πείθειν στοχαζομένοις; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶμαι. τί δέ; ἐὰν ποιητικὴν πάλιν ἢ μαντικὴν ἀποφαίνοντες οὐχ ἑτέραν μὲν ἀνδρῶν ἑτέραν δὲ γυναικῶν οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτήν, τὰ Σαπφοῦς μέλη τοῖς Ἀνακρέοντος ἢ τὰ Σιβύλλης λόγια τοῖς Βάκιδος ἀντιπαραβάλλωμεν, ἕξει τις αἰτιάσασθαι δικαίως τὴν ἀπόδειξιν, ὅτι χαίροντα καὶ τερπόμενον ἐπάγει τῇ πίστει τὸν ἀκροατήν; οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἂν εἴποις. καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρετῆς γυναικείας καὶ ἀνδρείας ὁμοιότητα καὶ διαφορὰν ἄλλοθεν καταμαθεῖν μᾶλλον, ἢ βίους βίοις καὶ πράξεσι πράξεις ὥσπερ ἔργα μεγάλης τέχνης παρατιθέντας ἅμα καὶ σκοποῦντας, εἰ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει χαρακτῆρα καὶ τύπον ἡ Σεμιράμεως μεγαλοπραγμοσύνη τῇ Σεσώστριος ἢ ἡ Τανακυλλίδος σύνεσις τῇ Σερουίου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἢ τὸ Πορκίας φρόνημα τῷ Βρούτου καὶ τὸ Πελοπίδου τῷ Τιμοκλείας, κατὰ τὴν κυριωτάτην κοινότητα καὶ δύναμιν· ἐπειδὴ διαφορὰς γέ τινας ἑτέρας, ὥσπερ χρόας ἰδίας, αἱ ἀρεταὶ διὰ τὰς φύσεις λαμβάνουσι καὶ συνεξομοιοῦνται τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις ἔθεσι καὶ κράσεσι σωμάτων καὶ τροφαῖς καὶ διαίταις· ἄλλως γὰρ ἀνδρεῖος ὁ Ἀχιλλεὺς ἄλλως ὁ Αἴας· καὶ φρόνησις Ὀδυσσέως οὐχ ὁμοία τῇ Νέστορος οὐδὲ δίκαιος ὡσαύτως Κάτων καὶ Ἀγησίλαος, οὐδʼ Εἰρήνη φίλανδρος ὡς Ἄλκηστις οὐδὲ Κορνηλία μεγαλόφρων ὡς Ὀλυμπιάς. ἀλλὰ μὴ παρὰ τοῦτο πολλὰς καὶ διαφόρους ποιῶμεν ἀνδρείας καὶ φρονήσεις καὶ δικαιοσύνας, ἂν μόνον τοῦ λόγου τοῦ οἰκείου μηδεμίαν αἱ καθʼ ἕκαστον ἀνομοιότητες ἐκβιβάζωσι. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄγαν περιβόητα καὶ ὅσων οἶμαί σε βιβλίοις ἐντυχοῦσαν ἱστορίαν ἔχειν καὶ γνῶσιν ἤδη παρήσω· πλὴν εἰ μή τινα τοὺς τὰ κοινὰ καὶ δεδημευμένα πρὸ ἡμῶν ἱστορήσαντας ἀκοῆς ἄξια διαπέφευγεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ κοινῇ καὶ ἰδίᾳ γυναιξὶν ἄξια λόγου πέπρακται, βραχέα τῶν κοινῶν οὐ χεῖρόν ἐστι προϊστορῆσαι.

[¶1] 1. Of those that escaped at the taking of Troy the most part were exercised with much tempestuous weather, and being inexperienced in navigation and unacquainted with the sea, they were wafted over into Italy; and about the river Tiber they made a very narrow escape by putting into such ports and havens as they could meet with. Whilst the men went about the country to enquire after pilots, there fell out a discourse among the women, that for a people as fortunate and happy as they had been, any fixed habitation on the land was better than perpetual wandering over the sea; and that they must make a new country for themselves, seeing it was impossible to recover that which they had lost. Upon this, complotting together, they set fire on the ships, Roma (as they say) being one of the first in the attempt. But having done these things, they went to meet their husbands, who were running towards the sea to the relief of the ships; and fearing their indignation, they laid hold some of them on their husbands, and some on their kinsfolk, and fell a kissing them soundly; by which carriage they obtained their charitable reception. Wherefore it hath been formerly, and now remains to be a custom among the Romans, for the women to salute their kinsfolk that come unto them by kissing. The Trojans as it seems, being sensible of the strait they were in, and having also made some experience of the natives entertaining them with much bounty and humanity, applauded the exploit of the women, and sat down by the Latins.

> Greek: 1. τῶν ἀπʼ Ἰλίου περὶ τὴν ἅλωσιν ἐκφυγόντων οἱ πλεῖστοι χειμῶνι χρησάμενοι, καὶ διʼ ἀπειρίαν τοῦ πλοῦ καὶ ἄγνοιαν τῆς θαλάττης ἀπενεχθέντες εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν καὶ περὶ τὸν Θύμβριν ποταμὸν ὅρμοις καὶ ναυλόχοις ἀναγκαίοις μόλις ὑποδραμόντες, αὐτοὶ μὲν ἐπλανῶντο περὶ τὴν χώραν φραστήρων δεόμενοι, ταῖς δὲ γυναιξὶν ἐμπίπτει λογισμός, ὡς ἡτισοῦν ἵδρυσις ἐν γῇ πάσης πλάνης καὶ ναυτιλίας εὖ τε καὶ καλῶς πράττουσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀμείνων ἐστί, καὶ πατρίδα δεῖ ποιεῖν αὐτούς, ἀπολαβεῖν ἣν ἀπολωλέκασι μὴ δυναμένους. ἐκ δὲ τούτου συμφρονήσασαι κατέφλεξαν τὰ πλοῖα, μιᾶς καταρξαμένης ὥς φασι Ῥώμης. πράξασαι δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἀπήντων βοηθοῦσι πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ φοβούμεναι τὴν ὀργὴν αἱ μὲν ἀνδρῶν αἱ δʼ οἰκείων ἀντιλαμβανόμεναι καὶ καταφιλοῦσαι λιπαρῶς, ἐξεπράυναν τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς φιλοφροσύνης. διὸ καὶ γέγονε καὶ παραμένει ταῖς Ῥωμαίων γυναιξὶν ἔτι νῦν ἔθος ἀσπάζεσθαι μετὰ τοῦ καταφιλεῖν τοὺς κατὰ γένος προσήκοντας αὐταῖς. συνιδόντες γὰρ ὡς ἔοικε τὴν ἀνάγκην οἱ Τρῶες καὶ ἅμα πειρώμενοι τῶν ἐγχωρίων, εὐμενῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως προσδεχομένων, ἠγάπησαν τὸ πραχθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ συγκατῴκησαν αὐτόθι τοῖς Λατίνοις.

[¶2] 2. The action of the women of Phocis hath not fallen under the cognizance of any noted writer of that age, and vet there was never a more memorable deed of virtue wrought by women,—the which is attested by those famous sacred rites performed by the Phocians at Hyampolis, and by ancient decrees. The total history of the transaction is particularly recorded in the Life of Daiphantus. The story of those women is this. There was an implacable war between the Thessalians and the Phocians. For these (the Phocians) slew all the Thessalian governors and magistrates in the cities of Phocis in one day. Whereupon they (the Thessalians) slew two hundred and fifty Phocian hostages, and with their whole host marched up against them through Locris, publishing their resolution to spare no men that were of age, and to sell the women and children for slaves. Daiphantus therefore, the son of Bathyllius, a triumvir, governor of Phocis, persuaded the Phocian men themselves to go to meet the Thessalians in battle; but as for the women, together with their children, that they should assemble them from all the parts of Phocis into one place, which they should pile round with combustible matter, and should leave a watch, to whom they should give in charge, that if he perceived that the men were conquered, he should immediately set fire to the pile and burn all the bodies to ashes. The counsels were agreed to by sone, but one stands up and saith: It is just that these things be consented to by the women also, and if they do not cheerfully submit to it, they should have no force offered to them. The account of this discourse being come to the women, they assembled together by themselves, and carried it by vote, and applauded Daiphantus as a man that best consulted the affairs of Phocis; they say also, that the children meeting together privately voted the same things. These matters being thus settled, the Phocians joining battle at Cleonae, a town of Hyampolis, got the victory. Hence the Grecians call this vote of the Phocian women Aponoia (the desperate resolve). And of all the festivals this of the Elaphebolia is the greatest, which they observe to Diana in Hyampolis to this day, in remembrance of this victory.

> Greek: 2. τὸ δὲ τῶν Φωκίδων ἐνδόξου μὲν οὐ τετύχηκε συγγραφέως, οὐδενὸς δὲ τῶν γυναικείων ἔλαττον εἰς ἀρετήν ἐστι, μαρτυρούμενον ἱεροῖς τε μεγάλοις, ἃ δρῶσι Φωκεῖς ἔτι νῦν περὶ Ὑάμπολιν, καὶ δόγμασι παλαιοῖς, ὧν τὸ μὲν καθʼ ἕκαστον τῆς πράξεως ἐν τῷ Δαϊφάντου βίῳ γέγραπται, τὸ δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. ἄσπονδος ἦν Θετταλοῖς πρὸς Φωκέας πόλεμος· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν καὶ τυράννους ἐν ταῖς Φωκικαῖς πόλεσιν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ πάντας ἀπέκτειναν, οἱ δὲ πεντήκοντα καὶ διακοσίους ἐκείνων ὁμήρους κατηλόησαν εἶτα πανστρατιᾷ διὰ Λοκρῶν ἐνέβαλον, δόγμα θέμενοι μηδενὸς φείδεσθαι τῶν ἐν ἡλικίᾳ, παῖδας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἀνδραποδίσασθαι. Δαΐφαντος οὖν ὁ Βαθυλλίου, τρίτος αὐτὸς ἄρχων, ἔπεισε τοὺς Φωκεῖς μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀπαντήσαντας τοῖς Θετταλοῖς μάχεσθαι, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις εἰς ἕνα ποι τόπον συναγαγόντας ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς Φωκίδος, ὕλην τε περινῆσαι ξύλων καὶ φυλακὰς καταλιπεῖν, πρόσταγμα δόντας, ἂν αἴσθωνται νικωμένους αὐτούς, κατὰ τάχος τὴν ὕλην ἀνάψαι καὶ καταπρῆσαι τὰ σώματα. ψηφισαμένων δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ἄλλων, εἷς ἐξαναστὰς ἔφη δίκαιον εἶναι ταῦτα συνδοκεῖν καὶ ταῖς γυναιξίν εἰ δὲ μή, χαίρειν ἐᾶν καὶ μὴ προσβιάζεσθαι. τούτου τοῦ λόγου διελθόντος εἰς τὰς γυναῖκας, αὐταὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὰς συνελθοῦσαι ταὐτὰ ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ τὸν Δαΐφαντον ἀνέδησαν, ὡς τὰ ἄριστα τῇ Φωκίδι. βεβουλευμένον τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἰδίᾳ φασὶν ἐκκλησιάσαντας ἐπιψηφίσασθαι. πραχθέντων δὲ τούτων, συμβαλόντες οἱ Φωκεῖς περὶ Κλεωνὰς τῆς Ὑαμπόλιδος ἐνίκησαν τὸ μὲν οὖν ψήφισμα Φωκέων ἀπόνοιαν οἱ Ἕλληνες ὠνόμασαν· ἑορτὴν δʼ ἐκ πασῶν μεγίστην τὰ Ἐλαφηβόλια μέχρι νῦν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι τῆς νίκης ἐκείνης ἐν Ὑαμπόλιδι τελοῦσιν.

[¶3] 3. The people of Chios possessed themselves of Leuconia upon this occasion following. A certain famous man of the nobles of Chios was married; whilst the bride was drawn in her chariot, King Hippoclus, an intimate friend of the bridegroom’s, being present with the rest, and also fuddled and merry, leaped into the chariot, not designing any incivility, but only to keep up the usual custom and to make sport. However, the bridegroom’s friends slew him. The effects of divine displeasure appearing against the people of Chios, and the oracle commanding them to slay the slayers of Hippoclus, they replied, We have all of us slain Hippoclus. The oracle commanded them all therefore to depart the city, if all did partake of the guilt. So that at length the principals, accessories, and abettors of the murder by any means whatsoever, being not a few in number nor feeble for strength, transplanted themselves into Leuconia, which the Chians had once taken from the Coroneans by the aid of the Erythraeans. Afterward a war arising between them and the Erythraeans, by far the most potent people among the Ionians, when the latter invaded Leuco nia, the men of Chios were not able to defend themselves and came to an agreement to depart upon these terms that every one should take with him only one cloak and one coat, and nothing else. But the women of Chios upbraided them as mean-spirited men, that they would lay down their weapons and go naked men through their enemies. And when they made answer that they were sworn so to do, they charged them not to leave their weapons behind them, but to say to their adversaries, that the spear is a cloak and the buckler a coat to every man of courage. The men of Chios being persuaded to these things, and emboldening themselves courageously against the Erythraeans, and showing their weapons, the Erythraeans were amazed at their audacity, and none opposed or hindered them, but were glad of their departure. These men therefore, being taught courage by the women in this manner, made a safe escape. Many years after this there was another exploit, nothing inferior to this in fortitude, performed by the women of Chios. When Philip, the son of Demetrius, besieged the city, he set forth a barbarous and insolent proclamation, inviting the servants to a defection upon promise of liberty and marriage of their mistresses, saying that he would give them their masters’ wives into their possession. At this the women were dreadfully and outrageously incensed; and also the servants were no less provoked to indignation, and were ready to assist. Therefore they rushed forth furiously and ascended the wall, bringing stones and darts, encouraging and animating the soldiers; so that in the end these women discomfited and repulsed the enemy, and caused Philip to raise his siege, while not so much as one servant fell off to him.

> Greek: 3. Χῖοι Λευκωνίαν ἐπῴκισαν ἐκ τοιαύτης αἰτίας. ἐγάμει τις ἐν Χίῳ τῶν δοκούντων γνωρίμων εἶναι· ἀγομένης δὲ τῆς νύμφης ἐπὶ ζεύγους, ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἵπποκλος, ἐπιτήδειος ὢν τῷ γαμοῦντι καὶ παρὼν ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποί, μέθης οὔσης καὶ γέλωτος, ἀνεπήδησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ζεῦγος, οὐδὲν ὑβριστικὸν πράξων, ἀλλʼ ἔθει κοινῷ καὶ παιδιᾷ χρώμενος· οἱ δὲ φίλοι τοῦ γαμοῦντος ἀπέκτειναν αὐτόν. μηνιμάτων δὲ τοῖς Χίοις προφαινομένων καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ κελεύσαντος τοὺς Ἵπποκλον ἀνελόντας ἀνελεῖν, ἅπαντες ἔφασαν Ἵπποκλον ἀνῃρηκέναι. πάντας οὖν αὖθις ὁ θεὸς ἐκέλευσε τὴν πόλιν ἐκλιπεῖν, εἰ πᾶσι τοῦ ἄγους μέτεστιν. οὕτω δὴ τοὺς αἰτίους καὶ μετασχόντας τοῦ φόνου καὶ συνεπαινέσαντας ἁμωσγέπως, οὐκ ὀλίγους γενομένους οὐδʼ ἀδυνάτους ὄντας, ἀπῴκισαν εἰς Λευκωνίαν, ἣν Κορωνεῖς ἀφελόμενοι πρότερον ἐκτήσαντο μετʼ Ἐρυθραίων. ὕστερον δὲ πολέμου πρὸς τοὺς Ἐρυθραίους αὐτοῖς γενομένου, μέγιστον Ἰώνων δυναμένους τότε, κἀκείνων ἐπὶ τὴν Λευκωνίαν στρατευσάντων ἀντέχειν μὴ δυνάμενοι, συνεχώρησαν ἐξελθεῖν ὑπόσπονδοι, χλαῖναν μίαν ἑκάστου καὶ ἱμάτιον ἄλλο δὲ μηδὲν ἔχοντος. αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἐκάκιζον αὐτούς, εἰ προέμενοι τὰ ὅπλα γυμνοὶ διὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐξίασιν ὀμωμοκέναι δὲ φασκόντων, ἐκέλευον αὐτοὺς τὰ μὲν ὅπλα μὴ καταλιπεῖν, λέγειν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ὅτι χλαῖνα μέν ἐστι, τὸ ξυστόν, χιτὼν δʼ ἡ ἀσπὶς ἀνδρὶ θυμὸν ἔχοντι. πεισθέντων δὲ ταῦτα τῶν Χίων καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἐρυθραίους παρρησιαζομένων καὶ τὰ ὅπλα δεικνυόντων, ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ Ἐρυθραῖοι τὴν τόλμαν αὐτῶν καὶ οὐδεὶς προσῆλθεν οὐδʼ ἐκώλυσεν, ἀλλʼ ἠγάπησαν ἀπαλλαγέντων. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν θαρρεῖν διδαχθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν οὕτως ἐσώθησαν. τούτου δʼ οὐδέν τι λειπόμενον ἔργον ἀρετῇ καὶ χρόνοις ὕστερον πολλοῖς ἐπράχθη ταῖς Χίων γυναιξίν, ὁπηνίκα Φίλιππος ὁ Δημητρίου πολιορκῶν τὴν πόλιν ἐκήρυξε κήρυγμα βάρβαρον καὶ ὑπερήφανον, ἀφίστασθαι τοὺς οἰκέτας πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ γάμῳ τῆς κεκτημένης, ὡς συνοικιῶν αὐτοὺς ταῖς τῶν δεσποτῶν γυναιξί. δεινὸν δʼ αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ ἄγριον θυμὸν λαβοῦσαι, μετὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν καὶ αὐτῶν συναγανακτούντων καὶ συμπαρόντων ὥρμησαν ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη, καὶ λίθους καὶ βέλη προσφέρουσαι καὶ παρακελευόμεναι καὶ προσλιπαροῦσαι τοῖς μαχομένοις, τέλος δʼ ἀμυνόμεναι καὶ βάλλουσαι τοὺς πολεμίους, ἀπώσαντο τὸν Φίλιππον, οὐδενὸς δούλου τὸ παράπαν ἀποστάντος πρὸς αὐτόν.

[¶4] 4. Of all the renowned actions performed by women, none was more famous than the fight with Cleomenes in the country of Argos, whom Telesilla the poetess by her influence defeated. This woman they say was of an honorable family, but had a sickly body; she therefore sent to consult the oracle concerning her health. Answer was made, that she must be a servant to the Muses. Accordingly she becomes obedient to the Goddess, applying herself to poetry and music; her distempers left her, and she became the mirror of women in the art of poetry. Now when Cleomenes, king of the Spartans, having slain many Argives (but not so many as some fabulously reported, to wit, 7,777), marched up against the city, the youthful women were (as it were) divinely inspired with desperate resolution and courage to repulse the enemies out of their native country. They take arms under the conduct of Telesilla, they place themselves upon the battlements, they crown the walls, even to the admiration of the enemy; they by a sally beat off Cleomenes, with the slaughter of many of his men; and as for the other king, Demaratus (as Socrates saith), he having entered the city and possessed him of the socalled Pamphyliacum, they beat him out. In this manner the city being preserved, those women that were slain in the engagement they buried by the Argive road; to them that escaped they gave the honor of erecting the statue of Mars, in perpetual memorial of their bravery. Some say this fight was on the seventh day of the month; others say it was on the first day of the month, which is now called the fourth and was anciently called Hermaeus by the Argives; upon which day, even to this time, they perform their Hybristica (i.e., their sacred rites of incivility), clothing the women with men’s coats and cloaks, but the men with women’s veils and petticoats. To repair the scarcity of men, they admitted not slaves, as Herodotus saith, but the best sort of the adjacent inhabitants to be citizens, and married them to the widows; and these the women thought meet to reproach and undervalue at bed and board, as worse than themselves; whence there was a law made, that married women should wear beards when they lay with their husbands.

> Greek: 4. οὐδενὸς δʼ ἧττον ἔνδοξόν ἐστι τῶν κοινῇ διαπεπραγμένων γυναιξὶν ἔργων ὁ πρὸς Κλεομένη περὶ Ἄργους ἀγών, ὃν ἠγωνίσαντο, Τελεσίλλης τῆς ποιητρίας προτρεψαμένης ταύτην δέ φασιν οἰκίας οὖσαν ἐνδόξου τῷ δὲ σώματι νοσηματικὴν εἰς θεοῦ πέμψαι περὶ ὑγιείας· καὶ χρησθὲν αὐτῇ Μούσας θεραπεύειν, πειθομένην τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐπιθεμένην ᾠδῇ καὶ ἁρμονίᾳ τοῦ τε πάθους ἀπαλλαγῆναι ταχὺ καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι διὰ ποιητικὴν ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν. ἐπεὶ δὲ Κλεομένης ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν πολλοὺς ἀποκτείνας οὐ μήν, ὡς ἔνιοι μυθολογοῦσιν, ἑπτὰ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ ἑπτακοσίους πρὸς ἑπτακισχιλίοις ἐβάδιζε πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, ὁρμὴ καὶ τόλμα δαιμόνιος παρέστη ταῖς ἀκμαζούσαις τῶν γυναικῶν ἀμύνεσθαι τοὺς πολεμίους ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος. ἡγουμένης δὲ τῆς Τελεσίλλης, ὅπλα λαμβάνουσι καὶ παρʼ ἔπαλξιν ἱστάμεναι κύκλῳ τὰ τείχη περιέστεψαν, ὥστε θαυμάζειν τοὺς πολεμίους. τὸν μὲν οὖν Κλεομένη πολλῶν πεσόντων ἀπεκρούσαντο· τὸν δʼ ἕτερον βασιλέα Δημάρατον, ὡς Σωκράτης φησίν, ἐντὸς γενόμενον καὶ κατασχόντα τὸ Παμφυλιακὸν ἐξέωσαν. οὕτω δὲ τῆς πόλεως περιγενομένης, τὰς μὲν πεσούσας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τῶν γυναικῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς Ἀργείας ἔθαψαν, ταῖς δὲ σωθείσαις ὑπόμνημα τῆς ἀριστείας ἔδοσαν ἱδρύσασθαι τὸν Ἐνυάλιον. τὴν δὲ μάχην οἱ μὲν ἑβδόμῃ λέγουσιν ἱσταμένου μηνός, οἱ δὲ νουμηνίᾳ γενέσθαι τοῦ νῦν μὲν τετάρτου, πάλαι δʼ Ἑρμαίου παρʼ Ἀργείοις, καθʼ ἣν μέχρι νῦν τὰ Ὑβριστικὰ τελοῦσι, γυναῖκας μὲν ἀνδρείοις χιτῶσι καὶ χλαμύσιν, ἄνδρας δὲ πέπλοις γυναικῶν καὶ καλύπτραις ἀμφιεννύντες. ἐπανορθούμενοι δὲ τὴν ὀλιγανδρίαν, οὐχ ὡς Ἡρόδοτος ἱστορεῖ τοῖς δούλοις, ἀλλὰ τῶν περιοίκων ποιησάμενοι πολίτας τοὺς ἀρίστους, συνῴκισαν τὰς γυναῖκας· ἐδόκουν δὲ καὶ τούτους ἀτιμάζειν καὶ περιορᾶν ἐν τῷ συγκαθεύδειν ὡς χείρονας. ὅθεν ἔθεντο νόμον τὸν κελεύοντα πώγωνα δεῖν ἐχούσας συναναπαύεσθαι τοῖς ἀνδράσι τὰς γεγαμημένας Πέρσας Ἀστυάγου βασιλέως καὶ Μήδων ἀποστήσας Κῦρος ἡττήθη μάχῃ·

[¶5] 5. Cyrus, causing the Persians to revolt from King Astyages and the Medes, was overcome in battle; and the Persians retreating by flight into the city, the enemy pursued so close that they had almost fallen into the city with them. The women ran out to meet them before the city, plucking up their petticoats to their middle, saying, Ye vilest varlets among men, whither so fast? Ye surely cannot find a refuge in these parts, from whence ye came forth. The Persians blushing for shame at the sight and speech, and rebuking themselves, faced about, and renewing the fight routed their enemies. Hence a law was enacted, that when the king enters the city, every woman should receive a piece of gold; and this law Cyrus made. And they say that Ochus, being in other kinds a naughty and covetous king, would always, when he came, compass the city and not enter it, and so deprive the women of their largess; but Alexander entered twice, and gave all the women with child a double benevolence There arose a very grievous and irreconcilable contention among the Celts, before they passed over the Alps to inhabit that tract of Italy which now they inhabit, which proceeded to a civil war.

> Greek: 5. φεύγουσι τοῖς Πέρσαις εἰς τὴν πόλιν, ὀλίγον ἀπεχόντων συνεισπεσεῖν τῶν πολεμίων, ἀπήντησαν αἱ γυναῖκες πρὸ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τοὺς πέπλους ἐκ τῶν κάτω μερῶν ἐπάρασαι ποῖ φέρεσθε εἶπον ὦ κάκιστοι πάντων ἀνθρώπων; οὐ γὰρ ἐνταῦθά γε δύνασθε καταδῦναι φεύγοντες, ὅθεν ἐξεγένεσθε ταύτην τὴν ὄψιν ἅμα καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αἰδεσθέντες οἱ Πέρσαι καὶ κακίσαντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀνέστρεψάν τε καὶ συμβαλόντες ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐτρέψαντο τοὺς πολεμίους. ἐκ τούτου κατέστη νόμος, εἰσελάσαντος βασιλέως εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἑκάστην γυναῖκα χρυσοῦν λαμβάνειν, Κύρου νομοθετήσαντος. Ὦχον δέ φασι, τὰ τʼ ἄλλα μοχθηρὸν καὶ φιλοκερδέστατον βασιλέων ὄντα, περικάμψαι τὴν πόλιν ἀεὶ καὶ μὴ παρελθεῖν ἀλλʼ ἀποστερῆσαι τῆς δωρεᾶς τὰς γυναῖκας. Ἀλέξανδρος δὲ καὶ δὶς εἰσῆλθε καὶ ταῖς κυούσαις διπλοῦν ἔδωκε.

[¶6] 6. The women placing themselves between the armies, took up the controversies, argued them so accurately, and determined them so impartially, that an admirable friendly correspondence and general amity ensued, both civil and domestic. Hence the Celts made it their practice to take women into consultation about peace or war, and to use them as mediators in any controversies that arose between them and their allies. In the league therefore made with Hannibal, the writing runs thus: If the Celts take occasion of quarrelling with the Carthaginians, the governors and generals of the Carthaginians in Spain shall decide the controversy; but if the Carthaginians accuse the Celts, the Celtic women shall be judges.

> Greek: 6. Κελτοῖς, πρὶν ὑπερβαλεῖν Ἄλπεις καὶ, κατοικῆσαι τῆς Ἰταλίας ἣν νῦν νέμονται χώραν, στάσις ἐμπεσοῦσα δεινὴ καὶ δυσκατάπαυστος εἰς πόλεμον ἐμφύλιον προῆλθεν. αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ὅπλων γενόμεναι καὶ παραλαβοῦσαι τὰ νείκη διῄτησαν οὕτως ἀμέμπτως καὶ διέκριναν, ὥστε φιλίαν πᾶσι θαυμαστὴν καὶ κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κατʼ οἴκους γενέσθαι πρὸς πάντας. ἐκ τούτου διετέλουν περί τε πολέμου καὶ εἰρήνης βουλευόμενοι μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς συμμάχους ἀμφίβολα διʼ ἐκείνων βραβεύοντες. ἐν γοῦν ταῖς πρὸς Ἀννίβαν συνθήκαις ἐγράψαντο, Κελτῶν μὲν ἐγκαλούντων Καρχηδονίοις, τοὺς ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ Καρχηδονίων ἐπάρχους καὶ στρατηγοὺς εἶναι δικαστάς ἂν δὲ Καρχηδόνιοι Κελτοῖς ἐγκαλῶσι, τὰς Κελτῶν γυναῖκας.

[¶7] 7. The Melians standing in need of a larger country constituted Nymphaeus, a handsome man and marvellously comely, the commander for the transplanting of the colony. The oracle enjoined them to continue sailing till they cast away their ships, and there to pitch their colony. It happened that, when they arrived at Caria and went ashore, their ships were broken to pieces by a storm. Some of the Carians which dwelt at Cryassus, whether commiserating their distressed condition or dreading their resolution, invited them to dwell in their neighborhood, and bestowed upon them a part of their country; but then observing their marvellous increase in a little time, they conspired to cut them off by treachery, and provided a feast and great entertainment for that end and purpose. But it came to pass that a certain virgin in Caria, whose name was Caphene, fell in love with Nymphaeus. While these things were in agitation, she could not endure to connive at the destruction of her beloved Nymphaeus, and therefore acquainted him privately with the conspiracy of the citizens against him. When the Cryassians came to invite them, Nymphaeus made this answer: It isnot the custom of the Greeks to go to a feast without their wives. The Carians hearing this requested them also to bring their wives; and so explaining the whole transaction to the Melians, he charged the men to go without armor in plain apparel, but that every one of the women should carry a dagger stuck in her bosom, and that each should take her place by her husband. About the middle of supper, their signal token was given to the Carians; the point of time also the Grecians were sensible of. Accordingly the women laid open their bosoms, and the men laid hold of the daggers, and sheathing them in the barbarians, slew them all together. And possessing themselves of the country, they overthrew that city, and built another, which they called New Cryassus. Moreover, Caphene being married to Nymphaeus received due honor and grateful acknowledgments becoming her good services. Here the taciturnity and courage of women is worthy of admiration, that none of them among so many did so much as unwittingly, by reason of fear, betray their trust.

> Greek: 7. Μήλιοι γῆς χρῄζοντες ἀμφιλαφοῦς Νυμφαῖον ἡγεμόνα τῆς ἀποικίας ἐποιήσαντο, νέον ἄνδρα καὶ κάλλει, διαφέροντα· τοῦ δὲ θεοῦ πλεῖν κελεύσαντος αὐτούς, ὅπου δʼ ἂν ἀποβάλωσι τοὺς κομιστῆρας, ἐκεῖ κατοικεῖν, συνέπεσε τῇ Καρίᾳ προσβαλοῦσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀποβᾶσι τὰς ναῦς ὑπὸ χειμῶνος διαφθαρῆναι. τῶν δὲ Καρῶν οἱ Κρύασσαν οἰκοῦντες, εἴτε τὴν ἀπορίαν οἰκτίραντες εἴτε δείσαντες αὐτῶν τὴν τόλμαν, ἐκέλευον οἰκεῖν παρʼ αὐτοῖς καὶ τῆς χώρας μετέδωκαν· εἶτα πολλὴν ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ λαμβάνοντας αὔξησιν ὁρῶντες, ἐπεβούλευον ἀνελεῖν εὐωχίαν τινὰ καὶ θοίνην παρασκευάσαντες. ἔτυχε δὲ Καρίνη παρθένος ἐρῶσα τοῦ Νυμφαίου καὶ λανθάνουσα τοὺς ἄλλους· ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ Καφένη· πραττομένων δὲ τούτων οὐ δυναμένη τὸν Νυμφαῖον περιορᾶν ἀπολλύμενον, ἐξήγγειλε τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῷ τῶν πολιτῶν. ὡς οὖν ἧκον οἱ Κρυασσεῖς καλοῦντες αὐτούς, οὐκ ἔφη νόμον ὁ Νυμφαῖος Ἕλλησιν εἶναι βαδίζειν ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ἄνευ γυναικῶν· ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ Κᾶρες ἐκέλευον ἄγειν καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας. οὕτω δὴ φράσας τὰ πεπραγμένα Μηλίοις ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς μὲν ἀόπλους ἐν ἱματίοις βαδίζειν, τῶν δὲ γυναικῶν ἑκάστην ξίφος ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ κομίζειν καὶ καθέζεσθαι παρὰ τὸν αὑτῆς. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ δείπνου μεσοῦντος ἐδόθη τὸ σύνθημα τοῖς Καρσὶ καὶ συνῄσθοντο τὸν καιρὸν οἱ Ἕλληνες, αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες ἅμα πᾶσαι τοὺς κόλπους διέσχον, οἱ δὲ τὰ ξίφη λαβόντες ἐπέθεντο τοῖς βαρβάροις καὶ διέφθειραν αὐτοὺς ἅμα πάντας· κτησάμενοι δὲ τὴν χώραν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην καταβαλόντες, ᾤκισαν ἑτέραν, ἣν Νέαν Κρύασσαν ὠνόμασαν. ἡ δὲ Καφένη τῷ Νυμφαίῳ γαμηθεῖσα τιμὴν καὶ χάριν ἔσχε ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις πρέπουσαν. ἄξιον οὖν ἄγασθαι τῶν γυναικῶν καὶ τὴν σιωπὴν καὶ τὸ θάρσος, καὶ τὸ μηδεμίαν ἐν πολλαῖς μηδʼ ἄκουσαν ὑπὸ δειλίας κακὴν γενέσθαι.

[¶8] 8. At the time when the Tyrrhenians inhabited the islands Lemnos and Imbros, they violently seized upon some Athenian women from Brauron, on whom they begat children, which children the Athenians banished from the islands as mixed barbarians. But these arriving at Taenarum were serviceable to the Spartans in the Helotic war, and therefore obtained the privilege of citizens and marriage, but were not dignified with magistracies or admitted to the senate; for they had a suspicion that they would combine together in order to some innovation, and conceived they might shake the present established government. Wherefore the Lacedaemonians, seizing on them and securing them, shut them up close prisoners, seeking to take them off by evident and strong convictions. But the wives of the prisoners, gathering together about the prison, by many supplications prevailed with the jailers that they might be admitted to go to salute their husbands and speak with them. As soon as they came in, they required them to change their clothes immediately and leave them to their wives; while the men, apparelled in their wives’ habits, should go forth. These things being effected, the women stayed behind, prepared to endure all hard usages of the prison, but the deluded keepers let out the men as if they had been their wives. Whereupon they seized upon Taygeta, exciting the Helotic people to revolt, and taking them to their aid; but the Spartans, alarmed by these things into a great consternation, by a herald proclaimed a treaty of peace. And they were reconciled upon these conditions, that they should receive their wives again, and furnished with ships and provisions should make an expedition by sea, and possessing themselves of a land and a city elsewhere should be accounted a colony and allies of the Lacedaemonians. These things did the Pelasgians, taking Pollis for their captain and Crataedas his brother, both Lacedaemonians, and one part of them took up their seat in Melos; but the most part of them, which were shipped with Pollis, sailed into Crete, trying the truth of the oracles, by whom they were told that, when they should lose their Goddess and their anchor, then they should put an end to their roving and there build a city. Wherefore, putting into harbor on that part of Crete called Chersonesus, panic fears fell upon them by night, at which coming under a consternation, they leaped tumultuously on board their ships, leaving on shore for haste the statue of Diana, which was their patrimony brought from Brauron to Lemnos, and from Lemnos carried about with them wherever they went. The tumult being appeased, when they had set sail, they missed this statue; and at the same time Pollis, finding that his anchor had lost one of its beards (for the anchor, having been dragged, as appeared, through some rocky place, was accidentally torn), said that the oracular answer of the Pythia was accomplished. Therefore he gave a sign to tack about, and accordingly made an inroad into that country, conquered those that opposed him in many battles, sat down at Lyctus, and brought many other cities to be tributary to him. And now they repute themselves to be akin to the Athenians on their mothers’ side, and to be Spartan colonies.

> Greek: 8. Τυρρηνῶν τοίνυν τῶν Λῆμνον καὶ Ἴμβρον κατασχόντων, ἁρπασάντων δὲ Βραυρωνόθεν τὰς Ἀθηναίων γυναῖκας, ἐγένοντο παῖδες, οὓς ἐξήλασαν Ἀθηναῖοι μιξοβαρβάρους ὄντας ἐκ τῶν νήσων. οἱ δʼ εἰς Ταίναρον κατάραντες ἐγένοντο χρήσιμοι Σπαρτιάταις περὶ τὸν εἱλωτικὸν πόλεμον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πολιτείας καὶ γάμων τυχόντες, οὐκ ἀξιούμενοι δὲ ἀρχείων καὶ βουλῆς, ὑπόνοιαν ἔσχον ὡς ἐπὶ νεωτερισμῷ συνερχόμενοι καὶ διανοούμενοι τὰ καθεστῶτα κινεῖν. συλλαβόντες οὖν αὐτοὺς οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι καὶ καθείρξαντες ἐφύλαττον ἰσχυρῶς, ζητοῦντες ἑλεῖν σαφέσι καὶ βεβαίοις ἐλέγχοις· αἱ δὲ τῶν καθειργμένων γυναῖκες ἐπὶ τὴν εἱρκτὴν παραγενόμεναι, πολλαῖς ἱκεσίαις καὶ δεήσεσι παρείθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν φυλάκων ὅσον ἀσπάσασθαι καὶ προσειπεῖν τοὺς ἄνδρας. ἐπεὶ δʼ εἰσῆλθον, ἐκέλευον αὐτοὺς μεταμφιέννυσθαι ταχὺ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὰ μὲν αὑτῶν ἐκείναις ἀπολιπεῖν, τὰ δʼ ἐκείνων ἐνδύντας αὐτοὺς ἀπιέναι περικαλυψαμένους, γενομένων δὲ τούτων, αἱ μὲν ὑπέμειναν αὐτοῦ παραταξάμεναι πρὸς πάντα τὰ δεινά, τοὺς δʼ ἄνδρας ἐξαπατηθέντες οἱ φύλακες παρῆκαν ὡς δὴ γυναῖκας. ἐκ δὴ τούτου καταλαβομένων αὐτῶν τὰ Ταΰγετα, καὶ τὸ εἱλωτικὸν ἀφιστάντων καὶ προσδεχομένων, οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται εἰς πολὺν φόβον καταστάντες ἐπεκηρυκεύσαντο καὶ διηλλάγησαν ἐπὶ τῷ κομίσασθαι μὲν αὐτοὺς τὰς γυναῖκας, χρήματα δὲ καὶ ναῦς λαβόντας ἐκπλεῦσαι καὶ γῆς τυχόντας ἀλλαχόσε καὶ πόλεως ἀποίκους Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ συγγενεῖς νομίζεσθαι. ταῦτʼ ἔπραττον οἱ Πελασγοὶ Πόλλιν ἡγεμόνα καὶ Δελφὸν καὶ Κραταΐδαν Λακεδαιμονίους λαβόντες· καὶ μέρος μὲν αὐτῶν ἐν Μήλῳ κατῴκησαν· τοὺς δὲ πλείστους οἱ περὶ Πόλλιν ἔχοντες εἰς Κρήτην ἔπλευσαν, ἀποπειρώμενοι τῶν λογίων. ἐχρήσθη γὰρ αὐτοῖς, ὅταν τὴν θεὸν καὶ τὴν ἄγκυραν ἀπολέσωσι, παύσασθαι πλάνης καὶ πόλιν ἐκεῖ συνοικίζειν. ὁρμισθεῖσιν οὖν πρὸς τῇ λεγομένῃ Χερρονήσῳ θόρυβοι πανικοὶ προσέπεσον νύκτωρ, ὑφʼ ὧν διαπτοηθέντες ἐνεπήδησαν εἰς τὰς ναῦς ἀκόσμως, ἀπολιπόντες ἐν τῇ γῇ ξόανον τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος, ὃ πατρῷον ἦν αὐτοῖς εἰς Λῆμνον ἐκ Βραύρωνος κομισθέν, ἐκ δὲ Λήμνου πανταχοῦ συμπεριαγόμενον. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ θορύβου λήξαντος ἐπόθησαν αὐτὸ κατὰ πλοῦν, ἅμα δʼ ὁ Πόλλις κατέμαθε τῇ ἀγκύρᾳ τὸν ὄνυχα μὴ προσόντα βίᾳ γὰρ ἑλκομένης ὡς ἔοικεν ἐν τόποις ὑποπέτροις ἀποσπασθεὶς ἔλαθε, περαίνεσθαι τὰ πυθόχρηστα φήσας ἐσήμαινεν ἀναστρέφειν καὶ κατέσχε τὴν χώραν, καὶ μάχαις πολλαῖς τῶν ἀντιταξαμένων ἐπικρατήσας Λύκτον ᾤκησε καὶ πόλεις ἄλλας ὑποχειρίους ἔλαβε. διὸ καὶ νομίζουσιν αὐτοὺς Ἀθηναίοις τε διὰ τὰς μητέρας κατὰ γένος προσήκειν καὶ Σπαρτιατῶν ἀποίκους εἶναι.

[¶9] 9. That which is reported to have fallen out in Lycia, although it be fabulous, hath yet common fame attesting it. Amisodarus, as they say, whom the Lycians call Isaras, came from a colony of the Lycians about Zeleia, bringing with him pirate ships, which Chimarrhus, a warlike man, who was also savage and brutish, was commander of. He sailed in a ship which had a lion carved on her head and a dragon on her stern. He did much mischief to the Lycians, so that they could not sail on the sea nor inhabit the towns nigh the sea-coast. This man Bellerophon pursued with his Pegasus and slew him, and also defeated the Amazons, for which he obtained no due requital, but lobates the king was most unjust to him; upon which Bellerophon went to the seashore, and made earnest supplication by himself to Neptune that he would render that country barren and unfruitful; and having said his prayers, he faced about. Upon which the waves of the sea arose and overwhelmed the land, and it was a dreadful sight to behold the lofty billows following Bellerophon and drowning the plain. And now, when the men by their deprecation, laboring to put a stop to Bellerophon, availed nothing at all, the women plucking up their petticoats met him full butt; upon which confounded with shame he turned back again, and the flood, as they say, returned with him. But some unriddle the fabulous part of this story, by telling us that it was not by execrations that he brought up the sea; but the fattest part of the plain lying lower than the sea, and a certain ridge extending itself all along the shore which beat off the sea, Bellerophon broke through this, so that the sea forcibly flowed in and overwhelmed the plain; and when the men by their humble addresses obtained nothing, the women assembling about him in multitudes gained respect from him and pacified his wrath. Some tell us that the celebrated Chimaera was a mountain opposite to the sun, which caused reflections of the sun’s beams, and in summer ardent and fiery heats, which spread over the plain and withered the fruits; and Bellerophon, finding out the reason of the mischief, cut through the smoothest part of the cliff, which especially caused these reflections. But on seeing that he was treated ungratefully, his indignation was excited to take vengeance on the Lycians, but was appeased by the women. The reason which Nymphis (in the fourth book concerning Heraclea) doth assign is to me not at all fabulous; for he saith, when Bellerophon slew a certain wild boar, which destroyed the cattle and fruits in the province of the Xanthians, and received no due reward of his service, he prayed to Neptune for vengeance, and obtained that all the fields should cast forth a salt dew and be universally corrupted, the soil becoming bitter; which continued till he, condescendingly regarding the women suppliants, prayed to Neptune, and removed his wrath from them. Hence there was a law among the Xanthians, that they should not for the future derive their names from their fathers, but from their mothers.

> Greek: 9. τὸ δʼ ἐν Λυκίᾳ γενέσθαι λεγόμενον μυθῶδες μέν ἐστιν, ἔχει δέ τινα φήμην ὁμοῦ μαρτυροῦσαν. Ἀμισώδαρος γάρ, ὥς φασιν, ὃν Ἰσάραν Λύκιοι καλοῦσιν, ἧκεν ἐκ τῆς περὶ Ζέλειαν ἀποικίας Λυκίων, λῃστρίδας ἄγων ναῦς, ὧν Χίμαρρος ἡγεῖτο, πολεμιστὴς μὲν ἀνὴρ ὠμὸς δὲ καὶ θηριώδης ἔπλει δὲ πλοίῳ λέοντα μὲν ἔχοντι πρῴραθεν ἐπίσημον, ἐκ δὲ πρύμνης δράκοντα, καὶ πολλὰ κακὰ τοὺς Λυκίους ἐποίει, καὶ πλεῦσαι τὴν θάλατταν οὐκ ἦν οὐδὲ, τὰς ἐγγὺς θαλάττης πόλεις οἰκεῖν, τοῦτον οὖν ἀποκτείνας ὁ Βελλεροφόντης φεύγοντα τῷ Πηγάσῳ διώξας, ἐκβαλὼν δὲ καὶ τὰς Ἀμαζόνας, οὐδενὸς ἐτύγχανε τῶν δικαίων, ἀλλʼ ἦν ἀδικώτατος περὶ αὐτὸν Ἰοβάτης ὅθεν εἰς τὴν θάλατταν ἐμβὰς εὔξατο κατʼ αὐτοῦ τῷ Ποσειδῶνι τὴν χώραν ἄκαρπον γενέσθαι καὶ ἀνόνητον. εἶθʼ ὁ μὲν ἀπῄει κατευξάμενος, κῦμα δὲ διαρθὲν ἐπέκλυζε τὴν γῆν· καὶ θέαμα δεινὸν ἦν, ἑπομένης μετεώρου τῆς θαλάττης καὶ ἀποκρυπτούσης τὸ πεδίον. ἐπεὶ δέ, τῶν ἀνδρῶν δεομένων τὸν Βελλεροφόντην ἐπισχεῖν, οὐδὲν ἔπειθον, αἱ γυναῖκες ἀνασυράμεναι τοὺς χιτωνίσκους ἀπήντησαν αὐτῷ· πάλιν οὖν ὑπʼ αἰσχύνης ἀναχωροῦντος ὀπίσω καὶ τὸ κῦμα λέγεται συνυποχωρῆσαι. τινὲς δὲ τοῦ λόγου τούτου παραμυθούμενοι τὸ μυθῶδες οὔ φασι κατάραις ὑπαγαγέσθαι τὴν θάλασσαν αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πεδίου τὸ πιότατον ὑποκεῖσθαι τῇ θαλάσσῃ ταπεινότερον· ὀφρῦν δὲ παρατείνουσαν ἀκτῆς, ἣ διεῖργε τὴν θάλασσαν, ἐκρῆξαι τὸν Βελλεροφόντην, καὶ βίᾳ τοῦ πελάγους ἐπιφερομένου καὶ κατακλύζοντος τὸ πεδίον, τοὺς μὲν ἄνδρας οὐδὲν περαίνειν δεομένους αὐτοῦ, τὰς δὲ γυναῖκας ἀθρόας περιχυθείσας αἰδοῦς τυχεῖν καὶ ἀποπαῦσαι τὴν ὀργήν. οἱ δʼ ὅλως τὴν λεγομένην Χίμαιραν ὄρος ἀντήλιον γεγονέναι φασὶ καὶ ποιεῖν ἀνακλάσεις ἐν τῷ θέρει χαλεπὰς καὶ πυρώδεις, ὑφʼ ὧν ἀνὰ τὸ πεδίον σκεδαννυμένων μαραίνεσθαι τοὺς καρπούς. τὸν δὲ Βελλεροφόντην συμφρονήσαντα διακόψαι τοῦ κρημνοῦ τὸ λειότατον καὶ μάλιστα τὰς ἀνακλάσεις ἀνταποστέλλον· ἐπεὶ δʼ οὐκ ἐτύγχανε χάριτος, ὀργῇ πρὸς ἄμυναν τραπέσθαι τῶν Λυκίων, πεισθῆναι δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν. ἣν δὲ Νύμφις ἐν τῷ τετάρτῳ περὶ Ἡρακλείας αἰτίαν εἴρηκεν, ἥκιστα μυθώδης ἐστί· λέγει γάρ, ὅτι σῦν ἄγριον ἐν τῇ Ξανθίων χώρᾳ καὶ ζῷα καὶ καρποὺς λυμαινόμενον ἀνελὼν ὁ Βελλεροφόντης οὐδεμιᾶς ἐτύγχανεν ἀμοιβῆς· καταρασαμένου δὲ τῶν Ξανθίων αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν Ποσειδῶνα, πᾶν τὸ πεδίον ἐξήνθησεν ἁλμυρίδα καὶ διέφθαρτο παντάπασι, τῆς γῆς πικρᾶς γενομένης· μέχρι οὗ τὰς γυναῖκας αἰδεσθεὶς δεομένας εὔξατο τῷ Ποσειδῶνι τὴν ὀργὴν ἀφεῖναι. διὸ καὶ νόμος ἦν τοῖς Ξανθίοις μὴ πατρόθεν ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ μητέρων χρηματίζειν.

[¶10] 10. When Hannibal, the son of Barca, besieged the great city Salmantica in Spain, before he fought against the Romans, at the first assault the besieged citizens were surprised with fear, insomuch that they consented to grant him his demands, and to give him three hundred talents of silver and three hundred hostages. Upon which he raised his siege; when they changed their minds, and would not perform any thing that they had promised. Wherefore returning again to his siege, he gave command to his soldiers to take the city by storm, and fall to the plundering their goods. At this the barbarians, struck universally into a panic fear, came to terms of composition, for the free citizens to depart the city with their clothes to their backs, but to leave their weapons, goods, slaves, and city behind them. Now the women supposed that, although the enemies would strictly search every man as he departed, yet the women would go untouched. Accordingly, taking scimitars and hiding them under their coats, they fell in with the men as they marched out. When they were all gone out of the city, Hannibal sets a guard of Masaesylian soldiers, fixing their post without the gate, but the rest of his army fell promiscuously into the city to plunder. But the Masaesylians, seeing them busy in carrying away much spoil, were not able any longer to refrain or to mind the charge of their watch, taking it heinously that that was their lot, and therefore left their post and went to take their share of the booty. Upon this the women raised a shout to animate their husbands, and delivered the scimitars into their hands, and they themselves some of them fell upon the sentinels; insomuch that one of them, snatching away the spear of Banon the interpreter, smote him with it, though he was armed with a breastplate. And as for the rest, the men routed and put some to flight and slew others, making their escape by charging through them in a great body together with the women. Hannibal, being made acquainted with these things, pursued them, and those he took he slew; but some betaking themselves to the mountains easily made their escape, and afterwards, sending in their humble supplications, were admitted by him into the city, obtaining indemnity and civil usage.

> Greek: 10. Ἀννίβα δὲ τοῦ Βάρκα, πρὶν ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίους στρατεύειν, ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ πόλει μεγάλῃ Σαλματικῇ προσμαχομένου, πρῶτον μὲν ἔδεισαν οἱ πολιορκούμενοι καὶ συνέθεντο ποιήσειν τὸ προσταττόμενον, Ἀννίβᾳ τριακόσια δόντες ἀργυρίου τάλαντα καὶ τριακοσίους ὁμήρους. ἀνέντος δὲ τὴν πολιορκίαν ἐκείνου, μεταγνόντες οὐδὲν ἔπραττον ὧν ὡμολόγησαν. αὖθις οὖν ἐπιστρέψαντος αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐπὶ διαρπαγῇ χρημάτων κελεύσαντος ἐπιχειρεῖν τῇ πόλει, παντάπασι καταπλαγέντες οἱ βάρβαροι συνεχώρησαν ἐξελθεῖν ἐν ἱματίῳ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους, ὅπλα καὶ χρήματα καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ τὴν πόλιν καταλιπόντας. αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες οἰόμεναι τῶν μὲν ἀνδρῶν φωράσειν ἕκαστον ἐξιόντα τοὺς πολεμίους, αὐτῶν δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἅψασθαι, ξίφη λαβοῦσαι καὶ ἀποκρύψασαι συνεξέπιπτον τοῖς ἀνδράσιν. ἐξελθόντων δὲ πάντων ὁ Ἀννίβας φρουρὰν Μασαισυλίων ἐπιστήσας ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ συνεῖχεν αὐτούς, οἱ δʼ ἄλλοι τὴν πόλιν ἀτάκτως ἐμπεσόντες διήρπαζον. πολλῶν δʼ ἀγομένων, οἱ Μασαισύλιοι καρτερεῖν οὐκ ἐδύναντο βλέποντες οὐδὲ τῇ φυλακῇ τὸν νοῦν προσεῖχον, ἀλλʼ ἠγανάκτουν καὶ ἀπεχώρουν ὡς μεθέξοντες τῆς ὠφελείας. ἐν τούτῳ δʼ αἱ γυναῖκες ἐμβοήσασαι τοῖς ἀνδράσι τὰ ξίφη παρέδοσαν, ἔνιαι δὲ καὶ διʼ ἑαυτῶν ἐπετίθεντο τοῖς φρουροῦσι· μία δὲ καὶ λόγχην ἐξαρπάσασα Βάνωνος τοῦ ἑρμηνέως αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἔπαισεν· ἔτυχε δὲ τεθωρακισμένος τῶν δʼ ἄλλων τοὺς μὲν καταβαλόντες, τοὺς δὲ τρεψάμενοι, διεξέπεσον ἀθρόοι μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν. πυθόμενος δʼ ὁ Ἀννίβας καὶ διώξας τοὺς μὲν καταλειφθέντας ἀνεῖλεν· οἱ δὲ τῶν ὀρῶν ἐπιλαβόμενοι παραχρῆμα μὲν διέφυγον, ὕστερον δὲ πέμψαντες ἱκετηρίαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ κατήχθησαν, ἀδείας καὶ φιλανθρωπίας τυχόντες.

[¶11] 11. A certain dreadful and monstrous distemper did seize the Milesian maids, arising from some hidden cause. It is most likely the air had acquired some infatuating and venomous quality, that did influence them to this change and alienation of mind; for all on a sudden an earnest longing for death, with furious attempts to hang themselves, did attack them, and many did privily accomplish it. The arguments and tears of parents and the persuasion of friends availed nothing, but they circumvented their keepers in all their contrivances and industry to prevent them, still murdering themselves. And the calamity seemed to be an extraordinary divine stroke and beyond human help, until by the counsel of a wise man a decree of the senate was passed, enacting that those maids who hanged themselves should be carried naked through the market-place. The passage of this law not only inhibited but quashed their desire of slaying themselves. Note what a great argument of good nature and virtue this fear of disgrace is; for they who had no dread upon them of the most terrible things in the world, death and pain, could not abide the imagination of dishonor and exposure to shame even after death.

> Greek: 11. τὰς Μιλησίων ποτὲ παρθένους δεινὸν πάθος καὶ ἀλλόκοτον κατέσχεν, ἐκ δή τινος αἰτίας ἀδήλου· μάλιστα δʼ εἰκάζετο κρᾶσιν ἐκστατικὴν καὶ φαρμακώδη λαβὼν ὁ ἀὴρ τροπὴν αὐταῖς καὶ παραφορὰν τῆς διανοίας ἐνεργάσασθαι. πάσαις μὲν γὰρ ἐξαίφνης ἐπιθυμία θανάτου καὶ πρὸς ἀγχόνην ὁρμὴ περιμανὴς ἐνέπιπτε, πολλαὶ δʼ ἀπήγχοντο λανθάνουσαι· λόγοι δὲ καὶ δάκρυα γονέων καὶ παρηγορίαι φίλων οὐδὲν ἐπέραινον, ἀλλὰ περιῆσαν ἐπινοίας καὶ πανουργίας ἁπάσης τῶν φυλαττόντων, ἑαυτὰς διαχρώμεναι. καὶ τὸ κακὸν ἐδόκει δαιμόνιον εἶναι καὶ κρεῖττον ἀνθρωπίνης βοηθείας, ἄχρι οὗ γνώμῃ νοῦν ἔχοντος ἀνδρὸς ἐγράφη προβούλευμα, τὰς ἀπαγχομένας γυμνὰς ἐκκομίζεσθαι διὰ τῆς ἀγορᾶς· καὶ τοῦτο κυρωθὲν οὐ μόνον ἐπέσχεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντελῶς ἔπαυσε θανατώσας τὰς παρθένους. μέγα δὴ τεκμήριον εὐφυΐας καὶ ἀρετῆς ἡ τῆς ἀδοξίας εὐλάβεια καὶ τὸ πρὸς τὰ δεινότατα τῶν ὄντων, θάνατον καὶ πόνον, ἀδεῶς ἐχούσας αἰσχροῦ φαντασίαν μὴ ὑπομεῖναι μηδʼ ἐνεγκεῖν αἰσχύνην μετὰ θάνατον ἐσομένην.

[¶12] 12. It was a custom among the maids of Cios to assemble together in the public temples, and to pass the day together in good fellowship; and there their sweethearts had the felicity to behold how prettily they sported and danced about. In the evening this company went to the house of every particular maid in her turn, and waited upon each other’s parents and brethren very officiously, even to the washing of their feet. It oftentimes so fell out that many young men fell in love with one maid; but they carried it so decently and civilly that, when the maid was espoused to one, the rest presently gave off courting of her. The effect of this good order among the women was that no mention was made of any adultery or fornication among them for the space of seven hundred years.

> Greek: 12. ταῖς Κείων παρθένοις ἔθος ἦν εἰς ἱερὰ δημόσια συμπορεύεσθαι καὶ διημερεύειν μετʼ ἀλλήλων, οἱ δὲ μνηστῆρες ἐθεῶντο παιζούσας καὶ χορευούσας· ἑσπέρας δὲ πρὸς ἑκάστην ἀνὰ μέρος βαδίζουσαι διηκονοῦντο τοῖς ἀλλήλων γονεῦσι καὶ ἀδελφοῖς ἄχρι τοῦ καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἀπονίζειν. ἤρων πολλάκις μιᾶς πλείονες οὕτω κόσμιον ἔρωτα καὶ νόμιμον, ὥστε τῆς κόρης ἐγγυηθείσης ἑνὶ τοὺς ἄλλους εὐθὺς πεπαῦσθαι. κεφάλαιον δὲ τῆς εὐταξίας τῶν γυναικῶν, τὸ μήτε μοιχείαν μήτε φθορὰν ἀνέγγυον ἐτῶν ἑπτακοσίων μνημονεύεσθαι παρʼ αὐτοῖς γενομένην.

[¶13] 13. When the tyrants of Phocis had taken Delphi, and the Thebans undertook that war against them which was called the Holy War, certain women devoted to Bacchus (which they call Thyades) fell frantic and went a gadding by night. and mistaking their way they came to Amphissa; and being very much tired and not as yet in their right wits, they flung down themselves in the market-place, and fell asleep as they lay scattered up and down here and there. But the wives of the Amphisseans, fearing, because that city was engaged to aid the Phocians in the war and abundance of the tyrants’ soldiery were present in the city, the Thyades might have some indignity put upon them, ran forth all of them into the market-place and stood silently round about them, neither would offer them any disturbance whilst they slept; but when they were awake, they attended their service particularly and brought them refreshments; and in fine, by persuasions obtained leave of their husbands to accompany them and escort them in safety to their own borders.

> Greek: 13. τῶν ἐν Φωκεῦσι τυράννων κατειληφότων Δελφοὺς καὶ τὸν ἱερὸν κληθέντα πόλεμον Θηβαίων πολεμούντων πρὸς αὐτούς, αἱ περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον γυναῖκες, ἃς Θυιάδας ὀνομάζουσιν, ἐκμανεῖσαι καὶ περιπλανηθεῖσαι νυκτὸς ἔλαθον ἐν Ἀμφίσσῃ γενόμεναι· κατάκοποι δʼ οὖσαι καὶ μηδέπω τοῦ φρονεῖν παρόντος αὐταῖς, ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ προέμεναι τὰ σώματα σποράδην ἔκειντο καθεύδουσαι. τῶν δʼ Ἀμφισσέων αἱ γυναῖκες, φοβηθεῖσαι μὴ διὰ τὸ σύμμαχον τὴν πόλιν Φωκέων γεγονέναι καὶ συχνοὺς στρατιώτας παρεῖναι τῶν τυράννων ἀγνωμονηθῶσιν αἱ Θυιάδες, ἐξέδραμον εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἅπασαι καὶ κύκλῳ περιστᾶσαι σιωπῇ κοιμωμέναις μὲν οὐ προσῄεσαν, ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐξανέστησαν, ἄλλαι περὶ ἄλλας ἐγίγνοντο θεραπεύουσαι καὶ τροφὴν προσφέρουσαι· τέλος δὲ πείσασαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐπηκολούθησαν αὐταῖς ἄχρι τῶν ὅρων ἀσφαλῶς προπεμπομέναις.

## 2. Sections 14–19

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/2/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/2/#p-N

[¶0] 14. The injury done to Lucretia and her great virtue were the causes of banishing Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh Roman king from Romulus, she being married to an illustrious man, one of the royal race. She was ravished by one of Tarquin’s sons, who was in a way of hospitality entertained by her; and after she had acquainted her friends and family with the abuse offered her, she immediately slew herself. Tarquinius having fallen from his dominion, after many battles that he fought in attempting to regain his kingly government, at last prevailed with Porsena, prince’of the Etrurians, to encamp against Rome with a powerful army. Whereupon the Romans, being pressed with war and famine at the same time, likewise knowing that Porsena was not only a great soldier but a just and civil person, resolved to refer the matters against Tarquinius to him as a judge. This proposal Tarquinius obstinately refused to consent unto, saying that Porsena could not be a just arbitrator if he did not remain constant to his military alliance. Whereupon Porsena left him to himself, and made it his endeavor to depart a friend to the Romans, on condition of having restored to him the tracts of land they had cut off from the Etrurians and the captives they had taken. Upon these accepted conditions hostages being given,—ten male children,’and ten females (among whom was Valeria, the daughter of Publicola the consul),—he immediately ceased his warlike preparations before the articles of agreement were quite finished. Now the virgin hostages going down to the river, as if they intended only to wash themselves a little further than ordinary from the camp, there, by the instigation of one of them whose name was Cloelia, wrapping their garments about their heads, they cast themselves into that great river Tiber, and assisting one another, swam through those vast depths with much labor and difficulty. There are some who say that Cloelia compassing a horse got upon him, and passing over gently before, the rest swimming after her, conducted, encouraged, and assisted them; the argument they use for this we shall declare anon. As soon as the Romans saw the maids had made such a clever escape, they admired indeed their fortitude and resolution, but did not approve of their return, not abiding to be worse in their faith than any one man; therefore they charged the maids to return back, and sent them away with a safe conduct. Tarquinius laid wait for them as they passed the river, and wanted but little of intercepting the virgins. But Valeria with three of her household servants made her flight to the camp of Porsena; and as for the rest, Aruns, Porsena’s son, gave them speedy help and delivered them from the enemies. When they were brought, Porsena looking upon them commanded them to tell him which of them advised and first attempted this enterprise; all of them being surprised with fear, except Cloelia, were silent, but she said, that she was the author of it; at which Porsena, mightily surprised, commanded an horse curiously adorned with trappings should be brought, which he gave to Cloelia, and dismissed them all with much generosity and civility; and this is the ground which many make of saying that Cloelia passed through the river on horseback. Others deny this story, but yet say that Porsena admiring the undauntedness and confidence of the maid, as being beyond what is commonly in a woman, bestowed a present on her becoming a man champion. It is certain that there is the statue of a woman on horseback by the side of the Sacred Way, which some say represents Cloelia, others, Valeria.

> Greek: 14. Ταρκύνιον Σούπερβον, ἕβδομον ἀπὸ Ῥωμύλου βασιλεύοντα Ῥωμαίων, ἐξήλασεν ὕβρις καὶ ἀρετὴ Λουκρητίας, γυναικὸς ἀνδρὶ γεγαμημένης λαμπρῷ καὶ κατὰ γένος προσήκοντι τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν. ἐβιάσθη μὲν γὰρ ὑφʼ ἑνὸς τῶν Ταρκυνίου παίδων, ἐπιξενωθέντος αὐτῇ· φράσασα δὲ τοῖς φίλοις καὶ οἰκείοις τὸ πάθος εὐθὺς ἀπέσφαξεν ἑαυτήν, ἐκπεσὼν δὲ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὁ Ταρκύνιος ἄλλους τε πολλοὺς ἐπολέμησε πολέμους, πειρώμενος ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν καὶ τέλος ἄρχοντα Τυρρηνῶν Πορσίναν ἔπεισεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην στρατεῦσαι μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως. ἅμα δὲ τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ λιμοῦ συνεπιτιθεμένου τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, πυνθανόμενοι τὸν Πορσίναν οὐ πολεμικὸν εἶναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιον ἄνδρα καὶ χρηστόν, ἐβούλοντο χρῆσθαι δικαστῇ πρὸς τὸν Ταρκύνιον. ἀπαυθαδισαμένου δὲ τοῦ Ταρκυνίου καὶ τὸν Πορσίναν, εἰ μὴ μενεῖ σύμμαχος βέβαιος, οὐδὲ κριτὴν δίκαιον ἔσεσθαι φάσκοντος, ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνον ὁ Πορσίνας ἔπραττεν, ὅπως φίλος ἄπεισι Ῥωμαίων, τῆς τε χώρας ὅσην ἀπετέτμηντο Τυρρηνῶν καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους κομισάμενος. ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁμήρων αὐτῷ δοθέντων δέκα μὲν ἀρρένων παίδων δέκα δὲ θηλειῶν ἐν αἷς ἦν ἡ Ποπλικόλα τοῦ ὑπάτου θυγάτηρ Οὐαλερία, πᾶσαν εὐθὺς ἀνῆκε τὴν πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον παρασκευήν, καίπερ οὔπω τέλος ἐχούσης τῆς ὁμολογίας. αἱ δὲ παρθένοι κατέβησαν μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν ὡς λουσόμεναι μικρὸν ἀπωτέρω τοῦ στρατοπέδου· μιᾶς δʼ αὐτῶν ὄνομα Κλοιλίας προτρεψαμένης, ἀναδησάμεναι περὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς τοὺς χιτωνίσκους παρεβάλοντο πρὸς ῥεῦμα πολὺ καὶ δίνας βαθείας νέουσαι διεπέρασαν ἀλλήλων ἐχόμεναι πολυπόνως καὶ μόλις. εἰσὶ δʼ οἱ λέγοντες ἵππου τὴν Κλοιλίαν εὐπορήσασαν αὐτὴν μὲν ἐπιβῆναι καὶ διεξελαύνειν ἠρέμα, ταῖς δʼ ἄλλαις ὑφηγεῖσθαι παραθαρσύνουσαν νηχομένας καὶ παραβοηθοῦσαν. ᾧ δὲ τεκμηρίῳ χρῶνται, μετʼ ὀλίγον ἐροῦμεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ σωθείσας εἶδον οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν τόλμαν ἐθαύμασαν, τὴν δὲ κομιδὴν οὐκ ἠγάπησαν οὐδʼ ὑπέμειναν ἐν πίστει χείρονες ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς γενέσθαι. πάλιν οὖν τὰς κόρας ἐκέλευσαν ἀπιέναι καὶ συνέπεμψαν αὐταῖς ἀγωγούς, οἷς διαβᾶσι τὸν ποταμὸν ἐνέδραν ὑφεὶς ὁ Ταρκύνιος ὀλίγον ἐδέησεν ἐγκρατὴς γενέσθαι τῶν παρθένων ἡ μὲν οὖν τοῦ ὑπάτου Ποπλικόλα θυγάτηρ Οὐαλερία μετὰ τριῶν προεξέφυγεν οἰκετῶν εἰς τὸ τοῦ Πορσίνα στρατόπεδον, τὰς δʼ ἄλλας ὁ τοῦ Πορσίνα υἱὸς Ἄρρους ταχὺ προσβοηθήσας ἐξείλετο τῶν πολεμίων. ἐπεὶ δʼ ἤχθησαν, ἰδὼν αὐτὰς ὁ Πορσίνας ἐκέλευσεν εἰπεῖν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ προτρεψαμένη καὶ κατάρξασα τοῦ βουλεύματος. αἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλαι, φοβηθεῖσαι περὶ τῆς Κλοιλίας ἐσιώπησαν αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς Κλοιλίας εἰπούσης ἑαυτήν, ἀγασθεὶς ὁ Πορσίνας ἐκέλευσεν ἵππον ἀχθῆναι κεκοσμημένον εὐπρεπῶς, καὶ τῇ Κλοιλίᾳ δωρησάμενος ἀπέπεμψεν εὐμενῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως πάσας. τοῦτο ποιοῦνται σημεῖον οἱ πολλοὶ τοῦ τὴν Κλοιλίαν ἵππῳ διεξελάσαι τὸν ποταμόν· οἱ δʼ οὔ φασιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ῥώμην θαυμάσαντα καὶ τὴν τόλμαν αὐτῆς ὡς κρείττονα γυναικὸς ἀξιῶσαι δωρεᾶς ἀνδρὶ πολεμιστῇ πρεπούσης. ἀνέκειτο γοῦν ἔφιππος εἰκὼν γυναικὸς ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἱερᾶς λεγομένης, ἣν οἱ μὲν τῆς Κλοιλίας οἱ δὲ τῆς Οὐαλερίας λέγουσιν εἶναι.

[¶1] 15. Aristotimus having usurped tyranny over the people of Elis in Peloponnesus, against whom he prevailed by the aid of King Antigonus, used not his power with any meekness or moderation. For he was naturally a savage man; and being in servile fear of a band of mixed barbarians, who guarded his person and his government, he connived at many injurious and cruel things which his subjects suffered at their hands, among which was the calamity of Philodemus. This man had a beautiful daughter, whose name was Micca. This maid one of the tyrant’s captains of auxiliaries, called Lucius, attempted to lie with, more out of a design to debauch her than for any love he had to her; and for this end he sent to fetch her to him. The parents verily seeing the strait they were in advised her to go; but the maid, being of a generous and courageous spirit, clasped about her father, beseeching him with earnest entreaties that he would rather see her put to death than that her virginity should be filthily and wickedly violated. Some delay being made, Lucius himself starts up in the midst of his cups, enraged with wrath and lust, and drunk with wine; and finding Micca laying her head on her father’s knees, he instantly commanded her to go along with him; but she refusing, he rent off her clothes, and whipped her stark naked, she stoutly enduring the smart in silence. When her father and mother perceived that by their tears they could not avail or bring any succor to her, they turned to imploring the help of both Gods and men, as persons that were oppressed by the most cruel and unrighteous proceedings. But this barbarous fellow, drunk and raging every way with madness, ran the maid through as she lay with her, face in her father’s bosom. Neither was the tyrant affected with these cruelties, but slew many and sent more into exile; for they say eight hundred took their flight into Aetolia, petitioning the tyrant that their wives and children might come to them. A little after he made proclamation, permitting the women that would to go to their husbands, carrying with them all their household goods that they pleased; but when he perceived that all the women received the proclamation with pleasure (for the number was above six hundred), he charged them all to go in great companies on the appointed day, as if he intended to consult for their safety. When the day came, they crowded at the gates with their goods packed up, carrying their children, some in their arms and some in carts, and stayed for one another. All on a sudden many of the tyrant’s creatures made towards them in great haste, crying aloud to them to stay, while they were yet at great distance from them; and as they approached, they charged the women to return back. Likewise turning about their chariots and carts, they forced them upon them, drove the horses through the midst of them without fear or wit, suffering the women neither to follow nor to stay, nor to reach forth any help to the perishing infants, some of whom were killed falling out of the carts, others run over by the carts. So they drove them in (as so many sheep which butchers drive along), hauling and whipping them as they thronged upon one another, till they had crowded them all into a prison; but their goods they returned to Aristotimus. The people of Elis taking these things very heinously, the priestesses devoted to Bacchus (which they call the Sixteen), taking with them their suppliant boughs and wreaths belonging to the service of their God, went to meet Aristotimus in the market-place; the guards, out of a reverential awe, stood off and gave way to their approach. These priestesses stood still at first with silence, solemnly reaching forth their supplicatory rods; but as soon as they appeared as petitioners and deprecators of his wrath against the women, he fell into a great rage at the guards, exclaiming against them that they had suffered the priestesses to approach his presence, and he caused some to be thrust away, others to be beaten and dragged through the marketplace, and fined them two talents apiece.

> Greek: 15. Ἀριστότιμος Ἠλείοις ἐπαναστὰς τύραννος ἴσχυε μὲν διʼ Ἀντιγόνου τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐχρῆτο δὲ τῇ δυνάμει πρὸς οὐδὲν ἐπιεικὲς οὐδὲ μέτριον· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἦν φύσει θηριώδης, καὶ τοῖς φυλάττουσι τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα βαρβάροις μιγάσι δουλεύων ὑπὸ φόβου, πολλὰ μὲν ὑβριστικὰ πολλὰ δʼ ὠμὰ τοὺς πολίτας ὑπʼ αὐτῶν περιεώρα πάσχοντας· οἷον ἦν καὶ τὸ Φιλοδήμου πάθος. ἔχοντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ θυγατέρα καλὴν ὄνομα Μίκκαν ἐπεχείρησέ τις τῶν περὶ τὸν τύραννον ξεναγῶν ὄνομα Λεύκιος ὕβρει μᾶλλον ἢ ἔρωτι συγγενέσθαι· καὶ πέμψας ἐκάλει τὴν παρθένον. οἱ μὲν οὖν γονεῖς τὴν ἀνάγκην ὁρῶντες ἐκέλευον βαδίζειν· ἡ δὲ παῖς οὖσα γενναία καὶ μεγαλόφρων ἐδεῖτο τοῦ πατρὸς περιπλεκομένη καὶ καθικετεύουσα μᾶλλον αὐτὴν περιιδεῖν ἀποθανοῦσαν ἢ τὴν παρθενίαν αἰσχρῶς καὶ παρανόμως ἀφαιρεθεῖσαν. καὶ διατριβῆς γενομένης, σπαργῶν καὶ μεθύων ὁ Λεύκιος αὐτὸς ἐξανέστη μεταξὺ πίνων πρὸς ὀργήν· καὶ τὴν Μίκκαν εὑρὼν ἐν τοῖς γόνασι τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἔχουσαν ἐκέλευσεν αὐτῷ συνακολουθεῖν· οὐ βουλομένης δὲ τὸ χιτώνιον περιρρήξας ἐμαστίγου γυμνήν, αὐτὴν μὲν ἐγκαρτεροῦσαν σιωπῇ ταῖς ἀλγηδόσιν ὁ δὲ πατὴρ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ, ὡς οὐδὲν ἀντιβολοῦντες καὶ δακρύοντες ἐπέραινον, ἐτράποντο πρὸς θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων ἀνάκλησιν ὡς δεινὰ καὶ παράνομα πάσχοντες. ὁ δὲ βάρβαρος ἐκμανεὶς παντάπασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ καὶ μέθης ἀποσφάττει τὴν παρθένον, ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ πατρὸς ἔχουσα τὸ πρόσωπον. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τούτοις ὁ τύραννος ἐκάμπτετο, πολλοὺς δʼ ἀνῄρει καὶ πλείονας ἐφυγάδευεν· ὀκτακόσιοι γοῦν λέγονται καταφυγεῖν εἰς Αἰτωλοὺς δεόμενοι τὰς γυναῖκας αὑτοῖς καὶ τὰ νήπια τῶν τέκνων κομίσασθαι παρὰ τοῦ τυράννου. ὀλίγῳ δʼ ὕστερον αὐτὸς ἐκήρυξε τὰς βουλομένας γυναῖκας ἀπιέναι πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας, ὅσον βούλονται τῶν γυναικείων χρημάτων ἐπιφερομένας ἐπεὶ δὲ πάσας ᾔσθετο μεθʼ ἡδονῆς τὸ κήρυγμα δεδεγμένας ἐγένοντο γὰρ ὑπερεξακόσιαι τὸ πλῆθος, ἐκέλευσεν ἀθρόας ἡμέρᾳ ῥητῇ βαδίζειν, ὡς τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτὸς παρέξων. ἐνστάσης δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας, αἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας ἠθροίζοντο τὰ χρήματα συσκευασάμεναι, καὶ τῶν τέκνων τὰ μὲν ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις φέρουσαι τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαξῶν ἔχουσαι, καὶ περιέμενον ἀλλήλας ἄφνω δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν τοῦ τυράννου ἐπεφέροντο, μένειν βοῶντες ἔτι πόρρωθεν. ὡς δʼ ἐγγὺς ἐγένοντο, τὰς μὲν γυναῖκας ἐκέλευον ἀναχωρεῖν ὀπίσω, τὰ δὲ ζεύγη καὶ τὰς ἁμάξας ὑποστρέψαντες ἔωσαν εἰς αὐτὰς καὶ διὰ μέσων ἀφειδῶς διήλαυνον, οὔτʼ ἀκολουθεῖν οὔτε μένειν ἐῶντες οὔτε τοῖς νηπίοις βοηθεῖν ἀπολλυμένοις τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκπίπτοντα τῶν ἁμαξῶν τὰ δʼ ὑποπίπτοντα διεφθείροντο, βοῇ καὶ μάστιξιν ὥσπερ πρόβατα τῶν μισθοφόρων ἐπειγόντων ἀνατρεπομένας ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων, ἕως εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐνέβαλον ἁπάσας, τὰ δὲ χρήματα πρὸς τὸν Ἀριστότιμον ἀπεκομίσθη. χαλεπῶς δὲ τῶν Ἠλείων ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐχόντων, αἱ περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον ἱεραὶ γυναῖκες, ἃς ἑκκαίδεκα καλοῦσιν, ἱκετηρίας καὶ στέμματα τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ λαβοῦσαι περὶ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἀπήντησαν τῷ Ἀριστοτίμῳ, καὶ τῶν δορυφόρων ὑπʼ αἰδοῦς διαστάντων, ἔστησαν τὸ πρῶτον σιωπῇ ὁσίως προϊσχόμεναι τὰς ἱκετηρίας. ἐπεὶ δʼ ἐγένοντο φανεραὶ δεόμεναι καὶ παραιτούμεναι τὴν ὀργὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν γυναικῶν, παροξυνθεὶς πρὸς τοὺς δορυφόρους καὶ κεκραγὼς ὅτι προσελθεῖν εἴασαν αὐτὰς ἐποίησε τὰς μὲν ὠθοῦντας τὰς δὲ τύπτοντας ἐξελάσαι τῆς ἀγορᾶς, ἑκάστην δὲ δυσὶ ταλάντοις ἐζημίωσε.

[¶2] These things being transacted in this manner, one Hellanicus moved a conspiracy against this tyrant. He was a man who, by reason of old age and the loss of two sons by death, was unsuspected of the tyrant, as being altogether unlikely for action. In the mean time also the exiles waft themselves over from Aetolia, and take Amymona, a very convenient place on the borders to entrench a camp in, where they received great numbers of the citizens who made their escape by flight from Elis. Aristotimus being startled at these things went in to the imprisoned women, and thinking to work them to his pleasure more by fear than by favor, charged them to send letters to their husbands, enjoining them to depart out of the coasts; if they would not write, he threatened them to slay their children before their eyes, and then put them (the mothers) to death by torments. Whilst he was long provoking and urging them to declare whether they would obey his mandates or not, most of them answered him nothing, but looked with silence one upon another, signifying by nods and gestures that they were not at all affrighted at his threat. But Megisto the wife of Timocleon, who both in respect of her husband and her own excellent accomplishments carried the port of a princess among them, would not vouchsafe to rise off her seat to him nor permit the rest so to do, but as she sat, she gave him this answer:—

> Greek: γενομένων δὲ τούτων, ἐν μὲν τῇ πόλει συνέστησε πρᾶξιν ἐπὶ τὸν τύραννον Ἑλλάνικος, ἀνὴρ διὰ γῆρας ἤδη καὶ δύο τέκνων θάνατον ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν πράξας ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου περιορώμενος. ἐκ δʼ Αἰτωλίας διαπεράσαντες οἱ φυγάδες καταλαμβάνουσι τῆς χώρας ἐπιτήδειον ἐμπολεμεῖν ἔρυμα τὴν Ἀμυμώνην, καὶ συχνοὺς προσεδέχοντο τῶν πολιτῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἤλιδος ἀποδιδράσκοντας. ταῦτα δὲ δείσας ὁ Ἀριστότιμος εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τὰς γυναῖκας, καὶ νομίζων φόβῳ μᾶλλον ἢ χάριτι διαπράξεσθαι προσέταττε πέμπειν καὶ γράφειν αὐτὰς τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὅπως ἀπίωσιν ἐκ τῆς χώρας εἰ δὲ μή, κατασφάξειν ἠπείλει πάσας αἰκισάμενος καὶ προανελὼν τοὺς παῖδας. αἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλαι, πολὺν χρόνον ἐφεστῶτος καὶ κελεύοντος εἰπεῖν εἴ τι πράξουσι τούτων, οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίναντο πρὸς ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ προσέβλεψαν ἀλλήλαις σιωπῇ καὶ διένευσαν, ἀνθομολογούμεναι τὸ μὴ δεδιέναι μηδʼ ἐκπεπλῆχθαι τὴν ἀπειλήν. Μεγιστὼ δʼ ἡ Τιμολέοντος γυνὴ καὶ διὰ τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἡγεμονικὴν ἔχουσα τάξιν, διαναστῆναι μὲν οὐκ ἠξίωσεν οὐδʼ εἴασε τὰς ἄλλας·

[¶3] “Verily if thou wert a discreet man, thou wouldst not after this manner discourse with women about their husbands, but wouldst send to them as to our lords, finding out better language than that by which thou hast deluded us. But if thou thyself despairest to prevail with them, and therefore undertakest to trepan them by our means, do not hope to put a cheat upon us again. And may they never be guilty of such baseness, that for the saving their wives and little ones they will desert that liberty of their native country; for it is not so great a prejudice to them to lose us, whom even now they are deprived of, as it will be benefit to set the subjects at liberty from thy cruelty and oppression.”

> Greek: καθεζομένη δʼ ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰ μὲν ἦς ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος, οὐκ ἂν διελέγου γυναιξὶ περὶ ἀνδρῶν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἐκείνους ἂν ὡς κυρίους ἡμῶν ἔπεμπες, ἀμείνονας λόγους εὑρὼν ἢ διʼ ὧν ἡμᾶς ἐξηπάτησας· εἰ δʼ αὐτὸς ἐκείνους πεῖσαι ἀπεγνωκὼς διʼ ἡμῶν ἐπιχειρεῖς παραλογίζεσθαι, μήθʼ ἡμᾶς ἔλπιζε πάλιν ἐξαπατήσειν μήτʼ ἐκεῖνοι κακῶς οὕτω φρονήσειαν, ὥστε φειδόμενοι παιδαρίων καὶ γυναικῶν ἐγκαταλιπεῖν τὴν τῆς πατρίδος ἐλευθερίαν· οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτο κακὸν αὐτοῖς ἡμᾶς ἀπολέσαι μηδὲ νῦν ἔχοντας, ὅσον ἀγαθὸν ἐξελέσθαι τῆς σῆς ὠμότητος καὶ ὕβρεως τοὺς πολίτας.

[¶4] Aristotimus, being not able to refrain himself at this speech of Megisto, required that her son should be brought, as if it were to slay him before her eyes; but whilst the officer was seeking out the child, that was in the company of other children playing and wrestling together, his mother called him by his name, and said: Come hither, my child; before thou hast any sense and understanding, be thou delivered from bitter tyranny; for it would be much more grievous to me to see thee basely enslaved than to see thee die. At which Aristotimus drawing his sword upon the mother herself, and transported with rage, was going to fall upon her, when one of his favorites, Cylon by name (esteemed his trusty confidant, but in reality a hater of him, and a confederate with Hellanicus in the conspiracy), put a stop to him, and averted him in an humble manner, telling him: This is an ignoble and woman-like carriage, not at all becoming a person of a princely mind and a statesman. Hereupon Aristotimus scarcely coming to his senses departed. Now observe what an ominous prodigy happened to him. It was about noon, when he was taking some repose, his wife sitting by; and whilst his servants were providing dinner, an eagle was seen in the air floating over the house, which did, as it were considerately and on purpose, let fall a stone of an handsome bigness upon that part of the roof of the house which was over the apartment where Aristotimus lay. At the same time there was also a great rattling from above, together with an outcry made by the people that were abroad looking upon the bird. Upon which Aristotimus, falling into a great consternation and examining the matter, sent and called his soothsayer which he usually consulted in his public concerns, and being in great perplexity, desired to be satisfied what that prodigy meant. The soothsayer bade him be of good cheer, for it signified that Jupiter now wakened and assisted him. But to the citizens that he could confide in he said, that vengeance would no longer be delayed from falling on the tyrant’s head. Wherefore it was concluded by Hellanicus and his friends not to defer any longer, but to bring matters to an issue the next day.

> Greek: ταῦτα τῆς Μεγιστοῦς λεγούσης, οὐκ ἀνασχόμενος ὁ Ἀριστότιμος ἐκέλευσε τὸ παιδίον αὐτῆς ὡς ἀποκτενῶν ἐν ὄψει κομισθῆναι. ζητούντων δὲ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν ἀναμεμιγμένον ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις παίζουσι καὶ διαπαλαίουσιν, ἡ μήτηρ ὀνομαστὶ προσκαλεσαμένη δεῦρο ἔφη τέκνον, πρὶν αἰσθέσθαι καὶ φρονεῖν ἀπαλλάγηθι τῆς πικρᾶς τυραννίδος ὡς ἐμοὶ βαρύτερόν ἐστι δουλεύοντά σε παρʼ ἀξίαν ἐφορᾶν ἢ ἀποθνήσκοντα τοῦ δʼ Ἀριστοτίμου σπασαμένου τὴν μάχαιραν ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ἐκείνην καὶ μετʼ ὀργῆς ἐπιφερομένου, τῶν συνήθων τις αὐτῷ Κύλων ὄνομα πιστὸς δοκῶν εἶναι, μισῶν δὲ καὶ μετέχων τῆς συνωμοσίας τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἑλλάνικον, ἀντέστη καὶ ἀπέστρεψε δεόμενος καὶ λέγων ἀγεννὲς εἶναι καὶ γυναικῶδες οὐκ ἀνδρὸς ἡγεμονικοῦ καὶ πράγμασι χρῆσθαι μεμαθηκότος τὸ ἔργον· ὥστε μόλις ἔννουν γενόμενον τὸν Ἀριστότιμον ἀπελθεῖν. γίγνεται δὲ σημεῖον αὐτῷ μέγα· μεσημβρία μὲν γὰρ ἦν καὶ μετὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀνεπαύετο· παρασκευαζομένων δὲ τῶν περὶ τὸ δεῖπνον, ἀετὸς μετέωρος ὤφθη δινούμενος ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκίας, εἶθʼ ὥσπερ ἐκ προνοίας καὶ στοχασμοῦ λίθον ἀφῆκεν εὐμεγέθη κατʼ ἐκεῖνο τῆς στέγης τὸ μέρος, οὗ τὸ δωμάτιον ἦν, ἐν ᾧ κατακείμενος ἐτύγχανεν ὁ Ἀριστότιμος. ἅμα δʼ ἄνωθεν ψόφου μεγάλου καὶ κραυγῆς ἔξωθεν ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδόντων τὸν ὄρνιν γενομένης, ἐκπλαγεὶς καὶ πυθόμενος τὸ γεγονὸς μετεπέμψατο μάντιν, ᾧ χρώμενος διετέλει κατʼ ἀγοράν, καὶ διηρώτα περὶ τοῦ σημείου συντεταραγμένος. ὁ δʼ ἐκεῖνον μὲν παρεκάλει ὡς τοῦ Διὸς αὐτὸν ἐξεγείροντος καὶ βοηθοῦντος, οἷς δʼ ἐπίστευε τῶν πολιτῶν ἔφρασεν ὅσον οὔπω τὴν δίκην αἰωρουμένην ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς ἐμπεσεῖσθαι τῷ τυράννῳ. διὸ καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἑλλάνικον ἔδοξε μὴ μέλλειν, ἀλλʼ ἐπιτίθεσθαι τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ. τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς Ἑλλάνικος ἐδόκει κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους τῶν τεθνηκότων υἱῶν τὸν ἕτερον λέγειν αὐτῷ παραστάντα τί πέπονθας, ὦ πάτερ, καθεύδων;

[¶5] At night Hellanicus imagined in his sleep that he saw one of his dead sons stand by him saying, What is the matter with thee, O father! that thou sleepest To-morrow thou shalt be governor of this city. Being animated by his vision, he encouraged the rest concerned with him. Now Aristotimus was informed that Craterus, coming to his aid with great forces, was encamped in Olympia; upon which he became so confidently secure, that he ventured to go without his guards into the market-place, Cylon only accompanying him. Wherefore Hellanicus, observing this opportunity, did not think good to give the signal to those that were to undertake the enterprise with him, but with a clear voice and lifting up both his hands, he spake saying: O ye good men! why do ye delay? Here is a fair theatre in the midst of your native country for you to contend in for the prize of valor. Whereupon Cylon in the first place drawing his sword smote one of Aristotimus’s waiting gentlemen; but Thrasybulus and Lampis making a brisk opposition, Aristotimus escaped by flight into the temple of Jupiter. Here slaying him, they dragged forth his corpse into the market-place, and proclaimed liberty to the citizens. Neither were the men there much before the women, who immediately ran forth with joyful acclamations, environing the men and binding triumphant garlands about their heads. The multitude presently rushed on upon the tyrant’s palace, where his wife shutting herself into her bed-chamber hanged herself. He had also two daughters, maidens of most beautiful complexions, ripe for marriage. Those they laid hands on, and haled forth, with a desperate resolution to slay them, but first to torment and abuse them. But Megisto, with the rest of the women, meeting them called out with a loud voice: Will they perpetrate such enormities who reckon themselves a free people, in imitation of the practices of audacious and libidinous tyrants? The multitude reverencing the gravity of this matron, pleading with them so undauntedly as also affectionately with tears, they resolved to lay aside this opprobrious way of proceeding, and to cause them to die by their own hands. As they were therefore returned into the chamber, they required the maids immediately to be their own executioners. Muro, the eldest, untying her girdle and tying it about her neck, saluted her sister, and exhorted her to be careful and do whatever she saw her do; lest (as she said) we come to our death in a base and unworthy manner. But the younger desiring it might be her lot to die first, she delivered her the girdle, saying: I did never deny thee any thing thou didst ever desire, neither will I now; take this favor also. I am resolved to bear and endure that which is more grievous than death to me, to see my most dear sister die before me. Upon this, when she had instructed her sister how to put the girdle so as to strangle her, and perceived her dead, she took her down and covered her. And now the eldest sister, whose turn was next, besought Megisto to take care of her, and not suffer her to lie indecently after she was dead. So that there was not any one present that was so bitter and vehement a tyrant-hater that he did not lament and compassionate these maidens upon their brave and virtuous behavior.

> Greek: αὔριον δέ σε δεῖ τῆς πόλεως στρατηγεῖν οὗτός τε δὴ διὰ τὴν ὄψιν εὐθαρσὴς γεγενημένος παρεκάλει τοὺς ἑταίρους, ὃ τʼ Ἀριστότιμος πυθόμενος Κρατερὸν αὐτῷ βοηθοῦντα μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως ἐν Ὀλυμπίᾳ καταστρατοπεδεύειν, οὕτως ἐξεθάρσησεν, ὥστʼ ἄνευ δορυφόρων εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν προελθεῖν μετὰ τοῦ Κύλωνος. ὡς οὖν συνεῖδε τὸν καιρὸν Ἑλλάνικος, ὃ μὲν ἦν σημεῖον αὐτῷ πρὸς τοὺς μέλλοντας ἐπιχειρεῖν συγκείμενον οὐκ ἔδωκε, λαμπρᾷ δὲ τῇ φωνῇ καὶ ἅμα τὰς χεῖρας προτείνων ἀμφοτέρας τί μέλλετε, ἄνδρες ἀγαθοί; καλὸν τὸ θέατρον ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πατρίδος ἐναγωνίσασθαι πρῶτος μὲν οὖν ὁ Κύλων σπασάμενος τὸ ξίφος παίει τινὰ τῶν ἑπομένων τῷ Ἀριστοτίμῳ· Θρασυβούλου δὲ καὶ Λάμπιδος ἐξ ἐναντίας ἐπιφερομένων, ἔφθη μὲν ὁ Ἀριστότιμος εἰς τὸ τοῦ Διὸς ἱερὸν καταφυγών ἐκεῖ δʼ ἀποκτείναντες αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ σῶμα προβαλόντες εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐκάλουν τοὺς πολίτας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. οὐ μὴν ἔφθησάν γε πολὺ τὰς γυναῖκας· εὐθὺς γὰρ ἐξέδραμον μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ ὀλολυγμοῦ, καὶ περιστᾶσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἀνέδουν καὶ κατέστεφον. εἶτα τοῦ πλήθους ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ τυράννου ῥυέντος, ἡ μὲν γυνὴ συγκλείσασα τὸν θάλαμον αὑτὴν ἀνήρτησε. δύο δʼ ἦσαν αὐτῷ θυγατέρες, παρθένοι μὲν ἔτι, κάλλισται δὲ τὴν ὄψιν, ἤδη γάμων ὥραν ἔχουσαι· ταύτας συλλαβόντες εἷλκον ἔξω πάντως μὲν ἀνελεῖν, αἰκίσασθαι δὲ καὶ καθυβρίσαι πρότερον ἐγνωκότες. ἀπαντήσασα δʼ ἡ Μεγιστὼ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐβόα δεινὰ ποιεῖν αὐτούς, εἰ δῆμος ἀξιοῦντες εἶναι ταῦτα τολμῶσι καὶ ἀσελγαίνουσι τοῖς τυράννοις ὅμοια. ἐντρεπομένων δὲ πολλῶν τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς γυναικὸς παρρησιαζομένης καὶ δακρυούσης, ἔδοξεν ἀφελεῖν τὴν ὕβριν, αὐτὰς δʼ ἐᾶσαι διʼ αὑτῶν ἀποθανεῖν. ὡς δʼ οὖν ἀναστρέψαντες ἔνδον ἐκέλευον εὐθὺς ἀποθνήσκειν τὰς παρθένους, ἡ πρεσβυτέρα Μυρὼ λύσασα τὴν ζώνην καὶ βρόχον ἐνάψασα τὴν ἀδελφὴν κατησπάζετο καὶ παρεκάλει προσέχειν καὶ ποιεῖν ἅπερ ἂν αὐτὴν θεάσηται ποιοῦσαν, ὅπως ἄν ἔφη μὴ ταπεινῶς μηδʼ ἀναξίως ἑαυτῶν καταστρέψωμεν. τῆς δὲ νεωτέρας δεομένης αὐτῇ παρεῖναι προτέρᾳ ἀποθανεῖν καὶ τῆς ζώνης ἀντιλαμβανομένης, οὐδὲν ἄλλο πώποτʼ εἶπεν οὐδὲν ἤρνημαί σοι δεομένῃ· καὶ ταύτην οὖν λαβὲ τὴν χάριν, ἐγὼ δʼ ὑπομενῶ καὶ τλήσομαι τοῦ θανάτου βαρύτερον, τὸ σέ, φιλτάτη, προτέραν ἰδεῖν ἀποθνήσκουσαν. ἐκ τούτου τὴν μὲν ἀδελφὴν αὐτὴ διδάξασα τῷ τραχήλῳ περιβαλέσθαι τὸν βρόχον, ὡς ᾔσθετο τεθνηκυῖαν, καθεῖλε καὶ κατεκάλυψεν αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν Μεγιστὼ παρεκάλεσεν ἐπιμεληθῆναι, καὶ μὴ περιιδεῖν αἰσχρῶς, ἐπειδὰν ἀποθάνῃ, τεθεῖσαν· ὥστε μηδένα πικρὸν μηδὲ μισοτύραννον οὕτω γενέσθαι τῶν παρόντων, ὃς οὐκ ἔκλαυσεν οὐδὲ κατηλέησε τὴν τῶν παρθένων εὐγένειαν.

[¶6] Of the innumerable famous exploits performed by women, these examples may suffice. But as for their particular virtues, we will describe them according as they offer themselves scattered here and there, not supposing that our present history doth necessarily require an exact order of time.

> Greek: τῶν μὲν οὖν κοινῇ πεπραγμένων γυναιξὶ μυρίων ὄντων ἱκανὰ ταῦτα παραδείγματα τὰς δὲ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἀρετάς, ὅπως ἂν ἐπίῃ, σποράδην ἀναγράψομεν, οὐδὲν οἰόμενοι τῆς κατὰ χρόνον τάξεως δεῖσθαι τὴν ὑποκειμένην ἱστορίαν.

[¶7] 16. Some of the Ionians who came to dwell at Miletus, falling into contention with the sons of Neleus, departed to Myus, and there took up their situation, where they suffered many injuries from the Milesians; for they made war upon them by reason of their revolt from them. This war was not indeed without truces or commerce, but upon certain festival days the women of Myus went to Miletus. Now there was at Myus Pythes, a renowned man among them, who had a wife called Iapygia, and a daughter Pieria. Pythes, when there was a time of feasting and sacrificing to Diana among the Milesians, which they called Neleis, sent his wife and daughter, who desired to participate of the said feast; when one of the most potent sons of Neleus, Phrygius by name, fell in love with Pieria. He desired to know what service he could do which might be most acceptable to her. She told him, that he should bring it to pass that she with many others might have their frequent recourse thither. Hence Phrygius understood that she desired friendship and peace with the citizens of Miletus; accordingly he finished the war. Whence arose that great honor and renown of Pieria in both cities; insomuch that the Milesian women do to this day make use of this benediction to new married wives, that their husbands may love them so as Phrygius loved Pieria.

> Greek: 16. τῶν εἰς Μίλητον ἀφικομένων Ἰώνων στασιάσαντες ἔνιοι πρὸς τοὺς Νείλεω παῖδας, ἀπεχώρησαν εἰς Μυοῦντα κἀκεῖ κατῴκουν, πολλὰ κακὰ πάσχοντες ὑπὸ τῶν Μιλησίων· ἐπολέμουν γὰρ αὐτοῖς διὰ τὴν ἀποστασίαν. οὐ μὴν ἀκήρυκτος ἦν οὐδʼ ἀνεπίμικτος ὁ πόλεμος, ἀλλʼ ἔν τισιν ἑορταῖς ἐφοίτων εἰς Μίλητον ἐκ τοῦ Μυοῦντος αἱ γυναῖκες. ἦν δὲ Πύθης ἀνὴρ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐμφανής, γυναῖκα μὲν ἔχων Ἰαπυγίαν, θυγατέρα δὲ Πιερίαν. οὔσης οὖν ἑορτῆς Ἀρτέμιδι καὶ θυσίας παρὰ Μιλησίοις, ἣν Νηληίδα προσαγορεύουσιν, ἔπεμψε τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα, δεηθείσας ὅπως τῆς ἑορτῆς μετάσχωσι· τῶν δὲ Νείλεω παίδων ὁ δυνατώτατος ὄνομα Φρύγιος τῆς Πιερίας ἐρασθεὶς ἐνενόει, τί ἂν αὐτῇ μάλιστα γένοιτο παρʼ αὐτοῦ κεχαρισμένον. εἰπούσης δʼ ἐκείνης εἰ διαπράξαιό μοι τὸ πολλάκις ἐνταῦθα καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν βαδίζειν συνεὶς ὁ Φρύγιος δεομένην φιλίας καὶ εἰρήνης τοῖς πολίταις κατέπαυσε τὸν πόλεμον. ἦν οὖν ἐν ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς πόλεσι δόξα καὶ τιμὴ τῆς Πιερίας, ὥστε καὶ τὰς Μιλησίων εὔχεσθαι γυναῖκας ἄχρι νῦν οὕτως ἐρᾶν τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτῶν, ὡς Φρύγιος ἠράσθη Πιερίας.

[¶8] 17. A war arose between the Naxians and Milesians upon the account of Neaera, the wife of Hypsicreon, a Milesian. For she fell in love with Promedon a Naxian, who was Hypsicreon’s guest. Promedon lies with his beloved Neaera; and she, fearing her husband’s displeasure, took shipping with her Promedon, who carried her over into Naxos and placed her a supplicant to Vesta. The Naxians not restoring her upon demand, for the sake of Promedon and making her devotion to Vesta their pretence, a war arose. To the assistance of the Milesians came in many others; and of the Ionians the Erythraeans were most ready. So that this war was of long continuance, and had great calamities attending it. But as it was begun by the lewdness of a woman, so it was ended by a woman’s policy. Diognetus, a colonel of the Erythraeans, holding a fortification committed to his keeping, which was cast up against the Naxians, lying naturally to great advantage and well furnished with ammunition, took great spoils from the Naxians; yea, he captivated both free married women and virgins; with one of which, called Polycrita, he fell in love, and treated her not as a captive but after the manner of a married wife. Now a festival coming in turn to be celebrated among the Milesians in the camp, and all of them given to their cups and luxury, Polycrita petitioned Diognetus that he would be pleased to permit her to send some part of the cakes to her brethren. He permitting and bidding her do it, she thrust into a cake a piece of lead engraven with writing, and commanded the bearer to say to her brethren that they alone by themselves should eat up what she had sent. Accordingly they met with the plate of lead, and read Polycrita’s hand-writing, advising them that night to fall upon their enemies, who, by reason of excess caused by their feastings, were overcome with wine and therefore in a careless secure condition. They acquainted the officers with it, and urged them to accompany them forth against the enemies. Upon engagement the stronghold being gotten and many slain, Polycrita by entreaty of her countrymen obtained the life of Diognetus and preserved him. But she being met by her countrymen at the gate, who received her with acclamations of joy and garlands, and greatly applauded her deed, could not bear the greatness of the joy, but died, falling down at the gate of the citadel, where she was buried; and it is called the Sepulchre of Envy, as though some envious fortune had grudged Polycrita the fruition of so great honor. And thus do the Naxian writers declare the history. But Aristotle saith, that Polycrita was not taken captive, but that by some other way or means Diognetus seeing her fell in love with her, and was ready to give and do all that he could for the enjoying her. Polycrita promised to consent to him, provided she might obtain one only thing of him; concerning which, as the philosopher saith, she required an oath of Diognetus. When he had sworn, she required Delium to be delivered up to her (for the stronghold was called Delium), otherwise she would not yield to go with him. He, being besotted with lust and for his oath’s sake, delivered up the place into the hands of Polycrita, and she to her countrymen. From henceforward they adjusted matters so equally, that the Naxians had free converse, as they pleased, with the Milesians.

> Greek: 17. Ναξίοις καὶ Μιλησίοις συνέστη πόλεμος διὰ τὴν Ὑψικρέοντος τοῦ Μιλησίου γυναῖκα Νέαιραν. αὕτη γὰρ ἠράσθη Προμέδοντος Ναξίου καὶ συνέπλευσεν, ὃς ἦν μὲν ξένος τοῦ Ὑψικρέοντος, ἐρασθείσῃ δὲ τῇ Νεαίρᾳ συνῆλθε, καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα φοβουμένην ἀπαγαγὼν εἰς Νάξον ἱκέτιν τῆς Ἑστίας ἐκάθισεν. τῶν δὲ Ναξίων οὐκ ἐκδιδόντων χάριν τοῦ Προμέδοντος, ἄλλως δὲ ποιουμένων πρόφασιν τὴν ἱκετείαν, ὁ πόλεμος συνέστη. τοῖς δὲ Μιλησίοις ἄλλοι τε πολλοὶ καὶ προθυμότατα τῶν Ἰώνων Ἐρυθραῖοι συνεμάχουν, καὶ μῆκος ἔσχε καὶ συμφορὰς ἤνεγκε μεγάλας ὁ πόλεμος· εἶτʼ ἐπαύσατο διʼ ἀρετὴν γυναικός, ὡς συνέστη διὰ μοχθηρίαν. Διόγνητος γὰρ ὁ τῶν Ἐρυθραίων στρατηγὸς ἔχων καὶ πεπιστευμένος ἔρυμα κατὰ τῆς Ναξίων πόλεως εὖ πεφυκὸς καὶ κατεσκευασμένον, ἠλάσατο λείαν τῶν Ναξίων πολλὴν καὶ γυναῖκας ἐλευθέρας καὶ παρθένους ἔλαβεν. ὧν μιᾶς Πολυκρίτης ἐρασθεὶς εἶχεν αὐτὴν οὐχ ὡς αἰχμάλωτον ἀλλʼ ἐν τάξει γαμετῆς γυναικός. ἑορτῆς δὲ τοῖς Μιλησίοις καθηκούσης ἐν τῇ στρατιᾷ καὶ πρὸς πόσιν ἁπάντων καὶ συνουσίας τραπομένων, ἠρώτησε τὸν Διόγνητον ἡ Πολυκρίτη, μή τι κωλύοι πεμμάτων μερίδας ἀποπέμψαι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὑτῆς. ἐπιτρέψαντος δʼ ἐκείνου καὶ κελεύσαντος, ἐνέβαλε μολίβδινον γραμματίδιον εἰς πλακοῦντα, κελεύσασα φράσαι τὸν κομίζοντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ὅπως αὐτοὶ μόνοι καταναλώσωσιν ἃ ἔπεμψε. οἱ δʼ ἐντυχόντες τῷ μολίβδῳ καὶ τὰ γράμματα τῆς Πολυκρίτης ἀναγνόντες, κελευούσης νυκτὸς ἐπιθέσθαι τοῖς πολεμίοις, ὡς ὑπὸ μέθης διὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἐξημελημένων πάντων, προσήγγειλαν τοῖς στρατηγοῖς καὶ παρώρμησαν ἐξελθεῖν μετʼ αὐτῶν. ἁλόντος δὲ τοῦ χωρίου καὶ πολλῶν διαφθαρέντων, ἐξῃτήσατο τὸν Διόγνητον ἡ Πολυκρίτη παρὰ τῶν πολιτῶν καὶ διέσωσεν. αὐτὴ δὲ πρὸς ταῖς πύλαις γενομένη τοὺς πολίτας ἀπαντῶντας αὐτῇ, μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ στεφάνων ὑποδεχομένους καὶ θαυμάζοντας, οὐκ ἤνεγκε τὸ μέγεθος τῆς χαρᾶς, ἀλλʼ ἀπέθανεν αὐτοῦ πεσοῦσα παρὰ τὴν πύλην· ὅπου τέθαπται, καὶ καλεῖται βασκάνου τάφος, ὡς βασκάνῳ τινὶ τύχῃ τὴν Πολυκρίτην φθονηθεῖσαν ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν τιμῶν. οὕτω μὲν οἱ Ναξίων συγγραφεῖς ἱστοροῦσιν· ὁ δʼ Ἀριστοτέλης φησὶν οὐδʼ ἁλούσης τῆς Πολυκρίτης, ἄλλως δέ πως ἰδόντα τὸν Διόγνητον ἐρασθῆναι καὶ πάντα διδόναι καὶ ποιεῖν ἕτοιμον εἶναι· τὴν δʼ ὁμολογεῖν ἀφίξεσθαι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἑνὸς μόνου τυχοῦσαν, περὶ οὗ τὸν Διόγνητον, ὥς φησιν ὁ φιλόσοφος, ὅρκον ᾔτησεν ἐπεὶ δʼ ὤμοσεν, ἠξίου τὸ Δήλιον αὐτῇ δοθῆναι Δήλιον γὰρ ἐκαλεῖτο τὸ χωρίον, ἄλλως δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἔφη συνελθεῖν. ὁ δὲ καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ διὰ τὸν ὅρκον ἐξέστη καὶ παρέδωκε τῇ Πολυκρίτῃ τὸν τόπον, ἐκείνη δὲ τοῖς πολίταις. ἐκ δὲ τούτου πάλιν εἰς ἴσον καταστάντες, ἐφʼ οἷς ἐβούλοντο πρὸς τοὺς Μιλησίους διελύθησαν.

[¶9] 18. There were two brethren, Phobus and Blepsus, twins of the stock of Codrus, natives of Phocaea; of which two Phobus, the elder, threw himself from the Leucadian rocks into the sea, as Charon of Lampsacus hath told us in history. This Phobus, having potency and royal dignity, took a voyage into Parium upon the account of his own private concerns; and becoming a friend and guest to Mandron king of the Bebrycians, the same that were called Pituoessans, he aided and assisted him in the war against those of the bordering inhabitants that molested him. So that when Phobus was returning back by sea, Mandron showed great civility to him, promising to give him a part of his country and city, if he would bring over the Phocaeans and plant them as inhabitants in Pituoessa. Phobus therefore persuading his countrymen sent his brother to conduct them over as planters, and likewise the obligation was performed on Mandron’s part according to expectation. But the Phocaeans taking great booty, prey, and spoils from the neighboring barbarians, were first envied, and afterwards became a terror to the Bebrycians; and therefore they desired to be rid of them. As for Mandron, being an honest and righteous person, they could not possess him against the Grecians; but he taking a long journey, they provided to destroy the Phocaeans by treachery. Mandron had a daughter called Lampsace, a virgin, who was acquainted with the plot; and first she endeavored to take off her friends and familiars from it, admonishing them what a dreadful and ungodly enterprise they were going upon,—to murder men that were benefactors, military auxiliaries, and now citizens. But when she could not prevail with them, she declared to the Grecians secretly what was plotting, and wished them to stand upon their guard. Upon this, the Phocaeans provided a sacrifice and feast, and invited the Pituoessans into the suburbs; on which, dividing themselves into two parts, with one they surprised the walls of the city, with the other they slew the men. Thus taking the city, they sent to Mandron, desiring him to join with their own rulers in the government. As for Lampsace, she died of a sickness, and they buried her sumptuously, and called the city Lampsace after her name. But when Mandron, avoiding all suspicion of betraying his people. refused to come to dwell among them, and desired this favor at their hands, that they would send him the wives and children of the deceased, the Phocaeans most readily sent them, offering them no injury at all. And ascribing in the first place heroic renown to Lampsace, in the last place they decreed a sacrifice to her as a Goddess, which they continue yearly to offer.

> Greek: 18. ἐκ Φωκαίας τοῦ Κοδριδῶν γένους ἦσαν ἀδελφοὶ δίδυμοι Φόβος καὶ Βλέψος· ὧν ὁ Φόβος ἀπὸ τῶν Λευκάδων πετρῶν πρῶτος ἀφῆκεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς θάλασσαν, ὡς Χάρων ὁ Λαμψακηνὸς ἱστόρηκεν. ἔχων δὲ δύναμιν καὶ βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα παρέπλευσεν εἰς Πάριον ἰδίων ἕνεκα πραγμάτων· καὶ γενόμενος φίλος καὶ ξένος Μάνδρωνι, βασιλεύοντι Βεβρύκων τῶν Πιτυοεσσηνῶν προσαγορευομένων, ἐβοήθησε καὶ συνεπολέμησεν αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν προσοίκων ἐνοχλουμένοις. ὁ δὲ Μάνδρων ἄλλην τε πολλὴν ἐνεδείξατο τῷ Φόβῳ φιλοφροσύνην ἀποπλέοντι καὶ μέρος τῆς τε χώρας καὶ τῆς πόλεως ὡς ὑπισχνεῖτο δώσειν, εἰ βούλοιτο Φωκαεῖς ἔχων ἐποίκους εἰς τὴν Πιτυόεσσαν ἀφικέσθαι. πείσας οὖν τοὺς πολίτας ὁ Φόβος ἐξέπεμψε τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἄγοντα τοὺς ἐποίκους. καὶ τὰ μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Μάνδρωνος ὑπῆρχεν αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ προσεδόκησαν ὠφελείας δὲ μεγάλας καὶ λάφυρα καὶ λείας ἀπὸ τῶν προσοίκων βαρβάρων λαμβάνοντες, ἐπίφθονοι τὸ πρῶτον εἶτα καὶ φοβεροὶ τοῖς Βέβρυξιν ἦσαν. ἐπιθυμοῦντες οὖν αὐτῶν ἀπαλλαγῆναι, τὸν μὲν Μάνδρωνα, χρηστὸν ὄντα καὶ δίκαιον ἄνδρα περὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας, οὐκ ἔπεισαν, ἀποδημήσαντος δʼ ἐκείνου, παρεσκευάζοντο τοὺς Φωκαεῖς δόλῳ διαφθεῖραι. τοῦ δὲ Μάνδρωνος ἡ θυγάτηρ Λαμψάκη παρθένος οὖσα τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν προέγνω, καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπεχείρει τοὺς φίλους καὶ οἰκείους ἀποτρέπειν καὶ διδάσκειν, ὡς ἔργον δεινὸν καὶ ἀσεβὲς ἐγχειροῦσι πράττειν, εὐεργέτας καὶ συμμάχους ἄνδρας νῦν δὲ καὶ πολίτας ἀποκτιννύντες. ὡς δʼ οὐκ ἔπειθε, τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἔφρασε κρύφα τὰ πραττόμενα καὶ παρεκελεύσατο φυλάττεσθαι. οἱ δὲ θυσίαν τινὰ παρασκευασάμενοι καὶ θοίνην ἐξεκαλέσαντο τοὺς Πιτυοεσσηνοὺς εἰς τὸ προάστειον· αὑτοὺς δὲ διελόντες δίχα, τοῖς μὲν τὰ τείχη κατελάβοντο τοῖς δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀνεῖλον. οὕτω δὴ τὴν πόλιν κατασχόντες τόν τε Μάνδρωνα μετεπέμποντο, συμβασιλεύειν τοῖς παρʼ αὐτῶν κελεύοντες· καὶ τὴν Λαμψάκην ἐξ ἀρρωστίας ἀποθανοῦσαν ἔθαψαν ἐν τῇ πόλει μεγαλοπρεπῶς, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Λάμψακον προσηγόρευσαν. ἐπεὶ δʼ ὁ Μάνδρων προδοσίας ὑποψίαν φεύγων τὸ μὲν οἰκεῖν μετʼ αὐτῶν παρῃτήσατο, παῖδας δὲ τῶν τεθνηκότων καὶ γυναῖκας ἠξίωσε κομίσασθαι· καὶ ταῦτα προθύμως οὐδὲν ἀδικήσαντες ἐξέπεμψαν, καὶ τῇ Λαμψάκῃ πρότερον ἡρωικὰς τιμὰς ἀποδιδόντες ὕστερον ὡς θεῷ θύειν ἐψηφίσαντο καὶ διατελοῦσιν οὕτω θύοντες.

[¶10] 19. Aretaphila, a Cyrenaean, was not of ancient time, but lived in the time of the Mithridatic war. She arrived at such a degree of fortitude and experience in counsel as might be compared with the conduct of any heroic ladies. She was the daughter of Aeglator and the wife of Phaedimus, both renowned men. She was a great beauty, excelling in discretion, and was not unacquainted with the most knotty pieces of policy; but the common disasters of her native country rendered her famous. Nicocrates, having then usurped the tyranny over the Cyrenaeans, not only murdered many other citizens, but also assassinated Melanippus, a priest of Apollo, with his own hand, and held the priesthood himself. He slew also Phaedimus, the husband of Aretaphila, and married Aretaphila against her will. Unto a thousand other villanies he added this, that he set guards at the gates, who mangled the dead corpses as they were carrying forth, pricking them with their daggers and clapping hot irons to them, lest any citizen should be carried out privily under pretence of being a dead corpse. Aretaphila’s own proper calamities were very grievous to her, although the tyrant, for the love that he bare to her, suffered her to enjoy a great part of his regal power; for his love had subdued him unto her, and to her alone was he gentle and manageable, being very rude and savage in his behavior to others. But that which troubled her more than other things was to see her miserable country suffering such horrid things in so base a manner; one citizen being slaughtered after another, without any hopes of a vindictive justice from any. The exiles also were altogether enfeebled, affrighted, and scattered here and there. Aretaphila therefore supposed herself to be the only hope remaining for the state; and emulating the famous and brave enterprises of Thebe of Pherae, although she was destitute of the faithful friends and helpers which circumstances afforded to Thebe, she laid a plan to despatch her husband by poison. But in setting herself about it, providing the materials, and trying many experiments with poisons, the matter could not be hid, but was discovered; and there being proof made of the attempt, Calbia, Nicocrates’s mother, being naturally of a murdering implacable spirit, presently adjudged Aretaphila to torments and then to death. But love abated the rage of Nicocrates, and put him upon delay; and the vigorous manner in Which Aretaphila met the accusation and defended herself gave some plausible ground for his hesitation. But when she was convicted by the clearest proofs, and the preparation she had made for the poison was even in sight, admitting no denial, she confessed that she provided poison, but not deadly poison. But truly, O sir, she said, I am contending for matters of great concern, no less indeed than the honor and power which by thy gracious favor I reap the fruit of. I am maligned by many ill women, whose poisons and treacheries I stand in fear of, and therefore have been persuaded to contrive something on the other side in my own defence. These are haply foolish and woman-like plots, but not such as deserve death, unless it seem good to thee as judge to take away thy wife’s life on account of lovepotions and charms, which she has used because she wishes to be loved by thee more than thou wouldst have her. Notwithstanding this defence which Aretaphila had made for herself, Nicocrates thought good to commit her to torments; and Calbia presided in the judicature, rigid and inexorable. But Aretaphila bore up invincibly under her tortures, till Calbia herself was tired, sore against her will. But Nicocrates being pacified discharged her, and was sorry he had tortured her. And it was not very long ere he went in again unto her, being highly transported with affection, renewing his favor towards her with honors and courteous behavior. But she would not be brought under by flattery, who had held out so stoutly under tortures and pains; and an emulation of victory, conjoined with the love of honesty, made her betake herself to other measures.

> Greek: 19. Ἀρεταφίλα δʼ ἡ Κυρηναία παλαιὰ μὲν οὐ γέγονεν ἀλλʼ ἐν τοῖς Μιθριδατικοῖς καιροῖς, ἀρετὴν δὲ καὶ πρᾶξιν ἐνάμιλλον τῇ βουλῇ τῶν ἡρωίδων παρέσχεν. ἦν δὲ θυγάτηρ μὲν Αἰγλάτορος Φαιδίμου δὲ γυνή, γνωρίμων ἀνδρῶν καλὴ δὲ τὴν ὄψιν οὖσα, καὶ τὸ φρονεῖν ἐδόκει περιττή τις εἶναι καὶ πολιτικῆς δεινότητος οὐκ ἄμοιρος· ἐπιφανῆ δʼ αὐτὴν αἱ κοιναὶ τύχαι τῆς πατρίδος ἐποίησαν. Νικοκράτης γὰρ ἐπαναστὰς Κυρηναίοις τύραννος ἄλλους τε πολλοὺς ἐφόνευε τῶν πολιτῶν καὶ τὸν ἱερέα τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος αὐτόχειρ ἀνελὼν Μελάνιππον, εἶχε τὴν ἱερωσύνην· ἀνεῖλε δὲ καὶ Φαίδιμον τὸν τῆς Ἀρεταφίλας ἄνδρα καὶ τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν ἔγημεν ἄκουσαν. πρὸς δὲ μυρίοις ἄλλοις παρανομήμασι φύλακας ἐπὶ τῶν πυλῶν κατέστησεν, οἳ τοὺς ἐκφερομένους νεκροὺς ἐλυμαίνοντο νύττοντες ξιφιδίοις καὶ καυτήρια προσβάλλοντες ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδένα τῶν πολιτῶν ὡς νεκρὸν λαθεῖν ἐκκομιζόμενον. δύσφορα μὲν οὖν καὶ τῇ Ἀρεταφίλᾳ τὰ οἰκεῖα κακά, καίπερ ἐνδιδόντος αὐτῇ διʼ ἔρωτα τοῦ τυράννου πλεῖστον ἀπολαύειν τῆς δυνάμεως (ἥττητο γὰρ ἐκείνης καὶ μόνῃ χειροήθη παρεῖχεν αὑτὸν ἄτεγκτος ὢν τἄλλα καὶ θηριώδης)· ἠνία δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτὴν ἡ πατρὶς οἰκτρὰ πάσχουσα παρʼ ἀξίαν. ἄλλος γὰρ ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ τῶν πολιτῶν ἐσφάττετο, τιμωρία δʼ ἀπʼ οὐδενὸς ἠλπίζετο· καὶ γὰρ οἱ φυγάδες, ἀσθενεῖς παντάπασιν ὄντες καὶ περίφοβοι, διεσπάρησαν. αὑτὴν οὖν ἡ Ἀρεταφίλα ὑποθεῖσα μόνην τοῖς κοινοῖς ἐλπίδα, καὶ τὰ Θήβης ζηλώσασα τῆς Φεραίας καλὰ καὶ περιβόητα τολμήματα, συμμάχων δὲ πιστῶν καὶ οἰκείων, οἵους ἐκείνῃ τὰ πράγματα παρέσχεν, ἔρημος οὖσα, φαρμάκοις ἐπεχείρησε διεργάσασθαι τὸν ἄνδρα. παρασκευαζομένη δὲ καὶ πορίζουσα καὶ διαπειρωμένη πολλῶν δυνάμεων οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἀλλʼ ἐμηνύθη· καὶ γενομένων ἐλέγχων, Καλβία μὲν ἡ τοῦ Νικοκράτους μήτηρ, φύσει φονικὴ γυνὴ καὶ ἀπαραίτητος, εὐθὺς ᾤετο δεῖν ἀναιρεῖν αἰκισαμένην τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν τοῦ δὲ Νικοκράτους μέλλησιν ἐνεποίει τῇ ὀργῇ καὶ ἀσθένειαν ὁ ἔρως, καὶ τὸ τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν ἐρρωμένως ὁμόσε χωρεῖν ταῖς κατηγορίαις ἀμύνουσαν ἑαυτῇ πρόφασίν τινα τῷ πάθει παρεῖχεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ κατελαμβάνετο τοῖς ἐλέγχοις καὶ τὴν παρασκευὴν τῆς φαρμακείας ἑώρα μὴ δεχομένην ἄρνησιν, ὡμολόγει, παρεσκευάσθαι δʼ οὐκ ὀλέθριον φαρμακείαν ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ μεγάλων εἶπεν ὦ ἄνερ, ἀγωνίζομαι, τῆς σῆς εὐνοίας πρὸς ἐμὲ καὶ δόξης καὶ δυνάμεως, ἣν διὰ σὲ καρποῦμαι πολλαῖς ἐπίφθονος οὖσα κακαῖς γυναιξὶν ὧν φάρμακα δεδοικυῖα καὶ μηχανὰς ἐπείσθην ἀντιμηχανήσασθαι, μωρὰ μὲν ἴσως καὶ γυναικεῖα, θανάτου δʼ οὐκ ἄξια πλὴν εἰ κριτῇ σοι δόξειε φίλτρων ἕνεκα καὶ γοητείας κτεῖναι γυναῖκα, πλεῖον ἢ σὺ βούλει φιλεῖσθαι δεομένην. τοιαῦτα τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν ἀπολογουμένην ἔδοξε τῷ Νικοκράτει βασανίσαι· καὶ τῆς Καλβίας ἐφεστώσης ἀτέγκτου καὶ ἀπαραιτήτου, ταῖς βασάνοις ἀνέκρινε καὶ διεφύλαττεν αὑτὴν ἀήττητον ἐν ταῖς ἀνάγκαις ἄχρι καὶ τὴν Καλβίαν ἀποκαμεῖν ἄκουσαν. ὁ δὲ Νικοκράτης ἀφῆκε πεισθεὶς καὶ μετενόει βασανίσας· καὶ χρόνον οὐ πολὺν διαλιπὼν αὖθις ἧκεν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους εἰς αὐτὴν φερόμενος, καὶ συνῆν αὖθις ἀναλαμβάνων τιμαῖς καὶ φιλοφροσύναις τὴν εὔνοιαν. ἡ δʼ οὐκ ἔμελλε χάριτος ἡττᾶσθαι κρατήσασα βασάνων καὶ πόνων, ἀλλὰ τῷ φιλοκάλῳ φιλονεικίας προσγενομένης ἑτέρας ἥπτετο μηχανῆς. ἦν γὰρ αὐτῇ θυγάτηρ ἀνδρὸς ὥραν ἔχουσα καὶ τὴν ὄψιν ἱκανή· ταύτην ὑφῆκε τἀδελφῷ τοῦ τυράννου δέλεαρ, ὄντι μειρακίῳ πρὸς ἡδονὰς εὐαλώτῳ.

## 3. Sections 19–27

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/3/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/plutarch-bravery-of-women/3/#p-N

[¶0] She had a daughter marriageable, an excellent beauty. Her she presented for a bait to the tyrant’s brother, a young stripling and lasciviously addicted. There was a report, that Aretaphila used such enchantments and witchcrafts towards the maid, that she plainly charmed and destroyed the young man’s reason. He was called Leander. After he was entangled, he petitioned his brother and accomplished the marriage. Now the maid, being instructed by her mother, instigated and persuaded him to set the city at liberty, insinuating that he himself could not live long free under an arbitrary government, nor could he marry a wife or reserve her to himself. Also some friends, Aretaphila’s favorites, suggested to him continually some accusations or surmises concerning his brother. But as soon as he perceived that Aretaphila was counselling and aiding in these matters, he undertook the business, and excited Daphnis a household servant, who slew Nicocrates by his command. In what followed, he attended not so much to Aretaphila, but presently manifested by his actions that he was rather a fratricide than a tyrannicide; for he managed his affairs perversely and foolishly. But yet he had some honor for Aretaphila, and she had some influence with him; neither did she manage any enmity or open opposition against him, but ordered her affairs privily. First of all, she stirred up an African war against him, and incited Anabus, a certain duke, to invade his borders and approach the city; and then she buzzed into Leander’s head suspicions against the favorites and officers, saying that they were not forward to fight but rather ambitious of peace and tranquillity, which indeed (she said) the state of affairs and the security of his dominion required of him if he would hold his subjects in firm subjection; and she would effect a cessation of arms and bring Anabus to a parley with him, if he would permit it, before an incurable war should break forth. Leander gave her commission. First she treated with the African, and with the promise of great presents and treasures begged that he would seize Leander when he came to treat with him. The African was persuaded, but Leander was backward to it; only for the respect that he bore to Aretaphila, who said that she would be present, he went unarmed and unguarded. But as he came nigh and saw Anabus, he made a halt, and would have waited the coming of his guards; only Aretaphila being present sometimes encouraged him, sometimes reviled him. But at last, when he still hesitates, she undauntedly lays hold on him, and dragging him resolutely along, delivers him to the barbarian. He was immediately seized, confined, and bound, and kept prisoner by the African, until Aretaphila’s friends, with other citizens, procured the treasures promised. Many people acquainted with this ran forth to the parley; and as soon as they saw Aretaphila, they were so transported that they had like to have forgot their indignation against the tyrant, and reckoned the punishing him of no great concern. But the first work after the enjoyment of their liberty was the saluting Aretaphila, between acclamations of joy and weeping, and falling down before her, as before the statue of one of the Gods. And the people flocked in one after another, so that they scarcely had time that evening to receive Leander again and return into the city. When they had satisfied themselves in honoring and applauding Aretaphila, they turned themselves to the tyrants; and Calbia they burnt alive, Leander they sewed up in a sack and threw him into the sea, but they voted that Aretaphila should bear her share in the government together with the statesmen, and be taken into counsel. But she, by great sufferings having acted a tragi-comedy consisting of various parts, and at last obtained the reward of the garland, as soon as she saw the city set at liberty, betook herself to her private apartment; and casting off all multiplicity of business, she led the rest of her time in spining, and finished her days in tranquillity among her friend and acquaintance.

> Greek: πολὺς δὲ λόγος ἐστὶ χρησαμένην γοητείᾳ καὶ φαρμάκοις ἐπὶ τῇ κόρῃ τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν, χειρώσασθαι καὶ διαφθεῖραι τοῦ νεανίσκου τὸν λογισμὸν ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ Λέανδρος. ἐπεὶ δʼ ἡλώκει καὶ λιπαρήσας τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἔτυχε τοῦ γάμου, τὰ μὲν ἡ κόρη παρῆγεν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς διδασκομένη καὶ ἀνέπειθεν ἐλευθεροῦν τὴν πόλιν, ὡς μηδʼ αὐτὸν ἐλεύθερον ἐν τυραννίδι ζῶντα μηδὲ τοῦ λαβεῖν γάμον ἢ φυλάξαι κύριον ὄντα, τὰ δʼ οἱ φίλοι τῇ Ἀρεταφίλᾳ χαριζόμενοι διαβολάς τινας ἀεὶ καὶ ὑπονοίας κατεσκεύαζον αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν. ὡς δʼ ᾔσθετο καὶ τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν ταὐτὰ βουλευομένην καὶ σπουδάζουσαν, ἐπεχείρει τὸ ἔργον, καὶ Δάφνιν οἰκέτην παρορμήσας ἀπέκτεινε διʼ ἐκείνου τὸν Νικοκράτην. τὰ λοιπὰ δʼ οὐκέτι τῇ Ἀρεταφίλᾳ προσεῖχεν, ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς ἔδειξε τοῖς ἔργοις ἀδελφοκτόνος οὐ τυραννοκτόνος γεγονώς· ἦρχε γὰρ ἐμπλήκτως καὶ ἀνοήτως. τιμὴ δέ τις ὅμως ἦν τῆς Ἀρεταφίλας παρʼ αὐτῷ καὶ δύναμις, οὐκ ἀπεχθανομένης οὐδὲ πολεμούσης ἄντικρυς ἀλλʼ ἀδήλως διαταττούσης τὰ πράγματα. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ Λιβυκὸν ὑπεκίνησε πόλεμον, Ἀνάβουν τινὰ πείσασα δυνάστην τὴν χώραν ἐπιδραμεῖν καὶ τῇ πόλει προσαγαγεῖν, ἔπειτα διέβαλε τοὺς φίλους καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς πρὸς τὸν Λέανδρον, ὡς πολεμεῖν οὐκ ὄντας προθύμους, εἰρήνης δὲ μᾶλλον δεομένους καὶ ἡσυχίας· ἣν καὶ τὰ πράγματα ποθεῖν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν τυραννίδα, βουλομένου βεβαίως κρατεῖν τῶν πολιτῶν· αὐτὴ δὲ πράξειν ἔφη τὰς διαλύσεις καὶ τὸν Ἀνάβουν εἰς λόγους αὐτῷ συνάξειν, ἐὰν κελεύῃ, πρὶν ἀνήκεστόν τι τὸν πόλεμον ἐξεργάσασθαι. κελεύσαντος δὲ τοῦ Λεάνδρου, πρότερον αὐτὴ τῷ Λίβυι διελέχθη, συλλαβεῖν δεομένη τὸν τύραννον ἐπὶ δωρεαῖς μεγάλαις καὶ χρήμασιν, ὅταν εἰς λόγους αὐτῷ παραγένηται. πεισθέντος δὲ τοῦ Λίβυος, ὤκνει μὲν ὁ Λέανδρος, αἰδεσθεὶς δὲ τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν αὐτὴν παρέσεσθαι φάσκουσαν, ἐξῆλθεν ἄοπλος καὶ ἀφύλακτος. ὡς δʼ ἐγγὺς ἦλθε καὶ τὸν Ἀνάβουν εἶδεν, αὖθις ἐδυσχέραινε καὶ περιμένειν ἐβούλετο τοὺς δορυφόρους· ἡ δʼ Ἀρεταφίλα παροῦσα τὰ μὲν ἐθάρρυνεν αὐτὸν τὰ δʼ ἐκάκιζε· τέλος δὲ γενομένης διατριβῆς, ἐφελκυσαμένη τῆς χειρὸς ἰταμῶς πάνυ καὶ τεθαρρηκότως προσήγαγε τῷ βαρβάρῳ καὶ παρέδωκεν. εὐθὺς οὖν ἀνήρπαστο καὶ συνείληπτο καὶ δεθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν Λιβύων ἐτηρεῖτο, ἄχρι οὗ τὰ χρήματα τῇ Ἀρεταφίλᾳ κομίζοντες οἱ φίλοι παρεγένοντο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων πολιτῶν. πυθόμενοι γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι ἐξέδραμον ἐπὶ τὴν παράκλησιν ὡς δʼ εἶδον τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν, ὀλίγον ἐδέησαν ἐκλαθέσθαι τῆς πρὸς τὸν τύραννον ὀργῆς, καὶ πάρεργον τὴν ἐκείνου τιμωρίαν ἐνόμιζον· ἔργον δὲ πρῶτον ἦν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπόλαυσμα τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐκείνην ἀσπάσασθαι μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ δακρύων, ὥσπερ ἀγάλματι θεοῦ προσπίπτοντας. ἄλλων δʼ ἐπʼ ἄλλοις ἐπιρρεόντων, μόλις ἑσπέρας τὸν Λέανδρον παραλαβόντες ἐπανῆλθον εἰς τὴν πόλιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν τιμῶν τῆς Ἀρεταφίλας καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων ἐνεπλήσθησαν, οὕτω τραπόμενοι πρὸς τοὺς τυράννους τὴν μὲν Καλβίαν ζῶσαν κατέκαυσαν, τὸν δὲ Λέανδρον ἐνράψαντες εἰς βύρσαν κατεπόντισαν. ἠξίουν δὲ τὴν Ἀρεταφίλαν συνάρχειν καὶ συνδιοικεῖν τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἀνδράσι τὴν πολιτείαν. ἡ δʼ ὡς ποικίλον τι δρᾶμα καὶ πολυμερὲς ἀγωνισαμένη μέχρι στεφάνου διαδόσεως, ὡς ἐπεῖδε τὴν πόλιν ἐλευθέραν, εὐθὺς εἰς τὴν γυναικωνῖτιν ἐνεδύετο, καὶ τοῦ πολυπραγμονεῖν ὁτιοῦν προβαλλομένη, τὸν λοιπὸν χρόνον ἐν ἱστοῖς ἡσυχίαν ἄγουσα μετὰ τῶν φίλων καὶ οἰκείων διετέλεσεν.

[¶1] 20. There were two most potent persons among the tetrarchs of Galatia, allied by kin to each other, Sinatus and Synorix; one of which, Sinatus, took a maid to wife, Camma by name, very comely to behold for person and favor, but principally to be admired for virtue. For she was not only modest and loving to her husband, but discreet and of a generous mind. And by reason of her gentle and courteous behavior she was extremely acceptable to her inferiors; yea, that which rendered her more eminently renowned was, that being a priest of Diana (for the Galatians worship that goddess most) she did always appear magnificently adorned in all sacred processions and at the sacrifices. Wherefore Synorix, falling in love with her, could not prevail either by persuasions or violence, whilst her husband lived. He commits a horrid crime,—he slays Sinatus treacherously, —and not long after accosts Camma, whilst she abode within the temple, and bore Synorix’s crime not in an abject and despondent manner, but with a mind intent upon revenge on Synorix, and only waiting an opportunity. He was importunate in his humble addresses, neither did he seem to use arguments that were without all show of honesty. For as in other things he pretended that he far excelled Sinatus, so he slew him for the love he bare to Camma and for no other wicked design. The woman’s denials were at first not very peremptory, and then by little and little she seemed to be softened towards him. Her familiars and friends also lay at her in the service and favor of Synorix, who was a man of great power, persuading and even forcing her. In fine therefore she consented, and accordingly sent for him to come to her, that the mutual contract and covenant might be solemnized in the presence of the Goddess. When he came, she received him with much courtesy, and bringing him before the altar and pouring out some of the drink-offering upon the altar out of the bowls, part of the remainder she drank herself and part she gave him to drink. The cup was poisoned mead. As she saw him drink it all up, she lifted up a shrill loud voice, and fell down and worshipped her Goddess, saying: I call thee to witness, O most reverend Divinity! that for this very day’s work’s sake I have over-lived the murder of Sinatus, no otherwise taking any comfort in this part of my life but in the hope of revenge that I have had. And now I go down to my husband. And for thee, the lewdest person among men, let thy relations prepare a sepulchre, instead of a bride-chamber and nuptials. When the Galatian heard these things, and perceived the poison to wamble up and down and indispose his body, he ascended his chariot, hoping to be relieved by the jogging and shaking. But he presently alighted, and put himself into a litter, and died that evening. Camma continued all that night, and being told that he had ended his life, she comfortably and cheerfully expired.

> Greek: 20. ἦσαν ἐν Γαλατίᾳ δυνατώτατοι τῶν τετραρχῶν καί τι καὶ κατὰ γένος προσήκοντες ἀλλήλοις Σινάτος τε καὶ Σινόριξ. ὧν ὁ Σινάτος γυναῖκα παρθένον ἔσχε Κάμμαν ὄνομα, περίβλεπτον μὲν ἰδέᾳ σώματος καὶ ὥρᾳ, θαυμαζομένην δὲ μᾶλλον διʼ ἀρετήν· οὐ γὰρ μόνον σώφρων καὶ φίλανδρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνετὴ καὶ μεγαλόφρων καὶ ποθεινὴ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις ἦν διαφερόντως ὑπʼ εὐμενείας καὶ χρηστότητος· ἐπιφανεστέραν δʼ αὐτὴν ἐποίει καὶ τὸ τῆς Ἀρτέμιδος ἱέρειαν εἶναι, ἣν μάλιστα Γαλάται σέβουσι, περί τε πομπὰς ἀεὶ καὶ θυσίας κεκοσμημένην ὁρᾶσθαι μεγαλοπρεπῶς. ἐρασθεὶς οὖν αὐτῆς ὁ Σινόριξ, καὶ μήτε πεῖσαι μήτε βιάσασθαι ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς δυνατὸς ὤν, ἔργον εἰργάσατο δεινόν· ἀπέκτεινε γὰρ δόλῳ τὸν Σινάτον, καὶ χρόνον οὐ πολὺν διαλιπὼν ἐμνᾶτο τὴν Κάμμαν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ποιουμένην διατριβὰς καὶ φέρουσαν οὐκ οἰκτρῶς καὶ ταπεινῶς ἀλλὰ θυμῷ νοῦν ἔχοντι καὶ καιρὸν περιμένοντι τὴν τοῦ Σινόριγος παρανομίαν. ὁ δὲ λιπαρὴς ἦν περὶ τὰς δεήσεις, καὶ λόγων ἐδόκει μὴ παντάπασιν ἀπορεῖν εὐπρέπειαν ἐχόντων, ὡς τὰ μὲν ἄλλα Σινάτου βελτίονα παρεσχηκὼς ἑαυτὸν ἀνελὼν δʼ ἐκεῖνον ἔρωτι τῆς Κάμμας μὴ διʼ ἑτέραν τινὰ πονηρίαν. ἦσαν οὖν τὸ πρῶτον ἀρνήσεις οὐκ ἄγαν ἀπηνεῖς τῆς γυναικός, εἶτα κατὰ μικρὸν ἐδόκει μαλάσσεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ οἰκεῖοι καὶ φίλοι προσέκειντο θεραπείᾳ καὶ χάριτι τοῦ Σινόριγος μέγιστον δυναμένου, πείθοντες αὐτὴν καὶ καταβιαζόμενοι· τέλος δὲ συνεχώρει καὶ μετεπέμπετο πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐκεῖνον, ὡς παρὰ τῇ θεῷ τῆς συναινέσεως καὶ καταπιστώσεως γενησομένης ἐλθόντα δὲ δεξαμένη φιλοφρόνως καὶ προσαγαγοῦσα τῷ βωμῷ κατέσπεισεν ἐκ φιάλης, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἐξέπιεν αὐτὴ τὸ δʼ ἐκεῖνον ἐκέλευσεν· ἦν δὲ πεφαρμαγμένον μελίκρατον. ὡς δʼ εἶδε πεπωκότα, λαμπρὸν ἀνωλόλυξε καὶ τὴν θεὸν προσκυνήσασα μαρτύρομαί σε εἶπεν ὦ πολυτίμητε δαῖμον, ὅτι ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς ἡμέρας ἐπέζησα τῷ Σινάτου φόνῳ, χρόνον τοσοῦτον οὐδὲν ἀπολαύουσα τοῦ βίου χρηστὸν ἀλλʼ ἢ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς δίκης, ἣν ἔχουσα καταβαίνω πρὸς τὸν ἐμὸν ἄνδρα. σοὶ δʼ, ὦ πάντων ἀνοσιώτατε ἀνθρώπων, τάφον ἀντὶ θαλάμου καὶ γάμου παρασκευαζέτωσαν οἱ προσήκοντες. ταῦτα δʼ ἀκούσας ὁ Γαλάτης καὶ τοῦ φαρμάκου δρῶντος ἤδη καὶ διακινοῦντος τὸ σῶμα συναισθόμενος ἐπέβη μὲν ὀχήματος ὡς σάλῳ καὶ τιναγμῷ χρησόμενος, ἐξέστη δὲ παραχρῆμα καὶ μεταβὰς εἰς φορεῖον ἑσπέρας ἀπέθανεν. ἡ δὲ Κάμμα διενεγκοῦσα τὴν νύκτα καὶ πυθομένη τέλος ἔχειν ἐκεῖνον, εὐθύμως καὶ ἱλαρῶς κατέστρεψεν.

[¶2] 21. Galatia also produced Stratonica the wife of Deiotarus, and Chiomara the wife of Ortiagon, both of them women worth remembrance. Stratonica knowing that her husband wanted children of his own body to succeed in his kingdom, she being barren persuaded him to beget a child on another woman, and subject it to her tutelage. Deiotarus admiring her proposal, committed all to her care upon that account. She provided a comely virgin for him from among the captives, Electra by name, and brought her to lie with Deiotarus. The children begotten of her she educated very tenderly and magnificently, as if they had been her own.

> Greek: 21. παρέσχε δʼ ἡ Γαλατία καὶ Στρατονίκην τὴν Δηιοτάρου καὶ Χιομάραν τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος, ἀξίας μνήμης γυναῖκας· ἡ μὲν οὖν Στρατονίκη δεόμενον γνησίων παίδων ἐπὶ διαδοχῇ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπισταμένη τὸν ἄνδρα, μὴ τίκτουσα δʼ αὐτὴ συνέπεισεν ἐξ ἑτέρας γυναικὸς παιδοποιησάμενον αὐτῇ τὸ παιδίον περιιδεῖν ὑποβαλλόμενον. τοῦ δὲ Δηιοτάρου τήν τε γνώμην θαυμάσαντος καὶ πᾶν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ ποιησαμένου, παρθένον εὐπρεπῆ παρασκευάσασα τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ὄνομα Ἠλέκτραν συνεῖρξε τῷ Δηιοτάρῳ, καὶ τοὺς γενομένους παῖδας ὥσπερ γνησίους αὐτῆς ἔθρεψε φιλοστόργως καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶς.

[¶3] 22. It fell out that Chiomara, the wife of Ortiagon, was taken captive with other women, in the time when the Romans under Cneus Manlius overcame the Galatians of Asia in battle. The centurion that took her made use of his fortune soldier-like and defiled her; for he was, as to voluptuousness and covetousness, an ill-bred and insatiable man, over whom avarice had gotten an absolute conquest. A great quantity of gold being promised by the woman for her ransom, in order to her redemption he brought her to a certain bank of a river. As the Galatians passed over and paid him the money in gold, and received Chiomara into their possession, she gave an intimation of her pleasure to one of them by nod,—to smite the Roman while he was kissing and taking his leave of her. He obeyed her commands and cut off his head. She takes it, wraps it up in her apron, and carries it with her; and as she comes to her husband, she casts down the head before him, at which being startled he said, O wife! thy fidelity is noble. Yea, verily, replied she, it is a nobler thing that there is now but one man alive that hath ever lain with me. Polybius saith that he discoursed with this woman at Sardis, and admired her prudence and discretion.

> Greek: 22. Χιομάραν δὲ συνέβη τὴν Ὀρτιάγοντος αἰχμάλωτον γενέσθαι μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων γυναικῶν, ὅτε Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ Γναῖος ἐνίκησαν μάχῃ τοὺς ἐν Ἀσίᾳ Γαλάτας. ὁ δὲ λαβὼν αὐτὴν ταξίαρχος ἐχρήσατο τῇ τύχῃ στρατιωτικῶς καὶ κατῄσχυνεν ἦν δʼ ἄρα καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν καὶ ἀργύριον ἀμαθὴς καὶ ἀκρατὴς ἄνθρωπος· ἡττήθη δʼ ὅμως ὑπὸ τῆς φιλαργυρίας, καὶ χρυσίου συχνοῦ διομολογηθέντος ὑπὲρ τῆς γυναικός, ἦγεν αὐτὴν ἀπολυτρώσων, ποταμοῦ τινος ἐν μέσῳ διείργοντος. ὡς δὲ διαβάντες οἱ Γαλάται τὸ χρυσίον ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ καὶ παρελάμβανον τὴν Χιομάραν, ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ νεύματος προσέταξεν ἑνὶ παῖσαι τὸν Ῥωμαῖον ἀσπαζόμενον αὐτὴν καὶ φιλοφρονούμενον ἐκείνου δὲ πεισθέντος καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκόψαντος, ἀραμένη καὶ περιστείλασα τοῖς κόλποις ἀπήλαυνεν. ὡς δʼ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῷ προύβαλεν, ἐκείνου θαυμάσαντος καὶ εἰπόντος ὦ γύναι, καλὸν ἡ πίστις, ναί εἶπεν ἀλλὰ κάλλιον ἕνα μόνον ζῆν ἐμοὶ συγγεγενημένον. ταύτῃ μὲν ὁ Πολύβιός φησι διὰ λόγων ἐν Σάρδεσι γενόμενος θαυμάσαι τό τε φρόνημα καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν.

[¶4] 23. When Mithridates sent for sixty noblemen of Galatia as friends, he seemed to carry himself abusively and imperiously towards them, which they were all mightily provoked at. Poredorix, a man of a robust body and lofty mind, who was no less than tetrarch of the Tosiopae, designed to lay hold on Mithridates, seizing him when he should be determining causes on the bench of judicature in the gymnasium, and to force him bench and all into the ditch; but by a certain chance he went not up to the place of judicature that day, but sent for the Galatians to come home to him to his house. Poredorix encouraged them all to be of good courage, and when they should be all come together there, to fall upon him on every side, slay him, and cut his body in pieces. This conspiracy was not unknown to Mithridates, an intimation of it being given him; accordingly he delivers up the Galatians one by one to be slain. But calling to mind a young man among them, who excelled in comeliness and beauty all whom he knew, he commiserated him and repented himself and was apparently grieved, supposing him slain among the first, and also sent his command, that if he were alive he should remain so. The young man’s name was Bepolitanus. There was a strange accident befell this man. When he was apprehended, he had on very gay and rich apparel, which the executioner desired to preserve clean from being stained with blood; and undressing the young man leisurely, he saw the king’s messengers running to him and calling out the name of the youth. So that covetousness, which is the ruin of many, unexpectedly saved the life of Bepolitanus. But Poredorix being slain was cast forth unburied, and none of his friends did dare to come near him; only a certain woman of Pergamus, that was conversant with him while he lived at Galatia, attempted to cover his corpse and bury it. But when the guards perceived her, they laid hold on her and brought her before the king. And it is reported that Mithridates was much affected at the sight of her, the young maid seeming altogether harmless, and the more so, as it seemed, because he knew that love was the reason of her attempt. He gave her leave therefore to take away the corpse and bury it, and to take grave-clothes and ornaments at his cost.

> Greek: 23. ἐπεὶ δὲ Μιθριδάτης ἑξήκοντα Γαλατῶν τοὺς ἀρίστους μεταπεμψάμενος εἰς Πέργαμον ὡς φίλους, ὑβριστικῶς ἐδόκει καὶ δεσποτικῶς προσφέρεσθαι, καὶ πάντες ἠγανάκτουν, Πορηδόριξ, ἀνὴρ τό τε σῶμα ῥωμαλέος καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν διαφέρων ἦν δὲ Τοσιωπῶν τετράρχης, ἀνεδέξατο τὸν Μιθριδάτην, ὅταν ἐν τῷ βήματι χρηματίζῃ συναρπάσας ὤσειν ἅμα σὺν αὐτῷ κατὰ τῆς φάραγγος. τύχῃ δέ τινι τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης οὐκ ἀναβάντος εἰς τὸ γυμνάσιον αὐτοῦ, μεταπεμπομένου δὲ τοὺς Γαλάτας οἴκαδε, θαρρεῖν παρεκάλει, καὶ ὅταν ἐν ταὐτῷ γένωνται, διασπάσαι τὸ σῶμα καὶ διαφθεῖραι πανταχόθεν προσπεσόντας. τοῦτʼ οὐκ ἔλαθε τὸν Μιθριδάτην, ἀλλὰ μηνύσεως γενομένης, καθʼ ἕνα τῶν Γαλατῶν παρεδίδου σφαγησόμενον εἶτά πως ἀναμνησθεὶς νεανίσκου πολὺ προέχοντος ὥρᾳ καὶ κάλλει τῶν καθʼ αὑτὸν ᾤκτιρε καὶ μετενόει καὶ δῆλος ἦν ἀχθόμενος ὡς ἐν πρώτοις ἀπολωλότος, ὅμως δʼ ἔπεμψεν, εἰ ζῶν εὑρεθείη, μεθεῖναι κελεύων· ἦν δʼ ὄνομα τῷ νεανίσκῳ Βηπολιτανός. καί τις αὐτῷ τύχη θαυμαστὴ συνέπεσε· καλὴν γὰρ ἐσθῆτα καὶ πολυτελῆ συνελήφθη φορῶν· ἣν ὁ δήμιος ἀναίμακτον αὑτῷ καὶ καθαρὰν διαφυλάξαι βουλόμενος, καὶ ἀποδύων ἀτρέμα τὸν νεανίσκον, εἶδε τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως προσθέοντας ἅμα καὶ τοὔνομα τοῦ μειρακίου βοῶντας. τὸν μὲν οὖν Βηπολιτανὸν ἡ πολλοὺς ἀπολέσασα φιλαργυρία διέσωσεν ἀπροσδοκήτως. ὁ δὲ Πορηδόριξ κατακοπεὶς ἄταφος ἐξεβέβλητο, καὶ τῶν φίλων οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησε προσελθεῖν γύναιον δὲ Περγαμηνόν, ἐγνωσμένον ἀφʼ ὥρας ζῶντι τῷ Γαλάτῃ, παρεκινδύνευσε θάψαι καὶ περιστεῖλαι τὸν νεκρόν· ᾔσθοντο δʼ οἱ φύλακες καὶ συλλαβόντες ἀνήγαγον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. λέγεται μὲν οὖν τι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν αὐτῆς παθεῖν ὁ Μιθριδάτης, νέας παντάπασι καὶ ἀκάκου τῆς παιδίσκης φανείσης· ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον ὡς ἔοικε τὴν αἰτίαν γνοὺς ἐρωτικὴν οὖσαν ἐπεκλάσθη καὶ συνεχώρησεν ἀνελέσθαι καὶ θάψαι τὸν νεκρὸν ἐσθῆτα καὶ κόσμον ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνου λαβοῦσαν.

[¶5] 24. Theagenes the Theban, who held the same sentiments with regard to his country’s welfare with Epaminondas, Pelopidas, and the other most worthy Thebans, was slain in Chaeronea, in the common disaster of Greece, even then when he had conquered his enemies and was in pursuit of them. For it was he that answered one who cried out aloud to him, How far wilt thou pursue? Even (saith he) to Macedonia. When he was dead, his sister survived him, who gave testimony that he was nobly descended, and that he was naturally a great man and excellently accomplished. Moreover, this woman was so fortunate as to reap a great benefit by her prowess, so that the more public calamities fell upon her, so much the easier she bore them. For when Alexander took Thebes and the soldiers fell a plundering, some in one part and some in another, it happened that a man, neither civil nor sober but mischievous and mad, took up his quarters in Timoclea’s house. He was a captain to a Thracian company, and the king’s namesake, but nothing like him; for he having no regard either to the family or estate of this woman, when he had swilled himself in wine after supper, commanded her to come and lie with him. Neither ended he here, but enquired for gold and silver, whether she had not some hid by her; sometimes threatening as if he would kill her, sometimes flattering as if he would always repute her in the place of a wife. She, taking the occasion offered by him, said: “Would God I had died before this night came, rather than lived to it; that though all other things had been lost, I might have preserved my body free from abuse. But now seeing it is thus come to pass, and Divine Providence hath thus disposed of it that I must repute thee my guardian, lord, and husband, I will not hold any thing from thee that is thine own. And as for myself, I see I am at thy disposition. As for corporeal enjoyments, the world was mine, I had silver bowls, I had gold, and some money; but when this city was taken, I commanded my maids to pack it up altogether, and threw it, or rather put it for security, into a well that had no water in it. Neither do many know of it, for it hath a covering, and nature hath provided a shady wood round about it. Take then these things, and much good may they do thee; and they shall lie by thee, as certain tokens and marks of the late flourishing fortune and splendor of our family.” When the Macedonian heard these things, he stayed not for day, but presently went to the place by Timoclea’s conduct, commanding the garden-door to be shut, that none might perceive what they were about. He descended in his morning vestment. But the revengeful Clotho brought dreadful things upon him by the hand of Timoclea, who stood on the top of the well; for as soon as she perceived by his voice that he reached the bottom, she threw down abundance of stones upon him, and her maids rolled in many and great ones, till they had dashed him to pieces and buried him under them. As soon as the Macedonians came to understand this and had taken up the corpse, there having been late proclamation that none of the Thebans should be slain, they seized her and carried her before the king and declared her audacious exploit; but the king, who by the gravity of her countenance and stateliness of her behavior did perceive in her something that savored of the greatest worth and nobility, asked her first, What woman art thou? She courageously and undauntedly answered: Theagenes was my brother, who was a commander at Chaeronea, and lost his life fighting against you in defence of the Grecian liberty, that we might not suffer any such thing; and seeing I have suffered things unworthy of my rank, I refuse not to die; for it is better so to do than to experience another such a night as the last, which awaits me unless thou forbid it. All the most tender-spirited persons that were present broke out into tears; but Alexander was not for pitying her, as being a woman above pity. But he admired her fortitude and eloquence, which had taken strong hold on him, and charged his officers to have a special care and look to the guards, lest any such abuse be offered again to any renowned family; and dismissed Timoclea, charging them to have a special regard to her and all that should be found to be of her family.

> Greek: 24. Θεαγένης ὁ Θηβαῖος, Ἐπαμεινώνδᾳ καὶ Πελοπίδᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἀρίστοις ἀνδράσι τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως λαβὼν διάνοιαν, ἔπταισε περὶ τὴν κοινὴν τύχην τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ, κρατῶν ἤδη καὶ διώκων τοὺς κατʼ αὐτὸν ἀντιτεταγμένους. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἦν ὁ πρὸς τὸν ἐμβοήσαντα μέχρι ποῦ διώκεις; ἀποκρινάμενος μέχρι Μακεδονίας. ἀποθανόντι δʼ αὐτῷ περιῆν ἀδελφὴ μαρτυροῦσα κἀκεῖνον ἀρετῇ γένους καὶ φύσει μέγαν ἄνδρα καὶ λαμπρὸν γενέσθαι· πλὴν ταύτῃ γε καὶ χρηστὸν ἀπολαῦσαί τι τῆς ἀρετῆς ὑπῆρξεν, ὥστε κουφότερον, ὅσον τῶν κοινῶν ἀτυχημάτων εἰς αὐτὴν ἦλθεν, ἐνεγκεῖν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἐκράτησε Θηβαίων Ἀλέξανδρος, ἄλλοι δʼ ἄλλα τῆς πόλεως ἐπόρθουν ἐπιόντες, ἔτυχε τὴν Τιμοκλείας οἰκίαν καταλαβὼν ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἐπιεικὴς οὐδʼ ἥμερος ἀλλʼ ὑβριστὴς καὶ ἀνόητος· ἦρχε δὲ Θρᾳκίου τινὸς ἴλης καὶ ὁμώνυμος ἦν τοῦ βασιλέως οὐδὲν δʼ ὅμοιος. οὔτε γὰρ τὸ γένος οὔτε τὸν βίον αἰδεσθεὶς τῆς γυναικός, ὡς ἐνέπλησεν ἑαυτὸν οἴνου, μετὰ δεῖπνον ἐκάλει συναναπαυσομένην. καὶ τοῦτο πέρας οὐκ ἦν· ἀλλὰ καὶ χρυσὸν ἐζήτει καὶ ἄργυρον, εἴ τις εἴη κεκρυμμένος ὑπʼ αὐτῆς, τὰ μὲν ὡς ἀπολῶν τὰ δʼ ὡς ἕξων διὰ παντὸς ἐν τάξει γυναικός. ἡ δὲ δεξαμένη λαβὴν αὐτοῦ διδόντος ὤφελον μέν εἶπε τεθνάναι πρὸ ταύτης ἐγὼ τῆς νυκτὸς ἢ ζῆν· τὸ γοῦν σῶμα πάντων ἀπολλυμένων ἀπείρατον ὕβρεως διαφυλάξαι· πεπραγμένων δʼ οὕτως, εἴ σε κηδεμόνα καὶ δεσπότην καὶ ἄνδρα δεῖ νομίζειν, τοῦ δαίμονος διδόντος, οὐκ ἀποστερήσω σε τῶν σῶν· ἐμαυτὴν γάρ, ὅ τι βούλει σύ, ὁρῶ γεγενημένην. ἐμοὶ περὶ σῶμα κόσμος ἦν καὶ ἄργυρος ἐν ἐκπώμασιν, ἦν τι καὶ χρυσοῦ καὶ νομίσματος. ὡς δʼ ἡ πόλις ἡλίσκετο, πάντα συλλαβεῖν κελεύσασα τὰς θεραπαινίδας ἔρριψα, μᾶλλον δὲ κατεθέμην εἰς φρέαρ ὕδωρ οὐκ ἔχον· οὐδʼ ἴσασιν αὐτὸ πολλοί· πῶμα γὰρ ἔπεστι καὶ κύκλῳ περιπέφυκεν ὕλη σύσκιος. ταῦτα σὺ μὲν εὐτυχοίης λαβών, ἐμοὶ δʼ ἔσται πρός σε μαρτύρια καὶ γνωρίσματα τῆς περὶ τὸν οἶκον εὐτυχίας καὶ λαμπρότητος. ἀκούσας οὖν ὁ Μακεδὼν οὐ περιέμεινε τὴν ἡμέραν, ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς ἐβάδιζεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ἡγουμένης τῆς Τιμοκλείας· καὶ τὸν κῆπον ἀποκλεῖσαι κελεύσας, ὅπως αἴσθοιτο μηδείς, κατέβαινεν ἐν τῷ χιτῶνι. στυγερὰ δʼ ἡγεῖτο Κλωθὼ τιμωρὸς ὑπὸ τῆς Τιμοκλείας ἐφεστώσης ἄνωθεν. ὡς δʼ ᾔσθετο τῇ φωνῇ κάτω γεγονότος, πολλοὺς μὲν αὐτὴ τῶν λίθων ἐπέφερε πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ μεγάλους αἱ θεραπαινίδες ἐπεκυλίνδουν, ἄχρι οὗ κατέκοψαν αὐτὸν καὶ κατέχωσαν. ὡς δʼ ἔγνωσαν οἱ Μακεδόνες καὶ τὸν νεκρὸν ἀνείλοντο κηρύγματος ἤδη γεγονότος μηδένα κτείνειν Θηβαίων, ἦγον αὐτὴν συλλαβόντες ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προσήγγειλαν τὸ τετολμημένον. ὁ δὲ καὶ τῇ καταστάσει τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τῷ σχολαίῳ τοῦ βαδίσματος ἀξιωματικόν. τι καὶ γενναῖον ἐνιδὼν πρῶτον ἀνέκρινεν αὐτὴν τίς εἴη γυναικῶν. ἡ δʼ ἀνεκπλήκτως πάνυ καὶ, τεθαρρηκότως εἶπεν ἐμοὶ Θεαγένης ἦν ἀδελφός, ὃς ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ στρατηγῶν καὶ μαχόμενος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐλευθερίας ἔπεσεν, ὅπως ἡμεῖς μηδὲν τοιοῦτον πάθωμεν· ἐπεὶ δὲ πεπόνθαμεν ἀνάξια τοῦ γένους, ἀποθανεῖν οὐ φεύγομεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄμεινον ἴσως ζῶσαν ἑτέρας πειρᾶσθαι νυκτός, εἰ σὺ τοῦτο μὴ κωλύσεις. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐπιεικέστατοι τῶν παρόντων ἐδάκρυσαν, Ἀλεξάνδρῳ δʼ οἰκτίρειν μὲν οὐκ ἐπῄει τὴν ἄνθρωπον ὡς μείζονα, θαυμάσας δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὸν λόγον εὖ μάλα καθαψάμενον αὐτοῦ, τοῖς μὲν ἡγεμόσι παρήγγειλε προσέχειν καὶ φυλάττειν, μὴ πάλιν ὕβρισμα τοιοῦτον εἰς οἰκίαν ἔνδοξον γένηται· τὴν δὲ Τιμόκλειαν ἀφῆκεν αὐτήν τε καὶ πάντας, ὅσοι κατὰ γένος αὐτῇ προσήκοντες εὑρέθησαν.

[¶6] 25. Arcesilaus was the son of Battus who was surnamed Felix, not at all like to his father in his conversation. His father, when he lived, laid a fine of a talent upon him for making fortifications about his house. After his father’s death he being of a rugged disposition (therefore surnamed the Severe), and following the counsels of Laarchus, an ill friend, became a tyrant instead of a king. For Laarchus affecting the government for himself, either banished or slew the noblemen of Cyrene, and charged the fault upon Arcesilaus; and at last casting him into a wasting and grievous disease, by giving him the sea-hare in his drink, he deprived him of his life. So that Laarchus assumed the government, under pretence of being protector to Arcesilaus’s young son Battus; but the youth, by reason either of his lameness or youthful age, was contemned. As for his mother, many made addresses to her, being a modest and courteous woman, and she had many of the commons and nobility at her devotion. Therefore Laarchus, pretending to be her humble servant, would needs marry her, and thereby take Battus to the dignity of being son and then allow him a share in the government. But Eryxo (for that was the woman’s name), taking counsel of her brethren, bade Laarchus treat with them as if she had designed marriage; Laarchus accordingly treating with Eryxo’s brethren, they on purpose delay and prolong the business. Eryxo sends one of her maid-servants acquainting him, that for the present her brethren did oppose the match, but if they could but accomplish it so as to lie together once, her brethren would cease arguing the matter any farther, and would give their consent. He should therefore come to her by night, if he pleased; an entrance being once made in a business, the rest will succeed well enough. These things were mighty pleasing to Laarchus, and he was much inflamed by the woman’s obliging carriage towards him, and declared that he would come to whatever place she should command him. These things Eryxo transacted with the privity of Polyarchus, her eldest brother. A time being now appointed for the congress, Polyarchus placed himself in his sister’s bed-chamber, together with two young men that were sword-men, all out of sight, to revenge the death of his father, whom Laarchus had lately murdered. Eryxo sending at the time to acquaint him, he entered without his guard, and the young men falling upon him, he was wounded with the sword and died; the corpse immediately they threw over the wall. Battus they brought forth and proclaimed king over his father’s dominions, and Polyarchus restored to the Cyrenaeans their ancient constitution of government. There were present at that time many soldiers of Amasis, the Egyptian king; whom Laar chus had employed and found faithful, and by whose means he had been not a little formidable to the citizens. These sent messengers to accuse Polyarchus and Eryxo to Amasis. At this the king was greatly incensed, and determined to make war upon the Cyrenaeans. But it happened that his mother died, and while he was solemnizing her funeral, ambassadors came and brought the news of his intentions to Cyrene. Wherefore it was thought best by Polyarchus to go and apologize for himself. Eryxo would not desert him, but was resolved to accompany him and run the same hazard with him. Nor would his mother Critola leave him, though she was an old woman; for great was her dignity, she being the sister of old Battus, surnamed Felix. As soon as they came into Egypt, as others with admiration approved of the exploit, so even Amasis himself did not a little applaud the chastity and fortitude of Eryxo, honoring her with presents and royal attendance, with which he sent back Polyarchus and the ladies into Cyrene.

> Greek: 25. Βάττου τοῦ ἐπικληθέντος Εὐδαίμονος υἱὸς Ἀρκεσίλαος ἦν οὐδὲν ὅμοιος τῷ πατρὶ τοὺς τρόπους· καὶ γὰρ ζῶντος ἔτι περὶ τὴν οἰκίαν περιθεὶς ἐπάλξεις ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐζημιώθη ταλάντῳ· καὶ τελευτήσαντος ἐκείνου, τοῦτο μὲν φύσει χαλεπὸς ὤν (ὅπερ καὶ ἐπεκλήθη), τοῦτο δὲ φίλῳ πονηρῷ, Λαάρχῳ, χρώμενος ἀντὶ βασιλέως ἐγεγόνει τύραννος. ὁ δὲ Λάαρχος ἐπιβουλεύων τῇ τυραννίδι καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν Κυρηναίων ἐξελαύνων ἢ φονεύων, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀρκεσίλαον τὰς αἰτίας ἔτρεπε· καὶ τέλος ἐκεῖνον μὲν εἰς νόσον ἐμβαλὼν φθινάδα καὶ χαλεπὴν λαγὼν πιόντα θαλάσσιον διέφθειρεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἶχεν ὡς τῷ παιδὶ τῷ ἐκείνου Βάττῳ διαφυλάττων. ὁ μὲν οὖν παῖς καὶ διὰ τὴν χωλότητα καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν κατεφρονεῖτο, τῇ δὲ μητρὶ πολλοὶ προσεῖχον αὐτοῦ· σώφρων τε γὰρ ἦν καὶ φιλάνθρωπος οἰκείους τε πολλοὺς καὶ δυνατοὺς εἶχε. διὸ καὶ θεραπεύων αὐτὴν ὁ Λάαρχος ἐμνηστεύετο, καὶ τὸν Βάττον ἠξίου παῖδα θέσθαι γήμας ἐκείνην, καὶ κοινωνὸν ἀποδεῖξαι τῆς ἀρχῆς· ἡ δʼ Ἐρυξὼ (τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ) βουλευσαμένη μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἐκέλευε τὸν Λάαρχον ἐντυγχάνειν ἐκείνοις, ὡς αὐτῆς προσιεμένης τὸν γάμον. ἐπεὶ δʼ ὁ Λάαρχος ἐνετύγχανε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ἐκεῖνοι δʼ ἐπίτηδες παρῆγον καὶ ἀνεβάλλοντο, πέμπει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ Ἐρυξὼ θεραπαινίδα παρʼ αὑτῆς παραγγέλλουσαν, ὅτι νῦν μὲν ἀντιλέγουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοί, γενομένης δὲ τῆς συνόδου παύσονται διαφερόμενοι καὶ συγχωρήσουσι· δεῖν οὖν αὐτόν, εἰ βούλεται, νύκτωρ ἀφικέσθαι πρὸς αὐτήν· καλῶς γὰρ ἕξειν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς γενομένης ἦν οὖν ταῦτα καθʼ ἡδονὴν τῷ Λαάρχῳ, καὶ παντάπασιν ἀναπτοηθεὶς πρὸς τὴν φιλοφροσύνην τῆς γυναικὸς ὡμολόγησεν ἥξειν, ὅταν ἐκείνη κελεύῃ. ταῦτα δʼ ἔπραττεν ἡ Ἐρυξὼ μετὰ Πολυάρχου τοῦ πρεσβυτάτου τῶν ἀδελφῶν. ὁρισθέντος δὲ καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν σύνοδον, ὁ Πολύαρχος εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον τῆς ἀδελφῆς παρεισήχθη κρύφα, νεανίσκους ἔχων δύο σὺν αὑτῷ ξιφήρεις φόνῳ πατρὸς ἐπεξιόντας, ὃν ὁ Λάαρχος ἐτύγχανεν ἀπεκτονὼς νεωστί. μεταπεμψαμένης δὲ τῆς Ἐρυξοῦς αὐτὸν, ἄνευ δορυφόρων εἰσῆλθε, καὶ τῶν νεανίσκων αὐτῷ προσπεσόντων τυπτόμενος τοῖς ξίφεσιν ἀπέθανε. τὸν μὲν οὖν νεκρὸν ἔρριψαν ὑπὲρ τὸ τεῖχος, τὸν δὲ Βάττον προαγαγόντες ἀνέδειξαν ἐπὶ τοῖς πατρίοις βασιλέα, καὶ τὴν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς πολιτείαν ὁ Πολύαρχος, ἀπέδωκε τοῖς Κυρηναίοις. ἐτύγχανον δʼ Ἀμάσιδος τοῦ Αἰγυπτίων βασιλέως στρατιῶται συχνοὶ παρόντες, οἷς ὁ Λάαρχος ἐχρῆτο πιστοῖς, καὶ φοβερὸς ἦν οὐχ ἥκιστα διʼ ἐκείνων τοῖς πολίταις. οὗτοι πρὸς Ἄμασιν ἔπεμψαν τοὺς κατηγορήσοντας τοῦ τε Πολυάρχου καὶ τῆς Ἐρυξοῦς. χαλεπαίνοντος δʼ ἐκείνου καὶ διανοουμένου πολεμεῖν τοῖς Κυρηναίοις, συνέβη τὴν μητέρα τελευτῆσαι, καὶ ταφὰς αὐτῆς ἐπιτελοῦντος, ἀναγγέλλοντας ἐλθεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Ἀμάσιδος. ἔδοξεν οὖν τῷ Πολυάρχῳ βαδίζειν ἀπολογησομένῳ· τῆς δʼ Ἐρυξοῦς μὴ ἀπολειπομένης ἀλλʼ ἕπεσθαι καὶ συγκινδυνεύειν βουλομένης, οὐδʼ ἡ μήτηρ Κριτόλα, καίπερ οὖσα πρεσβῦτις, ἀπελείπετο. μέγιστον δʼ αὐτῆς ἦν ἀξίωμα, Βάττου γεγενημένης ἀδελφῆς τοῦ Εὐδαίμονος. ὡς οὖν ἦλθον εἰς Αἴγυπτον, οἳ τʼ ἄλλοι θαυμαστῶς ἀπεδέξαντο τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ Ἄμασις οὐ μετρίως ἀπεδέξατο τήν τε σωφροσύνην καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν τῆς γυναικός· δώροις δὲ τιμήσας καὶ θεραπείᾳ βασιλικῇ τόν τε Πολύαρχον καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας εἰς Κυρήνην ἀπέστειλεν.

[¶7] 26. Xenocrita of Cumae deserves no less to be admired for her exploits against Aristodemus the tyrant, whom some have supposed to be surnamed the Effeminate, being ignorant of the true story. He was called by the barbarians Malakos (that is soft and effeminate) with regard merely to his youth; because, when he was a mere stripling, with other companions of the same age who wore long hair (whence they were called Coronistae, as it seems from their long hair), he became famous in the war against the barbarians. He was also not only renowned for resolution and activity, but very exceedingly remarkable for his discretion and providence; insomuch that being admired by the citizens he proceeded to the highest dominion among them. He was to bring aid to the Romans when they were in war with the Etrurians, who engaged to restore Tarquinius Superbus to his kingdom; in all which expedition, that was very long, he managed all affairs so as to ingratiate himself with the military part of the citizens, aiming more at the making himself head of a popular faction than general of the army. He accordingly prevails with them to join with himin attacking the senate, and in casting out the citizens of highest rank and most potent into exile. Afterwards becoming tyrant, he was flagitious in his carriage towards women and free-born youth, and exceeded even himself in vileness. For history reports of him how that he accustomed the boys to wear their hair long and set with golden ornaments, and the girls he compelled to be polled round, and to wear youths’ jerkins and short-tailed petticoats. Notwithstanding, he had a peculiar affection for Xenocrita, a girl of Cumae, left behind by her exiled father. Her he kept, but could not bring over to his humor by any insinuations or persuasions, neither had he gained her father’s consent; however, he reckoned the maid would be brought to love him by constant conversation with him, since she would be envied and reputed very happy by the citizens. But these things did not at all besot the maid; but she took it heinously that she must be constrained to dwell with him, not espoused or married. Neither did she less long for the liberty of her native country than did those who were hated by the tyrant. It happened about that time that Aristodemus was casting up an entrenchment about the borders of Cumae, a work neither necessary nor profitable, only because he was resolved to tire out the citizens with hard toil and labor; for every one was required to carry out a stinted number of baskets of earth daily, in order to the delving this ditch. A certain maid, as she saw Aristodemus approaching, ran aside and covered her face with her apron; but when Aristodemus was withdrawn, the young men would sport and jest with her, asking her whether out of modesty she avoided only the sight of Aristodemus and was not so affected towards other men. She made answer designedly, rather than otherwise, that of the Cumaeans Aristodemus was the only man. This sentence thus spoken verily touched them all very near, for it provoked the generousminded men among them for very shame to the recovering of their liberties. And it is said that Xenocrita was heard to say, that she had rather carry earth for her father, if he were at home, than participate in the great luxury and pomp of Aristodemus. These things added courage to them that were about to make an insurrection against Aristodemus, which Thymoteles had the chief management of; for Xenocrita providing them safe admittance, they easily rushed in upon Aristodemus, unarmed and unguarded, and slew him. In this manner the city of Cumae gained its liberty, by the virtue of two women; one by suggesting and invigorating the enterprise, the other by bringing it to an issue. When honors and great presents were tendered to Xenocrita, she refused all; but requested one thing, that she might bury the corpse of Aristodemus. This they delivered her, and made her a priestess of Ceres; reckoning that, as it was a deserved honor bestowed on her, so she would be no less acceptable to the Goddess.

> Greek: 26. οὐχ ἧττον δʼ ἄν τις ἀγάσαιτο τὴν Κυμαίαν Ξενοκρίτην ἐπὶ τοῖς πραχθεῖσι περὶ Ἀριστόδημον τὸν τύραννον, ᾧ τινες μαλακὸν ἐπίκλησιν οἴονται γεγονέναι, τἀληθὲς ἀγνοοῦντες. ἐπεκλήθη γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων Μαλακός, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀντίπαις, ὅτι μειράκιον ὢν παντάπασι μετὰ τῶν ἡλίκων ἔτι κομώντων (οὓς κορωνιστὰς ὡς ἔοικεν ἀπὸ τῆς κόμης ὠνόμαζον) ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους πολέμοις ἐπιφανὴς ἦν καὶ λαμπρὸς οὐ τόλμῃ μόνον οὐδὲ χειρὸς ἔργοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνέσει καὶ προνοίᾳ φανεὶς περιττός. ὅθεν εἰς τὰς μεγίστας προῆλθεν ἀρχὰς θαυμαζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν, καὶ Ῥωμαίοις ἐπικουρίαν ἄγων ἐπέμφθη πολεμουμένοις ὑπὸ τῶν Τυρρηνῶν, Ταρκύνιον Σούπερβον ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν καταγόντων. ἐν ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ στρατείᾳ μακρᾷ γενομένῃ πάντῃ πρὸς χάριν ἐνδιδοὺς τοῖς στρατευομένοις τῶν πολιτῶν καὶ δημαγωγῶν μᾶλλον ἢ στρατηγῶν ἔπεισεν αὐτοὺς συνεπιθέσθαι τῇ βουλῇ καὶ συνεκβαλεῖν τοὺς ἀρίστους καὶ δυνατωτάτους. ἐκ δὲ τούτου γενόμενος τύραννος, ἦν μὲν ἐν ταῖς περὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ἐλευθέρους ἀδικίαις αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ μοχθηρότερος. ἱστόρηται γάρ, ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ἄρρενας παῖδας ἤσκει κόμαις καὶ χρυσοφορεῖν, τὰς δὲ θηλείας ἠνάγκαζε περιτρόχαλα κείρεσθαι καὶ φορεῖν ἐφηβικὰς χλαμύδας καὶ τῶν ἀνακώλων χιτωνίσκων. οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἐξαιρέτως ἐρασθεὶς τῆς Ξενοκρίτης εἶχεν αὐτὴν φυγάδος οὖσαν πατρός, οὐ καταγαγὼν οὐδὲ πείσας ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλʼ ὁπωσοῦν ἡγούμενος ἀγαπᾶν συνοῦσαν αὐτῷ τὴν κόρην, ἅτε δὴ ζηλουμένην καὶ μακαριζομένην ὑπὸ τῶν πολιτῶν. τὴν δὲ ταῦτα μὲν οὐκ ἐξέπληττεν ἀχθομένη δʼ ἐπὶ τῷ συνοικεῖν ἀνέκδοτος καὶ ἀνέγγυος οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπόθει τῶν μισουμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου τὴν τῆς πατρίδος ἐλευθερίαν. ἔτυχε δὲ κατʼ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τάφρον ἄγων κύκλῳ περὶ τὴν χώραν ὁ Ἀριστόδημος, οὔτʼ ἀναγκαῖον ἔργον οὔτε χρήσιμον, ἄλλως δὲ τρίβειν καὶ ἀποκναίειν πόνοις καὶ ἀσχολίαις τοὺς πολίτας βουλόμενος· ἦν γὰρ προστεταγμένον ἑκάστῳ μέτρων τινῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐκφέρειν τῆς γῆς. … ὡς εἶδεν ἐπιόντα τὸν Ἀριστόδημον, ἐξέκλινε καὶ παρεκαλύψατο τῷ χιτωνίσκῳ τὸ πρόσωπον. ἀπελθόντος οὖν τοῦ Ἀριστοδήμου, σκώπτοντες οἱ νεανίσκοι καὶ παίζοντες ἠρώτων, ὅ τι δὴ μόνον ὑπʼ αἰδοῦς φύγοι τὸν Ἀριστόδημον, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους οὐδὲν πάθοι τοιοῦτον· ἡ δὲ καὶ μάλα μετὰ σπουδῆς ἀπεκρίνατο μόνος γάρ ἔφη Κυμαίων Ἀριστόδημος ἀνήρ ἐστι. τοῦτο γὰρ λεχθὲν τὸ ῥῆμα πάντων μὲν ἥψατο, τοὺς δὲ γενναίους καὶ παρώξυνεν αἰσχύνῃ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀντέχεσθαι. λέγεται δὲ καὶ Ξενοκρίτην ἀκούσασαν εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐβούλετʼ ἂν καὶ αὐτὴ γῆν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πατρὸς φέρειν παρόντος ἢ τρυφῆς συμμετέχειν Ἀριστοδήμῳ καὶ δυνάμεως τοσαύτης. ἐπέρρωσεν οὖν ταῦτα τοὺς συνισταμένους ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀριστόδημον, ὧν ἡγεῖτο Θυμοτέλης καὶ τῆς Ξενοκρίτης εἰσόδου παρεχούσης αὐτοῖς ἄδειαν καὶ τὸν Ἀριστόδημον ἄοπλον καὶ ἀφύλακτον, οὐ χαλεπῶς παρεισπεσόντες διαφθείρουσιν αὐτόν. οὕτω μὲν ἡ Κυμαίων πόλις ἠλευθερώθη δυεῖν ἀρετῇ γυναικῶν, τῆς μὲν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῖς καὶ ὁρμὴν ἐμβαλούσης τοῦ ἔργου, τῆς δὲ πρὸς τὸ τέλος συλλαβομένης. τιμῶν δὲ καὶ δωρεῶν, μεγάλων Ξενοκρίτῃ προτεινομένων ἐάσασα πάσας ἓν ᾐτήσατο, θάψαι τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἀριστοδήμου· καὶ τοῦτʼ οὖν ἔδοσαν αὐτῇ καὶ Δήμητρος ἱέρειαν αὐτὴν εἵλοντο, οὐχ ἧττον οἰόμενοι τῇ θεῷ κεχαρισμένην ἢ πρέπουσαν ἐκείνῃ τιμὴν ἔσεσθαι.

[¶8] 27. It is reported that the wife of Pythes, who lived at the time of Xerxes, was a wise and courteous woman. Pythes, as it seems, finding by chance some gold mines, and falling vastly in love with the riches got out of them, was insatiably and beyond measure exercised about them; and he brought down likewise the citizens, all of whom alike he compelled to dig or carry or refine the gold, doing nothing else; many of them dying in the work, and all being quite worn out. Their wives laid down their petition at his gate, addressing themselves to the wife of Pythes. She bade them all depart and be of good cheer; but those goldsmiths which she confided most in she required to wait upon her, and confining them commanded them to make up golden loaves, all sorts of junkets and summer-fruits, all sorts of fish and flesh meats, in which she knew Pythes was most delighted. All things being provided, Pythes coming home then (for he happened to go a long journey) and asking for his supper, his wife set a golden table before him, having no edible food upon it, but all golden. Pythes admired the workmanship for its imitation of nature. When, however, he had sufficiently fed his eyes, he called in earnest for something to eat; but his wife, when he asked for any sort, brought it of gold. Whereupon being provoked, he cried out, I am an hungered. She replied: Thou hast made none other provisions for us; every skilful science and art being laid aside, no man works in husbandry; but neglecting sowing, planting, and tilling the ground, we delve and search for useless things, killing ourselves and our subjects. These things moved Pythes, but not so as to give over all his works about the mine; for he now commanded a fifth part of the citizens to that work, the rest he converted to husbandry and manufactures. But when Xerxes made an expedition into Greece, Pythes, being most splendid in his entertainments and presents, requested a gracious favor of the king, that since he had many sons, one might be spared from the camp to remain with him, to cherish his old age. At which Xerxes in a rage slew this son only which he desired, and cut him in two pieces, and commanded the army to march between the two parts of the corpse. The rest he took along with him, and all of them were slain in the wars. At which Pythes fell into a despairing condition, so that he fell under the like suffering with many wicked men and fools. He dreaded death, but was weary of his life; yea, he was willing not to live, but could not cast away his life. He had this project. There was a great mound of earth in the city, and a river running by it, which they called Pythopolites. In that mound he prepared him a sepulchre, and diverted the stream so as to run just by the side of the mound, the river lightly washing the sepulchre. These things being finished, he enters into the sepulchre, committing the city and all the government thereof to his wife; commanding her not to come to him, but to send his supper daily laid on a sloop, till the sloop should pass by the sepulchre with the supper untouched; and then she should cease to send, as supposing him dead. He verily passed in this manner the rest of his life; but his wife took admirable care of the government, and brought in a reformation of all things amiss among the people.

> Greek: 27. λέγεται δὲ καὶ τὴν Πύθεω τοῦ κατὰ Ξέρξην γυναῖκα σοφὴν γενέσθαι καὶ χρηστήν. αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ὁ Πύθης ὡς ἔοικε χρυσείοις ἐντυχὼν μετάλλοις καὶ ἀγαπήσας τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν πλοῦτον οὐ μετρίως ἀλλʼ ἀπλήστως καὶ περιττῶς, αὐτός τε περὶ ταῦτα διέτριβε καὶ τοὺς πολίτας καταβιβάζων ἅπαντας ὁμαλῶς ὀρύττειν ἢ φορεῖν ἢ καθαίρειν ἠνάγκαζε τὸ χρυσίον, ἄλλο μηδὲν ἐργαζομένους τὸ παράπαν μηδὲ πράττοντας. ἀπολλυμένων δὲ πολλῶν πάντων δʼ ἀπαγορευόντων, αἱ γυναῖκες ἱκετηρίαν ἔθεσαν ἐπὶ τὰς θύρας ἐλθοῦσαι τῆς τοῦ Πύθεω γυναικός. ἡ δʼ ἐκείνας μὲν ἀπιέναι καὶ θαρρεῖν ἐκέλευσεν, αὐτὴ δὲ τῶν περὶ τὸ χρυσίον τεχνιτῶν οἷς ἐπίστευε μάλιστα καλέσασα καὶ καθείρξασα, ποιεῖν ἐκέλευεν ἄρτους τε χρυσοῦς καὶ πέμματα παντοδαπὰ καὶ ὀπώρας, καὶ ὅσοις δὴ μάλιστα τὸν Πύθην ἐγίνωσκεν ἡδόμενον ὄψοις καὶ βρώμασι. ποιηθέντων δὲ πάντων, ὁ μὲν Πύθης ἧκεν ἀπὸ τῆς ξένης· ἐτύγχανε γὰρ ἀποδημῶν· ἡ δὲ γυνὴ δεῖπνον αἰτοῦντι παρέθηκε χρυσῆν τράπεζαν οὐδὲν ἐδώδιμον ἔχουσαν ἀλλὰ πάντα χρυσᾶ. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἔχαιρε Πύθης τοῖς μιμήμασιν, ἐμπλησθεὶς δὲ τῆς ὄψεως φαγεῖν ἡ δὲ χρυσοῦν ὅ τι τύχοι ποθήσας προσέφερε. δυσχεραίνοντος δʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ πεινῆν βοῶντος, ἀλλὰ σύ γε τούτων εἶπεν ἄλλου δʼ οὐδενὸς εὐπορίαν πεποίηκας ἡμῖν· καὶ γὰρ ἐμπειρία καὶ τέχνη πᾶσα φροῦδος, γεωργεῖ δʼ οὐδείς, ἀλλὰ τὰ σπειρόμενα καὶ φυτευόμενα καὶ τρέφοντα τῆς γῆς ὀπίσω καταλιπόντες ὀρύσσομεν ἄχρηστα καὶ ζητοῦμεν, ἀποκναίοντες αὑτοὺς καὶ τοὺς πολίτας. ἐκίνησε ταῦτα τὸν Πύθην, καὶ πᾶσαν μὲν οὐ κατέλυσε τὴν περὶ τὰ μέταλλα πραγματείαν, ἀνὰ μέρος δὲ τὸ πέμπτον ἐργάζεσθαι κελεύσας τῶν πολιτῶν, τοὺς λοιποὺς ἐπὶ γεωργίαν καὶ τὰς τέχνας ἔτρεψε. Ξέρξου δὲ καταβαίνοντος ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, λαμπρότατος ἐν ταῖς ὑποδοχαῖς καὶ ταῖς δωρεαῖς γενόμενος χάριν ᾐτήσατο παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, πλειόνων αὐτῷ παίδων ὄντων, ἕνα παρεῖναι τῆς στρατείας καὶ καταλιπεῖν αὐτῷ γηροβοσκεῖν. ὁ δὲ Ξέρξης ὑπʼ ὀργῆς τοῦτον μόνον, ὃν ἐξῃτήσατο, σφάξας καὶ διατεμὼν ἐκέλευσε τὸν στρατὸν διελθεῖν, τοὺς δʼ ἄλλους ἐπηγάγετο, καὶ πάντες ἀπώλοντο κατὰ τὰς μάχας. ἐφʼ οἷς ὁ Πύθης ἀθυμήσας ἔπαθεν ὅμοια πολλοῖς τῶν κακῶν καὶ ἀνοήτων τὸν μὲν γὰρ θάνατον ἐφοβεῖτο, τῷ βίῳ δʼ ἤχθετο. βουλόμενος δὲ μὴ ζῆν, προέσθαι δὲ τὸ ζῆν δυνάμενος, χώματος ὄντος ἐν τῇ πόλει μεγάλου καὶ ποταμοῦ διαρρέοντος, ὃν Πυθοπολίτην ὠνόμαζον, ἐν μὲν τῷ χώματι κατεσκεύασε μνημεῖον, ἐκτρέψας δὲ τὸ ῥεῖθρον, ὥστε διὰ τοῦ χώματος φέρεσθαι ψαύοντα τοῦ τάφου τὸν ποταμόν· ἐπὶ τούτοις συντελεσθεῖσιν αὐτὸς μὲν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον κατῆλθε, τῇ δὲ γυναικὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀναθεὶς ἅπασαν ἐκέλευσε μὴ προσιέναι, πέμπειν δὲ τὸ δεῖπνον αὐτῷ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν εἰς βᾶριν ἐντιθεῖσαν, ἄχρι οὗ τὸν τάφον ἡ βᾶρις παρέλθῃ τὸ δεῖπνον ἀκέραιον ἔχουσα, τότε δὲ παύσασθαι πέμπουσαν, ὡς αὐτοῦ τεθνηκότος. ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὕτω τὸν λοιπὸν βίον διῆγεν, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ τῆς ἀρχῆς καλῶς ἐπεμελήθη καὶ μεταβολὴν κακῶν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρέσχε.