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henians　were　about　to　attack　them　in　return；　when　they　were　stopped　by　the　oracle　of　Delphi；　which　bade　them　wait　till　thirty　years　had　passed　from　the　time　that　the　Eginetans　did　the　wrong；　and　in　the　thirty…first　year；　having　first　set　apart　a　precinct　for　Aeacus；　then　to　begin　the　war。　〃So　should　they　succeed　to　their　wish；〃　the　oracle　said；　〃but　if　they　went　to　war　at　once；　though　they　would　still　conquer　the　island　in　the　end；　yet　they　must　go　through　much　suffering　and　much　exertion　before　taking　it。〃　On　receiving　this　warning　the　Athenians　set　apart　a　precinct　for　Aeacus…　the　same　which　still　remains　dedicated　to　him　in　their　market…place…　but　they　could　not　hear　with　any　patience　of　waiting　thirty　years；　after　they　had　suffered　such　grievous　wrong　at　the　hands　of　the　Eginetans。　　　　　Accordingly　they　were　making　ready　to　take　their　revenge　when　a　fresh　stir　on　the　part　of　the　Lacedaemonians　hindered　their　projects。　These　last　had　become　aware　of　the　truth…　how　that　the　Alcmaeonidae　had　practised　on　the　Pythoness；　and　the　Pythoness　had　schemed　against　themselves；　and　against　the　Pisistratidae；　and　the　discovery　was　a　double　grief　to　them；　for　while　they　had　driven　their　own　sworn　friends　into　exile；　they　found　that　they　had　not　gained　thereby　a　particle　of　good　will　from　Athens。　They　were　also　moved　by　certain　prophecies；　which　declared　that　many　dire　calamities　should　befall　them　at　the　hands　of　the　Athenians。　Of　these　in　times　past　they　had　been　ignorant；　but　now　they　had　become　acquainted　with　them　by　means　of　Cleomenes；　who　had　brought　them　with　him　to　Sparta；　having　found　them　in　the　Athenian　citadel；　where　they　had　been　left　by　the　Pisistratidae　when　they　were　driven　from　Athens：　they　were　in　the　temple；　and　Cleomenes　having　discovered　them；　carried　them　off。　　　　　So　when　the　Lacedaemonians　obtained　possession　of　the　prophecies；　and　saw　that　the　Athenians　were　growing　in　strength；　and　had　no　mind　to　acknowledge　any　subjection　to　their　control；　it　occurred　to　them　that；　if　the　people　of　Attica　were　free；　they　would　be　likely　to　be　as　powerful　as　themselves；　but　if　they　were　oppressed　by　a　tyranny；　they　would　be　weak　and　submissive。　Under　this　feeling　they　sent　and　recalled　Hippias；　the　son　of　Pisistratus；　from　Sigeum　upon　the　Hellespont；　where　the　Pisistratidae　had　taken　shelter。　Hippias　came　at　their　bidding；　and　the　Spartans　on　his　arrival　summoned　deputies　from　all　their　other　allies；　and　thus　addressed　the　assembly：…　　　　　〃Friends　and　brothers　in　arms；　we　are　free　to　confess　that　we　did　lately　a　thing　which　was　not　right。　Misled　by　counterfeit　oracles；　we　drove　from　their　country　those　who　were　our　sworn　and　true　friends；　and　who　had；　moreover；　engaged　to　keep　Athens　in　dependence　upon　us；　and　we　delivered　the　government　into　the　hands　of　an　unthankful　people…　a　people　who　no　sooner　got　their　freedom　by　our　means；　and　grew　in　power；　than　they　turned　us　and　our　king；　with　every　token　of　insult；　out　of　their　city。　Since　then　they　have　gone　on　continually　raising　their　thoughts　higher；　as　their　neighbours　of　Boeotia　and　Chalcis　have　already　discovered　to　their　cost；　and　as　others　too　will　presently　discover　if　they　shall　offend　them。　Having　thus　erred；　we　will　endeavour　now；　with　your　help；　to　remedy　the　evils　we　have　caused；　and　to　obtain　vengeance　on　the　Athenians。　For　this　cause　we　have　sent　for　Hippias　to　come　here；　and　have　summoned　you　likewise　from　your　several　states；　that　we　may　all　now　with　heart　and　hand　unite　to　restore　him　to　Athens；　and　thereby　give　him　back　that　which　we　took　from　him　formerly。〃　　　　　（SS　1。）　Such　was　the　address　of　the　Spartans。　The　greater　number　of　the　allies　listened　without　being　persuaded。　None　however　broke　silence　but　Sosicles　the　Corinthian；　who　exclaimed…　　　　　〃Surely　the　heaven　will　soon　be　below；　and　the　earth　above；　and　men　will　henceforth　live　in　the　sea；　and　fish　take　their　place　upon　the　dry　land；　since　you；　Lacedaemonians；　propose　to　put　down　free　governments　in　the　cities　of　Greece；　and　to　set　up　tyrannies　in　their　room。　There　is　nothing　in　the　whole　world　so　unjust；　nothing　so　bloody；　as　a　tyranny。　If；　however；　it　seems　to　you　a　desirable　thing　to　have　the　cities　under　despotic　rule；　begin　by　putting　a　tyrant　over　yourselves；　and　then　establish　despots　in　the　other　states。　While　you　continue　yourselves；　as　you　have　always　been；　unacquainted　with　tyranny；　and　take　such　excellent　care　that　Sparta　may　not　suffer　from　it；　to　act　as　you　are　now　doing　is　to　treat　your　allies　unworthily。　If　you　knew　what　tyranny　was　as　well　as　ourselves；　you　would　be　better　advised　than　you　now　are　in　regard　to　it。　（SS　2。）　The　government　at　Corinth　was　once　an　oligarchy　…　a　single　race；　called　Bacchiadae；　who　intermarried　only　among　themselves；　held　the　management　of　affairs。　Now　it　happened　that　Amphion；　one　of　these；　had　a　daughter；　named　Labda；　who　was　lame；　and　whom　therefore　none　of　the　Bacchiadae　would　consent　to　marry；　so　she　was　taken　to　wife　by　Aetion；　son　of　Echecrates；　a　man　of　the　township　of　Petra；　who　was；　however；　by　descent　of　the　race　of　the　Lapithae；　and　of　the　house　of　Caeneus。　Aetion；　as　he　had　no　child；　either　by　this　wife　or　by　any　other；　went　to　Delphi　to　consult　the　oracle　concerning　the　matter。　Scarcely　had　he　entered　the　temple　when　the　Pythoness　saluted　him　in　these　words…

　　　　No　one　honours　thee　now；　Aetion；　worthy　of　honour…　　　　　Labda　shall　soon　be　a　mother…　her　offspring　a　rock；　that　will　　　　　　　one　day　　　　　Fall　on　the　kingly　race；　and　right　the　city　of　Corinth。

By　some　chance　this　address　of　the　oracle　to　Aetion　came　to　the　ears　of　the　Bacchiadae；　who　till　then　had　been　unable　to　perceive　the　meaning　of　another　earlier　prophecy　which　likewise　bore　upon　Corinth；　and　pointed　to　the　same　event　as　Aetion's　prediction。　It　was　the　following：…

　　　　When　mid　the　rocks　an　eagle　shall　bear　a　carnivorous　lion；　　　　　Mighty　and　fierce；　he　shall　loosen　the　limbs　of　many　beneath　them…

　　　　Brood　ye　well　upon　this；　all　ye　Corinthian　people；　　　　　Ye　who　dwell　by　fair　Peirene；　and　beetling　Corinth。

　　　　（SS　3。）　The　Bacchiadae　had　possessed　this　oracle　for　some　time；　but　they　were　quite　at　a　loss　to　know　what　it　meant　until　they　heard　the　response　given　to　Aetion；　then　however　they　at　once　perceived　its　meaning；　since　the　two　agreed　so　well　together。　Nevertheless；　though　the　bearing　of　the　first　prophecy　was　now　clear　to　them；　they　remained　quiet；　being　minded　to　put　to　death　the　child　which　Aetion　was　expecting。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　his　wife　was　delivered；　they　sent　ten　of　their　number　to　the　township　where　Aetion　lived；　with　orders　to　make　away　with　the　baby。　So　the　men　came　to　Petra；　and　went　into　Aetion's　house；　and　there　asked　if　they　might　see　the　child；　and　Labda；　who　knew　nothing　of　their　purpose；　but　thought　their　inquiries　arose　from　a　kindly　feeling　towards　her　husband；　brought　the　child；　and　laid　him　in　the　arms　of　one　of　them。　Now　they　had　agreed　by　the　way　that　whoever　first　got　hold　of　the　child　should　dash　it　against　the　ground。　It　happened；　however；　by　a　providential　chance；　that　the　babe；　just　as　Labda　put　him　into　the　man's　arms；　smiled　in　his　face。　The　man　saw　the　smile；　and　was　touched　with　pity；　so　that　he　could　not　kill　it；　he　therefore　passed　it　on　to　his　next　neighbour；　who　gave　it　to　a　third；　and　so　it　went　through　all　the　ten　without　any　one　choosing　to　be　the　murderer。　The　mother　received　her　child　back；　and　the　men　went　out　of　the　house；　and　stood　near　the　door；　and　there　blamed　and　reproached　one　another；　chiefly　however　accusing　the　man　who　had　first　had　the　child　in　his　arms；　because　he　had　not　done　as　had　been　agreed　upon。　At　last；　after　much　time　had　been　thus　spent；　they　resolved　to　go　into　the　house　again　and　all　take　part　in　the　murder。　（SS　4。）　But　it　was　fated　that　evil　should　come　upon　Corinth　from　the　progeny　of　Aetion；　and　so　it　chanced　that　Labda；　as　she　stood　near　the　door；　heard　all　that　the　men　said　to　one　another；　and　fearful　of　their　changing　their　mind；　and　returning　to　destroy　her　baby；　she　carried　him　off　and　hid　him　in　what　seemed　to　her　the　most　unlikely　place　to　be　suspected；　viz。；　a　'cypsel'　or　corn…bin。　She　knew　that　if　they　came　back　to　look　for　the　child；　they　would　search　all　her　house；　and　so　indeed　they　did；　but　not　find