to whom formerly at his request, in Ægypt, he had given his cloak. He went, therefore, to Sufa, and prefenting himself before the royal palace, faid that he had once done a fervice to the king. Of this circumftance the porter informed the king; who was much aftonifhed, and exclaimed, "To what "Greek can 1 poffibly be obliged for any services? "I have not long been in poffeffion of my authority, "and fince this time no Greek has been admitted " to my prefence, nor can I at all remember being "indebted to one of that nation. Introduce him, "however, that I may know what he has to fay." Sylofon was accordingly admitted to the royal prefence; and being interrogated by interpreters who he was, and in what circumftance he had rendered fervice to the king, he told the story of the cloak, and said that he was the person who had given it. In reply, Darius exclaimed, "Are you then that ge"nerous man, who, at a time when I was poffef"fed of no authority, made me a prefent, which, though fmall, was as valuable to me then, as any thing of importance would be to me now? I "will give you in return, that you may never repent of your kindness to Darius, the son of Hyftafpes, abundance of gold and filver." "Sir," replied Sylofon, "I would have neither gold nor "filver; give me Samos my country, and deliver "it from fervitude. Since the death of Polycrates

cr

my brother, whom Orcetes flew, it has been in "the hands of one of our flaves. Give me this, Sir,

without any effufion of blood, or reducing my "countrymen to fervitude."

CXLI. On hearing this Darius fent an army, commanded by Otanes, one of the feven, with orders to accomplish all that Sylofon had defired. Otanes proceeded to the fea, and embarked with his troops.

CXLII. The fupreme authority at Samos was then poffeffed by Mæandrius, fon of Mæandrius, to whom it had been confided by Polycrates himfelf. He was defirous of proving himfelf a very honeft man, but the times would not allow him. As foon as he was informed of the death of Polycrates, the first thing he did was to erect an altar to Jupiter Liberator, tracing round it the facred ground, which may now be seen in the neighbourhood of the city. Having done this, he affembled the citizens of Samos, and thus addressed them : "You are well acquainted that Polycrates confided "to me his fceptre and his power, which if I think proper I may retain; but I fhall certainly avoid doing that myself which I deemed reprehenfible "in another. The ambition of Polycrates to rule " over men who were his equals, always feemed to me unjuft; nor can I approve of a like conduct in

i

σε

any man. Polycrates has yielded to his destiny; and "for my part, I lay down the fupreme authority, and "reftore you all to an equality of power. I only

claim, which I think I reasonably may, fix talents to be given me from the wealth of Polycrates, as "well as the appointment in perpetuity to me and my posterity of the priesthood of Jupiter Libera

whose temple I have traced out; and then I re

"ftore you to liberty." When Mæandrius had thus fpoken, a Samian exclaimed from the midst of the affembly, "You are not worthy to rule over us, your "principles are bad, and your conduct reproachable. "Rather let us make you give an account of the "wealth which has paffed through your hands." The name of this perfon was Telefarchus, a man much refpected by his fellow-citizens.

CXLIII. Mæandrius revolved this circumstance in his mind; and being convinced that if he refigned his power fome other would affume it, he determined to continue as he was. Returning to the citadel, he fent for the citizens, as if to give them an account of the monics which had been alluded to, instead of which he feized and confined them. Whilst they remained in imprisonment Mæandrius was taken ill; his brother Lycaretus, not thinking he would recover, that he might the more eafily fucceed in his views upon Samos put the citizens who were confined to death; indeed it did not appear that they were defirous of life under the government of a tyrant

162

CXLIV. When, therefore, the Perfians arrived at Samos, with the view of reftoring Sylofon, they had no refiftance to encounter. The Mæandrian

i faction expreffed themfelves on certain conditions ready to fubmit; and Maandrius himself confented

16 The government of a tyrant.]See Weffeling's note and Paw's conjecture upon this paffage.-T...

to

i

to leave the island. Their propofitions were accepted by Otanes; and whilft they were employed in ratifying them, the principal men of the Perfians had feats brought, on which they placed themfelves in front of the citadel.

CXLV. Mæandrius had a brother, whofe name was Charileus, who was of an untoward difpofition, and for fome offence was kept chained in a dungeon. As foon as he heard what was doing, and beheld from his place of confinement the Perfians fitting at their ease, he clamorously requested to fpeak with Maandrius. Mæandrius, hearing this,, ordered him to be unbound, and brought before him. As foon as he came into his prefence, he, began to reproach and abuse him, earnestly importuning him to attack the Perfians. "Me," he exclaimed, "who am your brother, and who have "done nothing worthy of chains, you have most bafely kept bound in a dungeon, but on the "Perfians, who would afford you an eafy victory: "and who mean to drive you into exile, you dare "not take revenge. If your fears prevent you, give "me me your auxiliary troops, who am equally difpofed,

punish them for coming here, and to expel you yourfelf from our inland."

CXLVI. To this difcourfe Mæandrius gave a favourable ear, not, I believe, that he was abfurd enough to imagine himfelf equal to a contest with the forces of the king, but from a fpirit of envy M 3 against

against Sylofon, and to prevent his receiving the government of Samos without trouble or exertion. He wished, by irritating the Perfians, to debilitate the power of Samos, and then to deliver it into their hands; for he well knew that the Perfians would refent whatever infults they might receive upon the Samians, and as to himself he was cetain that whenever he pleafed he could depart unmolested, for he had provided a fecret path, which led immediately from the citadel to the fea, by which he afterwards efcaped. In the mean while Charileus, having armed the auxiliaries, opened the gates, and fallied forth to attack the Perfians, who fo far from expecting any thing of the kind, believed that a truce had been agreed upon, and was then in force. Upon thefe Perfians, who were fitting at their eafe, and who were perfons of distinction, the Samians fallied, and put them to death; the reft of the troops, however, foon came to their affiftance, by whom the party of Charileus was repulsed, and obliged again to feek fhelter in the citadel.

CXLVII. Otanes, the commander in chief, had hitherto obferved the orders of Darius, not to put ány Samian to death, or to take any prisoners, but to deliver the island to Sylofon, fecure and without injury; but seeing fo great a slaughter of his countrymen, his indignation prevailed, and he ordered his foldiers to put every Samian they could meet with to death, without any distinction of age. Immediately part of his forces blockaded the citadel,