Calliope   

anywhere expect to gain;" while at the same time he made appeal to the
gods of their common worship, and besought them to deliver from
bondage a Grecian race, and withal to drive back the barbarians.
"This," he said, "might very easily be done, for the Persian ships
were bad sailers, and far from a match for theirs;" adding,
moreover, "that if there was any suspicion lest the Samians intended
to deal treacherously, they were themselves ready to become
hostages, and to return on board the ships of their allies to Asia."
When the Samian stranger continued importunately beseeching him,
Leotychides, either because he wanted an omen, or by a mere chance, as
God guided him, asked the man- "Samian stranger! prithee, tell me
thy name?" "Hegesistratus (army-leader)," answered the other, and
might have said more, but Leotychides stopped him by exclaiming- "I
accept, O Samian! the omen which thy name affords. Only, before thou
goest back, swear to us, thyself and thy brother-envoys, that the
Samians will indeed be our warm, friends and allies."
No sooner had he thus spoken than he proceeded to hurry forward
the business. The Samians pledged their faith upon the spot; and oaths
of alliance were exchanged between them and the Greeks. This done, two
of the ambassadors forthwith sailed away; as for Hegesistratus,
Leotychides kept him to accompany his own fleet, for he considered his
name to be a good omen. The Greeks abode where they were that day, and
on the morrow sacrificed, and found the victims favourable. Their
soothsayer was Deiphonus, the son of Evenius, a man of Apollonia- I
mean the Apollonia which lies upon the Ionian Gulf.
A strange thing happened to this man's father, Evenius. The
Apolloniats have a flock of sheep sacred to the sun. During the
daytime these sheep graze along the banks of the river which flows
from Mount Lacmon through their territory and empties itself into
the sea by the port of Oricus; while at night they are guarded by
the richest and noblest of the citizens, who are chosen to serve the
office, and who keep the watch each for one year. Now the
Apolloniats set great store by these sheep, on account of an oracle
which they received concerning them. The place where they are folded
at night is a cavern, a long way from the town. Here it happened
that Evenius, when he was chosen to keep the watch, by some accident
fell asleep upon his guard; and while he slept, the cave was entered
by wolves, which destroyed some sixty of the flock under his care.
Evenius, when he woke and found what had occurred, kept silence
about it and told no one; for he thought to buy other sheep and put
them in the place of the slain. But the matter came to the ears of the
Apolloniats, who forthwith brought Evenius to trial, and condemned him
to lose his eyes, because he had gone to sleep upon his post. Now when
Evenius was blinded, straightway the sheep had no young, and the
land ceased to bear its wonted harvests. Then the Apolloniats sent
to Dodona, and to Delphi, and asked the prophets, what had caused
the woes which so afflicted them. The answer which they received was
this- "The woes were come for Evenius, the guardian of the sacred
sheep, whom the Apolloniats had wrongfully deprived of sight. They
(the gods) had themselves sent the wolves; nor would they ever cease
to exact vengeance for Evenius, till the Apolloniats made him whatever
atonement he liked to ask. When this was paid, they would likewise
give him a gift, which would make many men call him blessed."
Such was the tenor of the prophecies. The Apolloniats kept them
close, but charged some of their citizens to go and make terms with
Evenius; and these men managed the business for them in the way
which I will now describe. They found Evenius upon a bench, and,
approaching him, they sat down by his side, and began to talk: at
first they spoke of quite other matters, but in the end they mentioned
his misfortune, and offered him their condolence. Having thus beguiled
him, at last they put the question- "What atonement would he desire,
if the Apolloniats were willing to make him satisfaction for the wrong
which they had done to him?" Hereupon Evenius, who had not heard of
the oracle, made answer- "If I were given the lands of this man and