Thalia   

counselled."
When Polycrates read this letter, and perceived that the advice of
Amasis was good, he considered carefully with himself which of the
treasures that he had in store it would grieve him most to lose. After
much thought he made up his mind that it was a signet-ring which he
was wont to wear, an emerald set in gold, the workmanship of Theodore,
son of Telecles, a Samian. So he determined to throw this away; and,
manning a penteconter, he went on board, and bade the sailors put
out into the open sea. When he was now a long way from the island,
he took the ring from his finger, and, in the sight of all those who
were on board, flung it into the deep. This done, he returned home,
and gave vent to his sorrow.
Now it happened five or six days afterwards that a fisherman
caught a fish so large and beautiful that he thought it well
deserved to be made a present of to the king. So he took it with him
to the gate of the palace, and said that he wanted to see
Polycrates. Then Polycrates allowed him to come in, and the
fisherman gave him the fish with these words following- "Sir king,
when I took this prize, I thought I would not carry it to market,
though I am a poor man who live by my trade. I said to myself, it is
worthy of Polycrates and his greatness; and so I brought it here to
give it to you." The speech pleased the king, who thus spoke in
reply:- "Thou didst right well, friend, and I am doubly indebted, both
for the gift, and for the speech. Come now, and sup with me." So the
fisherman went home, esteeming it a high honour that he had been asked
to sup with the king. Meanwhile the servants, on cutting open the
fish, found the signet of their master in its belly. No sooner did
they see it than they seized upon it, and hastening to Polycrates with
great joy, restored it to him, and told him in what way it had been
found. The king, who saw something providential in the matter,
forthwith wrote a letter to Amasis, telling him all that had happened,
what he had himself done, and what had been the upshot- and despatched
the letter to Egypt.
When Amasis had read the letter of Polycrates, he perceived that
it does not belong to man to save his fellow-man from the fate which
is in store for him; likewise he felt certain that Polycrates would
end ill, as he prospered in everything, even finding what he had
thrown away. So he sent a herald to Samos, and dissolved the
contract of friendship. This he did, that when the great and heavy
misfortune came, he might escape the grief which he would have felt if
the sufferer had been his bond-friend.
It was with this Polycrates, so fortunate in every undertaking,
that the Lacedaemonians now went to war. Certain Samians, the same who
afterwards founded the city of Cydonia in Crete, had earnestly
intreated their help. For Polycrates, at the time when Cambyses, son
of Cyrus, was gathering together an armament against Egypt, had sent
to beg him not to omit to ask aid from Samos; whereupon Cambyses
with much readiness despatched a messenger to the island, and made
request that Polycrates would give some ships to the naval force which
he was collecting against Egypt. Polycrates straightway picked out
from among the citizens such as he thought most likely to stir
revolt against him, and manned with them forty triremes, which he sent
to Cambyses, bidding him keep the men safe, and never allow them to
return home.
Now some accounts say that these Samians did not reach Egypt;
for that when they were off Carpathus, they took counsel together
and resolved to sail no further. But others maintain that they did
go to Egypt, and, finding themselves watched, deserted, and sailed
back to Samos. There Polycrates went out against them with his
fleet, and a battle was fought and gained by the exiles; after which
they disembarked upon the island and engaged the land forces of
Polycrates, but were defeated, and so sailed off to Lacedaemon. Some
relate that the Samians from Egypt overcame Polycrates, but it seems
to me untruly; for had the Samians been strong enough to conquer