The History of Herodotus, volume 1 | Page 9

same who was wont to invade the land of
Miletos at the times mentioned;[16] for this Sadyattes was he who first began the war:
but for the five years which followed these first six the war was carried on by Alyattes
the son of Sadyattes, who received it as an inheritance from his father (as I have already
said) and applied himself to it earnestly. And none of the Ionians helped those of Miletos
bear the burden of this war except only the men of Chios. These came to their aid to pay
back like with like, for the Milesians had formerly assisted the Chians throughout their
war with the people of Erythrai. 19. Then in the twelfth year of the war, when standing
corn was being burnt by the army of the Lydians, it happened as follows:--as soon as the
corn was kindled, it was driven by a violent wind and set fire to the temple of Athene
surnamed of Assessos; and the temple being set on fire was burnt down to the ground. Of
this no account was made then; but afterwards when the army had returned to Sardis,
Alyattes fell sick, and as his sickness lasted long, he sent messengers to inquire of the
Oracle at Delphi, either being advised to do so by some one, or because he himself

thought it best to send and inquire of the god concerning his sickness. But when these
arrived at Delphi, the Pythian prophetess said that she would give them no answer, until
they should have built up again the temple of Athene which they had burnt at Assessos in
the land of Miletos. 20. Thus much I know by the report of the people of Delphi; but the
Milesians add to this that Periander the son of Kypselos, being a special guest-friend of
Thrasybulos the then despot of Miletos, heard of the oracle which had been given to
Alyattes, and sending a messenger told Thrasybulos, in order that he might have
knowledge of it beforehand and take such counsel as the case required. This is the story
told by the Milesians. 21. And Alyattes, when this answer was reported to him, sent a
herald forthwith to Miletos, desiring to make a truce with Thrasybulos and the Milesians
for so long a time as he should be building the temple. He then was being sent as envoy
to Miletos; and Thrasybulos in the meantime being informed beforehand of the whole
matter and knowing what Alyattes was meaning to do, contrived this device:--he gathered
together in the market-place all the store of provisions which was found in the city, both
his own and that which belonged to private persons; and he proclaimed to the Milesians
that on a signal given by him they should all begin to drink and make merry with one
another. 22. This Thrasybulos did and thus proclaimed to the end that the herald from
Sardis, seeing a vast quantity of provisions carelessly piled up, and the people feasting,
might report this to Alyattes: and so on fact it happened; for when the herald returned to
Sardis after seeing this and delivering to Thrasybulos the charge which was given to him
by the king of Lydia, the peace which was made, came about, as I am informed, merely
because of this. For Alyattes, who thought that there was a great famine in Miletos and
that the people had been worn down to the extreme of misery, heard from the herald,
when he returned from Miletos, the opposite to that which he himself supposed. And after
this the peace was made between them on condition of being guest-friends and allies to
one another, and Alyattes built two temples to Athene at Assessos in place of one, and
himself recovered from his sickness. With regard then to the war waged by Alyattes with
the Milesians and Thrasybulos things went thus.
23. As for Periander, the man who gave information about the oracle to Thrasybulos, he
was the son of Kypselos, and despot of Corinth. In his life, say the Corinthians, (and with
them agree the Lesbians), there happened to him a very great marvel, namely that Arion
of Methymna was carried ashore at Tainaron upon a dolphin's back. This man was a
harper second to none of those who then lived, and the first, so far as we know, who
composed a dithyramb, naming it so and teaching it to a chorus[17] at Corinth. 24. This
Arion, they say, who for the most part of his time stayed with Periander, conceived a
desire to sail to Italy[18] and Sicily; and after he had there acquired large sums of money,
he wished to return again to Corinth. He set forth therefore from Taras,[19] and as he had
faith in Corinthians more