herodotus

and we invite thee to come to dinner." The fisherman then, thinkingthis a great thing, went away to this house; and the servants as theywere cutting up the fish found in its belly the signet-ring ofPolycrates. Then as soon as they had seen it and taken it up, theybore it rejoicing to Polycrates, and giving him the signet-ring theytold him in what manner it had been found: and he perceiving that thematter was of God, wrote upon paper all that he had done and all thathad happened to him, and having written he despatched it to Egypt.[36]43. Then Amasis, when he had read the paper which had come fromPolycrates, perceived that it was impossible for man to rescue manfrom the event which was to come to pass, and that Polycrates wasdestined not to have a good end, being prosperous in all things,seeing that he found again even that which he cast away. Therefore hesent an envoy to him in Samos and said that he broke off the guestfriendship;and this he did lest when a fearful and great mishapbefell Polycrates, he might himself be grieved in his soul as for aman who was his guest.44. It was this Polycrates then, prosperous in all things, againstwhom the Lacedemonians were making an expedition, being invited bythose Samians who afterwards settled at Kydonia in Crete, to come totheir assistance. Now Polycrates had sent an envoy to Cambyses the sonof Cyrus without the knowledge of the Samians, as he was gathering anarmy to go against Egypt, and had asked him to send to him in Samosand to ask for an armed force. So Cambyses hearing this very readilysent to Samos to ask Polycrates to send a naval force with him againstEgypt: and Polycrates selected of the citizens those whom he mostsuspected of desiring to rise against him and sent them away in fortytriremes, charging Cambyses not to send them back. 45. Now some saythat those of the Samians who were sent away by Polycrates neverreached Egypt, but when they arrived on their voyage at Carpathos,[37]they considered with themselves, and resolved not to sail on anyfurther: others say that they reached Egypt and being kept under guardthere, they made their escape from thence. Then, as they were sailingin to Samos, Polycrates encountered them with ships and engaged battlewith them; and those who were returning home had the better and landedin the island; but having fought a land-battle in the island, theywere worsted, and so sailed to Lacedemon. Some however say that thosefrom Egypt defeated Polycrates in the battle; but this in my opinionis not correct, for there would have been no need for them to invitethe assistance of the Lacedemonians if they had been able bythemselves to bring Polycrates to terms. Moreover, it is notreasonable either, seeing that he had foreign mercenaries and nativearchers very many in number, to suppose that he was worsted by thereturning Samians, who were but few. Then Polycrates gathered togetherthe children and wives of his subjects and confined them in the ship-