herodotus

Corcyrean boys might snatch them and so have support; and this went onso long that at last the Corinthians who had charge of the boysdeparted and went away; and as for the boys, the Samians carried themback to Corcyra. 49. Now, if after the death of Periander theCorinthians had been on friendly terms with the Corcyreans, they wouldnot have joined in the expedition against Samos for the cause whichhas been mentioned; but as it is, they have been ever at variance withone another since they first colonised the island.[41] This then wasthe cause why the Corinthians had a grudge against the Samians.50. Now Periander had chosen out the sons of the chief men of Corcyraand was sending them to Sardis to be made eunuchs, in order that hemight have revenge; since the Corcyreans had first begun the offenceand had done to him a deed of reckless wrong. For after Periander hadkilled his wife Melissa, it chanced to him to experience anothermisfortune in addition to that which had happened to him already, andthis was as follows:--He had by Melissa two sons, the one of seventeenand the other of eighteen years. These sons their mother's fatherProcles, who was despot of Epidauros, sent for to himself and kindlyentertained, as was to be expected seeing that they were the sons ofhis own daughter; and when he was sending them back, he said in takingleave of them: "Do ye know, boys, who it was that killed your mother?"Of this saying the elder of them took no account, but the younger,whose name was Lycophron, was grieved so greatly at hearing it, thatwhen he reached Corinth again he would neither address his father, norspeak to him when his father would have conversed with him, nor giveany reply when he asked questions, regarding him as the murderer ofhis mother. At length Periander being enraged with his son drove himforth out of his house. 51. And having driven him forth, he asked ofthe elder son what his mother's father had said to them in hisconversation. He then related how Procles had received them in akindly manner, but of the saying which he had uttered when he partedfrom them he had no remembrance, since he had taken no note of it. SoPeriander said that it could not be but that he had suggested to themsomething, and urged him further with questions; and he after thatremembered, and told of this also. Then Periander taking note ofit[42] and not desiring to show any indulgence, sent a messenger tothose with whom the son who had been driven forth was living at thattime, and forbade them to receive him into their houses; and wheneverhaving been driven away from one house he came to another, he wasdriven away also from this, since Periander threatened those whoreceived him, and commanded them to exclude him; and so being drivenaway again he would go to another house, where persons lived who werehis friends, and they perhaps received him because he was the son ofPeriander, notwithstanding that they feared. 52. At last Periandermade a proclamation that whosoever should either receive him into