herodotus

desire, it seems, for wealth, he first sent Maiandrios the son ofMaiandrios, a native of Samos who was his secretary, to see it: thisman was the same who not long after these events dedicated all theornaments of the men's chamber[109] in the palace of Polycrates,ornaments well worth seeing, as an offering to the temple of Hera.Oroites accordingly, having heard that the person sent to examinemight be expected soon to come, did as follows, that is to say, hefilled eight chests with stones except a small depth at the very topof each, and laid gold above upon the stones; then he tied up thechests and kept them in readiness. So Maiandrios came and looked atthem and brought back word to Polycrates: 124, and he upon thatprepared to set out thither, although the diviners and also hisfriends strongly dissuaded him from it, and in spite moreover of avision which his daughter had seen in sleep of this kind,--it seemedto her that her father was raised up on high and was bathed by Zeusand anointed by the Sun. Having seen this vision, she used every kindof endeavour to dissuade Polycrates from leaving his land to go toOroites, and besides that, as he was going to his fifty-oared galleyshe accompanied his departure with prophetic words: and he threatenedher that if he should return safe, she should remain unmarried forlong; but she prayed that this might come to pass, for she desiredrather, she said, to be unmarried for long than to be an orphan,having lost her father. 125. Polycrates however neglected everycounsel and set sail to go to Oroites, taking with him, besides manyothers of his friends, Demokedes also the son of Calliphon, a man ofCroton, who was a physician and practised his art better than anyother man of is time. Then when he arrived at Magnesia, Polycrates wasmiserably put to death in a manner unworthy both of himself and of hishigh ambition: for excepting those who become despots of theSyracusans, not one besides of the Hellenic despots is worthy to becompared with Polycrates in magnificence. And when he had killed himin a manner not fit to be told, Oroites impaled his body: and of thosewho accompanied him, as many as were Samians he released, bidding thembe grateful to him that they were free men; but all those of hiscompany who were either allies or servants, he held in the estimationof slaves and kept them. Polycrates then being hung up accomplishedwholly the vision of his daughter, for he was bathed by Zeus wheneverit rained,[110a] and anointed by the Sun, giving forth moisturehimself from his body.126. To this end came the great prosperity of Polycrates, as Amasisthe king of Egypt had foretold to him:[111] but not long afterwardsretribution overtook Oroites in his turn for the murder of Polycrates.For after the death of Cambyses and the reign of the Magians Oroitesremained at Sardis and did no service to the Persians, when they hadbeen deprived of their empire by the Medes; moreover during this time