herodotus

at that time there were no olives in any part of the earth except atAthens. The Athenians said that they would allow them on conditionthat they should every year bring due offerings to Athene Polias[70]and to Erechtheus. The Epidaurians, then, having agreed to theseterms, obtained that which they asked, and they made images out ofthese olive-trees and set them up: and their land bore fruit and theycontinued to fulfil towards the Athenians that which they had agreedto do. 83. Now during this time and also before this the Eginetanswere subject to the Epidaurians, and besides other things they werewont to pass over to Epidauros to have their disputes with one anothersettled by law:[71] but after this time they built for themselvesships and made revolt from the Epidaurians, moved thereto bywilfulness. So as they were at variance with them, they continued toinflict damage on them, since in fact they had command of the sea, andespecially they stole away from them these images of Damia andAuxesia, and they brought them and set them up in the inland part oftheir country at a place called Oia, which is about twenty furlongsdistant from their city. Having set them up in this spot theyworshipped them with sacrifices and choruses of women accompanied withscurrilous jesting, ten men being appointed for each of the deities toprovide the choruses: and the choruses spoke evil of no man, but onlyof the women of the place. Now the Epidaurians also had the samerites; and they have also rites which may not be divulged. 84. Theseimages then having been stolen, the Epidaurians no longer continued tofulfil towards the Athenians that which they had agreed. The Atheniansaccordingly sent and expressed displeasure to the Epidaurians; andthey declared saying that they were doing no wrong; for during thetime when they had the images in their country they continued tofulfil that which they had agreed upon, but since they had beendeprived of them, it was not just that they should make the offeringsany more; and they bade them demand these from the men of Egina, whohad the images. So the Athenians sent to Egina and demanded the imagesback; but the Eginetans said that they had nothing to do with theAthenians.85. The Athenians then report that in one single trireme weredespatched those of their citizens who were sent by the State afterthis demand; who having come to Egina, attempted to tear up from offtheir pedestals the images, (alleging that they were made of woodwhich belonged to the Athenians), in order to carry them back withthem: but not being able to get hold of them in this manner (say theAthenians) they threw ropes round them and were pulling them, whensuddenly, as they pulled, thunder came on and an earthquake at thesame time with the thunder; and the crew of the trireme who werepulling were made beside themselves by these, and being brought tothis condition they killed one another as if they were enemies, until