herodotus

that time resolved according to established custom to make the elderof the children their king; but they did not know which of them theyshould take, because they were like one another and of equal size; andwhen they were not able to make out, or even before this, theyinquired of their mother; and she said that even she herself did notknow one from the other. She said this, although she knew in truthvery well, because she desired that by some means both might be madekings. The Lacedemonians then were in a strait; and being in a straitthey sent to Delphi to inquire what they should do in the matter. Andthe Pythian prophetess bade them regard both children as their kings,but honour most the first in age.[34] The prophetess, they say, thusgave answer to them; and when the Lacedemonians were at a loss nonethe less how to find out the elder of them, a Messenian whose name wasPanites made a suggestion to them: this Panites, I say, suggested tothe Lacedemonians that they should watch the mother and see which ofthe children she washed and fed before the other; and if she was seento do this always in the same order, then they would have all thatthey were seeking and desiring to find out, but if she too wasuncertain and did it in a different order at different times, it wouldbe plain to them that even she had no more knowledge than any other,and they must turn to some other way. Then the Spartans following thesuggestion of the Messenian watched the mother of the sons ofAristodemos and found that she gave honour thus to the first-born bothin feeding and in washing; for she did not know with that design shewas being watched. They took therefore the child which was honoured byits mother and brought it up as the first-born in the public hall,[35]and to it was given the name of Eurysthenes, while the other wascalled Procles. These, when they had grown up, both themselves were atvariance, they say, with one another, though they were brothers,throughout the whole time of their lives, and their descendants alsocontinued after the same manner.53. This is the report given by the Lacedemonians alone of all theHellenes; but this which follows I write in accordance with that whichis reported by the Hellenes generally,--I mean that the names of thesekings of the Dorians are rightly enumerated by the Hellenes up toPerseus the son of Danae (leaving the god out of account),[36] andproved to be of Hellenic race; for even from that time they werereckoned as Hellenes. I said "up to Perseus" and did not take thedescent from a yet higher point, because there is no name mentioned ofa mortal father for Perseus, as Amphitryon is for Heracles. Thereforewith reason, as is evident, I have said "rightly up to Perseus"; butif one enumerates their ancestors in succession going back from Danaethe daughter of Acrisios, the rulers of the Dorians will prove to beEgyptians by direct descent. 54. Thus I have traced the descentaccording to the account given by the Hellenes; but as the story is