herodotus

ore him that Demaratos of whom we were speaking; and one of hisservants reported to him as he was sitting in council[48] with theEphors, that a son had been born to him. He then, knowing the timewhen he took to him his wife, and reckoning the months upon hisfingers, said, denying with an oath, "The child would not be mine."This the Ephors heard, but they thought it a matter of no importanceat the moment; and the child grew up and Ariston repented of thatwhich he had said, for he thought Demaratos was certainly his own son;and he gave him the name "Demaratos" for this reason, namely becausebefore these things took place the Spartan people all in a body[49]had made a vow[50] praying that a son might be born to Ariston, as onewho was pre-eminent in renown over all the kings who had ever arisenin Sparta. 64. For this reason the name Demaratos[51] was given tohim. And as time went on Ariston died, and Demaratos obtained thekingdom: but it was fated apparently that these things should becomeknown and should cause Demaratos to be deposed from the kingdom; andtherefore[52] Demaratos came to be at variance greatly with Cleomenesboth at the former time when he withdrew his army from Eleusis, andalso now especially, when Cleomenes had crossed over to take those ofthe Eginetans who had gone over to the Medes. 65. Cleomenes then,being anxious to take vengeance on him, concerted matters withLeotychides the son of Menares, the son of Agis, who was of the samehouse as Demaratos, under condition that if he should set him up asking instead of Demaratos, he would go with him against the Eginetans.Now Leotychides had become a bitter foe of Demaratos on account ofthis matter which follows:--Leotychides had betrothed himself toPercalos the daughter of Chilon son of Demarmenos; and Demaratosplotted against him and deprived Leotychides of his marriage, carryingoff Percalos himself beforehand, and getting her for his wife. Thushad arisen the enmity of Leotychides against Demaratos; and now by theinstigation of Cleomenes Leotychides deposed against Demaratos, sayingthat he was not rightfully reigning over the Spartans, not being a sonof Ariston: and after this deposition he prosecuted a suit againsthim, recalling the old saying which Ariston uttered at the time whenhis servant reported to him that a son was born to him, and hereckoning up the months denied with an oath, saying that it was nothis. Taking his stand upon this utterance, Leotychides proceeded toprove that Demaratos was not born of Ariston nor was rightfullyreigning over Sparta; and he produced as witnesses those Ephors whochanced then to have been sitting with Ariston in council and to haveheard him say this. 66. At last, as there was contention about thosematters, the Spartans resolved to ask the Oracle at Delphi whetherDemaratos was the son of Ariston. The question then having beenreferred by the arrangement of Cleomenes to the Pythian prophetess,thereupon Cleomenes gained over to his side Cobon the son ofAristophantos, who had most power among the Delphians, and Cobin