herodotus

efore and had lain with me and given me the garlands. Then Ariston,seeing that I made oath of it, perceived that the matter was of thegods; and first the garlands were found to be from the hero-templewhich stands by the outer door of the house, which they call thetemple of Astrabacos,[58] and secondly the diviners gave answer thatit was this same hero. Thus, my son, thou hast all, as much as thoudesirest to learn; for either thou art begotten of this hero and thehero Astrabacos is thy father, or Ariston is thy father, for on thatnight I conceived thee: but as to that wherein thy foes most take holdof thee, saying that Ariston himself, when thy birth was announced tohim, in the hearing of many declared that thou wert not his son,because the time, the ten months namely, had not yet been fulfilled,in ignorance of such matters he cast forth that saying; for womenbring forth children both at the ninth month and also at the seventh,and not all after they have completed ten months; and I bore thee, myson, at the seventh month: and Ariston himself also perceived after nolong time that he had uttered this saying in folly. Do not thou thenaccept any other reports about thy begetting, for thou hast heard inall the full truth; but to Leotychides and to those who report thesethings may their wives bear children by keepers of asses!" 70. Thusshe spoke; and he, having learnt that which he desired to learn, tooksupplies for travelling and set forth to go to Elis, pretending thathe was going to Delphi to consult the Oracle: but the Lacedemonians,suspecting that he was attempting to escape, pursued after him; and itchanced that before they came Demaratos had passed over to Zakynthosfrom Elis; and the Lacedemonians crossing over after him laid hands onhis person and carried away his attendants from him. Afterwardshowever, since those of Zakynthos refused to give him up, he passedover from thence to Asia, to the presence of king Dareios; and Dareiosboth received him with great honour as a guest, and also gave him landand cities. Thus Demaratos had come to Asia, and such was the fortunewhich he had had, having been distinguished in the estimation of theLacedemonians[59] in many other ways both by deeds and by counsels,and especially having gained for them an Olympic victory with thefour-horse chariot, being the only one who achieved this of all thekings who ever arose in Sparta.71. Demaratos being deposed, Leotychides the son of Menares succeededto the kingdom; and he had born to him a son Zeuxidemos, whom some ofthe Spartans called Kyniscos. This Zeuxidemos did not become king ofSparta, for he died before Leotychides, leaving a son Archidemos: andLeotychides having lost Zeuxidemos married a second wife Eurydame, thesister of Menios and daughter of Diactorides, by whom he had no maleissue, but a daughter Lampito, whom Archidemos the son of Zeuxidemostook in marriage, she being given to him by Leotychides. 72.Leotychides however did not himself[60] live to old age in Sparta, but