herodotus

fruits of spoil which he had won from it,--at the same time displayingthe fetters. This they were to ask, and moreover also whether it wasthought right by the gods of the Hellenes to practice ingratitude. 91.When the Lydians came and repeated that which they were enjoined tosay, it is related that the Pythian prophetess spoke as follows: "Thefated destiny it is impossible even for a god to escape. And Crœsuspaid the debt due for the sin of his fifth ancestor, who being one ofthe spearmen of the Heracleidai followed the treacherous device of awoman, and having slain his master took possession of his royaldignity, which belonged not to him of right. And although Loxiaseagerly desired that the calamity of Sardis might come upon the sonsof Crœsus and not upon Crœsus himself, it was not possible for him todraw the Destinies aside from their course; but so much as thesegranted he brought to pass, and gave it as a gift to Crœsus: for heput off the taking of Sardis by three years; and let Crœsus be assuredthat he was taken prisoner later by these years than the fated time:moreover secondly, he assisted him when he was about to be burnt. Andas to the oracle which was given, Crœsus finds fault with good ground:for Loxias told him beforehand that if he should march upon thePersians he should destroy a great empire: and he upon hearing this,if he wished to take counsel well, ought to have sent and askedfurther whether the god meant his own empire or that of Cyrus: but ashe did not comprehend that which was uttered and did not ask again,let him pronounce himself to be the cause of that which followed. Tohim also[103] when he consulted the Oracle for the last time Loxiassaid that which he said concerning a mule; but this also he failed tocomprehend: for Cyrus was in fact this mule, seeing that he was bornof parents who were of two different races, his mother being of noblerdescent and his father of less noble: for she was a Median woman,daughter of Astyages and king of the Medes, but he was a Persian, oneof a race subject to the Medes, and being inferior in all respects hewas the husband of one who was his royal mistress." Thus the Pythianprophetess replied to the Lydians, and they brought the answer back toSardis and repeated it to Crœsus; and he, when he heard it,acknowledged that the fault was his own and not that of the god. Withregard then to the empire of Crœsus and the first conquest of Ionia,it happened thus.92. Now there are in Hellas many other votive offerings made by Crœsusand not only those which have been mentioned: for first at Thebes ofthe Bœotians there is a tripod of gold, which he dedicated to theIsmenian Apollo; then at Ephesos there are the golden cows and thegreater number of the pillars of the temple; and in the temple ofAthene Pronaia at Delphi a large golden shield. These were stillremaining down to my own time, but others of his votive offerings haveperished: and the votive offerings of Crœsus at Branchidai of the