herodotus

up their arms and go to attack the Argives. This was carried out evenso by the Lacedemonians; for as the Argives were getting breakfastaccording to the herald's proclamation, they attacked them; and manyof them they slew, but many more yet took refuge in the sacred groveof Argos, and upon these they kept watch, sitting round about theplace. Then Cleomenes did this which follows:--79. He had with himdeserters, and getting information by inquiring of these, he sent aherald and summoned forth those of the Argives who were shut up in thesanctuary, mentioning each by name; and he summoned them forth sayingthat he had received their ransom. Now among the Peloponnesians ransomis two pounds weight of silver[68] appointed to be paid for eachprisoner. So Cleomenes summoned forth about fifty of the Argives oneby one and slew them; and it chanced that the rest who were in theenclosure did not perceive that this was being done; for since thegrove was thick, those within did not see how it fared with those whowere without, at least until one of them climbed up a tree and sawfrom above that which was being done. Accordingly they then no longercame forth when they were called. 80. So Cleomenes thereupon orderedall the Helots to pile up brushwood round the sacred grove; and theyobeying, he set fire to the grove. And when it was now burning, heasked one of the deserters to what god the grove was sacred, and theman replied that it was sacred to Argos. When he heard that, hegroaned aloud and said, "Apollo who utterest oracles, surely thou hastgreatly deceived me, saying that I should conquer Argos: I conjecturethat the oracle has had its fulfilment for me already." 81. After thisCleomenes sent away the greater part of his army to go back to Sparta,but he himself took a thousand of the best men and went to the templeof Hera to sacrifice: and when he wished to sacrifice upon the altar,the priest forbade him, saying that it was not permitted by religiousrule for a stranger to sacrifice in that place. Cleomenes however badethe Helots take away the priest from the altar and scourge him, and hehimself offered the sacrifice. Having so done he returned back toSparta; 82, and after his return his opponents brought him up beforethe Ephors, saying that he had received gifts and therefore had notconquered Argos, when he might easily have conquered it. He said tothem,--but whether he was speaking falsely or whether truly I am notable with certainty to say,--however that may be, he spoke and saidthat when he had conquered the sanctuary of Argos, it seemed to himthat the oracle of the god had had its fulfilment for him; thereforehe did not think it right to make an attempt on the city, at leastuntil he should have had recourse to sacrifice, and should have learntwhether the deity[69] permitted him or whether she stood opposed tohim: and as he was sacrificing for augury[70] in the temple of Hera, aflame of fire blazed forth from the breasts of the image; and thus heknew the certainty of the matter, namely that he would not conquerArgos: for if fire had blazed forth from the head of the image, he