herodotus

having accused him to Hydarnes the Persian. So when Miltiades hadarrived at the place to which he was sailing, he began to besiege theParians with his army, first having shut them up within their wall;and sending in to them a herald he asked for a hundred talents, sayingthat if they refused to give them, his army should not returnback[116] until it had conquered them completely. The Parians howeverhad no design of giving any money to Miltiades, but contrived only howthey might defend their city, devising various things besides and alsothis,--wherever at any time the wall proved to be open to attack, thatpoint was raised when night came on to double its former height. 134.So much of the story is reported by all the Hellenes, but as to whatfollowed the Parians alone report, and they say that it happened thus:--When Miltiades was at a loss, it is said, there came a woman tospeech with him, who had been taken prisoner, a Parian by race whosename was Timo, an under-priestess[117] of the Earth goddesses;[118]she, they say, came into the presence of Miltiades and counselled himthat if he considered it a matter of much moment to conquer Paros, hecould do that which she should suggest to him; and upon that she toldhim her meaning. He accordingly passed through to the hill which isbefore the city and leapt over the fence of the temple of DemeterGiver of Laws,[119] not being able to open the door; and then havingleapt over he went on towards the sanctuary[120] with the design ofdoing something within, whether it were that he meant to lay hands onsome of the things which should not be touched, or whatever else heintended to do; and when he had reached the door, forthwith ashuddering fear came over him and he set off to go back the same wayas he came, and as he leapt down from the wall of rough stones histhigh was dislocated, or, as others say, he struck his knee againstthe wall. 135. Miltiades accordingly, being in a wretched case, setforth to sail homewards, neither bringing wealth to the Athenians norhaving added to them the possession of Paros, but having besieged thecity for six-and-twenty days and laid waste the island: and theParians being informed that Timo the under-priestess of the goddesseshad acted as a guide to Miltiades, desired to take vengeance upon herfor this, and they sent messengers to Delphi to consult the god, sosoon as they had leisure from the siege; and these messengers theysent to ask whether they should put to death the under-priestess ofthe goddesses, who had been a guide to their enemies for the captureof her native city and had revealed to Miltiades the mysteries whichmight not be uttered to a male person. The Pythian prophetess howeverforbade them, saying that Timo was not the true author of thesethings, but since it was destined that Miltiades should end his lifenot well, she had appeared to guide him to his evil fate. 136. Thusthe Pythian prophetess replied to the Parians: and the Athenians, whenMiltiades had returned back from Paros, began to talk of him, andamong the rest especially Xanthippos the son of Ariphron, who brought