herodotus

feed by a river[103] running from Mount Lacmon through the land ofApollonia to the sea by the haven of Oricos; and by night they arewatched by men chosen for this purpose, who are the most highlyconsidered of the citizens for wealth and noble birth, each man havingcharge of them for a year; for the people of Apollonia set great storeon these sheep by reason of an oracle: and they are folded in a caveat some distance from the city. Here at the time of which I speak thisman Euenios was keeping watch over them, having been chosen for thatpurpose; and it happened one night that he fell asleep during hiswatch, and wolves came by into the cave and killed about sixty of thesheep. When he perceived this, he kept it secret and told no one,meaning to buy others and substitute them in the place of those thatwere killed. It was discovered however by the people of Apollonia thatthis had happened; and when they were informed of it, they brought himup before a court and condemned him to be deprived of his eyesight forhaving fallen asleep during his watch. But when they had blindedEuenios, forthwith after this their flocks ceased to bring forth youngand their land to bear crops as before. Then prophesyings were utteredto them both at Dodona and also at Delphi, when they asked theprophets the cause of the evil which they were suffering, and theytold them[104] that they had done unjustly in depriving of his sightEuenios the watcher of the sacred sheep; for the gods of whom theyinquired had themselves sent the wolves to attack the sheep; and theywould not cease to take vengeance for him till the men of Apolloniashould have paid to Euenios such satisfaction as he himself shouldchoose and deem sufficient; and this being fulfilled, the gods wouldgive to Euenios a gift of such a kind that many men would think himhappy in that he possessed it. 94. These oracles then were uttered tothem, and the people of Apollonia, making a secret of it, proposed tocertain men of the citizens to manage the affair; and they managed itfor them thus:--when Euenios was sitting on a seat in public, theycame and sat by him, and conversed about other matters, and at lastthey came to sympathising with him in his misfortune; and thus leadinghim on they asked what satisfaction he should choose, if the people ofApollonia should undertake to give him satisfaction for that whichthey had done. He then, not having heard the oracle, made choice andsaid that if there should be given him the lands belonging to certaincitizens, naming those whom he knew to possess the two best lots ofland in Apollonia, and a dwelling-house also with these, which he knewto be the best house in the city,--if he became the possessor ofthese, he said, he would have no anger against them for the future,and this satisfaction would be sufficient for him if it should begiven. Then as he was thus speaking, the men who sat by him saidinterrupting him: "Euenios, this satisfaction the Apolloniates pay tothee for thy blinding in accordance with the oracles which have beengiven to them." Upon this he was angry, being thus informed of the