HERODOTUS

BOOK IX. 33-34standing that oracle, he betook himself to bodilyexercises, thinking so to win in such-like sportsand ;having trained himself for the Five 1Contests, hecame within one wrestling bout of winning theOlympic prize, in a match with Hieronymus ofAndros. But the Lacedaemonians perceived thatthe oracle given to Tisamenus spake of the lists notof sport but of war ;and they essayed to bribe Tisamenusto be a leader in their wars, jointly withtheir kings of Heracles' line. But when he sawthat the Spartans set great store by his friendship,with this knowledge he set his price higher, andmade it known to them that for no reward would hedo their will save for the gift of full citizenship andall a citizen's rights. Hearing that, the Spartansat first were angry and ceased wholly from theirrequest but when the dreadful menace of this;Persian host overhung them they consented andgranted his demand. But when he saw their purposechanged, he said that not even so and with thatonly would he be content; his brother Hegias toomust be made a Spartan on the same terms ashimself.in so far34. By so saying he imitated Melampus,as one may compare demands for kingship and forcitizenship. For when the women of Argos had gonemad, and the Argives would fain hire him to comefrom Pylos and heal them of that madness, 2 Melampusdemanded half of their kingship for his wages ;which the Argives could not suffer, and so departed ;but when the madness spread among their women,2According to the legend, the Argive women were drivenmad by Dionysus for refusing to take part in his orgies, andcured by Melampus. Many Greek authors refer to it, withvarying details. 201