e　when　there　was　civil　contention　in　Attica　between　the　party　of　the　Sea…coast　headed　by　Megacles　the　son　of　Alcmaeon；　and　that　of　the　Plain　headed　by　Lycurgus；　one　of　the　Aristolaids；　formed　the　project　of　making　himself　tyrant；　and　with　this　view　created　a　third　party。　Gathering　together　a　band　of　partisans；　and　giving　himself　out　for　the　protector　of　the　Highlanders；　he　contrived　the　following　stratagem。　He　wounded　himself　and　his　mules；　and　then　drove　his　chariot　into　the　market…place；　professing　to　have　just　escaped　an　attack　of　his　enemies；　who　had　attempted　his　life　as　he　was　on　his　way　into　the　country。　He　besought　the　people　to　assign　him　a　guard　to　protect　his　person；　reminding　them　of　the　glory　which　he　had　gained　when　he　led　the　attack　upon　the　Megarians；　and　took　the　town　of　Nisaea；　at　the　same　time　performing　many　other　exploits。　The　Athenians；　deceived　by　his　story；　appointed　him　a　band　of　citizens　to　serve　as　a　guard；　who　were　to　carry　clubs　instead　of　spears；　and　to　accompany　him　wherever　he　went。　Thus　strengthened；　Pisistratus　broke　into　revolt　and　seized　the　citadel。　In　this　way　he　acquired　the　sovereignty　of　Athens；　which　he　continued　to　hold　without　disturbing　the　previously　existing　offices　or　altering　any　of　the　laws。　He　administered　the　state　according　to　the　established　usages；　and　his　arrangements　were　wise　and　salutary。　　　　　However；　after　a　little　time；　the　partisans　of　Megacles　and　those　of　Lycurgus　agreed　to　forget　their　differences；　and　united　to　drive　him　out。　So　Pisistratus；　having　by　the　means　described　first　made　himself　master　of　Athens；　lost　his　power　again　before　it　had　time　to　take　root。　No　sooner；　however；　was　he　departed　than　the　factions　which　had　driven　him　out　quarrelled　anew；　and　at　last　Megacles；　wearied　with　the　struggle；　sent　a　herald　to　Pisistratus；　with　an　offer　to　re…establish　him　on　the　throne　if　he　would　marry　his　daughter。　Pisistratus　consented；　and　on　these　terms　an　agreement　was　concluded　between　the　two；　after　which　they　proceeded　to　devise　the　mode　of　his　restoration。　And　here　the　device　on　which　they　hit　was　the　silliest　that　I　find　on　record；　more　especially　considering　that　the　Greeks　have　been　from　very　ancient　times　distinguished　from　the　barbarians　by　superior　sagacity　and　freedom　from　foolish　simpleness；　and　remembering　that　the　persons　on　whom　this　trick　was　played　were　not　only　Greeks　but　Athenians；　who　have　the　credit　of　surpassing　all　other　Greeks　in　cleverness。　There　was　in　the　Paeanian　district　a　woman　named　Phya；　whose　height　only　fell　short　of　four　cubits　by　three　fingers'　breadth；　and　who　was　altogether　comely　to　look　upon。　This　woman　they　clothed　in　complete　armour；　and；　instructing　her　as　to　the　carriage　which　she　was　to　maintain　in　order　to　beseem　her　part；　they　placed　her　in　a　chariot　and　drove　to　the　city。　Heralds　had　been　sent　forward　to　precede　her；　and　to　make　proclamation　to　this　effect：　〃Citizens　of　Athens；　receive　again　Pisistratus　with　friendly　minds。　Minerva；　who　of　all　men　honours　him　the　most；　herself　conducts　him　back　to　her　own　citadel。〃　This　they　proclaimed　in　all　directions；　and　immediately　the　rumour　spread　throughout　the　country　districts　that　Minerva　was　bringing　back　her　favourite。　They　of　the　city　also；　fully　persuaded　that　the　woman　was　the　veritable　goddess；　prostrated　themselves　before　her；　and　received　Pisistratus　back。　　　　　Pisistratus；　having　thus　recovered　the　sovereignty；　married；　according　to　agreement；　the　daughter　of　Megacles。　As；　however；　he　had　already　a　family　of　grown　up　sons；　and　the　Alcmaeonidae　were　supposed　to　be　under　a　curse；　he　determined　that　there　should　be　no　issue　of　the　marriage。　His　wife　at　first　kept　this　matter　to　herself；　but　after　a　time；　either　her　mother　questioned　her；　or　it　may　be　that　she　told　it　of　her　own　accord。　At　any　rate；　she　informed　her　mother；　and　so　it　reached　her　father's　ears。　Megacles；　indignant　at　receiving　an　affront　from　such　a　quarter；　in　his　anger　instantly　made　up　his　differences　with　the　opposite　faction；　on　which　Pisistratus；　aware　of　what　was　planning　against　him；　took　himself　out　of　the　country。　Arrived　at　Eretria；　he　held　a　council　with　his　children　to　decide　what　was　to　be　done。　The　opinion　of　Hippias　prevailed；　and　it　was　agreed　to　aim　at　regaining　the　sovereignty。　The　first　step　was　to　obtain　advances　of　money　from　such　states　as　were　under　obligations　to　them。　By　these　means　they　collected　large　sums　from　several　countries；　especially　from　the　Thebans；　who　gave　them　far　more　than　any　of　the　rest。　To　be　brief；　time　passed；　and　all　was　at　length　got　ready　for　their　return。　A　band　of　Argive　mercenaries　arrived　from　the　Peloponnese；　and　a　certain　Naxian　named　Lygdamis；　who　volunteered　his　services；　was　particularly　zealous　in　the　cause；　supplying　both　men　and　money。　　　　　In　the　eleventh　year　of　their　exile　the　family　of　Pisistratus　set　sail　from　Eretria　on　their　return　home。　They　made　the　coast　of　Attica；　near　Marathon；　where　they　encamped；　and　were　joined　by　their　partisans　from　the　capital　and　by　numbers　from　the　country　districts；　who　loved　tyranny　better　than　freedom。　At　Athens；　while　Pisistratus　was　obtaining　funds；　and　even　after　he　landed　at　Marathon；　no　one　paid　any　attention　to　his　proceedings。　When；　however；　it　became　known　that　he　had　left　Marathon；　and　was　marching　upon　the　city；　preparations　were　made　for　resistance；　the　whole　force　of　the　state　was　levied；　and　led　against　the　returning　exiles。　Meantime　the　army　of　Pisistratus；　which　had　broken　up　from　Marathon；　meeting　their　adversaries　near　the　temple　of　the　Pallenian　Minerva；　pitched　their　camp　opposite　them。　Here　a　certain　soothsayer；　Amphilytus　by　name；　an　Acarnanian；　moved　by　a　divine　impulse；　came　into　the　presence　of　Pisistratus；　and　approaching　him　uttered　this　prophecy　in　the　hexameter　measure：…
  Now　has　the　cast　been　made；　the　net　is　out…spread　in　the　water；　　　　　Through　the　moonshiny　night　the　tunnies　will　enter　the　meshes。
  Such　was　the　prophecy　uttered　under　a　divine　inspiration。　Pisistratus；　apprehending　its　meaning；　declared　that　he　accepted　the　oracle；　and　instantly　led　on　his　army。　The　Athenians　from　the　city　had　just　finished　their　midday　meal；　after　which　they　had　betaken　themselves；　some　to　dice；　others　to　sleep；　when　Pisistratus　with　his　troops　fell　upon　them　and　put　them　to　the　rout。　As　soon　as　the　flight　began；　Pisistratus　bethought　himself　of　a　most　wise　contrivance；　whereby　the　might　be　induced　to　disperse　and　not　unite　in　a　body　any　more。　He　mounted　his　sons　on　horseback　and　sent　them　on　in　front　to　overtake　the　fugitives；　and　exhort　them　to　be　of　good　cheer；　and　return　each　man　to　his　home。　The　Athenians　took　the　advice；　and　Pisistratus　became　for　the　third　time　master　of　Athens。　　　　　Upon　this　he　set　himself　to　root　his　power　more　firmly；　by　the　aid　of　a　numerous　body　of　mercenaries；　and　by　keeping　up　a　full　exchequer；　partly　supplied　from　native　sources；　partly　from　the　countries　about　the　river　Strymon。　He　also　demanded　hostages　from　many　of　the　Athenians　who　had　remained　at　home；　and　not　left　Athens　at　his　approach；　and　these　he　sent　to　Naxos；　which　he　had　conquered　by　force　of　arms；　and　given　over　into　the　charge　of　Lygdamis。　Farther；　he　purified　the　island　of　Delos；　according　to　the　injunctions　of　an　oracle；　after　the　following　fashion。　All　the　dead　bodies　which　had　been　interred　within　sight　of　the　temple　he　dug　up；　and　removed　to　another　part　of　the　isle。　Thus　was　the　tyranny　of　Pisistratus　established　at　Athens；　many　of　the　Athenians　having　fallen　in　the　battle；　and　many　others　having　fled　the　country　together　with　the　son　of　Alcmaeon。　　　　　Such　was　the　condition　of　the　Athenians　when　Croesus　made　inquiry　concerning　them。　Proceeding　to　seek　information　concerning　the　Lacedaemonians；　he　learnt　that；　after　passing　through　a　period　of　great　depression；　they　had　lately　been　victorious　in　a　war　with　the　people　of　Tegea；　for；　during　the　joint　reign　of　Leo　and　Agasicles；　kings　of　Sparta；　the　Lacedaemonians；　successful　in　all　their　other　wars；　suffered　continual　defeat　at　the　hands　of　the　Tegeans。　At　a　still　earlier　period　they　had　been　the　very　worst　governed　people　in　Greece；　as　well　in　matters　of　internal　management　as　in　their　relations　towards　foreigners；　from　whom　they　kept　entirely　aloof。　The　circumstances　which　led　to　their　being　well　governed　were　the　following：…　Lycurgus；　a　man　of　distinction　among　the　Spartans；　had　gone　to　Delphi；　to　visit　the　oracle。　Scarcely　had　he　entered　into　the　inner　fane；　when　the　Pythoness　exclaimed　aloud；
  Oh！　thou　great　Lycurgus；　that　com'st　to　my　beautiful　dwelling；　　　　　Dear　to　love；　and　to　all　who　sit　in　the　halls　of　Olympus；　　　　　Whether　to　hail　thee　a　god　I　know　not；　or　only　a　mortal；　　　　　But　my　hope　is　strong　that　a　god　thou　wilt　prove；　Lycurgus。
  Some　report　besides；　that　the　Pythoness　delivered　to　him　the　entire　system　of　laws　which　are　still　observed　by　the　Spartans。　The　Lacedaemonians；　however。　themselves　assert　that　Lycurgus；　when　he　was　guardian　of　his　nephew；　Labotas；　king　of　Sparta；　and　regent　in　his　room；　introduced　them　from　Crete；　for　as　soon　as　he　became　regent；　he　altered　the　whole　of　the　existing　customs；　substituting　new　ones；　which　he　took　care　should　be　observed　by　all。　After　this　he　arranged　whatever　appertained　to　war