nquiry of the
Delphians, "What ought we to do, if he takes any of the treasures of the
god?" the god made answer, "He would see to that himself." This great
man, his brain teeming with vast designs of this high sort, came now
to his end. He had ordered a military inspection. The cavalry of
the Pheraeans were to pass muster before him. He was already seated,
delivering answers to all petitioners, when seven striplings approached,
quarrelling, as it seemed, about some matter. Suddenly by these seven
the Prince was despatched; his throat gashed, his body gored with
wounds. Stoutly his guard rushed to the rescue with their long spears,
and one of the seven, while still in the act of aiming a blow at Jason,
was thrust through with a lance and died; a second, in the act of
mounting his horse, was caught, and dropped dead, the recipient of many
wounds. The rest leaped on the horses which they had ready waiting
and escaped. To whatever city of Hellas they came honours were almost
universally accorded them. The whole incident proves clearly that the
Hellenes stood in much alarm of Jason. They looked upon him as a tyrant
in embryo.

So Jason was dead; and his brothers Polydorus and Polyphron were
appointed princes (29) in his place. But of these twain, as they
journeyed together to Larissa, Polydorus was slain in the night, as
he slept, by his brother Polyphron, it was thought; since a death so
sudden, without obvious cause, could hardly be otherwise accounted for.

(29) Lit. "Tagoi."

Polyphron governed for a year, and by the year's end he had refashioned
his princedom into the likeness of a tyranny. In Pharsalus he put to
death Polydamas (30) and eight other of the best citizens; and from
Larissa he drove many into exile. But while he was thus employed, he,
in his turn, was done to death by Alexander, who slew him to avenge
Polydorus and to destroy the tyranny. This man now assumed the reins of
office, and had no sooner done so than he showed himself a harsh prince
to the Thessalians: harsh too and hostile to the Thebans and Athenians,
(31) and an unprincipled freebooter everywhere by land and by sea. But
if that was his character, he too was doomed to perish shortly. The
perpetrators of the deed were his wife's brothers. (32) The counsellor
of it and the inspiring soul was the wife herself. She it was who
reported to them that Alexander had designs against them; who hid them
within the house a whole day; who welcomed home