he cast them away, until he had destroyed
in this manner the finest and richest part of the crop. So having passed
through the place and having suggested no word of counsel, he dismissed
the messenger. When the messenger returned to Corinth, Periander was
anxious to hear the counsel which had been given; but he said that
Thrasybulos had given him no counsel, and added that he wondered at the
deed of Periander in sending him to such a man, for the man was out of
his senses and a waster of his own goods,--relating at the same time
that which he had seen Thrasybulos do. (g) So Periander, understanding
that which had been done and perceiving that Thrasybulos counselled him
to put to death those who were eminent among his subjects, began then to
display all manner of evil treatment to the citizens of the State; for
whatsoever Kypselos had left undone in killing and driving into exile,
this Periander completed. And in one day he stripped all the wives of
the Corinthians of their clothing on account of his own wife Melissa.
For when he had sent messengers to the Thesprotians on the river Acheron
to ask the Oracle of the dead about a deposit made with him by a
guest-friend, Melissa appeared and said she would not tell in what place
the deposit was laid, for she was cold and had no clothes, since those
which he had buried with her were of no use to her, not having been
burnt; and this, she said, would be an evidence to him that she was
speaking the truth, namely that when the oven was cold, Periander had
put his loaves into it. When the report of this was brought back to
Periander, the token made him believe, because he had had commerce with
Melissa after she was dead; and straightway after receiving the message
he caused proclamation to be made that all the wives of the Corinthians
should come out to the temple of Hera. They accordingly went as to a
festival in their fairest adornment; and he having set the spearmen of
his guard in ambush, stripped them all alike, both the free women and
their attendant; and having gathered together all their clothes in a
place dug out, he set fire to them, praying at the same time to Melissa.
Then after he had done this and had sent a second time, the apparition
of Melissa told him in what spot he had laid the deposit entrusted to
him by his guest-friend.

"Such a thing, ye must know, Lacedemonians, is despotism, and such are
its deeds: and we Corinthians marvelled much at first when we saw th