d been stripped bare of its former inhabitants: but
of the Samians they who had substance were by no means satisfied with
that which had been concerted by the commanders of their fleet with the
Medes; and taking counsel forthwith after the sea-fight it seemed good
to them, before their despot Aiakes arrived in the country, to sail away
and make a colony, and not to stay behind and be slaves of the Medes
and of Aiakes: for just at this time the people of Zancle in Sicily
were sending messengers to Ionia and inviting the Ionians to come to the
"Fair Strand," 1101 desiring there to found a city of Ionians. Now this
which is called the Fair Strand is in the land of the Sikelians and on
that side of Sicily which lies towards Tyrsenia. So when these gave the
invitation, the Samians alone of all the Ionians set forth, having with
them those of the Milesians who had escaped: and in the course of this
matter it happened as follows:--

23. The Samians as they made their way towards Sicily reached Locroi
Epizephyroi, and at the same time the people of Zancle, both themselves
and their king, whose name was Skythes, were encamped about a city
of the Sikelians, desiring to conquer it. Perceiving these things,
Anaxilaos the despot of Rhegion, being then at variance with those of
Zancle, communicated with the Samians and persuaded them that they ought
to leave the Fair Strand alone, to which they were sailing, and take
possession of Zancle instead, since it was left now without men to
defend it. The Samians accordingly did as he said and took possession of
Zancle; and upon this the men of Zancle, being informed that their city
was possessed by an enemy, set out to rescue it, and invited Hippocrates
the despot of Gela to help them, for he was their ally. When however
Hippocrates also with his army had come up to their rescue, first he put
Skythes the ruler of the Zanclaians in fetters, on the ground that he
had been the cause of the city being lost, and together with him his
brother Pythogenes, and sent them away to the town of Incyos; 12 then he
betrayed the cause of the remaining Zanclaians by coming to terms with
the Samians and exchanging oaths with them; and in return for this it
had been promised by the Samians that Hippocrates should receive as his
share the half of all the movable goods in the city and of the slaves,
and the whole of the property in the fields round. So the greater number
of the Zanclaians he put in bonds and kep