aced her before the image and prayed the goddess to deliver the child
from her unshapeliness. And once as the nurse was going away out of the
temple, it is said that a woman appeared to her, and having appeared
asked her what she was bearing in her arms; and she told her that she
was bearing a child; upon which the other bade her show the child to
her, but she refused, for it had been forbidden to her by the parents to
show it to any one: but the woman continued to urge her by all means to
show it to her. So then perceiving that the woman earnestly desired to
see it, the nurse showed her the child. Then the woman stroking the head
of the child said that she should be the fairest of all the women in
Sparta; and from that day her aspect was changed. Afterwards when she
came to the age for marriage, she was married to Agetos the son of
Alkeides, this friend of Ariston of whom we spoke..

62. Now Ariston it seems was ever stung by the desire of this woman, and
accordingly he contrived as follows:--he made an engagement himself with
his comrade, whose wife this woman was, that he would give him as a gift
one thing of his own possessions, whatsoever he should choose, and he
bade his comrade make return to him in similar fashion. He therefore,
fearing nothing for his wife, because he saw that Ariston also had
a wife, agreed to this; and on these terms they imposed oaths on one
another. After this Ariston on his part gave that which Agetos had
chosen from the treasures of Ariston, whatever the thing was; and he
himself, seeking to obtain from him the like return, endeavoured then
to take away the wife of his comrade from him: and he said that he
consented to give anything else except this one thing only, but at
length being compelled by the oath and by the treacherous deception, 46
he allowed her to be taken away from him..

63. Thus had Ariston brought into his house the third wife, having
dismissed the second: and this wife, not having fulfilled the ten months
47 but in a shorter period of time, bore him that Demaratos of whom we
were speaking; and one of his servants reported to him as he was sitting
in council 48 with the Ephors, that a son had been born to him. He then,
knowing the time when he took to him his wife, and reckoning the months
upon his fingers, said, denying with an oath, "The child would not
be mine." This the Ephors heard, but they thought it a matter of no
importance at the moment; and the child grew up an