their own husbands, it has become a custom in Hellas that all deeds of
great cruelty should be called "Lemnian deeds.".

139. After the Pelasgians had killed their own sons and wives, the earth
did not bear fruit for them, nor did their women or their cattle bring
forth young as they did before; and being hard pressed by famine and by
childlessness, they sent to Delphi to ask for a release from the evils
which were upon them; and the Pythian prophetess bade them pay such
penalty to the Athenians as the Athenians themselves should appoint.
The Pelasgians came accordingly to Athens and professed that they were
willing to pay the penalty for all the wrong which they had done: and
the Athenians laid a couch in the fairest possible manner in the City
Hall, and having set by it a table covered with all good things, they
bade the Pelasgians deliver up to them their land in that condition.
Then the Pelasgians answered and said: "When with a North Wind in one
single day a ship shall accomplish the voyage from your land to ours,
then we will deliver it up," feeling assured that it was impossible for
this to happen, since Attica lies far away to the South of Lemnos..

140. Such were the events which happened then: and very many years
later, after the Chersonese which is by the Hellespont had come to be
under the Athenians, Miltiades the son of Kimon, when the Etesian Winds
blew steadily, accomplished the voyage in a ship from Elaius in the
Chersonese to Lemnos, and proclaimed to the Pelasgians that they should
depart out of the island, reminding them of the oracle, which the
Pelasgians had never expected would be accomplished for them. The men of
Hephaistia accordingly obeyed; but those of Myrina, not admitting that
the Chersonese was Attica, suffered a siege, until at last these also
submitted. Thus it was that the Athenians and Miltiades took possession
of Lemnos.

NOTES TO BOOK VI.

1 [ {proboulous}.]

2 [ See i. 148.]

3 [ {epi keras}.]

4 [ {diekploon poieumenos tesi neusi di alleleon}.]

5 [ {tou Dareiou}: a conjecture based upon Valla's translation. The MSS.
have {ton Dareion}.]

6 [ {prophasios epilabomenoi}.]

601 [ {en stele anagraphenai patrothen}.]

7 [ "were very roughly handled."]

8 [ {epibateuontas}.]

801 [ {nuktos te gar}: so Stein for {nuktos te}.]

9 [ {kat akres}, lit. "from the top downwards," i.e. town and citadel
both.]

10 [ See ch. 77.]

11 [ See i. 92 and v. 36.]

1101 [ {K