ch the form of
the letters also. During this time the Ionians were the race of Hellenes
who dwelt near them in most of the places where they were; and these,
having received letters by instruction of the Phenicians, changed their
form slightly and so made use of them, and in doing so they declared
them to be called "phenicians," as was just, seeing that the Phenicians
had introduced them into Hellas. Also the Ionians from ancient time call
paper "skins," because formerly, paper being scarce, they used skins of
goat and sheep; nay, even in my own time many of the Barbarians write on
such skins.

59. I myself too once saw Cadmeian characters in the temple of Ismenian
Apollo at Thebes of the Boeotians, engraved on certain 4901 tripods, and
in most respects resembling the Ionic letters: one of these tripods has
the inscription,

"Me Amphitryon offered from land Teleboian returning:" 50
this inscription would be of an age contemporary with Laios
the son of Labdacos, the son of Polydoros, the son of Cadmos.

60. Another tripod says thus in hexameter rhythm:

"Me did Scaios offer to thee, far-darting Apollo,
Victor in contest of boxing, a gift most fair in thine honour:"

now Scaios would be the son of Hippocooen (at least if it were really he
who offered it, and not another with the same name as the son of
Hippocooen), being of an age contemporary with OEdipus the son of Laios:

61. and the third tripod, also in hexameter rhythm, says:

"Me Laodamas offered to thee, fair-aiming Apollo,
He, of his wealth, 51 being king, as a gift most fair in thine honor:"

now it was in the reign of this very Laodamas the son of Eteocles that
the Cadmeians were driven out by the Argives and turned to go to the
Enchelians; and the Gephyraians being then left behind were afterwards
forced by the Boeotians to retire to Athens. Moreover they have temples
established in Athens, in which the other Athenians have no part, and
besides others which are different from the rest, there is especially a
temple of Demeter Achaia and a celebration of her mysteries.

62. I have told now of the vision of a dream seen by Hipparchos, and
also whence the Gephrynians were descended, of which race were the
murderers of Hipparchos; and in addition to this I must resume and
continue the story which I was about to tell at first, how the Athenians
were freed from despots. When Hippias was despot and was dealing harshly
with the Athenians beca