heard the
report of this, they appointed a sacred enclosure for Aiacos, namely
that which is now established close to the market-place, but they could
not endure to hear that they must stay for thirty years, when they had
suffered injuries from the Eginetans.

90. While however they were preparing to take vengeance, a matter arose
from the Lacedemonians which provided a hindrance to them: for the
Lacedemonians, having learnt that which had been contrived by the
Alcmaionidai with respect to the Pythian prophetess, and that which had
been contrived by the Pythian prophetess against themselves and the sons
of Peisistratos, were doubly grieved, not only because they had driven
out into exile men who were their guest-friends, but also because after
they had done this no gratitude was shown to them by the Athenians.
Moreover in addition to this, they were urged on by the oracles which
said that many injuries would be suffered by them from the Athenians;
of which oracles they had not been aware of before, but they had come to
know them, since Cleomenes had brought them to Sparta. In fact Cleomenes
had obtained from the Acropolis of the Athenians those oracles which the
sons of Peisistratos possessed before and had left in the temple when
they were driven out; and Cleomenes recovered them after they had been
left behind.

91. At this time, then, when the Lacedemonians had recovered the oracles
and when they saw that the Athenians were increasing in power and were
not at all willing to submit to them, observing that the Athenian race
now that it was free was becoming 74 a match for their own, whereas when
held down by despots it was weak and ready to be ruled,--perceiving, I
say, all these things, they sent for Hippias the son of Peisistratos to
come from Sigeion on the Hellespont, whither the family of Peisistratos
go for refuge; 75 and when Hippias had come upon the summons, the
Spartans sent also for envoys to come from their other allies and spoke
to them as follows: "Allies, we are conscious within ourselves that we
have not acted rightly; for incited by counterfeit oracles we drove out
into exile men who were very closely united with us as guest-friends and
who undertook the task of rendering Athens submissive to us, and then
after having done this we delivered over the State to a thankless
populace, which so soon as it had raised its head, having been freed by
our means drove out us and our king with wanton outrage; and