now exalted
with pride 76 it is increasing in power, so that the neighbours of these
men first of all, that is the Boeotians and Chalkidians, have already
learnt, and perhaps some others also will afterwards learn, that they
committed an error. 7601 As however we erred in doing those things of
which we have spoken, we will try now to take vengeance on them, going
thither together with you; 77 since it was for this very purpose that we
sent for Hippias, whom ye see here, and for you also, to come from your
cities, in order that with common counsel and a common force we might
conduct him to Athens and render back to him that which we formerly took
away."

92. Thus they spoke; but the majority of the allies did not approve of
their words. The rest however kept silence, but the Corinthian Socles 78
spoke as follows: (a) "Surely now the heaven shall be below the earth,
and the earth raised up on high above the heaven, and men shall have
their dwelling in the sea, and fishes shall have that habitation which
men had before, seeing that ye, Lacedemonians, are doing away with free
governments 79 and are preparing to bring back despotism again into our
cities, than which there is no more unjust or more murderous thing
among men. For if in truth this seems to you to be good, namely that
the cities should be ruled by despots, do ye yourselves first set up a
despot in your own State, and then endeavour to establish them also for
others: but as it is, ye are acting unfairly towards your allies, seeing
that ye have had no experience of despots yourselves and provide with
the greatest care at Sparta that this may never come to pass. If
however ye had had experience of it, as we have had, ye would be able
to contribute juster opinions of it than at present. (b) For the
established order of the Corinthian State was this:--the government was
an oligarchy, and the oligarchs, who were called Bacchiadai, had control
over the State and made marriages among themselves. 80 Now one of these
men, named Amphion, had a daughter born to him who was lame, and her
name was Labda. This daughter, since none of the Bacchiadai wished to
marry her, was taken to wife by Aetion the son of Echecrates, who was of
the deme of Petra, but by original descent a Lapith and of the race of
Caineus. Neither from this wife nor from another were children born to
him, therefore he set out to Delphi to inquire about offspring; and as
he entered, forthwith the prophetess