l me to take my master's life against
my own will, let me hear from thee also what is the manner in which we
shall lay hands upon him." And she answering said: "From that same place
shall the attempt be, where he displayed me naked; and we will lay hands
upon him as he sleeps."

12. So after they had prepared the plot, when night came on, (for Gyges
was not let go nor was there any way of escape for him, but he must
either be slain himself or slay Candaules), he followed the woman to the
bedchamber; and she gave him a dagger and concealed him behind that very
same door. Then afterwards, while Candaules was sleeping, Gyges came
privily up to him 10 and slew him, and he obtained both his wife and his
kingdom: of him moreover Archilochos the Parian, who lived about that
time, made mention in a trimeter iambic verse. 11

13. He obtained the kingdom however and was strengthened in it by means
of the Oracle at Delphi; for when the Lydians were angry because of the
fate of Candaules, and had risen in arms, a treaty was made between the
followers of Gyges and the other Lydians to this effect, that if the
Oracle should give answer that he was to be king of the Lydians, he
should be king, and if not, he should give back the power to the sons of
Heracles. So the Oracle gave answer, and Gyges accordingly became
king: yet the Pythian prophetess said this also, that vengeance for
the Heracleidai should come upon the descendants of Gyges in the fifth
generation. Of this oracle the Lydians and their kings made no account
until it was in fact fulfilled.

14. Thus the Mermnadai obtained the government having driven out from it
the Heracleidai: and Gyges when he became ruler sent votive offerings to
Delphi not a few, for of all the silver offerings at Delphi his are more
in number than those of any other man; and besides the silver he offered
a vast quantity of gold, and especially one offering which is more
worthy of mention than the rest, namely six golden mixing-bowls, which
are dedicated there as his gift: of these the weight is thirty talents,
and they stand in the treasury of the Corinthians, (though in truth this
treasury does not belong to the State of the Corinthians, but is that
of Kypselos the son of Aetion). 12 This Gyges was the first of the
Barbarians within our knowledge who dedicated votive offerings at
Delphi, except only Midas the son of Gordias king of Phrygia, who
dedicated for an offering the royal throne on which h