of
my son who goes forth to the chase, lest any evil robbers come upon
you by the way to do you harm; and besides this thou too oughtest to go
where thou mayest become famous by thy deeds, for it belongs to thee
as an inheritance from thy fathers so to do, and moreover thou hast
strength for it."

42. Adrastos made answer: "O king, but for this I should not have been
going to any such contest of valour; for first it is not fitting that
one who is suffering such a great misfortune as mine should seek the
company of his fellows who are in prosperity, and secondly I have no
desire for it; and for many reasons I should have kept myself away. But
now, since thou art urgent with me, and I ought to gratify thee (for I
am bound to requite thee with kindness), I am ready to do this: expect
therefore that thy son, whom thou commandest me to protect, will home to
thee unhurt, so far as his protector may avail to keep him safe."

43. When he had made answer to Croesus in words like these, they
afterwards set forth provided with chosen young men and with dogs.
And when they were come to Mount Olympos, they tracked the animal;
and having found it and taken their stand round in a circle, they
were hurling against it their spears. Then the guest, he who had been
cleansed of manslaughter, whose name was Adrastos, hurling a spear at it
missed the boar and struck the son of Croesus. So he being struck by the
spear-point fulfilled the saying of the dream. And one ran to report
to Croesus that which had come to pass, and having come to Sardis he
signified to him of the combat and of the fate of his son. And Croesus
was very greatly disturbed by the death of his son, and was much the
more moved to complaining by this, namely that his son was slain by the
man whom he had himself cleansed of manslaughter. And being grievously
troubled by the misfortune he called upon Zeus the Cleanser, protesting
to him that which he had suffered from his guest, and he called moreover
upon the Protector of Suppliants 37 and the Guardian of Friendship,
38 naming still the same god, and calling upon him as the Protector of
Suppliants because when he received the guest into his house he had
been fostering ignorantly the slayer of his son, and as the Guardian of
Friendship because having sent him as a protector he had found him the
worst of foes.

45. After this the Lydians came bearing the corpse, and behind it
followed the slayer: and he taking his stand befo