n this expedition against
Samos, that it might be carried out; for there had been an offence
perpetrated against them also by the Samians a generation before 40 the
time of this expedition and about the same time as the robbery of the
bowl. Periander the son of Kypselos had despatched three hundred sons of
the chief men of Corcyra to Alyattes at Sardis to be made eunuchs; and
when the Corinthians who were conducting the boys had put in to Samos,
the Samians, being informed of the story and for what purpose they were
being conducted to Sardis, first instructed the boys to lay hold of the
temple of Artemis, and then they refused to permit the Corinthians to
drag the suppliants away from the temple: and as the Corinthians cut the
boys off from supplies of food, the Samians made a festival, which they
celebrate even to the present time in the same manner: for when night
came on, as long as the boys were suppliants they arranged dances of
maidens and youths, and in arranging the dances they made it a rule of
the festival that sweet cakes of sesame and honey should be carried, in
order that the Corcyrean boys might snatch them and so have support; and
this went on so long that at last the Corinthians who had charge of the
boys departed and went away; and as for the boys, the Samians carried
them back to Corcyra.

49. Now, if after the death of Periander the Corinthians had been on
friendly terms with the Corcyreans, they would not have joined in the
expedition against Samos for the cause which has been mentioned; but as
it is, they have been ever at variance with one another since they first
colonised the island. 41 This then was the cause why the Corinthians had
a grudge against the Samians.

50. Now Periander had chosen out the sons of the chief men of Corcyra
and was sending them to Sardis to be made eunuchs, in order that he
might have revenge; since the Corcyreans had first begun the offence and
had done to him a deed of reckless wrong. For after Periander had killed
his wife Melissa, it chanced to him to experience another misfortune
in addition to that which had happened to him already, and this was as
follows:--He had by Melissa two sons, the one of seventeen and the other
of eighteen years. These sons their mother's father Procles, who was
despot of Epidauros, sent for to himself and kindly entertained, as was
to be expected seeing that they were the sons of his own daughter; and
when he was sending them back, he sa