said that such things as this were given as
gifts to women and not an army.

163. Arkesilaos meanwhile, being in Samos, was gathering every one
together by a promise of dividing land; and while a great host was being
collected, Arkesilaos set out to Delphi to inquire of the Oracle about
returning from exile: and the Pythian prophetess gave him this answer:
"For four named Battos and four named Arkesilaos, eight generations
of men, Loxias grants to you to be kings of Kyrene, but beyond this he
counsels you not even to attempt it. Thou however must keep quiet when
thou hast come back to thy land; and if thou findest the furnace full of
jars, heat not the jars fiercely, but let them go with a fair wind: if
however thou heat the furnace fiercely, enter not thou into the place
flowed round by water; for if thou dost thou shalt die, both thou and
the bull which is fairer than all the rest."

164. Thus the Pythian prophetess gave answer to Arkesilaos; and he,
having taken to him those in Samos, made his return to Kyrene; and when
he had got possession of the power, he did not remember the saying of
the Oracle but endeavoured to exact penalties from those of the opposite
faction for having driven him out. Of these some escaped out of the
country altogether, but some Arkesilaos got into his power and sent them
away to Cyprus to be put to death. These were driven out of their course
to Cnidos, and the men of Cnidos rescued them and sent them away to
Thera. Some others however of the Kyrenians fled to a great tower
belonging to Aglomachos a private citizen, and Arkesilaos burnt them by
piling up brushwood round. Then after he had done the deed he perceived
that the Oracle meant this, in that the Pythian prophetess forbade
him, if he found the jars in the furnace, to heat them fiercely; and he
voluntarily kept away from the city of the Kyrenians, fearing the death
which had been prophesied by the Oracle and supposing that Kyrene was
flowed round by water. 149 Now he had to wife a kinswoman of his own,
the daughter of the king of Barca whose name was Alazeir: to him he
came, and men of Barca together with certain of the exiles from Kyrene,
perceiving him going about in the market-place, killed him, and also
besides him his father-in-law Alazeir. Arkesilaos accordingly, having
missed the meaning of the oracle, whether with his will or against his
will, fulfilled his own destiny.

165. His mother Pheretime meanwhile, so long as Ark