k and take the value in money. Those who understood his
character were not taken in by this attempt to play the Cretan with men
of Crete, but some believed him and lost their cups for nothing. For he
never paid the money, but having swindled his friends out of thirty
talents, which soon fell into the hands of the enemy, he sailed with the
money to Samothrace, and took sanctuary in the temple of the Dioskuri as
a suppliant.

XXIV. The people of Macedon have always been thought to love their
kings, but now, as if some main prop had broken, and the whole edifice
of government fallen to the ground, they gave themselves up to Aemilius,
and in two days constituted him master of the entire kingdom. This seems
to confirm the opinion of those who say that these successes were owing
to especial good fortune: and the incident of the sacrifice also was
clearly sent from Heaven. For when Aemilius was offering sacrifice at
Amphipolis, when the sacred rites had been performed, lightning came
down upon the altar, and burned up the offering. But in its miraculous
character and good luck the swiftness with which the news spread
surpasses all these; for on the fourth day after Perseus had been
vanquished at Pydna, while the people at Rome were assembled at a horse
race, suddenly there arose amongst them a rumour that Aemilius had
defeated Perseus in a great battle and had subdued all Macedonia. This
report soon spread among the populace, who expressed their joy by
applause and shouts throughout the city all that day. Afterwards, as the
report could be traced to no trustworthy source, but was merely repeated
among them vaguely, it was disbelieved and came to nothing; but in a few
days they learned the real story, and wondered at the rumour which had
preceded it, combining truth with falsehood.

XXV. There is a legend that the news of the battle on the river Sagra in
Italy against the natives was carried the same day into Peloponnesus,
and that of the battle of Mykale against the Medes was so carried to
Plataea. The victory of the Romans over the Latins under the exiled
Tarquins was reported at Rome a little after it took place, by two men,
tall and fair, who came from the army. These men they conjectured to
have been the Dioskuri (Castor and Pollux). The first man who fell in
with them as they stood in the forum, near the fountain, found them
washing their horses, which were covered with sweat. He marvelled much
at their tale of the victo