ars, sailing in company, and
anchored off a certain cape which stretches towards Euboea. The
Megarians in Euboea heard an indistinct rumour of this, and at once ran
to arms, and sent a ship to reconnoitre the enemy. This ship, when it
came near Solon's fleet, was captured and its crew taken prisoners. On
board of it Solon placed some picked men, and ordered them to make sail
for the city of Salamis, and to conceal themselves as far as they could.
Meanwhile he with the remaining Athenians attacked the Megarian forces
by land; and while the battle was at its hottest, the men in the ship
succeeded in surprising the city.

This story appears to be borne out by the proceedings which were
instituted in memory of the capture. In this ceremony an Athenian ship
used to sail to Salamis, at first in silence, and then as they neared
the shore with warlike shouts. Then a man completely armed used to leap
out and run, shouting as he went, up to the top of the hill called
Skiradion, where he met those who came by land. Close by this place
stands the temple of Ares, which Solon built; for he conquered the
Megarians in the battle, and sent away the survivors with a flag of
truce.

X. However, as the Megarians still continued the war, to the great
misery of both sides, they agreed to make the Lacedaemonians arbitrators
and judges between them. Most writers say that Solon brought the great
authority of Homer's 'Iliad' to his aid, by interpolating in the
catologue of ships the two verses--

"Ajax from Salamis twelve vessels good
Brought, and he placed them where the Athenians stood,"

which he had read as evidence before the court.

The Athenians, however, say that all this is nonsense, but that Solon
proved to the arbitrators that Philaeus and Eurysakes, the sons of Ajax,
when they were enrolled as Athenian citizens, made over the island to
Athens, and dwelt, one at Brauron, in Attica, and the other at Melite;
moreover, there is an Athenian tribe which claims descent from Philaeus,
to which Peisistratus belonged. Wishing, however, yet more thoroughly to
prove his case against the Megarians, he based an argument on the tombs
in the island, in which the corpses were buried, not in the Megarian,
but in the Athenian manner. For the Megarians bury their dead looking
towards the east, and the Athenians towards the west. But Hereas of
Megara denies this, and says that the Megarians also bury their dead
looking towards the west, and