signet-ring of the king_. With joy he hastened to Polycrates with
his strangely recovered treasure, the story of whose loss had gone
abroad, and told in what a remarkable way it had been restored.

As for Polycrates, the return of the ring brought him some joy but more
grief. The fates, it appeared, were not so lightly to be appeased. He
wrote to Amasis, telling what he had done and with what result. The
letter came to the Egyptian king like a prognostic of evil. That there
would be an ill end to the career of Polycrates he now felt sure; and,
not wishing to be involved in it himself, he sent a herald to Samos and
informed his late friend and ally that the alliance between them was at
an end.

It cannot be said that Amasis profited much by this act. Soon afterwards
his own country was overrun and conquered by Cambyses, the Persian king,
and his reign came to a disastrous termination.

Whether there is any historical basis for this story of the ring may be
questioned. But this we do know, that the friendship between Amasis and
Polycrates was broken, and that Polycrates offered to help Cambyses in
his invasion, and sent forty ships to the Nile for this purpose. On
these were some Samians whom the tyrant wished to get rid of, and whom
he secretly asked the Persian king not to let return.

These exiles, however, suspecting what was in store for them, managed in
some way to escape, and returned to Samos, where they made an attack on
Polycrates. Being driven off by him, they went to Sparta and asked for
assistance, telling so long a story of their misfortunes and sufferings
that the Spartans, who could not bear long speeches, curtly answered,
"We have forgotten the first part of your speech, and the last part we
do not understand." This answer taught the Samians a lesson. The next
day they met the Spartans with an empty wallet, saying, "Our wallet has
no meal in it." "Your wallet is superfluous," said the Spartans; meaning
that the words would have served without it. The aid which the Spartans
thereupon granted the exiles proved of no effect, for it was against
Polycrates, the fortunate. They sent an expedition to Samos, and
besieged the city forty days, but were forced to retire without success.
Then the exiles, thus made homeless, became pirates. They attacked the
weak but rich island of Siphnos, which they ravaged, and forced the
inhabitants to buy them off at a cost of one hundred talents. With this
fund they purchase