e, in these regions, of
honey intoxicating and poisonous.... They point out the Azalea
Pontica as the flower from which the bees imbibe this peculiar
quality."--Grote, "Hist. of Greece," vol. ix. p. 155.

From this place they marched on two stages--seven parasangs--and 22
reached the sea at Trapezus (5), a populous Hellenic city on the Euxine
Sea, a colony of the Sinopeans, in the territory of the Colchians.
Here they halted about thirty days in the villages of the Colchians,
which they used as a base of operations to ravage the whole territory
of Colchis. The men of Trapezus supplied the army with a market,
entertained them, and gave them, as gifts of hospitality, oxen and
wheat and wine. Further, they negotiated with them in behalf of their
neighbours the Colchians, who dwelt in the plain for the most part,
and from this folk also came gifts of hospitality in the shape of
cattle. And now the Hellenes made preparation for the sacrifice which
they had vowed, and a sufficient number of cattle came in for them to
offer thank-offerings for safe guidance to Zeus the Saviour, and to
Heracles (6), and to the other gods, according to their vows. They
instituted also a gymnastic contest on the mountain side, just where
they were quartered, and chose Dracontius, a Spartan (who had been
banished from home when a lad, having unintentionally slain another
boy with a blow of his dagger), to superintend the course, and be
president of the games.

(5) Trebizond.

(6) Or, "to sacrifice to Zeus the Preserver, and to Heracles
thank-offerings for safe guidance," Heracles "the conductor"
having special sympathy with wanderers.

As soon as the sacrifices were over, they handed over the hides of the
beasts to Dracontius, and bade him lead the way to his racecourse. He
merely waved his hand and pointed to where they were standing, and
said, "There, this ridge is just the place for running, anywhere,
everywhere." "But how," it was asked, "will they manage to wrestle on
the hard scrubby ground?" "Oh! worse knocks for those who are thrown,"
the president replied. There was a mile race for boys, the majority
being captive lads; and for the long race more than sixty Cretans
competed; there was wrestling, boxing, and the pankration (7).
Altogether it was a beautiful spectacle. There was a large number of
entries, and the emulation, with their companions, male and female, 27
standing as spectators, was immense.