ythm that the issues of victory lay around a
wooden wall. Now having this as a proof I will neither refuse to believe
in oracles myself nor allow others to disbelieve them. For when the race
had begun and the horses had been sent away by the sound of a trumpet,
other men were taking part in the contest, and also Pheron the son of
Trapezites a Corinthian: this is not the Pheron who, his father having
founded a city, was himself expelled from it by the few, who were called
Hetairi, because he had allied himself with the democracy forsooth
([Greek text]). And there are other things written about this Pheron in
the history composed by Proctor, who was tyrant of Oxonia second himself
for one year, and in fact caused Pheron to fall out by reason of
sedition. What I have said just now is a digression and refers to other
matters, and I will now come back to my former story. So then the men,
having in the first part of the contest done things worthy of themselves,
and having for the most part, although not all, yet the majority, avoided
the (not) falling into ditches and the like incurably at least, came
presently to the wooden fence, which I conjecture to be the wall meant by
the Delphic oracle. It being then necessary either remaining on the
hither side to be driven away from all hope of the prize or leaping to
run risks concerning their lives, and the rest having leapt in such a way
that they crossed the fence sitting rather upon the ground than upon
their horses, and some neither with them nor upon them, as the
Lacedaemonians say about their shields: this Pheron, of whom I have
before made mention, showed himself to be prudent in other things and
also in this. He, having a horse much the most active of all the rest,
was not left behind by it, but sat there holding on firmly until he had
arrived at the farther side; and from thence, the race being easy for
him, he came to the goal very much the first, having anticipated. In
this way he obtained the prize. I have learnt the names of all the other
competitors: but I do not think it proper to relate them, not now at
least.

When the spectators had seen these things (and there was also a contest
for the natives of the country, in which not a few were roughly handled)
they returned in chariots to the city, driving not straight like the
Greeks, but obliquely, as is customary. This story some relate, relating
things credible to me at least; there being two Oxonii in one cha