red to him and what had been said to him, adding, "I now
absolutely change my opinion, since it pleases the gods that we should
make war, and that the Greeks be threatened with great misfortunes;
give your orders and dispose everything for this war:"--which was
executed immediately.

The terrible consequences of this war, which was so fatal to Persia,
and at last caused the overthrow of that famous monarchy, leads us to
judge that this apparition, if a true one, was announced by an evil
spirit, hostile to that monarchy, sent by God to dispose things for
events predicted by the prophets, and the succession of great empires
predestined by the decrees of the Almighty.

Cicero remarks that two Arcadians, who were traveling together,
arrived at Megara, a city of Greece, situated between Athens and
Corinth. One of them, who could claim hospitality in the town, was
lodged at a friend's, and the other at an inn. After supper, he who
was at a friend's house retired to rest. In his sleep, it seemed to
him that the man whom he had left at the inn appeared to him, and
implored his help, because the innkeeper wanted to kill him. He arose
directly, much alarmed at this dream, but having reassured himself,
and fallen asleep again, the other again appeared to him, and told him
that since he had not had the kindness to aid him, at least he must
not leave his death unpunished; that the innkeeper, after having
killed him, had hidden his body in a wagon, and covered it over with
dung, and that he must not fail to be the next morning at the opening
of the city gate, before the wagon went forth. Struck with this new
dream, he went early in the morning to the city gate, saw the wagon,
and asked the driver what he had got under the manure. The carter took
flight directly, the body was extricated from the wagon, and the
innkeeper arrested and punished.

Cicero relates also some other instances of similar apparitions which
occurred in sleep; one is of Sophocles, the other of Simonides. The
former saw Hercules in a dream, who told him the name of a robber who
had taken a golden patera from his temple. Sophocles neglected this
notice, as an effect of disturbed sleep; but Hercules appeared to him
a second time, and repeated to him the same thing, which induced
Sophocles to denounce the robber, who was convicted by the Areopagus,
and from that time the temple was dedicated to Hercules the Revealer.

The dream or apparition of Simonides was more