Page:Thucydides, translated into English Vol 1.djvu/202

86 STORY OF PAUSANIAS [l B.C. 477. the curse of Athene of the Brazen House. The story is ■ ^^' **■ as follows : — When Pausanias the Lacedaemonian was originally summoned by the Spartans to give an account of his command at the Hellespont*, and had been tried and acquitted, he was no longer sent out in a public capacity, but he hired a trireme of Hermione on his own account and sailed to the Hellespont, pretending that he had gone thither to fight in the cause of the Hellenes. In reality he wanted to prosecute an intrigue with the King, by which he hoped to obtain the empire of Hellas. He had already taken the first steps after the return from B.C. 478 Cyprus, when he captured B3'zantium ^. The city was at 0V75 3 ^^^' ^™^ hed by the Persians and by certain relatives and or 4. kinsmen of the King, who were taken prisoners. These he restored to the King without the knowledge of the allies, to whom he declared that they had made their escape. This act was the beginning of the whole affair, and thereby he originally placed the King under an obliga- tion to him. His accomplice was Gongylus the Eretrian, to whose care he had entrusted Byzantium and the captives. To this same Gongylus he also gave a letter addressed to the King, of which, as Vx'as afterwards discovered, the terms were as follows : — ' Pausanias, the Spartan commander, desiring to do you a service, sends you back these captives of his spear. And I propose, if you have no objection, to marry your daughter, and to bring Sparta and the rest of Hellas under your sway. I think that I can accomplish this if you and I take counsel together. Should you approve of my proposal, send a trusty person to the sea and through him we will negotiate.* Thus far the letter. 129 Xerxes was pleased, and sent Artabazus the son of Intrigue of Patisa- Pharnaces to the sea, commanding him nias with Xerxes. to assume the government of the satrapy of Dascylium in the room of Megabates. An answer was ° Cp. i. 9iJ. * Cp. i. 94.