30 THALIA.

of government; he sent therefore for Lycophron to
Corcyra, to take opon him the administration of afr
fairs: his eldest son appeared improper for such a sta­
tion, and was indeed dull and stupid. Lycophron
disdained to take the smallest notice of the messenger
who brought him this intelligence. But Periander,
as he felt his affection for the young man to be unal­
terable, sent his sister to him, thinking her interposi­
tion most likely to succeed. When she saw him,
" Brother," said she, " will you suffer the sovereign
* authority to pass into other hands, and the riches of
" our family to be dispersed, rather than return to en«
"joy them yourself? Let me entreat you to punish
" yourself no more ; return to your country and your
" family: obstinacy like yours is but an unwelcome
" guest, it only adds one evil to another. Pity is by
" many preferred to justice; and many, from their
" anxiety to fulfil their duty to a mother, have violated
" that which a father might expect. Power, which
— many so assiduously court, is in its nature precari-
«' ous. Your father is growing old ; do not therefore
" resign to others, honours which are properly your
" own." Thus instructed by her father, she used every
argument likely to influence her brother; but he
briefly answered, "that as long as his father lived, he
" would not return to Corinth." When she had com­
municated this answer to Periander, he sent a third
messenger to his son, informing him, that it was his
intention to retire to Corcyra ; but that Lycophron
might return to Corinth, and take possession of the
supreme authority. This proposition was accepted,
and Periander prepared to depart for Corcyra, the
young man for Corinth. But when the Corcyreans
were informed of the business, to prevent the arrival
of Periander among them, they put his son to death.
This was what induced that prince to take vengeance
on the Corcyreans.

LIV. The Lacedaemonians arriving with a power­
ful fleet, laid siege to Samos, and advancing towards
the walls, they passed by a tower which stands in the
suburbs, not far from the sea. At this juncture Poly-
crates attacked them, at the head of a considerable