THALIA. 69

iie most important places in Greece, they passed
»ver to Tarentum in Italy. Here Aristophilides, prince
>f Tarentum, and a native of Crotona, took away the
lelms of the Median vessels, and detained the Per­
sians as spies. Whilst his companions were in this
predicament, Democedes himself went to Crotona.
Upon his arrival at his native place, Aristophilides
gave the Persians their liberty, and restored what he
had taken from them.

CXXXVII. The Persians, as soon as they recover­
ed their liberty, sailed to Crotona, in pursuit of De­
mocedes, and meeting with him in the forum, seized
hie person. Some of the inhabitants, through fear of
the Persian power, were willing to deliver him up;
others, on the contrary, beat the Persians with clubs ;
who exclaimed, " Men of Crotona, consider what ye
do, in taking away from us a fugitive from our king.
Do you imagine that you will derive any advantage
from this insult to Darius ? will not rather your city
be the first object of our hostilities, the first that we
shall plunder and reduce to servitude ?" These me­
naces had but little effect upon the people of Crotona,
for they not only assisted Democedes to escape, but
also deprived the Persians of the vessel which accom­
panied them. They were, therefore, under the neces­
sity of returning to Asia, without exploring any more
of Greece, being thus deprived of their conductor. On
their departure, Democedes commissioned them to
inform Darius that he was married to a daughter of
Milo, the hame of Milo the wrestler being well known
to the Persian monarch. To me it seems that he has­
tened his marriage, and expended a vast sum of mo­
ney on the occasion, to convince Darius that he en­
joyed considerable reputation in his own country.

CXXXVIII. The Persians, leaving Crotona, were
driven by contrary winds to Japygia, where they were
made slaves. Gillus, an exile of Tarentum, ransom­
ed them, and sent them home to Darius. For this
service the king declared himself willing to perform
whatever Gillus should require; who accordingly ex­
plaining the circumstances of his misfortune, request­
ed to be restored to his country. But Darius thinking