MELPOMENE. 87

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tions of the deceased of what had happened. The
report having circulated through the city, that Aris-
teas was dead, there came a man of Cyzicus, of the
city of Artaces, who affirmed that this assertion was
false, for that he had met Aristeas going to Cyzicus,
and had spoken with him. In consequence of his
positive assertions, the friends of Aristeas hastened to
the fuller's shop with every thing which was neces­
sary for his funeral, but when they came there, no
Aristeas was to be found, alive or dead. Seven years
afterwards it is said that he re-appeared at Procon-
nesus1; and composed those verses which the Greeks
call Arimaspian; after which he vanished a second
time.

XV. This is the manner in which these cities speak
of Aristeas: but I am about to relate a circumstance
which to my own knowledge happened to the Meta-
pontines of Italy, three hundred and forty years after
Aristeas had a second time disappeared, accordingito
my conjecture, as it agrees with what I heard at Pro-
connesus and Metapontus. The inhabitants of this
latter place affirm, that Aristeas, having appeared in
their city, directed them to construct an altar to
Apollo, and near it a statue to Aristeas of Proconne-
sus. He told them that they were the only people of
Italy whom Apollo had ever honoured by his pres-
ence? and that he himself had attended the god under
the form of a crow: having said this, he disappeared.
The Metapontines relate, that in consequence of this
they sent to Delphi, to inquire what that unnatural
appearance might mean; the Pythian told them in re­
ply, to perform what had been directed, for that they
would find their obedience rewarded; they obeyed
accordingly, and there now stands near the statue of
Apollo himself, another bearing the name of Aristeas:
it is placed in the public square of the city, surrounded
with laurels.

XVI. Thus much of Aristeas. No certain know­
ledge is to be obtained of the places which lie re­
motely beyond the country of which I before spake:
on this subject I could not meet with any person able
to speak from his own knowledge. Aristeas above­