TERPSICHORE. 183

ally resides, and where his treasures are deposited.
Make yourselves masters of this city, and you may
vie in affluence with Jupiter himself. Lay aside, there­
fore, the contest in which you are engaged with the
Messenians, who equal you in strength, about a tract
of land not very extensive, nor remarkably fertile.
Neither are the Arcadians, nor the Argives, proper
objects of your ambition, who are destitute of those
precious metals which induce men to brave dangers
and death: but can any thing be more desirable, than
the opportunity now afforded you, of making the en­
tire conquest of Asia?" Aristagoras here finished.
u Milesian friend," replied Cleomenes, " in the space
of three days you shall have our answer."

L. On the day, and at the place appointed, Cleo­
menes inquired of Aristagoras how many days' jour­
ney it was from the Ionian sea to the dominions of the
Persian king. Aristagoras, though very sagacious,
and thus far successful in his views, was here guilty
of an oversight. As his object was to induce the Spar­
tans to make an incursion into Asia, it was his inte­
rest to have concealed the truth, but he inconside­
rately replied, that it was a journey of about three
months. As he proceeded to explain himself, Cleo­
menes interrupted him; " Stranger of Miletu6," said
he, " depart from Sparta before sunset: what you say
cannot be agreeable to the Lacedaemonians, desiring
to lead us a march of three months from the sea."
Having said this, Cleomenes withdrew.

LI. Aristagoras taking a branch of olive in his hand,
presented himself before the house of Cleomenes, en­
tering which as a suppliant, he requested an audience,
at the same time desiring that the prince's daughter
might retire; for it happened that Gorgo, the only
child of Cleomenes, was present, a girl of about eight
or nine years old : the king begged that the presence
of the child might be no obstruction to what he had to
say. Aristagoras then promised to give him ton tal­
ents if. he would accede to his request. As Cleomenes
refused, Aristagoras rose in his offers to fifty talents;
upon which the child exclaimed, " Father, unless you
withdraw, this stranger will corrupt you." The prince