192 TERPSICHORE.

called polluted, was this : Cylon, a native of Athens,
who bad obtained the prize in the Olympic garnet,
had been convicted of designs upon the government,
for, having procured a number of young men of the
same age with himself, he endeavoured to seize the
citadel; disappointed in his hopes, he with his com­
panions placed themselves before the shrine of Mi-
nerva, as suppliants. The Prytanes of the Naucrari,
who then governed Athens, persuaded them to leave
this sanctuary, under a promise that their lives should
not be forfeited. Their being soon afterwards put to
death was generally imputed to the Alcrhaeonidte.
These events happened before the time of Pisistratus.

LXXII. Cleomenes having thus ordered the expul­
sion of Clisthenes, and the other polluted persons,
though Clisthenes had privately retired, came soon
afterwards to Athens with a small number of attend­
ants. His first step was, to send into exile as polluted
seven hundred Athenian families, which Isagoras
pointed out to him. He next proceeded to dissolve the
senate, and to intrust the offices of government with
three hundred of the faction of Isagoras. The senate
exerted themselves, and positively refused to acquiesce
in his projects; upon which Cleomenes, with Isagoras
and his party, seized the citadel; they were here, for
the space of two days, besieged by the Athenians in a
body, who took the part of the senate. Upon the third
day certain terms were offered, and accepted, and the
Spartans all of them departed from Athens: thus an
omen which happened to Cleomenes was accomplish­
ed. For when he was employed in the seizure of the
citadel, he desired to enter the sanctuary and consult
the goddess; the priestess, as he was about to open
the doors, rose from her seat, and forbade him in these
terms: " Lacedaemonian, return, presume not to enter
here, where no admittance is permitted to a Dorian."
"I," returned Cleomenes, "am not a Dorian, but an
Achean." This omen, however, had no influence
upon his conduct; he persevered in what he had under­
taken, and with his Lacedaemonians was a second time
foiled. The Athenians who had joined themselves to
him were put in irons, and condemned to die: amongst