TERPSICHORE. 197

subjects of litigation betwixt themselves and the peo­
ple of Epidaurus were determined among the latter.
In process of time they built themselves a fleet, and
revolted from their allegiance; becoming still more
powerful, they made themselves masters of the sea,
and plundered their former masters, carrying away
the images of Damia and Auxesia. These they de­
posited in the centre of their own territories, in a
place called CEa, about twenty stadia from their city:
having done this, they instituted sacrifices in their
honour, with ludicrous choruses of women; assigning
to each of these goddesses ten men, who were to pre­
side over the choruses. These choruses did not in­
sult any male, but the females of the country. The
Epidaurians had dances similar to these, with other
cteremonies which were mysterious.

LXXXIV. From the time of their losing these im­
ages, the Epidaurians ceased to observe their engage­
ments with the Athenians, who sent to remonstrate
with them on the occasion. They made reply, that
in this respect they were guilty of no injustice, for as
long as they possessed the images, they had fulfilled
all that was expected from them; having lost these,
their obligation became void, devolving from them to
the ^ginetoJ. On receiving this answer, the Atheni­
ans sent to iEgina to demand the images, but the
iEeineta; denied that the Athenians had any business
with them.

LXXXV. The Athenians relate, that after this re­
fusal of their demand, they sent the persons before
employed in this business in a vessel to iEgina. As
these images were made of the wood of Athens, they
were commissioned to carry them away from the place
where they stood ; but, their attempt to do this not
succeeding, they endeavoured to remove them with
ropes: in the midst of their efforts they were alarmed
by an earthquake, with loud claps of thunder; those
employed were seized with a madness, which caused
them to kill one another; one only survived, who im­
mediately fled to Phaleros.

LXXXVI. TRe above is the Athenian account.
The iEginetee affirm. that this expedition was not
Rt