I know this much to be so because the Delphians told me. The Milesians add that Periander son of Cypselus, a close friend of the Thrasybulus who then was sovereign of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, learned what reply the oracle had given to Alyattes, and sent a messenger to tell Thrasybulus so that his friend, forewarned, could make his plans accordingly.

The Milesians say it happened so. Then, when the Delphic reply was brought to Alyattes, he promptly sent a herald to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus, offering to make a truce with Thrasybulus and the Milesians during his rebuilding of the temple. So the envoy went to Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus. But Thrasybulus, forewarned of the whole matter, and knowing what Alyattes meant to do, devised the following plan:

he brought together into the marketplace all the food in the city, from private stores and his own, and told the men of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus all to drink and celebrate together when he gave the word.

Thrasybulus did this so that when the herald from Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis saw a great heap of food piled up, and the citizens celebrating, he would bring word of it to Alyattes:

and so it happened. The herald saw all this, gave Thrasybulus the message he had been instructed by the Lydian to deliver, and returned to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis; and this, as I learn, was the sole reason for the reconciliation.

For Alyattes had supposed that there was great scarcity in Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus and that the people were reduced to the last extremity of misery; but now on his herald's return from the town he heard an account contrary to his expectations;

so presently the Lydians and Milesians ended the war and agreed to be friends and allies, and Alyattes built not one but two temples of Athena at Assesos, and recovered from his illness. That is the story of Alyattes' war against Thrasybulus and the Milesians.

Periander, who disclosed the oracle's answer to Thrasybulus, was the son of Cypselus, and sovereign of Corinth [22.9083,37.9083] (Perseus) Corinth. The Corinthians say (and the Lesbians agree) that the most marvellous thing that happened to him in his life was the landing on Taenarus of Arion of Methymna [26.2,39.3333] (Perseus) Methymna, brought there by a dolphin. This Arion was a lyre-player second to none in that age; he was the first man whom we know to compose and name the dithyrambThe dithyramb was a kind of dance-music particularly associated with the cult of Dionysus. which he afterwards taught at Corinth [22.9083,37.9083] (Perseus) Corinth.