Histories

But Polycrates would listen to no advice. He sailed to meet Oroetes, with a great retinue of followers, among whom was Democedes, son of Calliphon, a man of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton and the most skillful physician of his time.

But no sooner had Polycrates come to Magnesia ad Meander [27.416,37.833] (deserted settlement), Aydin Ili, Ege kiyilari, Turkey, AsiaMagnesia than he was horribly murdered in a way unworthy of him and of his aims; for, except for the sovereigns of +Syracuse [15.3,37.0667] (Perseus) Syracuse, no sovereign of Greek race is fit to be compared with Polycrates for magnificence.

Having killed him in some way not fit to be told, Oroetes then crucified him; as for those who had accompanied him, he let the Samians go, telling them to thank him that they were free; those who were not Samians, or were servants of Polycrates' followers, he kept for slaves.

And Polycrates hanging in the air fulfilled his daughter's vision in every detail; for he was washed by Zeus when it rained, and he was anointed by Helios as he exuded sweat from his body.

This was the end of Polycrates' string of successes [as Amasis king of Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt had forewarned him]. But not long after, atonement for Polycrates overtook Oroetes. After the death of Cambyses and the rule of the Magi, Oroetes stayed in Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis, where he did not help the Persians in any way to regain the power taken from them by the Medes,

but, to the contrary, in this confusion killed two prominent Persians, Mitrobates, the governor from Dascyleium, who had taunted him about Polycrates, and Mitrobates' son Cranaspes; and on top of many other violent acts, he set an ambush down the road after a messenger from Darius came with a message which displeased him and killed that messenger on his homeward journey, and concealed the man's body and horse.

So when Darius became king, he wanted to punish Oroetes for all his wrongdoing, and especially for killing Mitrobates and his son. But he thought it best not to send an army openly against the satrap, seeing that everything was still in confusion and he was still new to the royal power; moreover he heard that Oroetes was very powerful, having a guard of a thousand Persian spearmen and being governor of the Phrygian and Lydian and Ionian province.