(Κρῖος), son of Polycritus, and one of the chief men of Aegina. When the Aeginetans, in B. C. 491, had submitted to the demand of Dareius Hystaspis for earth and water, Cleomenes I., king of Sparta, crossed over to the island to apprehend those who had chiefly advised the measure, but was successfully resisted by Crius on the ground that he had not come with authority from the Spartan government, since his colleague Demaratus
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was not with him. Cleomenes, being obliged to withdraw, consoled himself by a play or the words Κρῖος and κριός (a ram), advising the refractory Aeginetan to arm his horns with brass. as he would soon need all the defence he could get (Hdt. 6.50; comp. 5.75.) It was supposed that the resistance had been privately encouraged by Demaratus (6.61, 64), and on the deposition of the latter, and the appointment of Leotychides to the throne (6.65, 66), Cleomenes again went to Aegina with his new colleague, and, having seized Crius and others, delivered them into the custody of the Athenians. (6.73; comp. 85, &c.) Polycritus, the son of Crius, distinguished himself at the battle of Salamis, B. C. 480, and wiped off the reproach of Medism. (8.92.) [E.E]