These too were removed about the time of the temple's burning, and now the
golden bowl, which weighs eight and a half talents and twelve minae,mna== about 15 oz. Troy weight. is in the treasury
of the Clazomenians, and the silver bowl at the
corner of the forecourt of the temple. This bowl holds six hundred
nine-gallon measures: for the Delphians use it
for a mixing-bowl at the feast of the Divine Appearance.The Theophania was a festival at
Delphi [22.5167,38.4917]
(Perseus) Delphi, at which the statues of gods were shown.
It is said by the Delphians to be the work of
Theodorus of Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean
Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, and I agree with them, for it seems to me to be of no common
workmanship. Moreover, Croesus sent four silver
casks, which stand in the treasury of the Corinthians, and dedicated two sprinkling-vessels, one of gold,
one of silver. The golden vessel bears the inscription “Given by the Lacedaemonians,” who claim it as their offering. But
they are wrong,
for this, too, is Croesus' gift. The inscription
was made by a certain Delphian, whose name I know
but do not mention, out of his desire to please the Lacedaemonians. The figure of a boy, through whose hand the water
runs, is indeed a Lacedaemonian gift; but they
did not give either of the sprinkling-vessels.
Along with these Croesus sent, besides many other
offerings of no great distinction, certain round basins of silver, and a
female figure five feet high, which the Delphians
assert to be the statue of the woman who was Croesus' baker. Moreover, he dedicated his own wife's necklaces
and girdles.
Such were the gifts which he sent to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi. To Amphiaraus, of whose courage and fate
he had heard, he dedicated a shield made entirely of gold and a spear all of
solid gold, point and shaft alike. Both of these were until my time at Thebes [23.3333,38.325] (Perseus) Thebes, in the Theban temple of Ismenian Apollo.
The Lydians who were to
bring these gifts to the temples were instructed by Croesus to inquire of the oracles whether he was to send an army
against the Persians and whether he was to add an
army of allies.
When the Lydians came to the places where they
were sent, they presented the offerings, and inquired of the oracles, in
these words: “Croesus, king of Lydia [27.516,38.683] (region
(general)), Turkey, Asia Lydia and other nations, believing that here are the only true places of
divination among men, endows you with such gifts as your wisdom deserves.
And now he asks you whether he is to send an army against the Persians, and whether he is to add an army of
allies.”
Such was their inquiry; and the judgment given to Croesus by each of the two oracles was the same: namely, that if
he should send an army against the Persians he
would destroy a great empire. And they advised him to discover the mightiest
of the Greeks and make them his friends.
When the divine answers had been brought back and
Croesus learned of them, he was very pleased
with the oracles. So, altogether expecting that he would destroy the kingdom
of Cyrus, he sent once again to Delphi [22.5,38.483] (inhabited
place), Phocis, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Pytho and endowed the Delphians, whose number
he had learned, with two gold statersThe
stater was the common gold coin of the Greek
world. The value of Croesus' stater was probably
about twenty-three shillings of our money. apiece.