Histories

When the Lacedaemonians heard this, they were no closer to discovery, though they looked everywhere. Finally it was found by Lichas, who was one of the Spartans who are called “doers of good deeds.”. These men are those citizens who retire from the knights, the five oldest each year. They have to spend the year in which they retire from the knights being sent here and there by the Spartan state, never resting in their efforts.

It was Lichas, one of these men, who found the tomb in Tegea [22.4,37.5] (Perseus) Tegea by a combination of luck and skill. At that time there was free access to Tegea [22.4,37.5] (Perseus) Tegea, so he went into a blacksmith's shop and watched iron being forged, standing there in amazement at what he saw done.