Histories

In his second year the Aeginetans [*](The Aeginetan talent = about 82 Attic minae (60 of which composed the Attic talent).) paid him a talent to be their public physician; in the third year the Athenians hired him for a hundred minae, and Polycrates in the fourth year for two talents. Thus he came to +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, and not least because of this man the physicians of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton were well-respected [

for at this time the best physicians in Greek countries were those of +Croton [17.1333,39.0833] (Perseus) Croton, and next to them those of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene. About the same time the Argives had the name of being the best musicians].

So now because he had healed Darius at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa Democedes had a very grand house and ate at the king's table; he had everything, except permission to return to the Greeks.

When the Egyptian physicians who until now had attended the king were about to be impaled for being less skilful than a Greek, Democedes interceded with the king for them and saved them; and he saved an Elean seer, too, who had been a retainer of Polycrates' and was forgotten among the slaves. Democedes was a man of considerable influence with the King.

A short time after this, something else occurred; there was a swelling on the breast of Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus and wife of Darius, which broke and spread further. As long as it was small, she hid it out of shame and told no one; but when it got bad, she sent for Democedes and showed it to him.

He said he would cure her, but made her swear that she would repay him by granting whatever he asked of her, and said that he would ask nothing shameful.