Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

For after killing his own wife +Melissa [17.0333,39.3] (Perseus) Melissa, Periander suffered yet another calamity on top of what he had already suffered. He had two sons by +Melissa [17.0333,39.3] (Perseus) Melissa, one seventeen and one eighteen years old.

Their mother's father, Procles, the sovereign of Epidauros [23.0917,37.6] (Perseus)Epidaurus, sent for the boys and treated them affectionately, as was natural, seeing that they were his own daughter's sons. When they left him, he said as he sent them forth:

“Do you know, boys, who killed your mother?” The elder of them paid no attention to these words; but the younger, whose name was Lycophron, was struck with such horror when he heard them that when he came to Corinth [22.9083,37.9083] (Perseus) Corinth he would not speak to his father, his mother's murderer, nor would he answer him when addressed nor reply to his questions. At last Periander was so angry that he drove the boy from his house.