Histories

Herodotus

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

for the greater part of them made their way to the lands of the Paroreatae and Caucones, and after having driven these out of their own country, they divided themselves into six companies and established the cities of Lepreum, Macistus, Phrixae, Pyrgus, Epium, and Nudium in the land they had won;[*](These six towns were in the western +Peloponnese [22,37.5] (region), Greece, Europe Peloponnese, in Triphylia, a district between +Elis [21.4,37.8833] (Perseus) Elis and +Nomos Messinias [21.833,37.25] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Messenia.) most of these were in my time taken and sacked by the Eleans. As for the island +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Calliste, it was called +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera after its colonist.

But as Theras' son would not sail with him, his father said that he would leave him behind as a sheep among wolves; after which saying the boy got the nickname of Oeolycus,[*](Literally “sheep-wolf.”) and it so happened that this became his customary name. He had a son, Aegeus, from whom the Aegidae, a great Spartan clan, take their name.

The men of this clan, finding that none of their children lived, set up a temple of the avenging spirits of Laïus and Oedipus, by the instruction of an oracle,[*](Oedipus, son of Laius king of Thebes [23.3333,38.325] (Perseus) Thebes and his wife Iocasta, was exposed in infancy, but rescued and carried away to a far country. Returning in manhood, ignorant of his lineage, he killed his father and married his mother; after which the truth was revealed to him, too late. The story is first told by Homer, and is the subject of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles.) after which their children lived. It fared thus, too, with the children of the Aegidae at +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera.

So far in the story the Lacedaemonian and Theraean records agree; for the rest, we have only the word of the Theraeans.

Grinnus son of Aesanius, king of +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera, a descendant of this same Theras, came to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi bringing a hecatomb from his city; among others of his people, Battus son of Polymnestus came with him, a descendant of Euphemus of the Minyan clan.