Histories

Herodotus

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

the priestess declared that they would fare better if they helped Battus plant a colony at Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya. Then the Theraeans sent Battus with two fifty-oared ships; these sailed to Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, but, not knowing what else to do, presently returned to +Thera [25.433,36.4] (island), Cyclades, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Thera.

There, the Theraeans shot at them as they came to land and would not let the ship put in, telling them to sail back; which they did under constraint of necessity, and planted a colony on an island off the Libyan coast called (as I have said already) Platea. This island is said to be as big as the city of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene is now.

Here they lived for two years; but as everything went wrong, the rest sailed to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi leaving one behind, and on their arrival questioned the oracle, and said that they were living in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, but that they were no better off for that.

Then the priestess gave them this reply:

  1. “If you know Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya nurse of sheep better than I,
  2. Though I have been there and you have not, then I am very much astonished at your knowledge.”
Hearing this, Battus and his men sailed back again; for the god would not let them do anything short of colonizing Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya itself;

and having come to the island and taken aboard the one whom they had left there, they made a settlement at a place in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya itself, opposite the island which was called Aziris. This is a place enclosed on both sides by the fairest of groves, with a river flowing along one side of it.