Histories

The Lacedaemonians are the only Greeks who tell this story. But in what I write I follow the Greek report, and hold that the Greeks correctly recount these kings of the Dorians as far back as Perseus son of Danae—they make no mention of the god[*](i.e. Zeus; Perseus being by one legend son of Zeus and Danae.) —and prove these kings to be Greek; for by that time they had come to be classified as Greeks.

I said as far back as Perseus, and I took the matter no further than that, because no one is named as the mortal father of Perseus, as Amphitryon is named father of Heracles. So I used correct reasoning when I said that the Greek record is correct as far back as Perseus; farther back than that, if the king's ancestors in each generation, from Danae daughter of Acrisius upward, be reckoned, then the leaders of the Dorians will be shown to be true-born Egyptians.

Thus have I traced their lineage according to the Greek story; but the Persian tale is that Perseus himself was an Assyrian, and became a Greek, which his forebears had not been; the Persians say that the ancestors of Acrisius [*](But in Hdt. 7.150 the Persian story is, that Perseus was son of Danae daughter of Acrisius. Evidently the Perseus legends are manifold and inconsistent.) had no bond of kinship with Perseus, and they indeed were, as the Greeks say, Egyptians.

Enough of these matters. Why and for what achievements these men, being Egyptian, won the kingship of the Dorians has been told by others, so I will let it go, and will make mention of matters which others have not touched.

These privileges the Spartans have given to their kings: two priesthoods, of Zeus called Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon [*](Here, as often the cult of an “Olympian” deity is identified with an earlier local worship; cp. Zeus Amphiaraus, Zeus Agamemnon.) and of Zeus of Heaven; they wage war against whatever land they wish, and no Spartan can hinder them in this on peril of being put under a curse; when the armies go forth the kings go out first and return last; one hundred chosen men guard them in their campaigns; they sacrifice as many sheep and goats as they wish at the start of their expeditions, and take the hides and backs of all sacrificed beasts.

Such are their rights in war; in peace the powers given them are as follows: at all public sacrifices the kings first sit down to the banquet and are first served, each of them receiving a portion double of what is given to the rest of the company; they make the first libations, and the hides of the sacrificed beasts are theirs.

At each new moon and each seventh day of the first part of the month, a full-grown victim for Apollo's temple, a bushel of barley-meal, and a Laconian quart[*](The content of a “Laconian teta/rth“ is uncertain; for the date, see How and Wells ad loc.) of wine are given to each from the public store, and chief seats are set apart for them at the games.

It is their right to appoint whatever citizens they wish to be protectors of foreigners;[*](Usually, the pro/cenos is a citizen who out of friendship for a particular state undertakes the protection of its nationals in his city; e.g. Miltiades at Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens is the pro/cenos of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta. But here he is apparently an official appointed to watch over the interests of all foreign residents.) and they each choose two Pythians. (The Pythians are the ambassadors to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi and eat with the kings at the public expense.) If the kings do not come to the public dinner, two choenixes of barley-meal and half a pint of wine are sent to their houses, but when they come, they receive a double share of everything; and the same honor shall be theirs when they are invited by private citizens to dinner.