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[1]
In the previous war the Lacedaemonians continually fought unsuccessfully against the Tegeans, but in the time of Croesus and the kingship of Anaxandrides and Ariston in Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon the Spartans had gained the upper hand. This is how:
In the previous war the Lacedaemonians continually fought unsuccessfully against the Tegeans, but in the time of Croesus and the kingship of Anaxandrides and Ariston in Sparta [22.416,37.83] (inhabited place), Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Lacedaemon the Spartans had gained the upper hand. This is how:
[2] when they kept being defeated by the
Tegeans, they sent ambassadors to
Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus)
Delphi
to ask which god they should propitiate to prevail against the
Tegeans in war. The
Pythia responded that they should bring back the bones of
Orestes, son of
Agamemnon.
[3] When they were unable to discover
Orestes' tomb, they sent once more to the god
1
to ask where he was buried. The
Pythia responded in hexameter to the messengers:
[4]
Where two winds blow under strong compulsion.
Blow lies upon blow, woe upon woe.
There the life-giving earth covers the son of
Agamemnon.
Bring him back, and you shall be lord of
Tegea [22.4,37.5] (Perseus)
Tegea
.
[5] When the
Lacedaemonians heard this, they were no closer to discovery, though they looked everywhere. Finally it was found by
Lichas, who was one of the
Spartans who are called “doers of good deeds.”. These men are those citizens who retire from the knights, the five oldest each year. They have to spend the year in which they retire from the knights being sent here and there by the
Spartan state, never resting in their efforts.
Histories. Herodotus. ed. A.D. Godley. Cambridge. 1920-1925.
Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.
Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.