e husband of her own
daughter, Meidias--flustered by the suggestions of certain people who
said that it was monstrous a woman should rule and he remain a private
person (17)--found his way into her presence, as the story goes, and
strangled her. For Mania, albeit she carefully guarded herself against
all ordinary comers, as behoved her in the exercise of her "tyranny,"
trusted in Meidias, and, as a woman might her own son-in-law, was ready
to greet him at all times with open arms. He also murdered her son, a
youth of marvellous beauty, who was about seventeen years of age. He
next seized upon the strong cities of Scepsis and Gergithes, in which
lay for the most part the property and wealth of Mania. As for the
other cities of the satrapy, they would not receive the usurper, their
garrisons keeping them safely for Pharnabazus. Thereupon Meidias sent
gifts to Pharnabazus, and claimed to hold the district even as Mania
had held it; to whom the other answered, "Keep your gifts and guard them
safely until that day when I shall come in person and take both you
and them together"; adding, "What care I to live longer if I avenge not
myself for the murder of Mania!"

(17) Or, "his brains whimsied with insinuations."

Just at the critical moment Dercylidas arrived, and in a single day
received the adhesion of the three seaboard cities Larisa, Hamaxitus,
and Colonae--which threw open their gates to him. Then he sent
messengers to the cities of the Aeolid also, offering them freedom if
they would receive him within their walls and become allies. Accordingly
the men of Neandria and Ilium and Cocylium lent willing ears; for since
the death of Mania their Hellenic garrisons had been treated but ill.
But the commander of the garrison in Cebrene, a place of some strength,
bethinking him that if he should succeed in guarding that city for
Pharnabazus, he would receive honour at his hands, refused to admit
Dercylidas. Whereupon the latter, in a rage, prepared to take the place
by force; but when he came to sacrifice, on the first day the victims
would not yield good omens; on the second, and again upon the third day,
it was the same story. Thus for as many as four days he persevered in
sacrificing, cherishing wrath the while--for he was in haste to become
master of the whole Aeolid before Pharnabazus came to the succour of the
district.

Meanwhile a certain Sicyonian captain, Athenadas by name, said to
himself: "Dercylidas does but tr