with myself the Hellene as a friend, therefore,
since I am informed that ye are the chiefs of Hellas, I invite you
according to the oracle, desiring to be your friend and your ally
apart from all guile and deceit." Thus did Croesus announce to the
Lacedemonians through his messengers; and the Lacedemonians, who
themselves also had heard of the oracle given to Croesus, were pleased
at the coming of the Lydians and exchanged oaths of friendship and
alliance: for they were bound to Croesus also by some services rendered
to them even before this time; since the Lacedemonians had sent to
Sardis and were buying gold there with purpose of using it for the image
of Apollo which is now set up on Mount Thornax in the Lacedemonian land;
and Croesus, when they desired to buy it, gave it them as a gift.

70. For this reason therefore the Lacedemonians accepted the alliance,
and also because he chose them as his friends, preferring them to all
the other Hellenes. And not only were they ready themselves when he made
his offer, but they caused a mixing-bowl to be made of bronze, covered
outside with figures round the rim and of such a size as to hold three
hundred amphors, 84 and this they conveyed, desiring to give it as a
gift in to Croesus. This bowl never came to Sardis for reasons of which
two accounts are given as follows:--The Lacedemonians say that when the
bowl was on its way to Sardis and came opposite the land of Samos, the
men of Samos having heard of it sailed out with ships of war and took
it away; but the Samians themselves say that the Lacedemonians who were
conveying the bowl, finding that they were too late and hearing that
Sardis had been taken and Croesus was a prisoner, sold the bowl in
Samos, and certain private persons bought it and dedicated it as a
votive offering in the temple of Hera; and probably those who had sold
it would say when they ed to Sparta that it had been taken from them by
the Samians.

71. Thus then it happened about the mixing-bowl: but meanwhile Croesus,
mistaking the meaning of the oracle, was making a march into Cappadokia,
expecting to overthrow Cyrus and the power of the Persians: and while
Croesus was preparing to march against the Persians, one of the
Lydians, who even before this time was thought to be a wise man but in
consequence of this opinion got a very great name for wisdom among
the Lydians, had advised Croesus as follows (the name of the man was
Sandanis):--"O king, thou art p