the flute-player, bidding
him to play a dancing air, as he proposed to show his powers in the
dance.

The wine was in his weak head, and what he considered marvellously fine
dancing did not appear so to Cleisthenes, who was closely watching his
proposed son-in-law. Hippoclides, however, in a mood to show all his
accomplishments, now bade an attendant to bring in a table. This being
brought, he leaped upon it, and danced some Laconian steps, which he
followed by certain Attic ones. Finally, to show his utmost powers of
performance, he stood on his head on the table, and began to dance with
his legs in empty air.

This was too much for Cleisthenes. He had changed his opinion of
Hippoclides during his light and undignified exhibition, but restrained
himself from speaking to avoid any outbreak or ill feeling. But on
seeing him tossing his legs in this shameless manner in the air, the
indignant monarch cried out,--

"Son of Tisander, you have danced your wife away."

"What does Hippoclides care?" was the reply of the tipsy youth.

And for centuries afterwards "What does Hippoclides care?" was a common
saying in Greece, to indicate reckless folly and lightness of mind.

Cleisthenes now commanded silence, and spoke as follows to the assembly:

"Suitors of my daughter, well pleased am I with you all, and right
willingly, if it were possible, would I content you all, and not, by
making choice of one, appear to put a slight upon the rest. But as it is
out of my power, seeing that I have only one daughter, to grant to all
their wishes, I will present to each of you whom I must needs dismiss a
talent of silver[2] for the honor that you have done in seeking to ally
yourselves with my house, and for your long absence from your homes. But
my daughter Agariste I betroth to Megacles, the son of Alkmaeon, to be
his wife, according to the usage and wont of Athens."

Megacles gladly accepted the honor thus offered him, the marriage was
solemnized with all possible state, and the suitors dispersed,--twelve
of them happy with their silver talents, one of them happier with his
charming bride.

We have but further to say that Cleisthenes of Athens--a great leader
and law-giver, whose laws gave origin to the democratic government of
that city--was the son of Megacles and Agariste, and that his grandson
was the famous Pericles, the foremost name in Athenian history.

_THE TYRANTS OF CORINTH._

We have already told what the w