ese, but asked
the aid of Darius to make him king of Samos. This the grateful monarch
granted, and sent Syloson an army, with whose aid the island quickly and
quietly fell into his hands.

Yet calamity followed this peaceful conquest. Charilaus, a hot-tempered
and half-mad Samian, who had been given charge of the acropolis, broke
from it at the head of the guards, and murdered many of the Persian
officers who were scattered unguarded throughout the town. The reprisal
was dreadful. The Persian army fell in fury on the Samians and
slaughtered every man and boy in the island, handing over to Syloson a
kingdom of women and infants. Some time afterwards, however, the island
was repeopled by men from without, and Syloson completed his reign in
peace, leaving the sceptre of Samos to his son.

_THE ADVENTURES OF DEMOCEDES._

When Pythagoras, the celebrated Greek philosopher, settled in the
ancient Italian city of Crotona (between 550 and 520 B.C.) there was
living in that town a youthful surgeon who was destined to have a
remarkable history. Democedes by name, the son of a Crotonian named
Calliphon, he strongly inclined while still a mere boy to the study of
medicine and surgery, for which arts that city had then a reputation
higher than any part of Greece.

The boy had two things to contend with, the hard study in his chosen
profession and the high temper of his father. The latter at length grew
unbearable, and the youthful surgeon ran away from home, making his way
to the Greek island of AEgina. Here he began to practise what he had
learned at home, and, though he was very poorly equipped with the
instruments of his profession, he proved far abler and more successful
than the surgeons whom he found in that island. So rapid, indeed, was
his progress that his first year's service brought him an offer from the
citizens of AEgina to remain with them for one year, at a salary of one
talent,--the AEginetan talent being nearly equal to two thousand dollars.
The next year he spent at Athens, whose people had offered him one and
two-thirds talents. In the following year Polycrates of Samos bid higher
still, offering him two talents, and the young surgeon repaired to that
charming island.

Thus far the career of Democedes had been one of steady progress. But,
as Solon told Croesus, a man cannot count himself sure of happiness
while he lives. The good fortune which had attended the runaway surgeon
was about to be followed