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　reached　Sardis。　Its　miscarriage　is　accounted　for　in　two　quite　different　ways。　The　Lacedaemonian　story　is　that　when　it　reached　Samos；　on　its　way　towards　Sardis；　the　Samians　having　knowledge　of　it；　put　to　sea　in　their　ships　of　war　and　made　it　their　prize。　But　the　Samians　declare　that　the　Lacedaemonians　who　had　the　vase　in　charge；　happening　to　arrive　too　late；　and　learning　that　Sardis　had　fallen　and　that　Croesus　was　a　prisoner；　sold　it　in　their　island；　and　the　purchasers　（who　were；　they　say；　private　persons）　made　an　offering　of　it　at　the　shrine　of　Juno：　the　sellers　were　very　likely　on　their　return　to　Sparta　to　have　said　that　they　had　been　robbed　of　it　by　the　Samians。　Such；　then；　was　the　fate　of　the　vase。　　　　　Meanwhile　Croesus；　taking　the　oracle　in　a　wrong　sense；　led　his　forces　into　Cappadocia；　fully　expecting　to　defeat　Cyrus　and　destroy　the　empire　of　the　Persians。　While　he　was　still　engaged　in　making　preparations　for　his　attack；　a　Lydian　named　Sandanis；　who　had　always　been　looked　upon　as　a　wise　man；　but　who　after　this　obtained　a　very　great　name　indeed　among　his　countrymen；　came　forward　and　counselled　the　king　in　these　words：　　　　　〃Thou　art　about；　oh！　king；　to　make　war　against　men　who　wear　leathern　trousers；　and　have　all　their　other　garments　of　leather；　who　feed　not　on　what　they　like；　but　on　what　they　can　get　from　a　soil　that　is　sterile　and　unkindly；　who　do　not　indulge　in　wine；　but　drink　water；　who　possess　no　figs　nor　anything　else　that　is　good　to　eat。　If；　then；　thou　conquerest　them；　what　canst　thou　get　from　them；　seeing　that　they　have　nothing　at　all？　But　if　they　conquer　thee；　consider　how　much　that　is　precious　thou　wilt　lose：　if　they　once　get　a　taste　of　our　pleasant　things；　they　will　keep　such　hold　of　them　that　we　shall　never　be　able　to　make　them　loose　their　grasp。　For　my　part；　I　am　thankful　to　the　gods　that　they　have　not　put　it　into　the　hearts　of　the　Persians　to　invade　Lydia。〃　　　　　Croesus　was　not　persuaded　by　this　speech；　though　it　was　true　enough；　for　before　the　conquest　of　Lydia；　the　Persians　possessed　none　of　the　luxuries　or　delights　of　life。　　　　　The　Cappadocians　are　known　to　the　Greeks　by　the　name　of　Syrians。　Before　the　rise　of　the　Persian　power；　they　had　been　subject　to　the　Medes；　but　at　the　present　time　they　were　within　the　empire　of　Cyrus；　for　the　boundary　between　the　Median　and　the　Lydian　empires　was　the　river　Halys。　This　stream；　which　rises　in　the　mountain　country　of　Armenia；　runs　first　through　Cilicia；　afterwards　it　flows　for　a　while　with　the　Matieni　on　the　right；　and　the　Phrygians　on　the　left：　then；　when　they　are　passed；　it　proceeds　with　a　northern　course；　separating　the　Cappadocian　Syrians　from　the　Paphlagonians；　who　occupy　the　left　bank；　thus　forming　the　boundary　of　almost　the　whole　of　Lower　Asia；　from　the　sea　opposite　Cyprus　to　the　Euxine。　Just　there　is　the　neck　of　the　peninsula；　a　journey　of　five　days　across　for　an　active　walker。　　　　　There　were　two　motives　which　led　Croesus　to　attack　Cappadocia：　firstly；　he　coveted　the　land；　which　he　wished　to　add　to　his　own　dominions；　but　the　chief　reason　was　that　he　wanted　to　revenge　on　Cyrus　the　wrongs　of　Astyages；　and　was　made　confident　by　the　oracle　of　being　able　so　to　do：　for　Astyages；　son　of　Cyaxares　and　king　of　the　Medes；　who　had　been　dethroned　by　Cyrus；　son　of　Cambyses；　was　Croesus'　brother　by　marriage。　This　marriage　had　taken　place　under　circumstances　which　I　will　now　relate。　A　band　of　Scythian　nomads；　who　had　left　their　own　land　on　occasion　of　some　disturbance；　had　taken　refuge　in　Media。　Cyaxares；　son　of　Phraortes；　and　grandson　of　Deioces；　was　at　that　time　king　of　the　country。　Recognising　them　as　suppliants；　he　began　by　treating　them　with　kindness；　and　coming　presently　to　esteem　them　highly；　he　intrusted　to　their　care　a　number　of　boys；　whom　they　were　to　teach　their　language　and　to　instruct　in　the　use　of　the　bow。　Time　passed；　and　the　Scythians　employed　themselves；　day　after　day；　in　hunting；　and　always　brought　home　some　game；　but　at　last　it　chanced　that　one　day　they　took　nothing。　On　their　return　to　Cyaxares　with　empty　hands；　that　monarch；　who　was　hot…tempered；　as　he　showed　upon　the　occasion；　received　them　very　rudely　and　insultingly。　In　consequence　of　this　treatment；　which　they　did　not　conceive　themselves　to　have　deserved；　the　Scythians　determined　to　take　one　of　the　boys　whom　they　had　in　charge；　cut　him　in　pieces；　and　then　dressing　the　flesh　as　they　were　wont　to　dress　that　of　the　wild　animals；　serve　it　up　to　Cyaxares　as　game：　after　which　they　resolved　to　convey　themselves　with　all　speed　to　Sardis；　to　the　court　of　Alyattes；　the　son　of　Sadyattes。　The　plan　was　carried　out：　Cyaxares　and　his　guests　ate　of　the　flesh　prepared　by　the　Scythians；　and　they　themselves；　having　accomplished　their　purpose；　fled　to　Alyattes　in　the　guise　of　suppliants。　　　　　Afterwards；　on　the　refusal　of　Alyattes　to　give　up　his　suppliants　when　Cyaxares　sent　to　demand　them　of　him；　war　broke　out　between　the　Lydians　and　the　Medes；　and　continued　for　five　years；　with　various　success。　In　the　course　of　it　the　Medes　gained　many　victories　over　the　Lydians；　and　the　Lydians　also　gained　many　victories　over　the　Medes。　Among　their　other　battles　there　was　one　night　engagement。　As；　however；　the　balance　had　not　inclined　in　favour　of　either　nation；　another　combat　took　place　in　the　sixth　year；　in　the　course　of　which；　just　as　the　battle　was　growing　warm；　day　was　on　a　sudden　changed　into　night。　This　event　had　been　foretold　by　Thales；　the　Milesian；　who　forewarned　the　Ionians　of　it；　fixing　for　it　the　very　year　in　which　it　actually　took　place。　The　Medes　and　Lydians；　when　they　observed　the　change；　ceased　fighting；　and　were　alike　anxious　to　have　terms　of　peace　agreed　on。　Syennesis　of　Cilicia；　and　Labynetus　of　Babylon；　were　the　persons　who　mediated　between　the　parties；　who　hastened　the　taking　of　the　oaths；　and　brought　about　the　exchange　of　espousals。　It　was　they　who　advised　that　Alyattes　should　give　his　daughter　Aryenis　in　marriage　to　Astyages；　the　son　of　Cyaxares；　knowing；　as　they　did；　that　without　some　sure　bond　of　strong　necessity；　there　is　wont　to　be　but　little　security　in　men's　covenants。　Oaths　are　taken　by　these　people　in　the　same　way　as　by　the　Greeks；　except　that　they　make　a　slight　flesh　wound　in　their　arms；　from　which　each　sucks　a　portion　of　the　other's　blood。　　　　　Cyrus　had　captured　this　Astyages；　who　was　his　mother's　father；　and　kept　him　prisoner；　for　a　reason　which　I　shall　bring　forward　in　another　of　my　history。　This　capture　formed　the　ground　of　quarrel　between　Cyrus　and　Croesus；　in　consequence　of　which　Croesus　sent　his　servants　to　ask　the　oracle　if　he　should　attack　the　Persians；　and　when　an　evasive　answer　came；　fancying　it　to　be　in　his　favour；　carried　his　arms　into　the　Persian　territory。　When　he　reached　the　river　Halys；　he　transported　his　army　across　it；　as　I　maintain；　by　the　bridges　which　exist　there　at　the　present　day；　but；　according　to　the　general　belief　of　the　Greeks；　by　the　aid　of　Thales　the　Milesian。　The　tale　is　that　Croesus　was　in　doubt　how　he　should　get　his　army　across；　as　the　bridges　were　not　made　at　that　time；　and　that　Thales；　who　happened　to　be　in　the　camp；　divided　the　stream　and　caused　it　to　flow　on　both　sides　of　the　army　instead　of　on　the　left　only。　This　he　effected　thus：…　Beginning　some　distance　above　the　camp；　h