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On their arrival at the shrine of the god, Aristodicus, speaking on
behalf of the whole body, thus addressed the oracle: "Oh! king,
Pactyas the Lydian, threatened by the Persians with a violent
death, has come to us for sanctuary, and lo, they ask him at our
hands, calling upon our nation to deliver him up. Now, though we
greatly dread the Persian power, yet have we not been bold to give up
our suppliant, till we have certain knowledge of thy mind, what thou
wouldst have us to do." The oracle thus questioned gave the same
answer as before, bidding them surrender Pactyas to the Persians;
whereupon Aristodicus, who had come prepared for such an answer,
proceeded to make the circuit of the temple, and to take all the nests
of young sparrows and other birds that he could find about the
building. As he was thus employed, a voice, it is said, came forth
from the inner sanctuary, addressing Aristodicus in these words:
"Most impious of men, what is this thou hast the face to do? Dost
thou tear my suppliants from my temple?" Aristodicus, at no loss for
a reply, rejoined, "Oh, king, art thou so ready to protect thy
suppliants, and dost thou command the Cymaeans to give up a
suppliant?" "Yes," returned the god, "I do command it, that so
for the impiety you may the sooner perish, and not come here again to
consult my oracle about the surrender of suppliants."
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