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After a while, everything began to go wrong both with Battus and with
the rest of the Theraeans, whereupon these last, ignorant of the
cause of their sufferings, sent to Delphi to inquire for what reason
they were afflicted. The Pythoness in reply told them "that if they
and Battus would make a settlement at Cyrene in Libya, things would
go better with them." Upon this the Theraeans sent out Battus with
two penteconters, and with these he proceeded to Libya, but within a
little time, not knowing what else to do, the men returned and arrived
off Thera. The Theraeans, when they saw the vessels approaching,
received them with showers of missiles, would not allow them to come
near the shore, and ordered the men to sail back from whence they
came. Thus compelled to return, they settled on an island near the
Libyan coast, which (as I have already said) was called Platea.
In size it is reported to have been about equal to the city of
Cyrene, as it now stands.
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