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Datis meanwhile was on his way back to Asia, and had reached
Myconus, when he saw in his sleep a vision. What it was is not
known; but no sooner was day come than he caused strict search to be
made throughout the whole fleet, and finding on board a Phoenician
vessel an image of Apollo overlaid with gold, he inquired from whence
it had been taken, and learning to what temple it belonged, he took it
with him in his own ship to Delos, and placed it in the temple there,
enjoining the Delians, who had now come back to their island, to
restore the image to the Theban Delium, which lies on the coast over
against Chalcis. Having left these injunctions, he sailed away; but
the Delians failed to restore the statue; and it was not till twenty
years afterwards that the Thebans, warned by an oracle, themselves
brought it back to Delium.
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