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The purpose for which he gave these orders was the following. He
hoped that the Sardian herald, seeing so great store of corn upon the
ground, and all the city given up to festivity, would inform Alyattes
of it, which fell out as he anticipated. The herald observed the
whole, and when he had delivered his message, went back to Sardis.
This circumstance alone, as I gather, brought about the peace which
ensued. Alyattes, who had hoped that there was now a great scarcity
of corn in Miletus, and that the people were worn down to the last
pitch of suffering, when he heard from the herald on his return from
Miletus tidings so contrary to those he had expected, made a treaty
with the enemy by which the two nations became close friends and
allies. He then built at Assesus two temples to Minerva instead of
one, and shortly after recovered from his malady. Such were the chief
circumstances of the war which Alyattes waged with Thrasybulus and the Milesians.
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