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Ariston hereupon put away his second wife and took for his third this
woman; and she, in less than the due time - when she had not yet
reached her full term of ten months - gave birth to a child, the
Demaratus of whom we have spoken. Then one of his servants came and
told him the news, as he sat in council with the Ephors; whereat,
remembering when it was that the woman became his wife, he counted the
months upon his fingers, and having so done, cried out with an oath,
"The boy cannot be mine." This was said in the hearing of the
Ephors; but they made no account of it at the time. The boy grew
up; and Ariston repented of what he had said; for he became
altogether convinced that Demaratus was truly his son. The reason why
he named him Demaratus was the following. Some time before these
events the whole Spartan people, looking upon Ariston as a man of
mark beyond all the kings that had reigned at Sparta before him, had
offered up a prayer that he might have a son. On this account,
therefore, the name Demaratus was given.
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