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Thus matters rested during the lifetime of this Battus, but when his
son Arcesilaus came to the throne, great disturbance arose about the
privileges. For Arcesilaus, son of Battus the lame and Pheretima,
refused to submit to the arrangements of Demonax the Mantinean, and
claimed all the powers of his forefathers. In the contention which
followed Arcesilaus was worsted, whereupon he fled to Samos, while
his mother took refuge at Salamis in the island of Cyprus. Salamis
was at that time ruled by Evelthon, the same who offered at Delphi
the censer which is in the treasury of the Corinthians, a work
deserving of admiration. Of him Pheretima made request that he would
give her an army whereby she and her son might regain Cyrene. But
Evelthon, preferring to give her anything rather than an army, made
her various presents. Pheretima accepted them all, saying, as she
took them: "Good is this too, O king! but better were it to give
me the army which I crave at thy hands." Finding that she repeated
these words each time that he presented her with a gift, Evelthon at
last sent her a golden spindle and distaff, with the wool ready for
spinning. Again she uttered the same speech as before, whereupon
Evelthon rejoined - "These are the gifts I present to women, not armies."
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