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When he had finished carrying the wall across the isthmus, and had
thus secured the Chersonese against the Apsinthians, Miltiades
proceeded to engage in other wars, and first of all attacked the
Lampsacenians; but falling into an ambush which they had laid he had
the misfortune to be taken prisoner. Now it happened that Miltiades
stood high in the favour of Croesus, king of Lydia. When Croesus
therefore heard of his calamity, he sent and commanded the men of
Lampsacus to give Miltiades his freedom; "if they refused," he
said, "he would destroy them like a fir." Then the Lampsacenians
were somewhile in doubt about this speech of Croesus, and could not
tell how to construe his threat "that he would destroy them like a
fir"; but at last one of their elders divined the true sense, and
told them that the fir is the only tree which, when cut down, makes no
fresh shoots, but forthwith dies outright. So the Lampsacenians,
being greatly afraid of Croesus, released Miltiades, and let him go free.
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