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When the message of Cleomenes arrived, requiring Clisthenes and
"The Accursed" to quit the city, Clisthenes departed of his own
accord. Cleomenes, however, notwithstanding his departure, came to
Athens, with a small band of followers; and on his arrival sent into
banishment seven hundred Athenian families, which were pointed out to
him by Isagoras. Succeeding here, he next endeavoured to dissolve
the council, and to put the government into the hands of three hundred
of the partisans of that leader. But the council resisted, and
refused to obey his orders; whereupon Cleomenes, Isagoras, and
their followers took possession of the citadel. Here they were
attacked by the rest of the Athenians, who took the side of the
council, and were besieged for the space of two days: on the third day
they accepted terms, being allowed - at least such of them as were
Lacedaemonians - to quit the country. And so the word which came to
Cleomenes received its fulfilment. For when he first went up into the
citadel, meaning to seize it, just as he was entering the sanctuary of
the goddess, in order to question her, the priestess arose from her
throne, before he had passed the doors, and said - "Stranger from
Lacedaemon, depart hence, and presume not to enter the holy place -
it is not lawful for a Dorian to set foot there." But he answered,
"Oh! woman, I am not a Dorian, but an Achaean." Slighting
this warning, Cleomenes made his attempt, and so he was forced to
retire, together with his Lacedaemonians. The rest were cast into
prison by the Athenians, and condemned to die - among them
Timasitheus the Delphian, of whose prowess and courage I have great
things which I could tell.
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