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I return now to a point in my History, which at the time I left
incomplete. The Lacedaemonians were the first of the Greeks to hear
of the king's design against their country; and it was at this time
that they sent to consult the Delphic oracle, and received the answer
of which I spoke a while ago. The discovery was made to them in a
very strange way. Demaratus, the son of Ariston, after he took
refuge with the Medes, was not, in my judgment, which is supported
by probability, a well-wisher to the Lacedaemonians. It may be
questioned, therefore, whether he did what I am about to mention from
good-will or from insolent triumph. It happened that he was at Susa
at the time when Xerxes determined to lead his army into Greece; and
in this way becoming acquainted with his design, he resolved to send
tidings of it to Sparta. So as there was no other way of effecting
his purpose, since the danger of being discovered was great,
Demaratus framed the following contrivance. He took a pair of
tablets, and, clearing the wax away from them, wrote what the king
was purposing to do upon the wood whereof the tablets were made; having
done this, he spread the wax once more over the writing, and so sent
it. By these means, the guards placed to watch the roads, observing
nothing but a blank tablet, were sure to give no trouble to the
bearer. When the tablet reached Lacedaemon, there was no one, I
understand, who could find out the secret, till Gorgo, the daughter
of Cleomenes and wife of Leonidas, discovered it, and told the
others. "If they would scrape the wax off the tablet," she said,
"they would be sure to find the writing upon the wood." The
Lacedaemonians took her advice, found the writing, and read it;
after which they sent it round to the other Greeks. Such then is the
account which is given of this matter.
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