| #### CHAPTER 20 |

| #### #### The Euboeans, until now, had made light of the oracle of Bacis, as though it had been void of all significancy, and had neither removed their goods from the island, nor yet taken them into their strong places; as they would most certainly have done if they had believed that war was approaching. By this neglect they had brought their affairs into the very greatest danger. Now the oracle of which I speak ran as follows: ####
| #### When o'er the main shall be thrown a byblus yoke by a stranger, Be thou ware, and drive from Euboea the goats' loud-bleating. |
#### #### So, as the Euboeans had paid no regard to this oracle when the evils approached and impended, now that they had arrived, the worst was likely to befall them. ####  |