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For once upon a time, when the Argives had sent to Delphi to consult
the god about the safety of their own city, a prophecy was given them,
in which others besides themselves were interested; for while it bore
in part upon the fortunes of Argos, it touched in a by-clause the
fate of the men of Miletus. I shall set down the portion which
concerned the Argives when I come to that part of my History,
mentioning at present only the passage in which the absent Milesians
were spoken of. This passage was as follows:
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Then shalt thou, Miletus, so oft the contriver of evil,
Be, thyself, to many a least and an excellent booty:
Then shall thy matrons wash the feet of long-haired masters
Others shall then possess our lov'd Didymian temple.
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Such a fate now befell the Milesians; for the Persians, who wore
their hair long, after killing most of the men, made the women and
children slaves; and the sanctuary at Didyma, the oracle no less than
the temple was plundered and burnt; of the riches whereof I have made
frequent mention in other parts of my History.
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