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At last Periander made proclamation that whoever harboured his son or
even spoke to him, should forfeit a certain sum of money to Apollo.
On hearing this no one any longer liked to take him in, or even to
hold converse with him, and he himself did not think it right to seek
to do what was forbidden; so, abiding by his resolve, he made his
lodging in the public porticos. When four days had passed in this
way, Periander, secing how wretched his son was, that he neither
washed nor took any food, felt moved with compassion towards him;
wherefore, foregoing his anger, he approached him, and said,
"Which is better, oh! my son, to fare as now thou farest, or to
receive my crown and all the good things that I possess, on the one
condition of submitting thyself to thy father? See, now, though my
own child, and lord of this wealthy Corinth, thou hast brought
thyself to a beggar's life, because thou must resist and treat with
anger him whom it least behoves thee to oppose. If there has been a
calamity, and thou bearest me ill will on that account, bethink thee
that I too feel it, and am the greatest sufferer, in as much as it
was by me that the deed was done. For thyself, now that thou knowest
how much better a thing it is to be envied than pitied, and how
dangerous it is to indulge anger against parents and superiors, come
back with me to thy home." With such words as these did Periander
chide his son; but the son made no reply, except to remind his father
that he was indebted to the god in the penalty for coming and holding
converse with him. Then Periander knew that there was no cure for the
youth's malady, nor means of overcoming it; so he prepared a ship and
sent him away out of his sight to Corcyra, which island at that time
belonged to him. As for Procles, Periander, regarding him as the
true author of all his present troubles, went to war with him as soon
as his son was gone, and not only made himself master of his kingdom
Epidaurus, but also took Procles himself, and carried him into captivity.
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