subjects, began then to display all manner of evil treatment to the
citizens of the State; for whatsoever Kypselos had left undone in
killing and driving into exile, this Periander completed. And in one
day he stripped all the wives of the Corinthians of their clothing on
account of his own wife Melissa. For when he had sent messengers to
the Thesprotians on the river Acheron to ask the Oracle of the dead
about a deposit made with him by a guest-friend, Melissa appeared and
said she would not tell in what place the deposit was laid, for she
was cold and had no clothes, since those which he had buried with her
were of no use to her, not having been burnt; and this, she said,
would be an evidence to him that she was speaking the truth, namely
that when the oven was cold, Periander had put his loaves into it.
When the report of this was brought back to Periander, the token made
him believe, because he had had commerce with Melissa after she was
dead; and straightway after receiving the message he caused
proclamation to be made that all the wives of the Corinthians should
come out to the temple of Hera. They accordingly went as to a festival
in their fairest adornment; and he having set the spearmen of his
guard in ambush, stripped them all alike, both the free women and
their attendant; and having gathered together all their clothes in a
place dug out, he set fire to them, praying at the same time to
Melissa. Then after he had done this and had sent a second time, the
apparition of Melissa told him in what spot he had laid the deposit
entrusted to him by his guest-friend.

"Such a thing, ye must know, Lacedemonians, is despotism, and such are
its deeds: and we Corinthians marvelled much at first when we saw that
ye were sending for Hippias, and now we marvel even more because ye
say these things; and we adjure you, calling upon the gods of Hellas,
not to establish despotisms in the cities. If however ye will not