horse, Onesilos, as he had concerted with his shield-bearer, struck at
Artybios himself, when he came to fight with him; and when the horse
put its hoofs against the shield of Onesilos, then the Carian struck
with a falchion[91] and smote off the horse's feet. 113 So Artybios
the commander of the Persians fell there on the spot together with his
horse: and while the others also were fighting, Stesenor the despot of
Curion deserted them, having with him a large force of men,--now these
Curians are said to be settlers from Argos,--and when the Curians had
deserted, forthwith also the war-chariots of the men of Salamis
proceeded to do the same as the Curians. When these things took place,
the Persians had the advantage over the Cyprians; and after their army
had been put to rout, many others fell and among them Onesilos the son
of Chersis, he who brought about the revolt of the Cyprians, and also
the king of the Solians, Aristokypros the son of Philokypros,--that
Philokypros whom Solon the Athenian, when he came to Cyprus, commended
in verse above all other despots. 114. So the men of Amathus cut off
the head of Onesilos, because he had besieged them; and having brought
it to Amathus they hung it over the gate of the city: and as the head
hung there, when it had now become a hollow, a swarm of bees entered
into it and filled it with honeycomb. This having so come to pass, the
Amathusians consulted an Oracle about the head, and they received an
answer bidding them take it down and bury it and sacrifice to Onesilos
every year as a hero; and if they did this, it would go better with
them. 115. The Amathusians accordingly continued to do so even to my
time. But the Ionians who had fought the sea-fight in Cyprus, when
they perceived that the fortunes of Onesilos were ruined and that the
cities of the Cyprians were besieged, except Salamis, and that this
city had been delivered over by the Salaminians to Gorgos the former
king,--as soon as they perceived this, the Ionians sailed away back to
Ionia. Now of the cities in Cyprus Soloi held out for the longest time