When the Persians were marching with five million men against Greece, Leonidas was sent by the Spartans to Thermopylae with three hundred men. While they were eating and drinking there, the barbarian host attacked them; and when Leonidas saw the barbarians, he said, Eat your lunch now as if you were to dine in the other world. Cf., 225 d, and the note there (Vol. III. p. 350). And when he rushed against the barbarians, and was pierced by many a spear, he made his way up to Xerxes and snatched off his crown. When he was dead the barbarian king cut out his heart and found it covered with hair.Cf. Stobaeus, , vii. 65 (iii. 330 Hense); Lydus, 167 (p. 179 Wünsch). So Aristeides in the firstStobaeus says, in the third. book of his .

When the Romans were at war with the Carthaginians, they dispatched three hundred men and Fabius Maximus as their general. He attacked the enemy and lost all his men, but he himself, although mortally wounded, with a mad rush reached Hannibal and knocked down his crown, and so died with him. This Aristeides the Milesian relates.

At the city of Celaenae in Phrygia the earth yawned open, together with a heavy rain, and dragged down many homesteads with their inhabitants into the depths. Midas the king received an oracle that if he should throw his most precious possession into the abyss, it would close. He cast in gold and silver, but this availed nothing. But Anchurus, the son of Midas, reasoning that there is nothing in life more precious than a human life, embraced his father and his wife Timothea, and rode on his horse into the abyss. When the earth had closed, Midas made an altar of Idaean Zeus golden by a touch of his hand.The golden touch of Midas. This altar becomes stone at that time of the year when this yawning of the earth occurred; but when this limit of time has passed, it is seen to be golden.Cf. Stobaeus, vii. 66 (iii. 331 Hense). So Callisthenes in the second book of his .

Because of the wrath of Jupiter TarpeiusThat is, Capitolinus (e.g. Ovid, , vi. 34). the Tiber coursed through the middle of the Forum, broke open a very large abyss and engulfed many houses. An oracle was given that this would end if they threw in their precious possession. As they were casting in gold and silver. Curtius, a youth of noble family, apprehended the meaning of the oracle, and, reasoning that human life is more precious, he hurled himself on horseback into the abyss, and saved his people from their miseries.Cf. Livy, vii. 6; or Dionysius of Halicarnassus, , xiv. 11. The story is often referred to. So Aristeides in the fortieth book of his .

When the captains that accompanied Polyneices were feasting, an eagle swooped down and carried the spear of Amphiaraüs up to a height and then let it drop. The spear became fixed in the earth and was changed into a laurel. The next day, when the captains were fighting, at that very spot Amphiaraüs was swallowed up with his chariot, where now is the city that is called Harma.City of the Chariot; cf. Pausanias, ix. 19. 4, and the scholium on Clement of Alexandria, , ii. 11. 1. So Trisimachus in the third book of his

When the Romans were fighting against Pyrrhus of Epeirus, Aemilius Paulus received an oracle that he should be victorious if he would build an altar where he should see a man of the nobles with his chariot swallowed up in an abyss. Three days later Valerius Conatus in a dream saw a vision which commanded him to don his priestly raiment (he was, in fact, an expert augur). When he had led forth his men and slain many of the enemy, he was swallowed up by the earth. Aemilius built an altar, gained a victory, and sent back an hundred and sixty turreted elephants to Rome. The altar delivers oracles at that time of year when Pyrrhus was vanquished. This Critolaüs relates in the third book of his .

Pyraechmes, king of the Euboeans, was at war with the Boeotians. Heracles, while still a youth, vanquished him. He tied Pyraechmes to colts, tore his body into two parts, and cast it forth unburied. The place is called Colts of Pyraechmes. It is situated beside the river Heracleius, and it gives forth a sound of neighing when horses drink of it. So in the third book of .Quis significetur, quaerere non est operae pretium (Wyttenbach); at any rate not the author of the in Bernardakis, vol. vii.

Tullus Hostilius, King of the Romans, waged war with the Albans, whose kingwas Metius Fufetius. And Tullus repeatedly postponed battle. But the Albans, assuming his defeat, betook themselves to feasting and drinking. When they were overcome by wine, Tullus attacked them, and, tying their king to two colts, tore him apart.Cf. Livy, i. 28, ad fin. or Dionysius of Halicarnassus, , iii. 30, ad fin. So Alexarchus in the fourth book of his

Philip wished to plunder Methonê and Olynthus and, while he was attempting to force a crossing at the Sandanus river, his eye was pierced by an arrow from the bow of a certain Olynthian named Aster, who uttered these words: Aster to Philip sends this deadly shaft. But Philip swam back to his friends and was saved, although he lost his eye. So Callisthenes in the third book of his .

Porsenna, king of the Etruscans, made a foray on the other side of the river Tiber and warred against the Romans, and, by intercepting their abundant supply of grain, he oppressed the aforesaid with famine.Repeated from 305 e-f, supra. But Horatius Codes, who was elected general, took possession of the Wooden Bridge and checked the barbarian horde that sought to cross. But as he was being worsted by the enemy, he ordered his subordinates to cut down the bridge, and so thwarted the barbarian horde that sought to cross. When his eye was struck by an arrow, he threw himself into the river and swam across to his friends. So Theotimus in the second book of his .And Macaulay in .