Cypselus was succeeded by his son Periander, who ruled with a rod of iron, but brought the country to a still higher degree of prosperity than it had ever attained before. According to Herodotus, his cruel policy of destroying men of light and leading among his subjects had been learned from Thrasybulus of Miletus, to whom he sent a deputy for advice as to the best means of securing his position. Thrasybulus said nothing, but took his visitor into a corn-field, and as they passed along cut down all the high and heavy stalks which attracted his attention. According to Aristotle, however, Periander was the teacher of this lesson, not the learner. He was succeeded by a son, who was soon driven from the throne. A democratic government was then established, which continued, with the occasional rise of an oligarchy, for several centuries. So deep was the impression made on the Corinthians by the cruelty of their despots, that when a conference was held at Sparta some time afterwards for the purpose of considering a proposal to restore the Peisistratid dynasty to Athens, the Corinthian deputy made a strong and eloquent protest against it, and the design had to be abandoned. [Illustration: THE TEMPLE AT CORINTH The five columns to the right belong to the Western Peristyle, and the two columns in front of us to the Southern Peristyle. These columns are all monolithic. The remains of the Temple at Corinth are amongst the most ancient existing monuments of Doric architecture. Above the Temple to the right is the lofty Acropolis of Corinth (the Acro-Corinthus), with the mediæval fortifications on its summit. Careful observers will notice that the capital of the near column has been turned round on its shaft, no doubt owing to the action of earthquakes.]