Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of HonourMaugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset)
General
Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour
Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset)
English drama
...For Clisthenes, son of Aristonymus, son of Myron, son of Andreas, had
a daughter whose name was Agarista: her he resolved to give in marriage
to the man whom he should find the most accomplished of all the Greeks.
When therefore the Olympian games were being celebrated, Clisthenes,
being victorious in them in the chariot race, made a proclamation; "that
whoever of the Greeks deemed himself worthy to become the son-in-law of
Clisthenes, should come to Sicyon on the sixtieth day, or even before;
since Clisthenes had determined on the marriage in a year, reckoning
from the sixtieth day." Thereupon such of the Greeks as were puffed up
with themselves and their country, came as suitors; and Clisthenes,
having made a race-course and palæstra for them, kept it for this very
purpose. From Italy, accordingly, came Smindyrides, son of Hippocrates,
a Sybarite, who more than any other man reached the highest pitch of
luxury, (and Sybaris was at that time in a most flourishing condition;)
and Damasus of Siris, son of Amyris called the Wise: these came from
Italy. From the Ionian gulf, Amphimnestus, son of Epistrophus, an
Epidamnian; he came from the Ionian gulf. An Ætolian came, Males,
brother of that Titormus who surpassed the Greeks in strength, and fled
from the society of men to the extremity of the Ætolian territory. And
from Peloponnesus, Leocedes, son of Pheidon, tyrant of the Argives, a
decendant of that Pheidon, who introduced measures among the
Peloponnesians, and was the most insolent of all the Greeks, who having
removed the Elean umpires, himself regulated the games at Olympia; his
son accordingly came. And Amiantus, son of Lycurgus, an Arcadian from
Trapezus; and an Azenian from the city of Pæos, Laphanes, son of
Euphorion, who, as the story is told in Arcadia, received the Dioscuri
in his house, and after that entertained all men; and an Elean,
Onomastus, son of Agæus: these accordingly came from the Peloponnesus
itself. From Athens there came Megacles, son of Alcmæon, the same who
had visited Croesus, and another, Hippoclides, son of Tisander, who
surpassed the Athenians in wealth and beauty. From Eretria, which was
flourishing at that time, came Lysanias; he was the only one from
Euboea. And from Thessaly there came, of the Scopades, Diactorides a
Cranonian; and from the Molossi, Alcon. So many were the suitors. When
they had arrived on the appointed day, Clisthenes made inquiries of
their country, and the family of each; then detaining them for a year,
he made trial of their manly qualities, their dispositions, learning,
and morals; holding familiar intercourse with each separately, and with
all together, and leading out to the gymnasia such of them as were
younger; but most of all he made trial of them at the banquet; for as
long as he detained them, he did this throughout, and at the same time
entertained them magnificently. And somehow of all the suitors those
that had come from Athens pleased him most, and of these Hippoclides,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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