Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and RomansPlutarch
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Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
Plutarch
Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
As he was going down towards the sea-coast to take measures against
Greece, a Persian whose name was Epixyes, governor of the upper Phrygia,
laid wait to kill him, having for that purpose provided a long time
before a number of Pisidians, who were to set upon him when he should
stop to rest at a city that is called Lion's-head. But Themistocles,
sleeping in the middle of the day, saw the Mother of the gods appear to
him in a dream and say unto him, "Themistocles, keep back from the
Lion's-head, for fear you fall into the lion's jaws; for this advice I
expect that your daughter Mnesiptolema should be my servant."
Themistocles was much astonished, and, when he had made his vows to the
goddess, left the broad road, and, making a circuit, went another way,
changing his intended station to avoid that place, and at night took up
his rest in the fields. But one of the sumpter-horses, which carried
the furniture for his tent, having fallen that day into the river, his
servants spread out the tapestry, which was wet, and hung it up to dry;
in the mean time the Pisidians made towards them with their swords
drawn, and, not discerning exactly by the moon what it was that was
stretched out thought it to be the tent of Themistocles, and that they
should find him resting himself within it; but when they came near, and
lifted up the hangings, those who watched there fell upon them and took
them. Themistocles, having escaped this great danger, in admiration of
the goodness of the goddess that appeared to him, built, in memory of
it, a temple in the city of Magnesia, which he dedicated to Dindymene,
Mother of the gods, in which he consecrated and devoted his daughter
Mnesiptolema to her service.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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