Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.; History, Ancient
87. This is the report which is given by the Argives and Eginetans both,
and it is admitted by the Athenians also that but one alone of them
survived and came back to Attica: only the Argives say that this one
remained alive from destruction wrought by them upon the army of
Athens, while the Athenians say that the divine power was the destroyer.
However, even this one man did not remain alive, but perished, they say,
in the following manner:--when he returned to Athens he reported the
calamity which had happened; and the wives of the men who had gone on
the expedition to Egina, hearing it and being very indignant that he
alone of all had survived, came round this man and proceeded to stab him
with the brooches of their mantles, each one of them asking of him where
her husband was. Thus he was slain; and to the Athenians it seemed
that the deed of the women was a much more terrible thing even than
the calamity which had happened; and not knowing, it is said, how they
should punish the women in any other way, they changed their fashion of
dress to that of Ionia,--for before this the women of the Athenians wore
Dorian dress, very like that of Corinth,--they changed it therefore to
the linen tunic, in order that they might not have use for brooches.
88. In truth however this fashion of dress is not Ionian originally but
Carian, for the old Hellenic fashion of dress for women was universally
the same as that which we now call Dorian. Moreover it is said that with
reference to these events the Argives and Eginetans made it a custom
among themselves in both countries 72 to have the brooches made half
as large again as the size which was then established in use, and that
their women should offer brooches especially in the temple of these
goddesses, 73 and also that they should carry neither pottery of Athens
nor anything else of Athenian make to the temple, but that it should be
the custom for the future to drink there from pitchers made in the lands
themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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