25.1
It is said also that a report of the battle fought by the Italian Greeks at the river SagraA battle between the Locrians and Crotoniats, at some time in the sixth century B.C. reached Peloponnesus on the same day, and so did that of the battle with the Medes at Mycale come on the same day to Plataea.It was when the Greeks at Mycale were about to attack the Persians that a rumour came to them of the victory of the Greeks at Plataea over Mardonius (Herodotus, ix. 100).
25.2
And when the Romans conquered the Tarquins, who had taken the field against them with the Latins, two tall and beautiful men were seen at Rome a little while after, who brought direct tidings from the army. These were conjectured to be the Dioscuri.
25.3
The first man who met them in front of the spring in the forum, where they were cooling their horses, which were reeking with sweat, was amazed at their report of the victory.See the Coriolanus, iii. 4.
25.4
Then, we are told, they touched his beard with their hands, quietly smiling the while, and the hair of it was changed at once from black to red, a circumstance which gave credence to their story, and fixed upon the man the surname of Ahenobarbus, that is to say, Bronze-beard.
25.5
And all this is made credible by that which has happened in our time. When, namely, Antonius was in revolt from Domitian,In 91 A.D. and a great war was expected from Germany, and Rome was in commotion, suddenly and spontaneously the people of their own accord spread abroad a report of a victory, and a story coursed through Rome that Antonius himself had been slain, and that of his defeated army not a portion was left alive. Belief in the story became so strong and distinct that many of the magistrates actually offered sacrifices.
