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No less admiration might be expressed for Xenocrite of Cumae for her behaviour towards Aristodemus the despot, Cf. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, v. 4-12; Diodorus, vii. 10. who, some think, had the nickname of Mild given to him, but they do not know the truth. The fact is that by the barbarians he was called Mild, which, in their tongue, means childlike, because, when he was a mere youth with others of his age who were still wearing their hair long (whom they called harassers,Strollers who went about singing begging songs. Cf. Athenaeus, 359 d-360 b. Harassers as a corruption of Hair-raisers is no more weird than Plutarch’s Greek etymology! from their long hair presumably), in the wars against the barbarians he was conspicuous and brilliant, not merely by daring and the work of his hands, but showing himself to be above others in quickness of mind and forethought. Wherefore he advanced to the highest offices, being admired by his fellow-citizens, and he was sent to bring aid to the Romans when they were besieged by the Etruscans who would restore Tarquinius Superbus to his kingdom. In this campaign, which lasted a long time, he gave in altogether to the citizens who were in the military service, and, by playing the part of a demagogue rather than that of a general, he persuaded them to join him in attacking the Senate and in driving into exile the noblest and most influential. Following upon this, he made himself despot, and in the ways in which he misconducted himself towards women and free-born youth he surpassed his former record for viciousness. In fact it is recorded in history that he imposed on the boys the custom of wearing long hair and golden ornaments, and the girls he compelled to bob their hair and to wear boys’ clothes and the short undergarment. However, he was singularly enamoured of Xenocrite, whom he kept, the daughter of an exiled father, without restoring her father to his country or winning his consent, but believing that somehow the girl was contented to be with him, inasmuch as she was envied and deemed happy by the citizens. But all this did not make any great impression on her. She was distressed at being partner to a union in which there had been no giving in marriage nor plighting of troth, and she longed for her country’s freedom no less than did those who were the object of the despot’s hatred.
