Book 3
57.3
Now when they were putting together the treasure they inquired of the oracle if their present prosperity was likely to last long; whereupon the priestess gave them this answer:
57.4
“When the prytaneum on Siphnus becomes white And white-browed the market, then indeed a shrewd man is wanted Beware a wooden force and a red herald.” At this time the market-place and town-hall of Siphnus were adorned with Parian marble.
58.1
They could not understand this oracle either when it was spoken or at the time of the Samians' coming. As soon as the Samians put in at Siphnus, they sent ambassadors to the town in one of their ships;
58.2
now in ancient times all ships were painted with vermilion; μιλτοπάρῃοι is one of the Homeric epithets of ships. and this was what was meant by the warning given by the priestess to the Siphnians, to beware a wooden force and a red herald.
58.3
The messengers, then, demanded from the Siphnians a loan of ten talents; when the Siphnians refused them, the Samians set about ravaging their lands.
58.4
Hearing this the Siphnians came out at once to drive them off, but they were defeated in battle, and many of them were cut off from their town by the Samians; who presently exacted from them a hundred talents.
59.1
Then the Samians took from the men of +Hermione [23.2583,37.3833] (Perseus) Hermione , instead of money, the island Hydrea which is near to the +Peloponnese [22,37.5] (region), Greece, Europe Peloponnesus , and gave it to men of Troizen [23.375,37.5] (Perseus) Troezen for safekeeping; they themselves settled at +Khania [24.33,35.516] (inhabited place), Canea, Crete, Greece, Europe Cydonia in +Crete [25,35.166] (region), Greece, Europe Crete , though their voyage had been made with no such intent, but rather to drive Zacynthians out of the island.
59.2
Here they stayed and prospered for five years; indeed, the temples now at +Khania [24.33,35.516] (inhabited place), Canea, Crete, Greece, Europe Cydonia and the shrine of Dictyna are the Samians' work;
