Page:Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners.djvu/29

 a circuit through all land and sea and winged creatures, it again returns into the body of a human being. Kow this circuit is completed in three thousand years. Moreover some of the philosophers of the Greeks have held (used) this opinion since.  

77.Astyages, his son, succeeded Cyaxares, the king of the Medes. He gave his daughter Mandane, on account of a dream vouchsafed to him, to a Persian, Cambyses by name. Mandane subsequently gave birth to a son. Astyages being thoroughly frightened by another dream, gave this boy to a certain Harpagus to be killed. Now Harpagus gave the boy to a slave to be exposed on the mountains, but he exposed his own dead child, and brought up Cyrus as his son. But afterwards Cyrus, having become king of the Persians, completely conquered Astyages in war, and got possession of the empire of the Medes.

78.Solon the Athenian, having gone away from home, betook himself to Amasis in Egypt, and also to Croesus at Sardis. There he was received in the royal palace with hospitality by Croesus. Then on the third or fourth day after, at the orders of Croesus, the servants of the king took Solon round, showing him all the treasures. Then Croesus questioned him as follows: ‘Athenian stranger,’ said he, ‘great fame concerning you has reached us, both on account of your wisdom, and also of your travels: for being devoted to the study of wisdom you have visited many lands. 'Now, therefore, there comes upon me a desire of asking questions of you. Whom, pray, have you hitherto seen (to be) the happiest of all men?’ Now, he seemed to himself to be the happiest of alL

79.But Solon, using no flattery, replied: ‘The happiest man, indeed, that I have ever seen, was Tellus the Athenian.’