Page:Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners.djvu/67

 fleet, fighting bravely on that day, defeated the Phoenicians; and among the lonians, the valour of the Samians was conspicuous before others. But when the forces on land came together, they fought charging in turn with great violence. Now this is what was done by the generals on either side. When Artybius, riding on the horse I have mentioned, made an attack on Onesilus, Onesilus, as it had been agreed by him with the armour-bearer, strikes Artybius himself as he charged; and when the horse threw its feet on to the shield of Onesilus, the Carian, striking with a bill, cut off the horse’s feet. Thus Artybius, the leader of the Persians, fell in the same place together with his horse.

177.But while the others also are fighting in the battle, Stenosor, one of their leaders, with a considerable (lit. not small) band of soldiers, whom he had with him, deserts the Cyprians. After Stenosor deserted the allies, at once the charioteers of the men of Salamis did the same. This being done the Persians turned out superior to the Cyprians. And when their army was put to flight, there fell both many others, and also Onesilus himself, who had instigated the Cyprians (lit. had been an instigator to the Cyprians, &c.) to revolt. The allies resisted for a long time, but being hemmed in by the Persians they were at length routed and put to flight. The Persians got possession of great booty, and a great number of captives.

178.The men of Amathus, whom he had himself besieged, cut off the head of Onesilus and carried it to Amathus, and hung it over the gate of the town. They relate that after the hollow skull had been hung up thus, a swarm of bees, winding its way into it, filled it with their combs. And when this had happened, on the men of Amathus asking the oracle, ‘What they should do?’ an answer is given them, ‘Let them take away the head and bury it; but let them offer yearly sacrifices to Onesilus as a hero. That if they did this, things would go better with them.’ The Amathusians did this as far as my time.