SOL Search

The [Amphictyons] chose this man as advisor for their war on the Kirrhaians.[1] They asked the [sc. Delphic] oracle about victory, and the Pythia[2] replied: 'you will not take and throw down the tower of this city until on my precinct shall dash the wave of blue-eyed Amphitrite, roaring over the wine-dark sea.' So Solon persuaded them to consecrate the territory of Kirrha to the god -- in order, of course, that the sea would become Apollo's neighbour. And Solon invented another trick to deploy against the Kirrhaians: for the water of the river [Pleistos] ran along a channel into the city, and he diverted it elsewhere. And they held out against the besiegers by drinking from wells and also rain-water. But he threw hellebore roots into the river, and when he reckoned that the water contained enough of the drug he turned it back again into the channel -- and the Kirrhaians freely took their fill of the water. And the [Kirrhaians], those on the wall, deserted the garrison because of their diarrhoea, but the Amphictyons captured the garrison and the city.[3]

*so/lwn: tou=ton ei(/lonto oi( *kirrai/ois polemei=n h(|rhme/noi su/mboulon. xrwme/nois de\ sfi/si peri\ ni/khs a)nei=pen h( *puqw/: ou) pri\n th=sde po/lhos e)rei/yete pu/rgon e(lo/ntes, pri/n ken e)mw=| teme/nei kuanw/pidos *)amfitri/ths ku=ma potiklu/zoi, keladou=n e)pi\ oi)/nopa po/nton. e)/peisen ou)=n o( *so/lwn kaqierw=sai tw=| qew=| th\n *ki/rraian, i(/na dh\ tw=| teme/nei tou= *)apo/llwnos ge/nhtai gei/twn h( qa/latta. eu(re/qh de\ kai\ e(/teron tw=| *so/lwni so/fisma e)s tou\s *kirrai/ous: tou= ga\r potamou= to\ u(/dwr r(e/on di' o)xetou= e)s th\n po/lin a)pe/streyen a)llaxo/se. kai\ oi( me\n pro\s tou\s poliorkou=ntas e)/ti a)ntei=xon e)/k te frea/twn kai\ to\ u(/dwr to\ e)k qeou= pi/nontes. o( de\ tou= e(llebo/rou ta\s r(i/zas e)mbalw\n e)s to\n potamo/n, e)peidh\ i(kanw=s tou= farma/kou to\ u(/dwr h)/|sqeto e)/xon, a)nte/streyen au)=qis e)s to\n o)xeto/n, kai\ e)neforh/santo a)ne/dhn oi( *kirrai=oi tou= u(/datos. kai\ oi( me\n u(po\ th=s diarroi/as e)ce/lipon, oi( de\ e)pi\ tou= tei/xous th=s froura=s *)amfiktu/ones ei(=lon th\n froura\n kai\ th\n po/lin.

For Solon see already sigma 776 (and again sigma 779). The present passage is closely based on Pausanias 10.37.6-8 (web address 1).
[1] cf. kappa 1659.
[2] cf. pi 3127.
[3] This final sentence needs some adjustment in Pausanias's version, and is even worse in the Suda's. On hellebore, see epsilon 770 and epsilon 771.

Catharine Roth (tweak, link, keyword, status) on 27 September 2010@00:11:22.
David Whitehead (more x-refs; another keyword) on 27 September 2010@02:59:29.
Catharine Roth (tweaked note) on 10 October 2013@00:13:32.
David Whitehead on 30 December 2013@06:21:22.
Catharine Roth (cross-references) on 10 January 2019@01:35:47.

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