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οἰκέτης ... ἐπίτροπος: translated by Pausanias (v. 26. 4) δοῦλος καὶ ταμίας τῶν Ἀναξίλα χρημάτων (cf. vi. 137. 3; viii. 75. 1) and by Justin ‘servus spectatae fidei’, but though this might be the meaning of the word, οἰκέτης is certainly in the plural used for the whole familia, free-born as well as slave (viii. 4. 2, 44. 1, 106. 2, 142. 4), and is distinguished from δοῦλος by Plato in the Laws, &c. It is unlikely that a slave (or even a freedman) should add his father's name on his offerings at Olympia (v. inf.) and call Rhegium and Messana his fatherland (Paus. l. c.). Probably he was a low-born dependant of Anaxilas (cf. Maeandrius, iii. 142). For ἐπίτροπος cf. the case of Aristagoras at Miletus (v. 30. 2), and again Maeandrius (iii. 142. 1) ἐπιτροπαίην παρὰ Πολυκράτεος λαβὼν τὴν ἀρχήν, and Theras. iv. 147. 2. Micythus was clearly regent of Rhegium and Messana for the young sons of Anaxilas.

ἐκπεσών. Paus. l. c. ἀπιὼν οἴχοιτο. According to Diodorus (xi. 66), after Micythus had been regent nine years (476-467), his wards, instigated by Hiero, demanded an account of his stewardship. Through this, his honesty was so strikingly proved that they begged him to keep on the administration, but Micythus, preferring to retire, lived in honour at Tegea till his death. This is a little inconsistent with H.'s ἐκπεσών.

The offerings of Micythus at Olympia seen by Pausanias (v. 26) were in three groups, comprising in all fifteen figures (besides some removed by Nero) by Argive sculptors, Glaucus and Dionysius. Fragments of pedestals have been found bearing inscriptions restored by Roehl, I. G. A. 532, 533, and better by Kaibel (Hermes, xxviii. 60), showing that the offerings were made for the recovery of his son from sickness.

[Μίκυθος Χοίρου Ῥηγῖν]ος κ[αὶ Μεσσή]νιος Ϝοικέων ἐν Τεγέῃ

[τἀγάλματα τάδε θεοῖς ἀ]νέθ[ηκε πᾶσι]ν καὶ θεαῖς πάσαις:

[παιδὸς δὲ νόσον φθινάδα νοσέοντος κ]αὶ χρημάτων ὅσσα ϝοι πλεῖστα ἐγέν[ετο δυνατὸν]

[ἰητροῖς δαπανηθέντων, ἐς Ὀλυμπίην] ἐλθὼν ἔπειτα εὐξάμεν-

[ος, ὥς ϝοι παῖς ἐσώθη ἀνέθηκεν]

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