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Croesus was the brother-in-law of Astyages (74. 4); but he had other than personal motives. The power of Persia was a menace to all the secondary powers (cf. 77. 2 for their union), just as that of Media had been under Cyaxares (cf. 73. 3 n. for diplomatic interference with Media). Moreover, Lydian trade was in danger from the uncivilized Persians (cf. 71. 2).


For wholesale consultation of oracles cf. viii. 133-4.

For Greek oracles in general cf. Myers' brilliant essay in Hellenica, and Boucher-Leclercq, Divination dans l'Antiquité, vol. iii.

For the locality and oracle of Dodona cf. Frazer, P. ii. 159-60, for Zeus of Ammon ii. 42 n.

Abae in E. Phocis; for its oracle cf. viii. 27, 33 n., 134, and Paus. x. 35 (with Frazer, v. 436 seq., who describes the present state of the ruins).

For Amphiaraus and Trophonius cf. viii. 134 nn. The temple of Apollo at Didyma (cf. 157. 3 for description of it, 158 for its Medism (?), and vi. 19. 3 for its destruction in 494 B. C.; also 92. 2 nn.) was 22 1/2 miles from Miletus; it was often called ‘of Branchidae’, from the priestly family (cf. τοὺς Βραγχίδας 158. 1), in whose charge it was; the name of the mythical founder, Branchus, has been connected etymologically with the Sans. Brahman, Lat. flamen. Some see in Apollo of B. a pre-Greek god (Meyer, i. 483; Paus. vii. 2. 6). Its site was explored by Newton (Essays, 75 seq.), who brought (1858) from its Sacred Way to the B. M. ten great seated figures of priests, which are interesting as showing Egyptian influence on Greek art in the sixth century (cf. Frazer, P. iv. 126). One of them, that of Chares (No. 14), is probably the oldest extant Greek portrait. The explorations were resumed by the Germans in 1899.

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    • Pausanias, Description of Greece, 10.35
    • Pausanias, Description of Greece, 7.2.6
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