THE WOMEN OF MELOS.
THe Melians purposing to seeke for another land to inhabit, more large and fertile than their owne, chose for the captaine and leader of that troupe or colonie which was sent forth, a yoong gentleman of singular beautie, named Nymphoeus; but first they had consulted [ 30] with the oracle, where they received this answere: That they should take the seas, and saile; and looke in what place soever they happened to leese their porters and cariers, there they should rest and inhabit: now it happened as the coasted along Caria, and were set aland, their ships were lost in a tempest and perished; and then the inhabitats of the city Cryassa in Caria, (were it that they had pity of their necessitie, or feared their hardinesse and valour) requested them to make their abode with them, and granted them a part of their territorie to holde and occupie: but af∣terwards the Carians seeing, that in a small time the Melians mightily increased and waxed great, they complotted and laid ambushes for to murder them al, at a certeine solemne feast and supper which they prepared for them: but it fell out so, that a yoong damosell of Caria named Cophene (who secretly was in love and enamoured upon Nymphaeus abovesaid, and could not en∣dure [ 40] that her love Nymphaeus should so treacherously be murdered) discovered the said plot and intended desseigne of her countreymen: now when the Cryassians came to call them to the feast abovesaid, Nymphaeus made them this answere: That the custome of the Greeks was not to go unto any great suppers or feasts, unlesse they had their wives with them; which when the Ca∣rians heard, they said: Bring your wives with you and spare not, they shall be welcome: thus when he had advertised his countreymen the Melians, what had passed betweene him and the Carians, he gave order that they should themselves come unarmed in their plaine apparell, but every one of their wives should bring with them a skeing or dagger under their clothes, and so ech of them sit close unto her husband: now in the mids of supper, when the signall was given to the Carians for to go in hand with the execution of their desseigne, they Greeks knew thereby [ 50] incontinently, that the time was now come to execute this feat; and then the women all at once opened their bosoms, and their husbands caught the skeines aforesaid, ran upon the barbarous Carians, and massacred all in the place, insomuch as not one of them escaped with life: and thus being masters of the countrey, they rased the city, and built another, which they called New Cryassa: Cophene then was maried to Nymphaeus, and woon much honour and favor, which she right well had deserved for the great good service that she did: but in my conceit, the prin∣cipall matter in this whole action, and that which is most to be commended, was the silence