THE ADVENTURES OF DEMOCEDES. 115

store-ship were got ready by their orders. In these
they sailed to the coast of Greece, which they fully
surveyed, and even went as far as Italy. The cities
were also visited, and the story of all they had seen
was carefully written down.

At length they arrived at Tarentum, in Italy, not
far from Crotona, the native place of Democedes.
Here, at the secret suggestion of the wily surgeon,
the king seized the Persians as spies, and, to prevent
their escape, took away the rudders of their ships.
Their treacherous leader took the opportunity to
make his way to Crotona, and here the Persians,
who had been released and given back their ships,
found him on their arrival. They seized him in the
market-place, but he was rescued from them by his
fellow-citizens in spite of the remonstrances and
threats of the envoys. The Crotonians even took
from them the store-ship, and forced them to leave
the harbor in their triremes.

On their way home the unlucky envoys suffered a
second misfortune; they were shipwrecked and made
slaves,—as was the cruel way of dealing with unfor-
tunates in those days. An exile from Tarentum,
named Gillis, paid their ransom, and took them to
Susa,—for which service Darius offered him any
reward he chose to ask. Like Democedes, all he
wanted was to go home. But this reward he did
not obtain. Darius brought to bear on Tarentum
all the influence he could wield, but in vain. The
Tarentines were obdurate, and would not have their
exile back again. And Gillis was more honorable
than Democedes. He did not lay plans to bring a