History of the Peloponnesian War

but civil wars ensued, lasting, it is said, for many years, and in consequence of a war with the neighbouring barbarians they were crippled and stripped of most of their power.

Finally, just before the Peloponnesian war, the populace expelled the aristocrats, and they, making common cause with the barbarians and attacking Epidamnus, plundered those who were in the city both by land and sea.

These, when they were being hard pressed, sent envoys to Corcyra, as being their mother-city, beg g them not to look on and see them destroyed, but to reconcile them with the exiles and to put a stop to the war with the barbarians.

This petition they made, sitting as suppliants in the temple of Hera. But the Corcyraeans denied their supplication, and sent them back unsuccessful.

The Epidannians, recognizing that no aid was to be had from Corcyra, were at a loss how to settle their present difficulty; so they sent to Delphi and asked the god whether they should deliver up their city to the Corinthians as founders and try to procure some aid from them. The god answered that they should deliver it up to them and make them leaders.

So the Epidamnians went to Corinth and[*](435 B.C.) delivered up the city as Corinthian colony, in accordance with the oracle, showing that their founder was from Corinth and stating the response of the oracle; and they begged the Corinthians not to look on and see them utterly destroyed, but to come to on