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Updated: June 14, 2025
'Polykrates is the first of the Grecians of whom we know who formed a design to make himself master of the sea, except Minos the Knossian. But the evidence for the existence of this early Sea-King and his power rests on surer grounds than the vague tradition recorded by the two great historians.
"Polykrates laughed at this message and returned the letters his pirates had taken from our trireme, with a derisive greeting. For the future all your letters will be sent by Syria. "You will ask me perhaps, why I have told you this long story, which has so much less interest for you than any other home news. I answer: to prepare you for your father's state.
I am just going to begin this trick of art; it will as little deserve the name of a work of art, as any Egyptian statue." "And yet there are single sculptures here which are of exquisite workmanship; such, for instance, as the one Amasis sent to Samos as a present to Polykrates.
When Syloson, the brother of the murdered Polykrates, came to Susa and reminded the king of his former services, Darius received him as a friend, placed ships and troops at his service, and helped him to recover Samos. The Samians made a desperate resistance, and said, when at last they were obliged to yield: "Through Syloson we have much room in our land."
"In this fear Amasis advised Polykrates as his old friend, to put away from him the thing he held dearest, and in such a manner that he might be sure of never receiving it again. Polykrates adopted this advice and threw into the sea, from the top of the round tower on his citadel, his most valuable signet-ring, an unusually large sardonyx held by two dolphins.
When the clock struck five, he was sitting on the bed, dangling his feet to the carpet, talking to the monk: "In ancient times a happy man grew at last frightened of his happiness it was so great! and to propitiate the gods he brought as a sacrifice his favourite ring. Do you know, I, too, like Polykrates, begin to be uneasy of my happiness.
He opened it, and sent the messenger back with the answer, that Democedes was in his pay, and that if Oroetes needed his advice he must apply to Polykrates himself. Our generous friend submitted for my sake, and asked the Samian to send his physician to Sardis." "Well," said Prexaspes, "and what followed?" The proud island-prince sent him at once.
"To-morrow I will show you my copper tablet, said Oroetes, but now we must allow Darius to go on." "So Phanes has gone to Arabia," continued Darius, "and Prexaspes was sent hither not only to command you, Oroetes, to raise as many forces as possible, especially Ionians and Carians, of whom Phanes has offered to undertake the command, but also to propose terms of alliance to Polykrates."
The opinion that the deity, or the dæmon, looks with an envious eye on a man's prosperity and in the end pays him off with some equivalent loss, is very common in the Greek writers. One instance of it occurs in the letter of Amasis, the cunning King of Egypt, to Polykrates the tyrant of Samos.
The officer on duty recognized them directly; indeed every child in Naukratis knew the Milesian merchant and the brother of the tyrant Polykrates by sight; and he answered at once, with a respectful salutation, that the foreign youth they were leading away had been guilty of murder. Theopompus then took him on one side and endeavored, by liberal promises, to obtain the freedom of the prisoner.
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