322 HISTORY OF GREECE. Pausanias, Polyaenus, and Plutarch have copied, ne did march thither and attack it, but was repulsed by the valor of the Ar- geian women ; who, in the dearth of warriors occasioned by the recent defeat, took arras along with the slaves, headed by the poetess Telesilla, and gallantly defended the walls. 1 This is probably a mythe, generated by a desire to embody in detail the dictum of the oracle a little before, about " the female conquer- ing the male." 2 Without meaning to deny that the Argeian wo- men might have been capable of achieving so patriotic a deed, if Kleomenes had actually marched to the attack of their city, we are compelled, by the distinct statement of Herodotus, to affirm that he never did attack it. Immediately after the burning of the sacred grove of Argos, he dismissed the bulk of his army to Sparta, retaining only one thousand choice troops, with whom he marched up to the Heroeum, or great temple of Here, between Argos and Mykense, to offer sacrifice. The priest in attendance forbade him to enter, saying that no stranger was allowed to offer sacrifice in the temple. But Kleomenes had once already forced his way into the sanctuary of Athene, on the Athenian acropolis, in spite of the priestess and her interdict, and he now acted still more brutally towards the Argeian priest, for ho directed his helots to drag him from the altar and scourge him. 1 Pausan. ii, 20, 7 ; Polyaen. viii, 33 ; Plutarch. De Yirtut. Mulicr. p. 245 , Suidas, v, TeleatMa. Plutarch cites the historian Sokrates of Argos for this story about Telesilla ; an historian, or perhaps composer of a TrepiTJyriaic 'Apyotf, of unknown date : compare Diogen. Laert. ii, 5, 47, and Plutarch, Quasstion Romaic, pp. 270-277. According to his representation, Kleomenes and Demaratus jointly assaulted the town of Argos, and Demaratus, after hav- ing penetrated into the town and become master of the Pamphyliakon, was driven out again by the women. Now Herodotus informs us that Kleom- enes and Demaratus were never employed upon the same expedition, aftet the disagreement in their march to Attica (v, 75; vi, 64). 2 Herodot. vi, 77. 'A7 A' brav f/ tf^/Ura rbv upaeva vinrjaaaa 'EfeAatTT/, Kal Kvtiof kv 'Ap-yeioicriv uprjrai, etc. If this prophecy can be said to have any distinct meaning, it probably Ksfrrs 10 Here, as protectress of Argos, repulsing the Spartans. I'ausanias (ii, 20, 7) might well doubt whether Herodotus understood this oracle in the same sense as he did: it i* plain that Herodotut could Bat have so understood it.
