l8 THE EPIDAMNIANS AT CORINTH [l barbarians, and to have lost her ancient power. At last, shortly before the Peloponnesian War, the notables were B.C. 435 or overthrown and driven out by the people ; the exiles went CM^86 3o °^'^^ ^^ ^^^ barbarians, and, uniting with them, plundered 3. the remaining inhabitants both by sea and land. These, _, ^ , „ finding themselves hard pressed, sent The prayer of the ° '^ ' Epidamnians for help an embassy to the mother-city Corcyra, is rejected by their begging the Corcyraeans not to leave MO er-city orcyra. them to their fate, but to reconcile them to the exiles and settle the war with the barbarians. The ambassadors came, and sitting as suppliants in the temple of Here preferred their request ; but the Corcyraeans would not listen to them, and they returned without 25 success. The Epidamnians, finding that they had no hope of assistance from Corcyra, knew not what to do, and sending to Delphi enquired of the God whether they should deliver up the city to their original founders, the Corinthians, and endeavour to obtain aid from them. The God replied that they should, and bade them place them- They place them- selves Under the leadership of the selves under the pro- CoHnthians. So the Epidamnians iection of Corinth. ^^^^ ^^ Corinth, and informing the Corinthians of the answer which the oracle had given, delivered up the city to them. They reminded them that the original leader of the colony was a citizen of Corinth; and implored the Corinthians to come and help them, and not leave them to their fate. The Corinthians took up their cause, partly in vindication of their own rights (for they considered that Epidamnus belonged to them quite as much as to the Corcyraeans), partly too because they hated the Corcyraeans, who were their own colony but slighted them. In their common festivals they would not allow them the customary privileges of founders, and at their sacrifices denied to a Corinthian the right of receiving first the lock of hair cut from the head of the victim, an honour usually granted by colonies to a representative of the mother-country. In fact they despised the Corinthians,
