ABSTRACT
1 Alast, when he was now exhausted by his prolonged life and labours, Starkather felt loth to lose his long-standing dignity and glory through the failings of old age; it would be to his honour if he were to embrace a voluntary death and hasten his end by his own decision, for in olden times it was accounted shameful for men devoted to the business of war to die of illness. He carried hanging round his neck the hundred and twenty pounds of gold which he had earned long before by killing the tyrant Oli; this was for purchasing someone to strike him down, for he thought it completely appropriate that he should spend the gold which he had received for slaying another man on the loss of his own life.
