ABSTRACT
Whatisknownaboutthisterriblebutalsoveryhumanstoryisa detailedaccountinHerodotus'History(1.163-7).Itisastoryinwhich theloveoffreedomclasheswiththeloveofone'scountry,inwhich determinationtoresistenslavementendsinultimatedefeat.Thestoryis brieflythis.WhenthePersianarmy,commandedbyHarpagus,aMedian general,invadedIoniaandbesiegedPhocaea(Xenophanesspeaksofhimas 'theMede'),allcitizensofPhocaeadecidedunanimouslytoleaverather thantobeenslaved.Theyleftapparentlywithagreatnumberofships (perhapsmorethan60,eachof50oars)andtriedtobuyfromtheChians somesmallinhabitedislands.Beingunsuccessful,theyreturnedtoPhocaea,wheretheykilledthegarrisonsthatHarpagushadleft.Thenthere aroseadeepdivisionamongthem:althoughtheyhadswornagreatoath thattheywouldallcontinuetogether,morethanhalfthecitizensbroke theiroath.Onepartofthem,longingfortheirhomecity,preferredtostay inPhocaea(Herodotussaysnothingabouttheirfate),whiletheothersleft forCorsica(Kyrnos)- aswearetoldlater,becauseofamisunderstood oraclethathadspokenoftheheroKyrnos,notoftheisland.InCorsica theyjoinedsomeoftheircountrymen'whohadcomefirst'.Therethey settleddown,andbuilthousesandtemples.Latersomeofthem,Xenophanesamongthem,departedaftersomeoftheirfellow-citizenshaddone injusticetotheirneighbours,theTyrrheniansandtheCarchedonians,and leftforsouthernItaly.Here,southofNaples,theyfoundedthecityof Elea,wherepresumablyXenophaneswrotethetwofragmentsrendered above,whichtogetherwithhisearliercritiqueoftheColophonianlife styleseemtobetheonlyautobiographicalpassageswepossess.
