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CHAP. XXIII.

WHEN he was drawing near Cissia, after entering theprovince of Babylon, he had the following vision in hissleep, prepared by the deity who communicated it. Hethought he saw some fishes cast on the shore panting forbreath, who complained like mortals, and bewailed theelement they had lost. They looked as if imploring theaid of a dolphin, who was swimming near them, andseemed as much to be pitied as men in exile, deploringtheir hard fortune. Apollonius, without being at all movedby the dream, considered with himself what it might sig-nify ; however, to frighten Damis, who was of a timidnature, he affected to be alarmed as to what it might por-tend. This was successful, for Damis, terrified as if hehad seen the result, advised him not to go farther, andsaid, we may perish like those poor fishes, driven fromour houses, and may lament in a strange land, and per-haps, if we fall into great straits and difficulties, may beforced to apply to some prince or potentate for assistance,who will treat us, as those fishes are treated by the dol-phin. Apollonius with a smile said, you are not yet a phi-losopher, Damis, if you were, you would not be alarmedat such things as these; but attend, and I will give youthe explanation of the dream. The people who inhabitthe district of Cissia; are the Eretrians, * who about fivehundred years ago were carried away by Darius fromEubea , and who like the poor fishes in the dream, are

* Darius settled the Eretrians at Ardericca, in the district of Cissia,one of the royal stations, 210 stadia from Susa. See Herodotus , Erato,chap. 119. This visit of Apollonius to Arsaecs Bardanes, was about theyear of Christ 50, according to Col. Rennel; but according to Olea-rius not so late as 50.