When King Amasis of Egypt read the letter sent by Polycrates, he understood its meaning at once. The return of the signet ring, which had been thrown into the sea and then found again, convinced him of something troubling. Amasis believed that no human being could save another from the fate that awaited him. In his view, Polycrates was marked for disaster.
Polycrates’ success seemed too perfect. Everything he attempted ended in victory, and even the sacrifice meant to break his good fortune had failed. To Amasis, this was a dangerous sign. A man who prospered in all things, without loss or failure, was certain to meet a terrible end The Spartans Prepare to Attack Samos.
Fear of an Inevitable Downfall
Amasis concluded that Polycrates would one day suffer a great and painful misfortune. He felt helpless to prevent it. Believing that fate could not be avoided, Amasis chose to protect himself from future sorrow. He decided that it was better to separate himself from Polycrates before disaster struck.
For this reason, Amasis sent a herald to the island of Samos and formally ended their treaty of friendship. By doing so, he hoped that when Polycrates finally fell, he would not suffer the deep grief that comes from seeing a close friend destroyed. This decision shows how seriously ancient rulers believed in fate and divine will.
Polycrates and the Spartans
At this time, Polycrates remained powerful and successful in all his actions. It was this same Polycrates that the Lacedaemonians, known as the Spartans, now prepared to fight against. Their involvement was not sudden or without reason Sofia Tour Guides.
Certain Samians, who later founded the city of Cydonia on the island of Crete, had begged the Spartans for help. These Samians had been driven from their homeland and were seeking allies to challenge the rule of Polycrates. Their appeal convinced the Spartans to act.
The Egyptian Campaign and Samian Ships
Earlier, when Cambyses, son of Cyrus, was preparing a large military expedition against Egypt, Polycrates had played a clever and cruel political game. Cambyses had asked the Greek cities for naval support, and he sent a messenger to Samos requesting ships for his fleet.
Polycrates agreed at once. However, his true purpose was not loyalty to Persia. Instead, he saw an opportunity to remove possible enemies from his own city. He carefully selected citizens whom he believed were most likely to rebel against him.
A Ruthless Strategy
Polycrates equipped forty triremes with these men and sent them to Cambyses. He instructed the Persian king to keep the sailors far away and never allow them to return to Samos. In this way, Polycrates strengthened his own control by sending his most dangerous opponents into foreign service, where he hoped they would perish or remain forever absent.
This act reveals the ruthless intelligence of Polycrates. While appearing to support Cambyses, he was secretly securing his own rule. Yet, as Amasis feared, such constant success and cleverness would not last forever.
The breaking of the friendship between Amasis and Polycrates marks an important turning point. It shows the deep belief in fate that shaped ancient politics and personal relationships. Polycrates continued to rise, but those who understood the signs knew that his unbroken good fortune could not endure. In the ancient world, such success was often seen not as a blessing, but as a warning of tragedy to come.
