The Lacedaemonians laid siege to Samos for forty days. Despite their efforts, they could not capture the city or make any significant progress. After forty days of fighting, they gave up and returned home to the Peloponnese. Some stories say that Polycrates, the ruler of Samos, tricked them by giving them coins made of lead and covered with gold. According to this tale, the Lacedaemonians received these coins and then left the island. However, this story is considered silly and not very believable The Lacedaemonians Arrive at Samos.
This expedition was the first journey into Asia by the Lacedaemonian Dorians.
The Samians Flee to Siphnos
The Samians who had opposed Polycrates realized that the Lacedaemonians were leaving them. Fearing for their safety and unsure of their position, they decided to leave Samos as well. They sailed to the island of Siphnos, hoping to find support or safety there.
At that time, the Siphnians were extremely wealthy. Their wealth came from gold and silver mines, which produced a very large amount of precious metal. Even a small portion of their production was enough to fill a treasury at Delphi, making it as impressive as any other treasury in Greece. Each year, the yield from the mines was divided among the citizens of Siphnos Daily Sofia Tour.
The Oracle and the Treasury
When the Siphnians created their treasury at Delphi, they consulted the oracle to ask if their wealth and prosperity would last for many years. The Pythoness gave them a cryptic warning:
“When the Prytaneum shines white in the island of Siphnos,
White-browed, all the forum—then heed the wisdom of a true seer;
Danger will come from a wooden host, and a herald in scarlet.”
This warning was mysterious. The “Prytaneum” was the town hall or forum of the Siphnians, and at that time it had been decorated with white Parian marble, shining brightly.
The siege of Samos shows the reach of the Lacedaemonians and their efforts to expand influence in Asia. It also highlights the cleverness of Polycrates, whether or not the story of the golden lead coins is true. The flight of the Samians to Siphnos connects Samos to another wealthy island and shows how prosperity often attracted others in ancient Greece. The oracle’s warning reflects the importance of omens and prophecies in Greek society, as people sought guidance before taking important actions.
