“The Samians are a deeply lettered race,”

alludes to this branding.

XXVII.  When Perikles heard of the disaster which had befallen his army, he returned in all haste to assist them.  He beat Melissus, who came out to meet him, and, after putting the enemy to rout, at once built a wall round their city, preferring to reduce it by blockade to risking the lives of his countrymen in an assault.  As time went on the Athenians became impatient and eager to fight, and it was hard to restrain their ardour.  Perikles divided the whole force into eight divisions, and made them all draw lots.  The division which drew the white bean he permitted to feast and take their ease, while the rest did their duty.  For this reason those who are enjoying themselves call it a “white day,” in allusion to the white bean.  Ephorus tells us that Perikles made use of battering engines in this siege, being attracted by their novelty, and that Artemon the mechanician was present, who was surnamed Periphoretus because he was lame, and carried in a litter to see such of the works as required his superintendence.  This story is proved to be false by Herakleides of Pontus, he quoting Anakreon’s poems, in which Artemon Periphoretus is mentioned many generations before the revolt and siege of Samos.  He tells us that Artemon was an effeminate coward who spent most of his time indoors, with two slaves holding a brazen shield over his head for fear that anything should fall upon it, and if he was obliged to go out, used to be carried in a hammock slung so low as almost to touch the ground, from which he received the name of Periphoretus.

XXVIII.  In the ninth month of the siege the Samians surrendered.  Perikles demolished their walls, confiscated their fleet, and imposed a heavy fine upon them, some part of which was paid at once by the Samians, who gave hostages for the payment of the remainder at fixed periods.  Douris, of Samos, makes a lamentable story of this, accusing Perikles and the Athenians of great cruelty, no mention of which is to be found in Thucydides, Ephorus, or Aristotle.  He obviously does not tell the truth when he says that Perikles took the captains and marine soldiers of each ship to the market-place at Miletus, bound them to planks, and after they had been so for ten days and were in a miserable state, knocked them on the head with clubs and cast out their bodies without burial.  But Douris, even in cases where he has no personal bias, prefers writing an exciting story to keeping to the exact truth, and in this instance probably exaggerated the sufferings of his countrymen in order to gratify his dislike of the Athenians.