116 THE HISTORY OF HERODOTUS.

Pollux, who became sea-gods, from whom the con- stellation of the Gemini was named; but Herodotus assigns to it a different origin. His tradition is that when the sons of Hercules reconquered their heritage of the Peloponnese, one of their three chiefs, Aristodemus, had the kingdom of Sparta for his share. His wife gave birth to twins just before his death. The boys were much alike; and the mother, hoping that they might both be kings, protested that she did not know them apart. The Spartans were puzzled; and the Delphic oracle gave an answer which hardly mended the matter, except so far that it satisfied the mother. " Let both be kings, but let the elder have more honour." But which was the elder $ that was the question. At last it was suggested that a watch should be set to see which the mother washed and fed first. If she acted on system, the case was clear. The espionage suc- ceeded ; the elder was discovered, and named Eurys- thenes, and the other Procles. The two brothers, when they grew up, were said to have been always at vari- ance, and their separate lines continued so ever after. The two kings had peculiar duties, rights, and privi- leges, but lived in the same plain way as other citizens. When Aristagoras arrived at Sparta, he was admit- ted to an audience with the senior king, Cleomenes. He showed him a bronze tablet engraved with a chart the earliest known map of the world pointed out where all the different nations lay, and conjured him to assist his kinsmen the lonians ; observing, that it was foolish