tells us that he was the first who wrote in Greek on nature and the gods. Many wonderful stories are told about him. He was walking along the beach in Samos and saw a ship running before the wind ; he exclaimed that in no long time she would go down, and, even as he watched her, down she went. And as he was drinking water which had been drawn up from a well he predicted that on the third day there would be an earthquake ; which came to pass. And on his way from Olympia he advised Perilaus, his host in Messene, to move thence with all belonging to him ; but Perilaus could not be persuaded, and Messene was afterwards taken.“ He bade the Lacedaemonians set no store by gold or silver, as Theopompus says in his Mirabilia. He told them he had received this command from Heracles in a dream; and the same night Heracles enjoined upon the kings to obey Pherecydes. But some fasten this story upon Pythagoras. Hermippus relates that on the eve of war between Ephesus and Magnesia he favoured the cause of the Ephesians, and inquired of some one passing by where he came from, and on receiving the reply “‘ From Ephesus,” he said, “ Drag me by the legs and place me in the territory of Magnesia ; and take a message to your countrymen that after their victory they must bury me there, and that this is the last injunction of Pherecydes.” The man gave the message ; a day later the Ephesians attacked and defeated the Magnesians ; they found Pherecydes dead and buried him on the spot with great honours. Another