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[7]

Illustrious persons, natives of Miletus, were Thales, one of the seven wise men, the first person who introduced among the Greeks physiology and mathematics; his disciple Anaximander, and Anaximenes the disciple of Anaximander. Besides these, Hecatæus the historian;1 and of our time, Æschines the orator, who was banished for having spoken with two great freedom before Pompey the Great, and died in exile.

Miletus shut her gates against Alexander, and experienced the misfortune of being taken by storm, which was also the fate of Halicarnassus; long before this time it was captured by the Persians. Callisthenes relates, that Phrynichus the tragic writer was fined a thousand drachmæ by the Athenians for composing a play entitled ‘The taking of Miletus by Darius.’

The island Lade lies close in front of Miletus, and small islands about Tragææ,2 which afford a shelter for pirates.

1 Coraÿ, who is followed by Groskurd, supposes the words ‘and Cadmus’ to be here omitted. Kramer considers this correction to be very doubtful; see b. i. c. ii. § 6.

2 Chandler says that the Tragææ were sand-banks or shallows.

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