§1.159.1ἀπικομένων δὲ ἐς Βραγχίδας ἐχρηστηριάζετο ἐκ πάντων Ἀριστόδικος ἐπειρωτῶν τάδε. ὦναξ, ἦλθε παρʼ ἡμέας ἱκέτης Πακτύης ὁ Λυδός, φεύγων θάνατον βίαιον πρὸς Περσέων· οἳ δέ μιν ἐξαιτέονται, προεῖναι Κυμαίους κελεύοντες. §1.159.2ἡμεῖς δὲ δειμαίνοντες τὴν Περσέων δύναμιν τὸν ἱκέτην ἐς τόδε οὐ τετολμήκαμεν ἐκδιδόναι, πρὶν ἂν τὸ ἀπὸ σεῦ ἡμῖν δηλωθῇ ἀτρεκέως ὁκότερα ποιέωμεν. ὃ μὲν ταῦτα ἐπειρώτα, ὃ δʼ αὖτις τὸν αὐτόν σφι χρησμὸν ἔφαινε, κελεύων ἐκδιδόναι Πακτύην Πέρσῃσι. §1.159.3πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Ἀριστόδικος ἐκ προνοίης ἐποίεε τάδε· περιιὼν τὸν νηὸν κύκλῳ ἐξαίρεε τοὺς στρουθοὺς καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα ἦν νενοσσευμένα ὀρνίθων γένεα ἐν τῷ νηῷ.
When they arrived at Branchidae, Aristodicus, on behalf of them all, consulted the oracle, asking as follows: "O King, Pactyes the Lydian has come to us as a suppliant, fleeing a violent death at the hands of the Persians; and they demand him of us, ordering the Cymaeans to give him up. But we, fearing the power of the Persians, have not dared to give up the suppliant up to this time, until your will should be clearly declared to us, showing which of the two courses we should take." He asked this, and the god again declared to them the same oracle, ordering them to deliver Pactyes to the Persians. Thereupon Aristodicus, of set purpose, did as follows: he went all round the temple and took away the sparrows and all other kinds of birds that had nested in the temple.
ποιέοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα λέγεται φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἀδύτου γενέσθαι φέρουσαν μὲν πρὸς τὸν Ἀριστόδικον, λέγουσαν δὲ τάδε
ἀνοσιώτατε ἀνθρώπων, τί τάδε τολμᾷς ποιέειν;
And while he was doing this, it is said that a voice came from the inner sanctuary, directed to Aristodicus, saying: "Most impious of men, how dare you do this?
τοὺς ἱκέτας μου ἐκ τοῦ νηοῦ κεραΐζεις; §1.159.4Ἀριστόδικον δὲ οὐκ ἀπορήσαντα πρὸς ταῦτα εἰπεῖν
ὦναξ, αὐτὸς μὲν οὕτω τοῖσι ἱκέτῃσι βοηθέεις, Κυμαίους δὲ κελεύεις τὸν ἱκέτην ἐκδιδόναι; τὸν δὲ αὖτις ἀμείψασθαι τοῖσιδε
ναὶ κελεύω, ἵνα γε ἀσεβήσαντες θᾶσσον ἀπόλησθε, ὡς μὴ τὸ λοιπὸν περὶ ἱκετέων ἐκδόσιος ἔλθητε ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστήριον.
Do you plunder my suppliants from my temple?" But Aristodicus, not at a loss, replied: "O King, do you yourself thus protect your suppliants, yet order the Cymaeans to deliver up theirs?" And the god answered him again: "Yes, I do command it, so that you may commit impiety and perish the sooner, and that you may not in future come to the oracle to inquire about giving up suppliants."