§4.163.1ὁ δὲ Ἀρκεσίλεως τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐὼν ἐν Σάμῳ συνήγειρε πάντα ἄνδρα ἐπὶ γῆς ἀναδασμῷ· συλλεγομένου δὲ στρατοῦ πολλοῦ, ἐστάλη ἐς Δελφοὺς Ἀρκεσίλεως χρησόμενος τῷ χρηστηρίῳ περὶ κατόδου.
Meanwhile Arcesilaus, being at this time in Samos, was gathering every man by the promise of a redistribution of land; and when a large army was being collected, Arcesilaus set out for Delphi to consult the oracle concerning his return.
§4.163.2ἡ δὲ Πυθίη οἱ χρᾷ τάδε.
And the Pythian priestess gave him this answer.
§4.163.3"ἐπὶ μὲν τέσσερας Βᾶττους καὶ Ἀρκεσίλεως τέσσερας, ὀκτὼ ἀνδρῶν γενεάς, διδοῖ ὑμῖν Λοξίης βασιλεύειν Κυρήνης, πλέον μέντοι τούτου οὐδὲ πειρᾶσθαι παραινέει.
"For four Battuses and four Arcesilauses, eight generations of men, Loxias grants to you to rule Cyrene; however, he advises you not even to attempt more than this.
σὺ μέντοι ἥσυχος εἶναι κατελθὼν ἐς τὴν σεωυτοῦ.
You, indeed, having returned to your own land, should remain quiet.
ἢν δὲ τὴν κάμινον εὕρῃς πλέην ἀμφορέων, μὴ ἐξοπτήσῃς τοὺς ἀμφορέας ἀλλʼ ἀπόπεμπε κατʼ οὖρον· εἰ δὲ ἐξοπτήσεις τὴν κάμινον,μὴ ἐσέλθῃς ἐς τὴν ἀμφίρρυτον· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποθανέαι καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ταῦρος ὁ καλλιστεύων. "
ταῦτα ἡ Πυθίη Ἀρκεσίλεῳ χρᾷ.
And if you find the oven full of amphorae, do not bake the amphorae, but send them away with a favorable wind; but if you do bake the oven, do not enter the water-girt land; otherwise, you shall die, both yourself and the fairest bull." This was the oracle the Pythian priestess gave to Arcesilaus.