116 TIMOLEON.

nation they now conceived against Hicetes so exasper- ated and inflamed them all, that they willingly contrib- uted to supply Timoleon, and endeavored, with one accord, to hasten his departure. When the vessels were equipped, and his soldiers every way provided for, the female priests of Proserpina had a dream or vision, wherein she and her mother Ceres ap- peared to them in a travelling garb, and were heard to say that they were going to sail with Timoleon into Sicily; whereupon the Corinthians, having built a sacred galley, devoted it to them, and called it the galley of the goddesses. Timoleon went in person to Delphi, where he sacrificed to Apollo, and, descending into the place of prophecy, was surprised with the following marvellous occurrence. A riband with crowns and figures of victory embroidered upon it, slipped off from among the gifts that were there consecrated and hung up in the temple, and fell directly down upon his head ; so that Apollo seemed already to crown him with success, and send him thence to conquer and triumph. He put to sea only with seven ships of Corinth, two of Corcyra, and a tenth which was furnished bj- the Leucadians ; and when he was now entered into the deep b}' night, and carried with a prosperous gale, the heaven seemed all on a sudden to break open, and a bright spreading flame to issue forth from it, and hover over the ship he was in ; and, hav- ing formed itself into a torch, not unlil^e those that are used in the mysteiies, it began to steer the same course, and run along in their company, guiding them by its light to that quarter of Italy where they designed to go ashore. The soothsayers affirmed, that this apparition agreed with the dream of the holy women, since the goddesses were now visibU' joining in the expedition, and sending this light from heaven before them: Sicily being thought eacred to Proserpina, as poets feign that the rape was com-