sun. And these feed by day by the river that flows from Mount Lacmon, and by night they are kept by men wealthy and noble, chosen from among the citizens, each man keeping them a year; for the men of Apollonia by reason of a certain oracle make much account of these sheep. They are folded by night in a cave that is far distant from the city; and it chanced that this Evenius, having the charge of them on a certain night, fell asleep, and that while he slept wolves entered into the caves and devoured sixty of them. Evenius indeed sought to keep the matter secret, purposing to put another sixty in the place of these, but it came to the knowledge of the people; and they brought him to judgment for his misdeed and condemned him to lose his eyes. But lo! after they had blinded him, the sheep bare no more any young, nor the land its wonted increase. And when the men of Apollonia inquired the cause of the oracle of Dodona, the prophet answered them, “Ye have done wickedly, blinding Evenius, the keeper of the sheep. The Gods sent these wolves; nor will they cease to avenge the man’s cause till ye shall make him such satisfaction as he shall himself demand of you. And when ye have done this, then will the Gods themselves give him such a gift that all men shall call him blessed.”
When this oracle came to them, the men of Apollonia kept the matter close, and sent certain citizens to make an agreement with Evenius. This agreement they made in this wise. They found Evenius sitting on a bench. Then they sat down by him, and when they had spoken of other things, came at the last to condole with him for his mishap. And they asked him, saying, “Evenius, if the men of Apollonia were minded to give thee satisfaction for this injury, what wouldst thou demand?” Now Evenius had not heard of the oracle, and he said, “If they will give me such and such lands,” and he named the two citizens that he knew to have the best lands in the country, “and such a house,” and he named a house that he knew to be the fairest in the whole city, “I will lay aside my wrath, holding that I have had due satisfaction.” Then they that sat by him answered, “Evenius, the men of Apollonia give thee the satisfaction