Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers

Θαλῆς μὲ τῷ με δεῦντι Νειλέῳ δόμῳ.
Δίδωσι τῦτο δὶς λαβὼν ἀριστεῖον. that is,
"Thales, leader of the Milesians, gives me to the Nilean temple,
Having twice attained this prize as the most excellent."

The prose account is as follows: "Thales, son of Examyes the Milesian, [offers this] to Apollo Delphinius, having twice obtained the reward of the Greeks." But who it was that carried the bowl around—the son of Bathycles—was called Thyrion, as Eleusis says in his book on Achilles, and Alexo of Mindus in the ninth book of his fabulous tales. Eudoxus of Cnidus and Euantes the Milesian say that a certain friend of Croesus received a golden cup from the king in order to give it to the wisest of the Greeks, and that he gave it to Thales, and it reached Chilon. But when he asked the Pythian who was wiser than himself, the answer was Myson, about whom we shall speak in his own place. Eudoxus places this man instead of Cleobulus, and Plato instead of Periander. Apollo answered thus concerning him:

Οἰταῖόν τινα φημὶ Μύσων’ ἐν Χηνὶ γενέσθαι,
Σοῦ μᾶλλον πραπίδεσσιν ἀρηρότα πευκαλίμῃσιν.
that is,
I say that a certain Myson was born in Chena of the Oetaeans,
More fitted than you with wise thoughts.

But he who had asked was Anacharsis. Daedacus the Platonist and Clearchus say that the bowl was sent by Croesus to Pittacus, and thus carried around in a circle. As for the tripod, Andron says that the Argives established it as a reward of virtue for the wisest of the Greeks, and that Aristodemus the Spartan was judged to be that person, who in turn conceded it to Chilon. Alcaeus also remembers Aristodemus, attributing to him that saying famous among the Spartans: "No one is noble."

"Money makes the man, and no poor man is noble."