So Damocles goes to the court, dressed in his second-best outfit, since the day doesn’t augur much. Damon and Pythias are there; Damocles has known them since they were kids; he knows pretty much everybody who counts in Syracuse, since it’s a small town. Ever since D&P won the favor of Dionysius, through this stunt they pulled by offering to die for each other, they’ve been big cheeses at the court. Damocles has had to make up a lot of flattering dithyrambs and iambics and anapests about them; he’s just about run out of rhymes for "Phyntias" and wishes the guy would change his goddamn name.