Select the correct answer.

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

The correct answer is: He has them taken out on the deck and killed.

In the classic Greek myth “The Story of Arion,” the punishment for the treacherous sailors is severe and final. The story revolves around Arion, a musician of unparalleled skill, who amasses a great fortune during a music tour. While sailing home to Corinth, the ship’s crew, driven by greed, decides to murder him and steal his treasure. They give Arion the choice of being killed outright or jumping overboard. Choosing the latter, Arion sings one last beautiful song before leaping into the sea.

Miraculously, a dolphin, enchanted by his music, saves him and carries him to shore. Arion promptly makes his way back to Corinth and reports the crime to his patron and friend, the ruler Periander. At first, Periander is skeptical of the fantastic tale. He places Arion under guard and waits for the sailors to arrive. When their ship docks, Periander summons the crew and asks for news of Arion. They lie, claiming they left him safe and prosperous abroad.

At that moment, Periander reveals Arion, alive and well. Caught in their lie and faced with their intended victim, the sailors have no defense. Their guilt is undeniable. As a consequence of their conspiracy and attempted murder, Periander does not banish them or imprison them for life. Instead, he orders their immediate execution. According to the earliest account by the historian Herodotus, the sailors were crucified. The chosen answer accurately reflects that they were put to death for their crime, a just and decisive punishment for their treachery against the gifted musician.

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