thou dost surpass not only all the Persians who were before thee, but
also those who shall come after, since thou didst not only attain in
thy words to that which is best and truest as regards other matters, but
also thou wilt not permit the Ionians who dwell in Europe to make a mock
of us, having no just right to do so: for a strange thing it would
be if, when we have subdued and kept as our servants Sacans, Indians,
Ethiopians, Assyrians, and other nations many in number and great, who
have done no wrong to the Persians, because we desired to add to our
dominions, we should not take vengeance on the Hellenes who committed
wrong against us unprovoked. (a) Of what should we be afraid?--what
gathering of numbers, or what resources of money? for their manner of
fight we know, and as for their resources, we know that they are feeble;
and we have moreover subdued already their sons, those I mean who are
settled in our land and are called Ionians, Aiolians, and Dorians.
Moreover I myself formerly made trial of marching against these men,
being commanded thereto by thy father; and although I marched as far as
Macedonia, and fell but little short of coming to Athens itself, no man
came to oppose me in fight. (b) And yet it is true that the Hellenes
make wars, but (as I am informed) very much without wise consideration,
by reason of obstinacy and want of skill: for when they have proclaimed
war upon one another, they find out first the fairest and smoothest
place, and to this they come down and fight; so that even the victors
depart from the fight with great loss, and as to the vanquished, of them
I make no mention at all, for they are utterly destroyed. They ought
however, being men who speak the same language, to make use of heralds
and messengers and so to take up their differences and settle them in
any way rather than by battles; but if they must absolutely war with one
another, they ought to find out each of them that place in which they
themselves are hardest to overcome, and here to make their trial.
Therefore the Hellenes, since they use no good way, when I had marched
as far as the land of Macedonia, did not come to the resolution of
fighting with me. (c) Who then is likely to set himself against thee,
O king, offering war, when thou art leading both all the multitudes of
Asia and the whole number of the ships? I for my part am of opinion that
the power of the Hellenes has not attained to such a pitch of boldness:
but if after all I should prove to be deceived in my judgment, and they
stirred up by inconsiderate folly should come to battle with us, they
would learn that we are the best of all men in the matters of war.
However that may be, let not anything be left untried; for nothing comes
of itself, but from trial all things are wont to come to men."
10. Mardonios having thus smoothed over the resolution expressed by
Xerxes had ceased speaking: and when the other Persians were silent and
did not venture to declare an opinion contrary to that which had been
proposed, then Artabanos the son of Hystaspes, being father's brother to
Xerxes and having reliance upon that, spoke as follows: (a) "O king,
if opinions opposed to one another be not spoken, it is not possible to
select the better in making the choice, but one must accept that which
has been spoken; if however opposite opinions be uttered, this is
possible; just as we do not distinguish the gold which is free from
alloy when it is alone by itself, but when we rub it on the touchstone
in comparison with other gold, then we distinguish that which is
the better. Now I gave advice to thy father Dareios also, who was my
brother, not to march against the Scythians, men who occupied no abiding
city in any part of the earth. He however, expecting that he would
subdue the Scythians who were nomads, did not listen to me; but he made
a march and came back from it with the loss of many good men of his
army. But thou, O king, art intending to march against men who are much
better than the Scythians, men who are reported to be excellent both by
sea and on land: and the thing which is to be feared in this matter it
is right that I should declare to thee. (b) Thou sayest that thou wilt
yoke the Hellespont with a bridge and march an army through Europe to
Hellas. Now supposing it chance that we are 9 worsted either by land or
by sea, or even both, for the men are reported to be valiant in fight,
(and we may judge for ourselves that it is so, since the Athenians
by themselves destroyed that great army which came with Datis and
Artaphrenes to the Attic land),--suppose however that they do not
succeed in both, yet if they shall attack with their ships and conquer
in a sea-fight, and then sail to the Hellespont and break up the bridge,
this of itself, O king, will prove to be a great peril. (c) Not however
by any native wisdom of my own do I conjecture that this might happen:
I am conjecturing only such a misfortune as all but came upon us at the
former time, when thy father, having yoked the Bosphorus of Thracia and
made a bridge over the river Ister, had crossed over to go against the
Scythians. At that time the Scythians used every means of entreaty
to persuade the Ionians to break up the passage, to whom it had been
entrusted to guard the bridges of the Ister. At that time, if Histiaios
the despot of Miletos had followed the opinion of the other despots and
had not made opposition to them, the power of the Persians would have
been brought to an end. Yet it is a fearful thing even to hear it
reported that the whole power of the king had come to depend upon one
human creature. 10 (d) Do not thou therefore propose to go into any
such danger when there is no need, but do as I say:--at the present time
dissolve this assembly; and afterwards at whatever time it shall seem
good to thee, when thou hast considered prudently with thyself, proclaim
that which seems to thee best: for good counsel I hold to be a very
great gain; since even if anything shall prove adverse, the counsel
which has been taken is no less good, though it has been defeated by
fortune; while he who took counsel badly at first, if good fortune
should go with him has lighted on a prize by chance, but none the
less for that his counsel was bad. (e) Thou seest how God strikes with
thunderbolts the creatures which stand above the rest and suffers them
not to make a proud show; while those which are small do not provoke
him to jealousy: thou seest also how he hurls his darts ever at those
buildings which are the highest and those trees likewise; for God is
wont to cut short all those things which stand out above the rest. Thus
also a numerous army is destroyed by one of few men in some such manner
as this, namely when God having become jealous of them casts upon them
panic or thundering from heaven, then they are destroyed utterly and
not as their worth deserves; for God suffers not any other to have high
thoughts save only himself. (f) Moreover the hastening of any matter
breeds disasters, whence great losses are wont to be produced; but in
waiting there are many good things contained, as to which, if they
do not appear to be good at first, yet one will find them to be so in
course of time. (g) To thee, O king, I give this counsel: but thou son
of Gobryas, Mardonios, cease speaking foolish words about the Hellenes,
since they in no way deserve to be spoken of with slight; for by
uttering slander against the Hellenes thou art stirring the king himself
to make an expedition, and it is to this very end that I think thou art
straining all thy endeavour. Let not this be so; for slander is a most
grievous thing: in it the wrongdoers are two, and the person who suffers
wrong is one. The slanderer does a wrong in that he speaks against
one who is not present, the other in that he is persuaded of the thing
before he gets certain knowledge of it, and he who is not present when
the words are spoken suffers wrong in the matter thus,--both because he
has been slandered by the one and because he has been believed to be
bad by the other. (h) However, if it be absolutely needful to make an
expedition against these men, come, let the king himself remain behind
in the abodes of the Persians, and let us both set to the wager our
sons; and then do thou lead an army by thyself, choosing for thyself
the men whom thou desirest, and taking an army as large as thou thinkest
good: and if matters turn out for the king as thou sayest, let my sons
be slain and let me also be slain in addition to them; but if in the way
which I predict, let thy sons suffer this, and with them thyself also,
if thou shalt return back. But if thou art not willing to undergo this
proof, but wilt by all means lead an army against Hellas, then I say
that those who are left behind in this land will hear 11 that Mardonios,
after having done a great mischief to the Persians, is torn by dogs and
birds, either in the land of the Athenians, or else perchance thou wilt
be in the land of the Lacedemonians (unless indeed this should have come
to pass even before that upon the way), and that thou hast at length
been made aware against what kind of men thou art persuading the king to
march."
11. Artabanos thus spoke; and Xerxes enraged by it made answer as
follows: "Artabanos, thou art my father's brother, and this shall save
thee from receiving any recompense such as thy foolish words deserve.
Yet I attach to thee this dishonour, seeing that thou art a coward and
spiritless, namely that thou do not march with me against Hellas, but
remain here together with the women; and I, even without thy help,
will accomplish all the things which I said: for I would I might not be
descended from Dareios, the son of Hystaspes, the son of Arsames, the
son of Ariaramnes, the son of Teïspes, or from Cyrus, 12 the son of
Cambyses, the son of Teïspes, the son of Achaimenes, if I take not
vengeance on the Athenians; since I know well that if we shall keep
quiet, yet they will not do so, but will again 13 march against our
land, if we may judge by the deeds which have been done by them to begin
with, since they both set fire to Sardis and marched upon Asia. It is
not possible therefore that either side should retire from the quarrel,
but the question before us is whether we shall do or whether we shall
suffer; whether all these regions shall come to be under the Hellenes
or all those under the Persians: for in our hostility there is no middle
course. It follows then now that it is well for us, having suffered
wrong first, to take revenge, that I may find out also what is this
terrible thing which I shall suffer if I lead an army against these
men,--men whom Pelops the Phrygian, who was the slave of my forefathers,
so subdued that even to the present day both the men themselves and
their land are called after the name of him who subdued them."
12. Thus far was it spoken then; but afterwards when darkness came on,
the opinion of Artabanos tormented Xerxes continually; and making night
his counsellor he found that it was by no means to his advantage to make
the march against Hellas. So when he had thus made a new resolve, he
fell asleep, and in the night he saw, as is reported by the Persians, a
vision as follows:--Xerxes thought that a man tall and comely of shape
came and stood by him and said: "Art thou indeed changing thy counsel,
O Persian, of leading an expedition against Hellas, now that thou hast
made proclamation that the Persians shall collect an army? Thou dost not
well in changing thy counsel, nor will he who is here present with thee
excuse thee from it; 1301 but as thou didst take counsel in the day to
do, by that way go."
13. After he had said this, Xerxes thought that he who had spoken flew
away; and when day had dawned he made no account of this dream, but
gathered together the Persians whom he had assembled also the former
time and said to them these words: "Persians, pardon me that I make
quick changes in my counsel; for in judgment not yet am I come to my
prime, and they who advise me to do the things which I said, do not
for any long time leave me to myself. However, although at first when
I heard the opinion of Artabanos my youthful impulses burst out, 14 so
that I cast out unseemly words 15 against a man older than myself; yet
now I acknowledge that he is right, and I shall follow his opinion.
Consider then I have changed my resolve to march against Hellas, and do
ye remain still."
14. The Persians accordingly when they heard this were rejoiced and made
obeisance: but when night had come on, the same dream again came and
stood by Xerxes as he lay asleep and said: "Son of Dareios, it is
manifest then that thou hast resigned this expedition before the
assembly of the Persians, and that thou hast made no account of my
words, as if thou hadst heard them from no one at all. Now therefore be
well assured of this:--if thou do not make thy march forthwith, there
shall thence spring up for thee this result, namely that, as thou didst
in short time become great and mighty, so also thou shalt speedily be
again brought low."
15. Xerxes then, being very greatly disturbed by fear of the vision,
started up from his bed and sent a messenger to summon Artabanos; to
whom when he came Xerxes spoke thus: "Artabanos, at the first I was
not discreet, when I spoke to thee foolish words on account of thy good
counsel; but after no long time I changed my mind and perceived that I
ought to do these things which thou didst suggest to me. I am not able
however to do them, although I desire it; for indeed, now that I have
turned about and changed my mind, a dream appears haunting me and by no
means approving that I should do so; and just now it has left me even
with a threat. If therefore it is God who sends it to me, and it is his
absolute will and pleasure that an army should go against Hellas, this
same dream will fly to thee also, laying upon thee a charge such as it
has laid upon me; and it occurs to my mind that this might happen thus,
namely if thou shouldst take all my attire and put it on, and then seat
thyself on my throne, and after that lie down to sleep in my bed."
16. Xerxes spoke to him thus; and Artabanos was not willing to obey the
command at first, since he did not think himself worthy to sit upon
the royal throne; but at last being urged further he did that which was
commanded, first having spoken these words: (a) "It is equally good in
my judgment, O king, whether a man has wisdom himself or is willing to
follow the counsel of him who speaks well: and thou, who hast attained
to both these good things, art caused to err by the communications of
evil men; just as they say that the Sea, which is of all things the
most useful to men, is by blasts of winds falling upon it prevented from
doing according to its own nature. I however, when I was evil spoken of
by thee, was not so much stung with pain for this, as because, when
two opinions were laid before the Persians, the one tending to increase
wanton insolence and the other tending to check it and saying that it
was a bad thing to teach the soul to endeavour always to have something
more than the present possession,--because, I say, when such opinions as
these were laid before us, thou didst choose that one which was the more
dangerous both for thyself and for the Persians. (b) And now that
thou hast turned to the better counsel, thou sayest that when thou art
disposed to let go the expedition against the Hellenes, a dream haunts
thee sent by some god, which forbids thee to abandon thy enterprise.
Nay, but here too thou dost err, my son, since this is not of the Deity;
16 for the dreams of sleep which come roaming about to men, are of such
nature as I shall inform thee, being by many years older than thou. The
visions of dreams are wont to hover above us 17 in such form 18 for the
most part as the things of which we were thinking during the day; and we
in the days preceding were very much occupied with this campaign. (c) If
however after all this is not such a thing as I interpret it to be, but
is something which is concerned with God, thou hast summed the matter up
in that which thou hast said: let it appear, as thou sayest, to me also,
as to thee, and give commands. But supposing that it desires to appear
to me at all, it is not bound to appear to me any the more if I have thy
garments on me than if I have my own, nor any more if I take my rest in
thy bed than if I am in thy own; for assuredly this thing, whatever
it may be, which appears to thee in thy sleep, is not so foolish as
to suppose, when it sees me, that it is thou, judging so because the
garments are thine. That however which we must find out now is this,
namely if it will hold me in no account, and not think fit to appear to
me, whether I have my own garments or whether I have thine, but continue
still to haunt thee; 19 for if it shall indeed haunt thee perpetually,
I shall myself also be disposed to say that it is of the Deity. But if
thou hast resolved that it shall be so, and it is not possible to turn
aside this thy resolution, but I must go to sleep in thy bed, then let
it appear to me also, when I perform these things: but until then I
shall hold to the opinion which I now have."
17. Having thus said Artabanos, expecting that he would prove that
Xerxes was speaking folly, did that which was commanded him; and having
put on the garments of Xerxes and seated himself in the royal throne,
he afterwards went to bed: and when he had fallen asleep, the same dream
came to him which used to come to Xerxes, and standing over Artabanos
spoke these words: "Art thou indeed he who endeavours to dissuade Xerxes
from making a march against Hellas, pretending to have a care of him?
However, neither in the future nor now at the present shalt thou escape
unpunished for trying to turn away that which is destined to come to
pass: and as for Xerxes, that which he must suffer if he disobeys, hath
been shown already to the man himself."
18. Thus it seemed to Artabanos that the dream threatened him, and at
the same time was just about to burn out his eyes with hot irons; and
with a loud cry he started up from his bed, and sitting down beside
Xerxes he related to him throughout the vision of the dream, and then
said to him as follows: "I, O king, as one who has seen before now many
great things brought to their fall by things less, urged thee not to
yield in all things to the inclination of thy youth, since I knew that
it was evil to have desire after many things; remembering on the one
hand the march of Cyrus against the Massagetai, what fortune it had, and
also that of Cambyses against the Ethiopians; and being myself one who
took part with Dareios in the campaign against the Scythians. Knowing
these things I had the opinion that thou wert to be envied of all men,
so long as thou shouldest keep still. Since however there comes a divine
impulse, and, as it seems, a destruction sent by heaven is taking hold
of the Hellenes, I for my part am both changed in myself and also I
reverse my opinions; and do thou signify to the Persians the message
which is sent to thee from God, bidding them follow the commands which
were given by thee at first with regard to the preparations to be
made; and endeavour that on thy side nothing may be wanting, since God
delivers the matter into thy hands." These things having been said, both
were excited to confidence by the vision, and so soon as it became
day, Xerxes communicated the matter to the Persians, and Artabanos,
who before was the only man who came forward to dissuade him, now came
forward to urge on the design.
19. Xerxes being thus desirous to make the expedition, there came to
him after this a third vision in his sleep, which the Magians, when they
heard it, explained to have reference to the dominion of the whole Earth
and to mean that all men should be subject to him; and the vision was
this:--Xerxes thought that he had been crowned with a wreath of an
olive-branch and that the shoots growing from the olive-tree covered
the whole Earth; and after that, the wreath, placed as it was about his
head, disappeared. When the Magians had thus interpreted the vision,
forthwith every man of the Persians who had been assembled together
departed to his own province and was zealous by all means to perform the
commands, desiring each one to receive for himself the gifts which
had been proposed: and thus Xerxes was gathering his army together,
searching every region of the continent.
20. During four full years from the conquest of Egypt he was preparing
the army and the things that were of service for the army, and in the
course of the fifth year 20 he began his campaign with a host of great
multitude. For of all the armies of which we have knowledge this proved
to be by far the greatest; so that neither that led by Dareios against
the Scythians appears anything as compared with it, nor the Scythian
host, when the Scythians pursuing the Kimmerians made invasion of the
Median land and subdued and occupied nearly all the upper parts of Asia,
for which invasion afterwards Dareios attempted to take vengeance,
nor that led by the sons of Atreus to Ilion, to judge by that which is
reported of their expedition, nor that of the Mysians and Teucrians,
before the Trojan war, who passed over into Europe by the Bosphorus and
not only subdued all the Thracians, but came down also as far as the
Ionian Sea 21 and marched southwards to the river Peneios.
21. All these expeditions put together, with others, if there be any,
added to them, 22 are not equal to this one alone. For what nation
did Xerxes not lead out of Asia against Hellas? and what water was not
exhausted, being drunk by his host, except only the great rivers?
For some supplied ships, and others were appointed to serve in the
land-army; to some it was appointed to furnish cavalry, and to others
vessels to carry horses, while they served in the expedition themselves
also; 23 others were ordered to furnish ships of war for the bridges,
and others again ships with provisions.
22. Then in the first place, since the former fleet had suffered
disaster in sailing round Athos, preparations had been going on for
about three years past with regard to Athos: for triremes lay at anchor
at Elaius in the Chersonese, and with this for their starting point men
of all nations belonging to the army worked at digging, compelled by
the lash; and the men went to the work regularly in succession: moreover
those who dwelt round about Athos worked also at the digging: and
Bubares the son of Megabazos and Artachaies the son of Artaios, Persians
both, were set over the work. Now Athos is a mountain great and famous,
running down to the sea and inhabited by men: and where the mountain
ends on the side of the mainland the place is like a peninsula with an
isthmus about twelve furlongs 24 across. Here it is plain land or hills
of no great size, extending from the sea of the Acanthians to that which
lies off Torone; and on this isthmus, where Athos ends, is situated a
Hellenic city called Sane: moreover there are others beyond Sane 25 and
within the peninsula of Athos, all which at this time the Persian had
resolved to make into cities of an island and no longer of the mainland;
these are, Dion, Olophyxos, Acrothoon, Thyssos, Cleonai.
23. These are the cities which occupy Athos: and they dug as follows,
the country being divided among the Barbarians by nations for the
work:--at the city of Sane they drew a straight line across the isthmus,
and when the channel became deep, those who stood lowest dug, while
others delivered the earth as it was dug out to other men who stood
above, as upon steps, and they again to others when it was received,
until they came to those that were highest; and these bore it away and
cast it forth. Now the others except the Phenicians had double toil by
the breaking down of the steep edges of their excavation; for since they
endeavoured to make the opening at the top and that at the bottom both
of the same measure, some such thing was likely to result, as they
worked: but the Phenicians, who are apt to show ability in their works
generally, did so in this work also; for when they had had assigned
to them by lot so much as fell to their share, they proceeded to dig,
making the opening of the excavation at the top twice as wide as the
channel itself was to be; and as the work went forward, they kept
contracting the width; so that, when they came to the bottom, their work
was made of equal width with that of the others. Now there is a meadow
there, in which there was made for them a market and a place for buying
and selling; and great quantities of corn came for them regularly from
Asia, ready ground.