Datis, but the third, Pharnuches, who was in command of the horse with
them, had been left behind at Sardis sick: for as they were setting
forth from Sardis, an accident befell him of an unwished-for kind,--as
he was riding, a dog ran up under his horse's feet, and the horse
not having seen it beforehand was frightened, and rearing up he threw
Pharnuches off his back, who falling vomited blood, and his sickness
turned to a consumption. To the horse however they forthwith at the
first did as he commanded, that is to say, the servants led him away
to the place where he had thrown his master and cut off his legs at the
knees. Thus was Pharnuches removed from his command.
89. Of the triremes the number proved to be one thousand two hundred and
seven, and these were they who furnished them:--the Phenicians, together
with the Syrians 82 who dwell in Palestine furnished three hundred;
and they were equipped thus, that is to say, they had about their heads
leathern caps made very nearly in the Hellenic fashion, and they wore
corslets of linen, and had shields without rims and javelins. These
Phenicians dwelt in ancient time, as they themselves report, upon the
Erythraian Sea, and thence they passed over and dwell in the country
along the sea coast of Syria; and this part of Syria and all as far as
Egypt is called Palestine. The Egyptians furnished two hundred ships:
these men had about their heads helmets of plaited work, and they had
hollow shields with the rims large, and spears for sea-fighting, and
large axes: 83 the greater number of them wore corslets, and they had
large knives.
90. These men were thus equipped; and the Cyprians furnished a hundred
and fifty ships, being themselves equipped as follows,--their kings had
their heads wound round with fillets, 84 and the rest had tunics, 85
but in other respects they were like the Hellenes. Among these there
are various races as follows,--some of them are from Salamis and Athens,
others from Arcadia, others from Kythnos, others again from Phenicia and
others from Ethiopia, as the Cyprians themselves report.
91. The Kilikians furnished a hundred ships; and these again had about
their heads native helmets, and for shields they carried targets made of
raw ox-hide: they wore tunics 86 of wool and each man had two javelins
and a sword, this last being made very like the Egyptian knives. These
in old time were called Hypachaians, and they got their later name from
Kilix the son of Agenor, a Phenician. The Pamphylians furnished thirty
ships and were equipped in Hellenic arms. These Pamphylians are of those
who were dispersed from Troy together with Amphilochos and Calchas.
92. The Lykians furnished fifty ships; and they were wearers of corslets
and greaves, and had bows of cornel-wood and arrows of reeds without
feathers and javelins and a goat-skin hanging over their shoulders, and
about their heads felt caps wreathed round with feathers; also they had
daggers and falchions. 87 The Lykians were formerly called Termilai,
being originally of Crete, and they got their later name from Lycos the
son of Pandion, an Athenian.
93. The Dorians of Asia furnished thirty ships; and these had Hellenic
arms and were originally from the Peloponnese. The Carians supplied
seventy ships; and they were equipped in other respects like Hellenes
but they had also falchions and daggers. What was the former name of
these has been told in the first part of the history. 88
94. The Ionians furnished a hundred ships, and were equipped
like Hellenes. Now the Ionians, so long time as they dwelt in the
Peloponnese, in the land which is now called Achaia, and before the
time when Danaos and Xuthos came to the Peloponnese, were called, as the
Hellenes report, Pelasgians of the Coast-land, 89 and then Ionians after
Ion the son of Xuthos.
95. The islanders furnished seventeen ships, and were armed like
Hellenes, this also being a Pelasgian race, though afterwards it came to
be called Ionian by the same rule as the Ionians of the twelve cities,
who came from Athens. The Aiolians supplied sixty ships; and these were
equipped like Hellenes and used to be called Pelasgians in the old time,
as the Hellenes report. The Hellespontians, excepting those of Abydos
(for the men of Abydos had been appointed by the king to stay in their
place and be guards of the bridges), the rest, I say, of those who
served in the expedition from the Pontus furnished a hundred ships,
and were equipped like Hellenes: these are colonists of the Ionians and
Dorians.
96. In all the ships there served as fighting-men Persians, Medes, or
Sacans;: and of the ships, those which sailed best were furnished by the
Phenicians, and of the Phenicians the best by the men of Sidon. Over all
these men and also over those of them who were appointed to serve in the
land-army, there were for each tribe native chieftains, of whom, since I
am not compelled by the course of the inquiry, I make no mention by the
way; for in the first place the chieftains of each separate nation were
not persons worthy of mention, and then moreover within each nation
there were as many chieftains as there were cities. These went with the
expedition too not as commanders, but like the others serving as slaves;
for the generals who had the absolute power and commanded the various
nations, that is to say those who were Persians, having already been
mentioned by me.
97. Of the naval force the following were commanders,--Ariabignes the
son of Dareios, Prexaspes the son of Aspathines, Megabazos the son of
Megabates, and Achaimenes the son of Dareios; that is to say, of the
Ionian and Carian force Ariabignes, who was the son of Dareios and of
the daughter of Gobryas; of the Egyptians Achaimenes was commander,
being brother of Xerxes by both parents; and of the rest of the armament
the other two were in command: and galleys of thirty oars and of fifty
oars, and light vessels, 90 and long 91 ships to carry horses had been
assembled together, as it proved, to the number of three thousand.
98. Of those who sailed in the ships the men of most note after the
commanders were these,--of Sidon, Tetramnestos son of Anysos; of
Tyre, Matten 92 son of Siromos; or Arados, Merbalos son of Agbalos; of
Kilikia, Syennesis son of Oromedon; of Lykia, Kyberniscos son of Sicas;
of Cyprus, Gorgos son of Chersis and Timonax son of Timagoras; of Caria,
Histiaios son of Tymnes, Pigres son of Hysseldomos, 93 and Damasithymos
son of Candaules.
99. Of the rest of the officers I make no mention by the way (since I am
not bound to do so), but only of Artemisia, at whom I marvel most that
she joined the expedition against Hellas, being a woman; for after her
husband died, she holding the power herself, although she had a son
who was a young man, went on the expedition impelled by high spirit
and manly courage, no necessity being laid upon her. Now her name, as I
said, was Artemisia and she was the daughter of Lygdamis, and by descent
she was of Halicarnassos on the side of her father, but of Crete by her
mother. She was ruler of the men of Halicarnassos and Cos and Nisyros
and Calydna, furnishing five ships; and she furnished ships which were
of all the fleet reputed the best after those of the Sidonians, and
of all his allies she set forth the best counsels to the king. Of the
States of which I said that she was leader I declare the people to be
all of Dorian race, those of Halicarnassos being Troizenians, and the
rest Epidaurians. So far then I have spoken of the naval force.
100. Then when Xerxes had numbered the army, and it had been arranged in
divisions, he had a mind to drive through it himself and inspect it: and
afterwards he proceeded so to do; and driving through in a chariot
by each nation, he inquired about them and his scribes wrote down the
names, until he had gone from end to end both of the horse and of the
foot. When he had done this, the ships were drawn down into the sea,
and Xerxes changing from his chariot to a ship of Sidon sat down under a
golden canopy and sailed along by the prows of the ships, asking of all
just as he had done with the land-army, and having the answers written
down. And the captains had taken their ships out to a distance of about
four hundred feet from the beach and were staying them there, all having
turned the prows of the ships towards the shore in an even line 94 and
having armed all the fighting-men as for war; and he inspected them
sailing within, between the prows of the ships and the beach.
101. Now when he had sailed through these and had disembarked from his
ship, he sent for Demaratos the son of Ariston, who was marching
with him against Hellas; and having called him he asked as follows:
"Demaratos, now it is my pleasure to ask thee somewhat which I desire
to know. Thou art not only a Hellene, but also, as I am informed both
by thee and by the other Hellenes who come to speech with me, of a city
which is neither the least nor the feeblest of Hellas. Now therefore
declare to me this, namely whether the Hellenes will endure to raise
hands against me: for, as I suppose, even if all the Hellenes and
the remaining nations who dwell towards the West should be gathered
together, they are not strong enough in fight to endure my attack,
supposing them to be my enemies. 95 I desire however to be informed also
of thy opinion, what thou sayest about these matters." He inquired thus,
and the other made answer and said: "O king, shall I utter the truth
in speaking to thee, or that which will give pleasure?" and he bade
him utter the truth, saying that he should suffer nothing unpleasant in
consequence of this, any more than he suffered before.
102. When Demaratos heard this, he spoke as follows: "O king, since thou
biddest me by all means utter the truth, and so speak as one who shall
not be afterwards convicted by thee of having spoken falsely, I say
this:--with Hellas poverty is ever an inbred growth, while valour is one
that has been brought in, being acquired by intelligence and the force
of law; and of it Hellas makes use ever to avert from herself not only
poverty but also servitude to a master. Now I commend all the Hellenes
who are settled in those Dorian lands, but this which I am about to say
has regard not to all, but to the Lacedemonians alone: of these I say,
first that it is not possible that they will ever accept thy terms,
which carry with them servitude for Hellas; and next I say that they
will stand against thee in fight, even if all the other Hellenes shall
be of thy party: and as for numbers, ask now how many they are, that
they are able to do this; for whether it chances that a thousand of them
have come out into the field, these will fight with thee, or if there be
less than this, or again if there be more."
103. Xerxes hearing this laughed, and said: "Demaratos, what a speech is
this which thou hast uttered, saying that a thousand men will fight with
this vast army! Come tell me this:--thou sayest that thou wert thyself
king of these men; wilt thou therefore consent forthwith to fight with
ten men? and yet if your State is such throughout as thou dost describe
it, thou their king ought by your laws to stand in array against double
as many as another man; that is to say, if each of them is a match for
ten men of my army, I expect of thee that thou shouldest be a match for
twenty. Thus would be confirmed the report which is made by thee: but if
ye, who boast thus greatly are such men and in size so great only as
the Hellenes who come commonly to speech with me, thyself included, then
beware lest this which has been spoken prove but an empty vaunt. For
come, let me examine it by all that is probable: how could a thousand or
ten thousand or even fifty thousand, at least if they were all equally
free and were not ruled by one man, stand against so great an army?
since, as thou knowest, we shall be more than a thousand coming about
each one of them, supposing them to be in number five thousand. If
indeed they were ruled by one man after our fashion, they might perhaps
from fear of him become braver than it was their nature to be, or they
might go compelled by the lash to fight with greater numbers, being
themselves fewer in number; but if left at liberty, they would do
neither of these things: and I for my part suppose that, even if equally
matched in numbers, the Hellenes would hardly dare to fight with the
Persians taken alone. With us however this of which thou speakest is
found in single men, 96 not indeed often, but rarely; for there are
Persians of my spearmen who will consent to fight with three men of the
Hellenes at once: but thou hast had no experience of these things and
therefore thou speakest very much at random."
104. To this Demaratos replied: "O king, from the first I was sure that
if I uttered the truth I should not speak that which was pleasing to
thee; since however thou didst compel me to speak the very truth, I told
thee of the matters which concern the Spartans. And yet how I am at this
present time attached to them by affection thou knowest better than any;
seeing that first they took away from me the rank and privileges which
came to me from my fathers, and then also they have caused me to be
without native land and an exile; but thy father took me up and gave
me livelihood and a house to dwell in. Surely it is not to be supposed
likely that the prudent man will thrust aside friendliness which is
offered to him, but rather that he will accept it with full contentment.
97 And I do not profess that I am able to fight either with ten men or
with two, nay, if I had my will, I would not even fight with one; but if
there were necessity or if the cause which urged me to the combat were
a great one, I would fight most willingly with one of these men who says
that he is a match for three of the Hellenes. So also the Lacedemonians
are not inferior to any men when fighting one by one, and they are the
best of all men when fighting in a body: for though free, yet they are
not free in all things, for over them is set Law as a master, whom they
fear much more even than thy people fear thee. It is certain at least
that they do whatsoever that master commands; and he commands ever the
same thing, that is to say, he bids them not flee out of battle from
any multitude of men, but stay in their post and win the victory or lose
their life. But if when I say these things I seem to thee to be speaking
at random, of other things for the future I prefer to be silent; and
at this time I spake only because I was compelled. May it come to pass
however according to thy mind, O king."
105. He thus made answer, and Xerxes turned the matter to laughter
and felt no anger, but dismissed him with kindness. Then after he had
conversed with him, and had appointed Mascames son of Megadostes to
be governor at this place Doriscos, removing the governor who had been
appointed by Dareios, Xerxes marched forth his army through Thrace to
invade Hellas.
106. And Mascames, whom he left behind here, proved to be a man of such
qualities that to him alone Xerxes used to send gifts, considering him
the best of all the men whom either he himself or Dareios had appointed
to be governors,--he used to send him gifts, I say, every year, and so
also did Artaxerxes the son of Xerxes to the descendants of Mascames.
For even before this march governors had been appointed in Thrace and
everywhere about the Hellespont; and these all, both those in Thrace and
in the Hellespont, were conquered by the Hellenes after this expedition,
except only the one who was at Doriscos; but Mascames at Doriscos none
were ever 98 able to conquer, though many tried. For this reason the
gifts are sent continually for him from the king who reigns over the
Persians.
107. Of those however who were conquered by the Hellenes Xerxes did not
consider any to be a good man except only Boges, who was at Eïon: him
he never ceased commending, and he honoured very highly his children who
survived him in the land of Persia. For in truth Boges proved himself
worthy of great commendation, seeing that when he was besieged by the
Athenians under Kimon the son of Miltiades, though he might have gone
forth under a truce and so returned home to Asia, he preferred not to
do this, for fear that the king should that it was by cowardice that he
survived; and he continued to hold out till the last. Then when there
was no longer any supply of provisions within the wall, he heaped
together a great pyre, and he cut the throats of his children, his wife,
his concubines and his servants, and threw them into the fire; and after
this he scattered all the gold and silver in the city from the wall into
the river Strymon, and having so done he threw himself into the fire.
Thus he is justly commended even to this present time by the Persians.
108. Xerxes from Doriscos was proceeding onwards to invade Hellas; and
as he went he compelled those who successively came in his way, to join
his march: for the whole country as far as Thessaly had been reduced to
subjection, as has been set forth by me before, and was tributary under
the king, having been subdued by Megabazos and afterwards by Mardonios.
And he passed in his march from Doriscos first by the Samothrakian
strongholds, of which that which is situated furthest towards the West
is a city called Mesambria. Next to this follows Stryme, a city of the
Thasians, and midway between them flows the river Lisos, which at this
time did not suffice when supplying its water to the army of Xerxes, but
the stream failed. This country was in old time called Gallaïke, but now
Briantike; however by strict justice this also belongs to the Kikonians.
109. Having crossed over the bed of the river Lisos after it had been
dried up, he passed by these Hellenic cities, namely Maroneia, Dicaia
and Abdera. These I say he passed by, and also the following lakes of
note lying near them,--the Ismarian lake, lying between Maroneia and
Stryme; the Bistonian lake near Dicaia, into which two rivers pour their
waters, the Trauos 99 and the Compsantos; 100 and at Abdera no lake
indeed of any note was passed by Xerxes, but the river Nestos, which
flows there into the sea. Then after passing these places he went by the
cities of the mainland, 101 near one of which there is, as it chances,
a lake of somewhere about thirty furlongs in circumference, abounding in
fish and very brackish; this the baggage-animals alone dried up, being
watered at it: and the name of this city is Pistyros. 102
110. These cities, I say, lying by the sea coast and belonging to
Hellenes, he passed by, leaving them on the left hand; and the tribes of
Thracians through whose country he marched were as follows, namely
the Paitians, Kikonians, Bistonians, Sapaians, Dersaians, Edonians,
Satrians. Of these they who were settled along the sea coast accompanied
him with their ships, and those of them who dwelt inland and have been
enumerated by me, were compelled to accompany him on land, except the
Satrians:
111, the Satrians however never yet became obedient to any man, so far
as we know, but they remain up to my time still free, alone of all the
Thracians; for they dwell in lofty mountains, which are covered with
forest of all kinds and with snow, and also they are very skilful in
war. These are they who possess the Oracle of Dionysos; which Oracle is
on their most lofty mountains. Of the Satrians those who act as prophets
103 of the temple are the Bessians; it is a prophetess 104 who utters
the oracles, as at Delphi; and beyond this there is nothing further of a
remarkable character. 105
112. Xerxes having passed over the land which has been spoken of, next
after this passed the strongholds of the Pierians, of which the name
of the one is Phagres and of the other Pergamos. By this way, I say,
he made his march, going close by the walls of these, and keeping Mount
Pangaion on the right hand, which is both great and lofty and in which
are mines both of gold and of silver possessed by the Pierians and
Odomantians, and especially by the Satrians.
113. Thus passing by the Paionians, Doberians and Paioplians, who dwell
beyond Pangaion towards the North Wind, he went on Westwards, until at
last he came to the river Strymon and the city of Eïon, of which,
so long as he lived, Boges was commander, the same about whom I was
speaking a short time back. This country about Mount Pangaion is called
Phyllis, and it extends Westwards to the river Angites, which flows into
the Strymon, and Southwards it stretches to the Strymon itself; and at
this river the Magians sacrificed for good omens, slaying white horses.
114. Having done this and many other things in addition to this, as
charms for the river, at the Nine Ways 106 in the land of the Edonians,
they proceeded by the bridges, for they had found the Strymon already
yoked with bridges; and being informed that this place was called the
Nine Ways, they buried alive in it that number of boys and maidens,
children of the natives of the place. Now burying alive is a Persian
custom; for I am informed that Amestris also, the wife of Xerxes, when
she had grown old, made return for her own life to the god who is said
to be beneath the earth by burying twice seven children of Persians who
were men of renown.
115. As the army proceeded on its march from the Strymon, it found after
this a sea-beach stretching towards the setting of the sun, and passed
by the Hellenic city, Argilos, which was there placed. This region and
that which lies above it is called Bisaltia. Thence, keeping on the left
hand the gulf which lies of Posideion, he went through the plain which
is called the plain of Syleus, passing by Stageiros a Hellenic city, and
so came to Acanthos, taking with him as he went each one of these tribes
and also of those who dwell about Mount Pangaion, just as he did those
whom I enumerated before, having the men who dwelt along the sea coast
to serve in the ships and those who dwelt inland to accompany him on
foot. This road by which Xerxes the king marched his army, the Thracians
do not disturb nor sow crops over, but pay very great reverence to it
down to my own time.
116. Then when he had come to Acanthos, Xerxes proclaimed a
guest-friendship with the people of Acanthos and also presented them
with the Median dress 107 and commended them, perceiving that they were
zealous to serve him in the war and hearing of that which had been dug.
117. And while Xerxes was in Acanthos, it happened that he who had
been set over the making of the channel, Artachaies by name, died of
sickness, a man who was highly esteemed by Xerxes and belonged to
the Achaimenid family; also he was in stature the tallest of all the
Persians, falling short by only four fingers of being five royal cubits
108 in height, and he had a voice the loudest of all men; so that Xerxes
was greatly grieved at the loss of him, and carried him forth and buried
him with great honour, and the whole army joined in throwing up a mound
for him. To this Artachaies the Acanthians by the bidding of an oracle
do sacrifice as a hero, calling upon his name in worship.
118. King Xerxes, I say, was greatly grieved at the loss of Artachaies:
and meanwhile the Hellenes who were entertaining his army and providing
Xerxes with dinners had been brought to utter ruin, so that they were
being driven from house and home; seeing that when the Thasians, for
example, entertained the army of Xerxes and provided him with a dinner
on behalf of their towns upon the mainland, Antipater the son of Orgeus,
who had been appointed for this purpose, a man of repute among the
citizens equal to the best, reported that four hundred talents of silver
had been spent upon the dinner.