their ships to sea from Delos to go to Samos; and having arrived off
Calamisa 106 in Samos, they moored their ships there opposite the temple
of Hera which is at this place, and made preparations for a sea-fight;
but the Persians, being informed that they were sailing thither, put out
to sea also and went over to the mainland with their remaining ships,
(those of the Phenicians having been already sent away to sail home):
for deliberating of the matter they thought it good not to fight a
battle by sea, since they did not think that they were a match for the
enemy. And they sailed away to the mainland in order that they might
be under the protection of their land-army which was in Mycale, a body
which had stayed behind the rest of the army by command of Xerxes and
was keeping watch over Ionia: of this the number was six myriads 107 and
the commander of it was Tigranes, who in beauty and stature excelled the
other Persians. The commanders of the fleet then had determined to take
refuge under the protection of this army, and to draw up their ships
on shore and put an enclosure round as a protection for the ships and a
refuge for themselves..
97. Having thus determined they began to put out to sea; and they came
along by the temple of the "Revered goddesses" 10701 to the Gaison
and to Scolopoeis in Mycale, where there is a temple of the Eleusinian
Demeter, which Philistos the son of Pasicles erected when he had
accompanied Neileus the son of Codros for the founding of Miletos; and
there they drew up their ships on shore and put an enclosure round them
of stones and timber, cutting down fruit-trees for this purpose, and
they fixed stakes round the enclosure and made their preparations
either for being besieged or for gaining a victory, for in making their
preparations they reckoned for both chances.
98. The Hellenes however, when they were informed that the Barbarians
had gone away to the mainland, were vexed because they thought that they
had escaped; and they were in a difficulty what they should do, whether
they should go back home, or sail down towards the Hellespont. At last
they resolved to do neither of these two things, but to sail on to
the mainland. Therefore when they had prepared as for a sea-fight both
boarding-bridges and all other things that were required, they sailed
towards Mycale; and when they came near to the camp and no one was seen
to put out against them, but they perceived ships drawn up within
the wall and a large land-army ranged along the shore, then first
Leotychides, sailing along in his ship and coming as near to the shore
as he could, made proclamation by a herald to the Ionians, saying:
"Ionians, those of you who chance to be within hearing of me, attend to
this which I say: for the Persians will not understand anything at all
of that which I enjoin to you. When we join battle, each one of you must
remember first the freedom of all, and then the watchword 'Hebe'; and
this let him also who has not heard know from him who has heard." The
design in this act was the same as that of Themistocles at Artemision;
for it was meant that either the words uttered should escape the
knowledge of the Barbarians and persuade the Ionians, or that they
should be reported to the Barbarians and make them distrustful of the
Hellenes. 108
99. After Leotychides had thus suggested, then next the Hellenes
proceeded to bring their ships up to land, and they disembarked upon the
shore. These then were ranging themselves for fight; and the Persians,
when they saw the Hellenes preparing for battle and also that they
had given exhortation to the Ionians, in the first place deprived the
Samians of their arms, suspecting that they were inclined to the side of
the Hellenes; for when the Athenian prisoners, the men whom the army
of Xerxes had found left behind in Attica, had come in the ships of the
Barbarians, the Samians had ransomed these and sent them back to
Athens, supplying them with means for their journey; and for this reason
especially they were suspected, since they had ransomed five hundred
persons of the enemies of Xerxes. Then secondly the Persians appointed
the Milesians to guard the passes which lead to the summits of Mycale,
on the pretext that they knew the country best, but their true reason
for doing this was that they might be out of the camp. Against these of
the Ionians, who, as they suspected, would make some hostile move 109 if
they found the occasion, the Persians sought to secure themselves in
the manner mentioned; and they themselves then brought together their
wicker-work shields to serve them as a fence.
100. Then when the Hellenes had made all their preparations, they
proceeded to the attack of the Barbarians; and as they went, a rumour
came suddenly 110 to their whole army, and at the same time a herald's
staff was found lying upon the beach; and the rumour went through their
army to this effect, namely that the Hellenes were fighting in Boeotia
and conquering the army of Mardonios. Now by many signs is the divine
power seen in earthly things, and by this among others, namely that now,
when the day of the defeat at Plataia and of that which was about to
take place at Mycale happened to be the same, a rumour came to the
Hellenes here, so that the army was encouraged much more and was more
eagerly desirous to face the danger..
101. Moreover this other thing by coincidence happened besides, namely
that there was a sacred enclosure of the Eleusinian Demeter close by the
side of both the battle-fields; for not only in the Plataian land did
the fight take place close by the side of the temple of Demeter, as
I have before said, but also in Mycale it was to be so likewise. And
whereas the rumour which came to them said that a victory had been
already gained by the Hellenes with Pausanias, this proved to be a true
report; for that which was done at Plataia came about while it was yet
early morning, but the fighting at Mycale took place in the afternoon;
and that it happened on the same day of the same month as the other
became evident to them not long afterwards, when they inquired into
the matter. Now they had been afraid before the rumour arrived, not for
themselves so much as for the Hellenes generally, lest Hellas should
stumble and fall over Mardonios; but when this report had come suddenly
to them, they advanced on the enemy much more vigorously and swiftly
than before. The Hellenes then and the Barbarians were going with
eagerness into the battle, since both the islands and the Hellespont
were placed before them as prizes of the contest.
102. Now for the Athenians and those who were ranged next to them,
to the number perhaps of half the whole army, the road lay along the
sea-beach and over level ground, while the Lacedemonians and those
ranged in order by these were compelled to go by a ravine and along the
mountain side: so while the Lacedemonians were yet going round, those
upon the other wing were already beginning the fight; and as long as
the wicker-work shields of the Persians still remained upright, they
continued to defend themselves and had rather the advantage in the
fight; but when the troops of the Athenians and of those ranged next to
them, desiring that the achievement should belong to them and not to
the Lacedemonians, with exhortations to one another set themselves more
vigorously to the work, then from that time forth the fortune of the
fight was changed; for these pushed aside the wicker-work shields and
fell upon the Persians with a rush all in one body, and the Persians
sustained their first attack and continued to defend themselves for
a long time, but at last they fled to the wall; and the Athenians,
Corinthians, Sikyonians and Troizenians, for that was the order in which
they were ranged, followed close after them and rushed in together
with them to the space within the wall: and when the wall too had been
captured, then the Barbarians no longer betook themselves to resistance,
but began at once to take flight, excepting only the Persians, who
formed into small groups and continued to fight with the Hellenes as
they rushed in within the wall. Of the commanders of the Persians
two made their escape and two were slain; Artaÿntes and Ithamitres
commanders of the fleet escaped, while Mardontes and the commander of
the land-army, Tigranes, were slain..
103. Now while the Persians were still fighting, the Lacedemonians and
those with them arrived, and joined in carrying through the rest of the
work; and of the Hellenes themselves many fell there and especially many
of the Sikyonians, together with their commander Perilaos. And those of
the Samians who were serving in the army, being in the camp of the Medes
and having been deprived of their arms, when they saw that from the very
first the battle began to be doubtful, 111 did as much as they could,
endeavouring to give assistance to the Hellenes; and the other Ionians
seeing that the Samians had set the example, themselves also upon that
made revolt from the Persians and attacked the Barbarians..
104. The Milesians too had been appointed to watch the passes of the
Persians 112 in order to secure their safety, so that if that should
after all come upon them which actually came, they might have guides
and so get safe away to the summits of Mycale,—the Milesians, I say, had
been appointed to do this, not only for that end but also for fear that,
if they were present in the camp, they might make some hostile move: 113
but they did in fact the opposite of that which they were appointed
to do; for they not only directed them in the flight by other than the
right paths, by paths indeed which led towards the enemy, but also at
last they themselves became their worst foes and began to slay them.
Thus then for the second time Ionia revolted from the Persians.
105. In this battle, of the Hellenes the Athenians were the best men,
and of the Athenians Hermolycos the son of Euthoinos, a man who had
trained for the pancration. This Hermolycos after these events, when
there was war between the Athenians and the Carystians, was killed in
battle at Kyrnos in the Carystian land near Geraistos, and there was
buried. After the Athenians the Corinthians, Troizenians and Sikyonians
were the best.
106. When the Hellenes had slain the greater number of the Barbarians,
some in the battle and others in their flight, they set fire to the
ships and to the whole of the wall, having first brought out the spoil
to the sea-shore; and among the rest they found some stores of money. So
having set fire to the wall and to the ships they sailed away; and
when they came to Samos, the Hellenes deliberated about removing the
inhabitants of Ionia, and considered where they ought to settle them in
those parts of Hellas of which they had command, leaving Ionia to the
Barbarians: for it was evident to them that it was impossible on the one
hand for them to be always stationed as guards to protect the Ionians,
and on the other hand, if they were not stationed to protect them,
they had no hope that the Ionians would escape with impunity from the
Persians. Therefore it seemed good to those of the Peloponnesians that
were in authority that they should remove the inhabitants of the trading
ports which belonged to those peoples of Hellas who had taken the side
of the Medes, and give that land to the Ionians to dwell in; but the
Athenians did not think it good that the inhabitants of Ionia should
be removed at all, nor that the Peloponnesians should consult about
Athenian colonies; and as these vehemently resisted the proposal, the
Peloponnesians gave way. So the end was that they joined as allies to
their league the Samians, Chians, Lesbians, and the other islanders who
chanced to be serving with the Hellenes, binding them by assurance and
by oaths to remain faithful and not withdraw from the league: and having
bound these by oaths they sailed to break up the bridges, for they
supposed they would find them still stretched over the straits.
These then were sailing towards the Hellespont;.
107, and meanwhile those Barbarians who had escaped and had been driven
to the heights of Mycale, being not many in number, were making their
way to Sardis: and as they went by the way, Masistes the son of Dareios,
who had been present at the disaster which had befallen them, was saying
many evil things of the commander Artaÿntes, and among other things he
said that in respect of the generalship which he had shown he was worse
than a woman, and that he deserved every kind of evil for having brought
evil on the house of the king. Now with the Persians to be called worse
than a woman is the greatest possible reproach. So he, after he had been
much reviled, at length became angry and drew his sword upon Masistes,
meaning to kill him; and as he was running upon him, Xeinagoras the son
of Prexilaos, a man of Halicarnassos, perceived it, who was standing
just behind Artaÿntes; and this man seized him by the middle and
lifting him up dashed him upon the ground; and meanwhile the spearmen of
Masistes came in front to protect him. Thus did Xeinagoras, and thus he
laid up thanks for himself both with Masistes and also with Xerxes for
saving the life of his brother; and for this deed Xeinagoras became
ruler of all Kilikia by the gift of the king. Nothing further happened
than this as they went on their way, but they arrived at Sardis.
Now at Sardis, as it chanced, king Xerxes had been staying ever since
that time when he came thither in flight from Athens, after suffering
defeat in the sea-fight..
108. At that time, while he was in Sardis, he had a passionate desire,
as it seems, for the wife of Masistes, who was also there: and as she
could not be bent to his will by his messages to her, and he did not
wish to employ force because he had regard for his brother Masistes and
the same consideration withheld the woman also, for she well knew that
force would not be used towards her, then Xerxes abstained from all
else, and endeavoured to bring about the marriage of his own son Dareios
with the daughter of this woman and of Masistes, supposing that if
he should do so he would obtain her more easily. Then having made the
betrothal and done all the customary rites, he went away to Susa; and
when he had arrived there and had brought the woman into his own house
for Dareios, then he ceased from attempting the wife of Masistes and
changing his inclination he conceived a desire for the wife of Dareios,
who was daughter of Masistes, and obtained her: now the name of this
woman was Artaÿnte..
109. However as time went on, this became known in the following
manner:—Amestris the wife of Xerxes had woven a mantle, large and of
various work and a sight worthy to be seen, and this she gave to Xerxes.
He then being greatly pleased put it on and went to Artaÿnte; and being
greatly pleased with her too, he bade her ask what she would to be given
to her in return for the favours which she had granted to him, for she
should obtain, he said, whatsoever she asked: and she, since it was
destined that she should perish miserably with her whole house, said to
Xerxes upon this: "Wilt thou give me whatsoever I ask thee for?" and he,
supposing that she would ask anything rather than that which she did,
promised this and swore to it. Then when he had sworn, she boldly asked
for the mantle; and Xerxes tried every means of persuasion, not being
willing to give it to her, and that for no other reason but only because
he feared Amestris, lest by her, who even before this had some inkling
of the truth, he should thus be discovered in the act; and he offered
her cities and gold in any quantity, and an army which no one else
should command except herself. Now this of an army is a thoroughly
Persian gift. Since however he did not persuade her, he gave her the
mantle; and she being overjoyed by the gift wore it and prided herself
upon it..
110. And Amestris was informed that she had it; and having learnt that
which was being done, she was not angry with the woman, but supposing
that her mother was the cause and that she was bringing this about, she
planned destruction for the wife of Masistes. She waited then until her
husband Xerxes had a royal feast set before him:—this feast is served up
once in the year on the day on which the king was born, and the name
of this feast is in Persian tycta, which in the tongue of the Hellenes
means "complete"; also on this occasion alone the king washes his head,
114 and he makes gifts then to the Persians:—Amestris, I say, waited
for this day and then asked of Xerxes that the wife of Masistes might
be given to her. And he considered it a strange and untoward thing
to deliver over to her his brother's wife, especially since she was
innocent of this matter; for he understood why she was making the
request..
111. At last however as she continued to entreat urgently and he was
compelled by the rule, namely that it is impossible among them that he
who makes request when a royal feast is laid before the king should
fail to obtain it, at last very much against his will consented; and in
delivering her up he bade Amestris do as she desired, and meanwhile he
sent for his brother and said these words: "Masistes, thou art the son
of Dareios and my brother, and moreover in addition to this thou art
a man of worth. I say to thee, live no longer with this wife with whom
thou now livest, but I give thee instead of her my daughter; with her
live as thy wife, but the wife whom thou now hast, do not keep; for it
does not seem good to me that thou shouldest keep her." Masistes then,
marvelling at that which was spoken, said these words: "Master, how
unprofitable a speech is this which thou utterest to me, in that thou
biddest me send away a wife by whom I have sons who are grown up to be
young men, and daughters one of whom even thou thyself didst take as
a wife for thy son, and who is herself, as it chances, very much to my
mind,—that thou biddest me, I say, send away her and take to wife thy
daughter! I, O king, think it a very great matter that I am judged
worthy of thy daughter, but nevertheless I will do neither of these
things: and do not thou urge me by force to do such a thing as this: but
for thy daughter another husband will be found not in any wise inferior
to me, and let me, I pray thee, live still with my own wife." He
returned answer in some such words as these; and Xerxes being stirred
with anger said as follows: "This then, Masistes, is thy case,—I will
not give thee my daughter for thy wife, nor yet shalt thou live any
longer with that one, in order that thou mayest learn to accept that
which is offered thee." He then when he heard this went out, having
first said these words: "Master, thou hast not surely brought ruin upon
me?" 115.
112. During this interval of time, while Xerxes was conversing with his
brother, Amestris had sent the spearmen of Xerxes to bring the wife of
Masistes, and she was doing to her shameful outrage; for she cut away
her breasts and threw them to dogs, and she cut off her nose and ears
and lips and tongue, and sent her back home thus outraged.
113. Then Masistes, not yet having heard any of these things, but
supposing that some evil had fallen upon him, came running to his house;
and seeing his wife thus mutilated, forthwith upon this he took counsel
with his sons and set forth to go to Bactria together with his sons
and doubtless some others also, meaning to make the province of Bactria
revolt and to do the greatest possible injury to the king: and this in
fact would have come to pass, as I imagine, if he had got up to the land
of the Bactrians and Sacans before he was overtaken, for they were much
attached to him, and also he was the governor of the Bactrians: but
Xerxes being informed that he was doing this, sent after him an army as
he was on his way, and slew both him and his sons and his army. So far
of that which happened about the passion of Xerxes and the death of
Masistes.
114. Now the Hellenes who had set forth from Mycale to the Hellespont
first moored their ships about Lecton, being stopped from their voyage
by winds; and thence they came to Abydos and found that the bridges had
been broken up, which they thought to find still stretched across, and
on account of which especially they had come to the Hellespont. So the
Peloponnesians which Leotychides resolved to sail back to Hellas, while
the Athenians and Xanthippos their commander determined to stay behind
there and to make an attempt upon the Chersonese. Those then sailed
away, and the Athenians passed over from Abydos to the Chersonese and
began to besiege Sestos..
115. To this town of Sestos, since it was the greatest stronghold of
those in that region, men had come together from the cities which
lay round it, when they heard that the Hellenes had arrived at the
Hellespont, and especially there had come from the city of Cardia
Oiobazos a Persian, who had brought to Sestos the ropes of the bridges.
The inhabitants of the city were Aiolians, natives of the country, but
there were living with them a great number of Persians and also of their
allies..
116. And of the province Artaÿctes was despot, as governor under Xerxes,
a Persian, but a man of desperate and reckless character, who also had
practised deception upon the king on his march against Athens, in
taking away from Elaius the things belonging to Protesilaos the son
of Iphiclos. For at Elaius in the Chersonese there is the tomb of
Protesilaos with a sacred enclosure about it, where there were many
treasures, with gold and silver cups and bronze and raiment and other
offerings, which things Artaÿctes carried off as plunder, the king
having granted them to him. And he deceived Xerxes by saying to him
some such words as these: "Master, there is here the house of a man,
a Hellene, who made an expedition against thy land and met with his
deserts and was slain: this man's house I ask thee to give to me, that
every one may learn not to make expeditions against thy land." By saying
this it was likely that he would easily enough persuade Xerxes to give
him a man's house, not suspecting what was in his mind: and when he said
that Protesilaos had made expedition against the land of the king, it
must be understood that the Persians consider all Asia to be theirs and
to belong to their reigning king. So when the things had been given him,
he brought them from Elaius to Sestos, and he sowed the sacred enclosure
for crops and occupied it as his own; and he himself, whenever he came
to Elaius, had commerce with women in the inner cell of the temple. 116
And now he was being besieged by the Athenians, when he had not made any
preparation for a siege nor had been expecting that the Hellenes would
come; for they fell upon him, as one may say, inevitably. 117.
117. When however autumn came and the siege still went on, the Athenians
began to be vexed at being absent from their own land and at the
same time not able to conquer the fortress, and they requested their
commanders to lead them away home; but these said that they would not do
so, until either they had taken the town or the public authority of the
Athenians sent for them home: and so they endured their present state.
118. Those however who were within the walls had now come to the
greatest misery, so that they boiled down the girths of their beds and
used them for food; and when they no longer had even these, then the
Persians and with them Artaÿctes and Oiobazos ran away and departed in
the night, climbing down by the back part of the wall, where the place
was left most unguarded by the enemy; and when day came, the men of the
Chersonese signified to the Athenians from the towers concerning that
which had happened, and opened the gates to them. So the greater number
of them went in pursuit, and the rest occupied the city..
119. Now Oiobazos, as he was escaping 119 into Thrace, was caught by the
Apsinthian Thracians and sacrificed to their native god Pleistoros with
their rites, and the rest who were with him they slaughtered in another
manner: but Artaÿctes with his companions, who started on their flight
later and were overtaken at a little distance above Aigospotamoi,
defended themselves for a considerable time and were some of them
killed and others taken alive: and the Hellenes had bound these and were
bringing them to Sestos, and among them Artaÿctes also in bonds together
with his son..