OF THE MARCH OF XERXES.
While Xerxes tarried at Sardis, they that were appointed to this
business made a bridge over the Hellespont, from Abydos to a certain
rocky land that runs out into the sea on the other side, the space
between being seven furlongs. One line the Phœnicians made with cables
of white flax, and the other the Egyptians, with cables of papyrus.
But when the work was finished there arose a great storm and brake it
all to pieces. So soon as Xerxes heard what had befallen, he was very
wroth, and commanded that they should lay three hundred lashes of the
whip upon the Hellespont, and should also throw into the sea a pair
of fetters. It has been said that he even sent branders to brand the
Hellespont. Certainly he commanded them that laid the stripes on the
water to say therewith barbarous and impious words: “O evil water, thy
master putteth this punishment on thee because thou hast worked him
harm that had worked no harm to thee. Know that King Xerxes will cross
thee whether thou will or no. Rightly doth no man offer sacrifice to
thee, deceitful and salt river as thou art.” This punishment he bade
them put upon the sea, and he cut off the heads of them that were set
over the making of the bridge. Then they that had this thankless
office put upon them fulfilled their task; and afterward other builders
set about the work and accomplished it. They joined together ships of
war, three hundred and sixty on the one side toward the Black Sea, and
three hundred and fourteen on the other, mooring them with very great
anchors that they might not be moved by the winds that blow either way.
And they left three spaces that such as would pass by in light vessels,
to or from the Black Sea, might do so without let. And when the bridge
was finished, they made planks of wood of the same breadth as was the
bridge, and laid them on the top; and on the planks they put brushwood,
and on the brushwood earth; and when they had trodden this down they
set up a barrier on either side, that the beasts of burden and the
horses might not be afraid looking upon the sea.
But when the bridge had been finished, and the trench by Mount Athos,
and the breakwater about the mouth of the trench--for they had made
breakwaters by reason of the surf, that the mouth of the trench might
not be filled up--it was now winter. Xerxes therefore passed the winter
in Sardis; and when it was spring the army set forth.
On the very day of its setting forth the sun left its place in the
heavens; and though there were no clouds, but the sky was at its
clearest, the day was turned into night. When Xerxes saw this he
was not a little troubled, and asked the Magians what this sight
might mean. And the Magians made answer that the things signified
to the Greeks the leaving of their cities; for that the sun was
the foreteller to the Greeks and the moon to the Persians. But when
Pythius the Lydian saw this marvel that had happened in the heavens,
being emboldened by the gifts that he made to the King, he stood
before Xerxes and said: “O my lord, I pray thee that thou grant me a
certain thing which is of small account to thee, but to me very much
to be desired.” And Xerxes, not thinking what he had in his mind, made
answer, “Speak on and I will do for thee whatsoever thou desirest.”
When Pythius heard these words he took courage and said, “O my lord,
I have five sons, and thou art taking them all with thee for this war
which thou makest against the Greeks. Have pity, therefore, on me, O
King, remembering my old age, and release from this service one of
my sons, even the eldest, that he may have me and my possessions in
charge.” When Xerxes heard this he was very wroth, and made answer,
“Vile fellow, hast thou dared, even when I am myself going against
Greece, and bringing with me my sons and my brethren, and my ministers
and friends, to make mention of thy sons, thou that art my slave, and
art bound to follow me with thy whole household, and even with thy
wife? When thou didst well and madest to me offers of good things, thou
couldst not surpass the King in bounty, and now that thou doest ill,
thou shalt have less than thy desert. Thy hospitality shall save thee
and four of thy sons; but the life of him whom thou lovest above the
rest is the forfeit.” So soon as Xerxes had said this, forthwith he
gave command to them that had the charge of such things to search out
the eldest of the sons of Pythius and cut him in twain; and when they
had cut him in twain to put the two halves one on the right hand of the
way and the other on the left. And he bade the army pass between the
two. So the army passed between the two halves. First came they that
bare the baggage, and the beasts of burden, and after them a great army
of many nations, without any space between the nations, in all more
than half of the whole. Then there was left a space between the host
and the King. Afterward there came a thousand horsemen, chosen out of
all the Persians, and after the horsemen a thousand spearmen, these too
being chosen men, bearing their spear-points turned toward the ground,
and after the spearmen ten horses of Nisa, having very fair trappings.
These horses came from the plain of Nisa in the land of Media, and are
very great. Behind the horses came the sacred chariot of Zeus, drawn by
eight white horses, and after the horses there walked the charioteer on
foot, holding the reins in his hand, for on the seat of this chariot
no man may sit. After this came Xerxes himself, on a chariot drawn
by horses of Nisa, and by his side was a charioteer, Patiramphes the
son of Otanes. And whenever the wish took him he would change from
his chariot to a litter. Behind the King came a thousand spearmen,
the noblest and bravest of the Persians, holding their spears in the
usual fashion; and after these a thousand chosen horsemen; and after
the horsemen ten thousand chosen men on foot. A thousand of these had
golden pomegranates instead of spikes at the shafts of their spears.
These compassed about the other nine thousand, who had their spears
with pomegranates of silver. The spearmen that pointed their spears
to the ground had also pomegranates of gold, and those that came next
after the King had apples of gold. After the ten thousand that were on
foot came ten thousand horsemen of the Persians. Behind the horsemen
was a space of two furlongs, after which came the remainder of the
host, mingled in one crowd.
As the host passed by Mount Ida there fell upon it a great storm of
thunder and lightning, and slew many men. After this it came to the
river Scamander; this was the first of the rivers that failed, being
drunk up by the army and the horses and the beasts of burden. Here the
King went up into the citadel of Priam, desiring to see the place; and
when he had seen and heard every thing he sacrificed a thousand heifers
to Athene of Troy; and the Magi poured out libations to the heroes.
That night a panic fell upon the host; and so soon as it was day they
departed and came to Abydos.
When he was come to Abydos Xerxes greatly desired to see his army. Now
there had been prepared beforehand for him by the men of Abydos a seat
of white marble on a hill that was nigh unto the city, for so he had
bidden them. On this therefore he sat, and looking down upon the shore
saw his army and his ships. And as he looked upon them he had a desire
to see a race of ships; and there was made a race, and the Phœnicians
of Sidon prevailed. Xerxes was greatly delighted with the contest and
with the sight of his army. For when he saw all the Hellespont covered
with ships, and all the shores and all the plains of Abydos filled with
men, he counted himself a happy man. But afterward he wept.
And Artabanus, his uncle, the same that at the first spake boldly to
the King that he should not make war against the Greeks, when he knew
that Xerxes wept, went to him, and said, “O King, how different is this
that thou doest now from that which thou didst but a short time ago?
For then thou calledest thyself happy, but now thou weepest.” Then
said the King, “There come upon me of a sudden a thought of pity how
short is the whole life of man, seeing that of all this great army not
one shall be alive one hundred years hence.” Then said Artabanus, “We
men have to endure in life things more piteous than this. For in this
life, for all its shortness, there is no man so happy but that he will
wish, and this not once but many times, to die rather than to live.
For misfortunes come upon us, and diseases harass us, so that life,
though it be short, yet seems to be overlong, and death, so full of
trouble is life, to be the best refuge to which a man can fly. For the
Gods that give us a taste of the sweetness of life, yet are jealous so
that we may not enjoy it to the full.” To this Xerxes made answer, “Let
us not so think of human life, though it be such as thou sayest, nor
keep evil things in our minds when we have good things in our hands.
But come now tell me, if thou hadst not seen that vision wouldst thou
have been still of the same opinion, advising me that I should not make
war against the Greeks?” Artabanus answered, “O King, may the vision
which we saw be accomplished as we would have it. Yet am I full of
fear, seeing that there are two things, and these the greatest of all,
that are against us.” And the King said, “What are these two? Thinkest
thou that the Greeks will bring against us more men or more ships?”
Then said Artabanus, “No man that had any understanding could find any
thing that he might blame either in thy host or thy fleet. Yet are two
things against us, even the land and the sea. For there is, I suppose,
no harbor in the sea so great that it could receive all this great
multitude of ships; and yet we should have not one harbor, but many,
one after the other, along the whole coast of the land. Seeing then
that such harbors are not to be found, remember that chances are rulers
of men rather than men of chances. And if the sea be hostile, much
more is the land, and not the less so if none seek to withstand thee,
seeing that the further thou shalt go the greater will be the danger
of famine. This I say thinking it best for men to fear all things when
they take counsel, and to fear nothing when they are in action.”
Then said the King, “What thou sayest, Artabanus, thou sayest not
without reason. Yet if a man will always look to all chances that
may happen he will never accomplish great deeds. Thou seest to what
greatness this realm of Persia has grown. Yet if the kings that were
before me had followed such counsel as thine it had never grown in such
a fashion. Not without peril did they attain this glory, for great
things are achieved by great dangers. We therefore follow in their
steps, and having now set forth in the fairest season of the year, will
return safe, when we have subdued all Europe; neither shall we meet
with famine nor any evil thing whatsoever. For much food we carry with
us, and we shall have the food of such nations as we shall subdue. And
remember that it is against men that till the earth and not against
wanderers that we go.”
To this Artabanus made answer, “At the least, O King, hearken to one
counsel which I would give thee. Cyrus the son of Cambyses subdued all
the Ionians, save the Athenians only. I counsel thee, therefore, that
thou do not by any means compel these Ionians to fight against their
fathers. Surely without them we shall be stronger than our enemies. But
if thou compel them, then must they either do a great wrong in fighting
against the land that sent them forth, or do a righteous act going over
from us to our enemies and thereby greatly injuring us.”
To this Xerxes answered, “There is naught, Artabanus, in which thou
hast gone further from the truth than in this judgment of thine
concerning the Ionians. Have we not a sure proof of their truth--a
thing of which both thou and all they that went with King Darius
against the Scythians are witnesses--that it was in their hands to
destroy the army of the Persians or to save it alive. And they behaved
themselves righteously, and did nothing unjust. And besides this, they
have left their wives and children in our land. Why then should they
think to rebel against us? But be of good heart; and go, take charge
of my house and my kingdom. For to thee only of all the Persians do I
commit my scepter.”
So Xerxes sent Artabanus to Susa. And when he was departed he called
together the noblest of the Persians, and said to them, “Men of
Persia, I have called you together that I may bid you bear yourselves
bravely, and do no shame to the deeds which the Persians in former days
have wrought, for these have been great and worthy of renown. Do ye
therefore one and all be zealous in this war, for we seek that which
concerns us all. And, indeed, I am told that they are good men against
whom we make war, and that if we conquer them there are none on earth
who can resist them. And now let us pray to the gods that have rule
over Persia, and pass over the bridge.”
So all that day they made preparations for the passing over; and the
next day they waited for the rising of the sun, desiring to see it
before they should begin to cross. And when the sun was risen, Xerxes,
pouring drink offerings into the sea from a cup of gold, made his
prayer with his face turned to the sun, that no misfortune might befall
him before he should conquer all Europe, even to the uttermost borders.
And when he had finished praying, he cast the cup into the Hellespont,
and also a mixing bowl of gold, and a Persian sword which they call
a cimeter. But whether he cast these things into the sea because he
would offer them to the sun, or whether he repented him of having laid
stripes upon the Hellespont and gave these gifts in atonement to the
sea, can not certainly be known.