Histories quotes

contrive therefore means by which thou mayest look upon her naked.” But he cried aloud and said: “Master, what word of unwisdom is this which thou dost utter, bidding me look upon my mistress naked?

When a woman puts off her tunic she puts off her modesty also.

Moreover of old time those fair sayings have been found out by men, from which we ought to learn wisdom; and of these one is this—that each man should look on his own:

Either thou must slay Candaules and possess both me and the kingdom of Lydia, or thou must thyself here on the spot be slain, so that thou mayest not in future, by obeying Candaules in all things, see that which thou shouldest not.

Either he must die who formed this design, or thou who hast looked upon me naked and done that which is not accounted lawful.

” For a time then Gyges was amazed at these words, and afterwards he began to entreat her that she would not bind him by necessity to make such a choice:

and Croesus was moved to anger and said: “Athenian guest, hast thou then so cast aside our prosperous state as worth nothing, that thou dost prefer to us even men of private station?” And he said: “

Croesus, thou art inquiring about human fortunes of one who well knows that the Deity is altogether envious and apt to disturb our lot.

For in the course of long time a man may see many things which he would not desire to see, and suffer also many things which he would not desire to suffer. The limit of life for a man I lay down at seventy years:

And he said: “Croesus, thou art inquiring about human fortunes of one who well knows that the Deity is altogether envious and apt to disturb our lot.

For in the course of long time a man may see many things which he would not desire to see, and suffer also many things which he would not desire to suffer.

The limit of life for a man I lay down at seventy years: and these seventy years give twenty-five thousand and two hundred days, not reckoning for any intercalated month.

and of these months the days will be one thousand and fifty.

Of all these days, being in number twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty, which go to the seventy years, one day produces nothing at all which resembles what another brings with it.

Thus then, O Croesus, man is altogether a creature of accident.

and of these months the days will be one thousand and fifty. Of all these days, being in number twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty, which go to the seventy years, one day produces nothing at all which resembles what another brings with it.

Thus then, O Croesus, man is altogether a creature of accident.

As for thee, I perceive that thou art both great in wealth and king of many men, but that of which thou didst ask me I cannot call thee yet, until I learn that thou hast brought thy life to a fair ending:

but whosoever of men continues to the end in possession of the greatest number of these things and then has a gracious ending of his life, he is by me accounted worthy, O king, to receive this name.

But we must of everything examine the end and how it will turn out at the last, for to many God shows but a glimpse of happiness and then plucks them up by the roots and overturns them.

” 33. Thus saying he refused to gratify Croesus, who sent him away from his presence holding him in no esteem, and thinking him utterly senseless in that he passed over present good things and bade men look to the end of every matter.

and they eat food not such as they desire but such as they can obtain, dwelling in a land which is rugged; and moreover they make no use of wine but drink water; and no figs have they for dessert, nor any other good thing.

On the one hand, if thou shalt overcome them, what wilt thou take away from them, seeing they have nothing?

and on the other hand, if thou shalt be overcome, consider how many good things thou wilt lose; for once having tasted our good things, they will cling to them fast and it will not be possible to drive them away.

and on the other hand, if thou shalt be overcome, consider how many good things thou wilt lose; for once having tasted our good things, they will cling to them fast and it will not be possible to drive them away.

I for my own part feel gratitude to the gods that they do not put it into the minds of the Persians to march against the Lydians.

” Thus he spoke not persuading Croesus: for it is true indeed that the Persians before they subdued the Lydians had no luxury nor any good thing.

and he said: “O king, I did this to thy felicity and to my own misfortune, and the causer of this was the god of the Hellenes, who incited me to march with my army.

For no one is so senseless as to choose of his own will war rather peace, since in peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons.

But it was pleasing, I suppose, to the divine powers that these things should come to pass thus.”

91. When the Lydians came and repeated that which they were enjoined to say, it is related that the Pythian prophetess spoke as follows: “

The fated destiny it is impossible even for a god to escape.

And Croesus paid the debt due for the sin of his fifth ancestor, who being one of the spearmen of the Heracleidai followed the treacherous device of a woman, and having slain his master took possession of his royal dignity, which belonged not to him …

and he asked him saying: “What is the business that this great multitude of men is doing with so much eagerness?” and he said: “They are plundering thy city and carrying away thy wealth.” And Croesus answered: “

Neither is it my city that they are plundering nor my wealth which they are carrying away; for I have no longer any property in these things: but it is thy wealth that they are carrying and driving away.

” 89. And Cyrus was concerned by that which Croesus had said, and he caused all the rest to withdraw and asked Croesus what he discerned for his advantage as regards that which was being done; and he said:

136. It is established as a sign of manly excellence next after excellence in fight, to be able to show many sons; and to those who have most the king sends gifts every year: for they consider number to be a source of strength.

And they educate their children, beginning at five years old and going on till twenty, in three things only, in riding, in shooting, and in speaking the truth

: but before the boy is five years old he does not come into the presence of his father, but lives with the women;

but being deceived in his expectation, he took a casting-net and enclosed a great multitude of the fishes and drew them forth from the water: and when he saw them leaping about, he said to the fishes: “

Stop dancing I pray you now, seeing that ye would not come out and dance before when I piped.

” Cyrus spoke this fable to the Ionians and Aeolians for this reason, because the Ionians had refused to comply before, when Cyrus himself by a messenger requested them to revolt from Croesus, while now when the conquest had been made they were ready to …

and hearing their answer he said to the Spartan herald: “

Never yet did I fear men such as these, who have a place appointed in the midst of their city where they gather together and deceive one another by false oaths

: and if I continue in good health, not the misfortunes of the Ionians will be for them a subject of talk, but rather their own.”

“Thou most impious of men, why dost thou dare to do this? Dost thou carry away by force from my temple the suppliants for my protection?” And Aristodicos, it is said, not being at all at a loss replied to this: “

Lord, dost thou thus come to the assistance of thy suppliants, and yet biddest the men of Kyme deliver up theirs?

” and the god answered him again thus: “Yea, I bid you do so, that ye may perish the more quickly for your impiety; so that ye may not at any future time come to the Oracle to ask about delivering up of suppliants.” 160.

And on the tomb she engraved writing which said thus: “

If any of the kings of Babylon who come after me shall be in want of wealth, let him open my tomb and take as much as he desires; but let him not open it for any other cause, if he be not in want; for that will not be well.

” This tomb was undisturbed until the kingdom came to Darius;

He then, I say, opened the tomb and found not indeed money but the corpse, with writing which said thus: “

If thou hadst not been insatiable of wealth and basely covetous, thou wouldest not have opened the resting-places of the dead.

”

Of the Nile then let so much suffice as has been said. 35.

Of Egypt however I shall make my report at length, because it has wonders more in number than any other land, and works too it has to show as much as any land, which are beyond expression great: for this reason then more shall be said concerning it.

The Egyptians in agreement with their climate, which is unlike any other, and with the river, which shows a nature different from all other rivers, established for themselves manners and customs in a way opposite to other men in almost all matters:

and this he shows to each of those who are drinking together, saying:

“When thou lookest upon this, drink and be merry, for thou shalt be such as this when thou art dead.”

Thus they do at their carousals. 79. The customs which they practise are derived from their fathers and they do not acquire others in addition;

and from the one shoulder to the other across the breast runs an inscription carved in sacred Egyptian characters, saying thus,

“This land with my shoulders I won for myself.”

But who he is and from whence, he does not declare in these places, though in other places he has declared this.

and he went about to the fen-country and to the woods and wherever he heard there were the most suitable places for enjoyment.

This he devised (having a mind to prove that the Oracle spoke falsely) in order that he might have twelve years of life instead of six, the nights being turned into days.

134. This king also left behind him a pyramid, much smaller than that of his father, of a square shape and measuring on each side three hundred feet lacking twenty, built moreover of Ethiopian stone up to half the height.

This king desiring to surpass the kings of Egypt who had arisen before him left as a memorial of himself a pyramid which he made of bricks, and on it there is an inscription carved in stone and saying thus:

“Despise not me in comparison with the pyramids of stone, seeing that I excel them as much as Zeus excels the other gods; for with a pole they struck into the lake, and whatever of the mud attached itself to the pole, this they gathered up and made bricks, and in such manner they finished me.”

Such were the deeds which this king performed; 137. and after him reigned a blind man of the city of Anysis, whose name was Anysis.

And at the present time this king stands in the temple of Hephaestus in stone, holding upon his hand a mouse, and by letters inscribed he says these words:

“Let him who looks upon me learn to fear the gods.”

142.

and although the foreign troops fought well, yet being much inferior in number they were worsted by reason of this.

But Apries is said to have supposed that not even a god would be able to cause him to cease from his rule, so firmly did he think that it was established.

In that battle then, I say, he was worsted, and being taken alive was brought away to the city of Saïs, to that which had formerly been his own dwelling but from thenceforth was the palace of Amasis.

for if they were stretched tight always they would break, so that the men would not be able to use them when they needed them.

So also is the state of man: if he should always be in earnest and not relax himself for sport at the due time, he would either go mad or be struck with stupor before he was aware

; and knowing this well, I distribute a portion of the time to each of the two ways of living.” Thus he replied to his friends. 174.

Thus he asked, and the other answered as follows:

“O son of Cyrus, my own troubles were too great for me to lament them aloud, but the trouble of my companion was such as called for tears, seeing that he has been deprived of great wealth, and has come to beggary upon the threshold of old age.”

When this saying was reported by the messenger, it seemed to them that it was well spoken;

and now tell me, whom of all men didst thou ever see before this time hit the mark so well in shooting?” Then Prexaspes, seeing that the man was not in his right senses and fearing for himself, said:

“Master, I think that not even God himself could have hit the mark so fairly.”

Thus he did at that time: and at another time he condemned twelve of the Persians, men equal to the best, on a charge of no moment, and buried them alive with the head downwards.

38. It is clear to me therefore by every kind of proof that Cambyses was mad exceedingly; for otherwise he would not have attempted to deride religious rites and customary observances.

For if one should propose to all men a choice, bidding them select the best customs from all the customs that there are, each race of men, after examining them all, would select those of his own people; thus all think that their own customs are by far the best: and so it is not likely that any but a madman would make a jest of such things.

Now of the fact that all men are thus wont to think about their customs, we may judge by many other proofs and more specially by this which follows:—Darius in the course of his reign summoned those of the Hellenes who were present in his …

those lie whenever they are likely to gain anything by persuading with their lies, and these tell the truth in order that they may draw to themselves gain by the truth, and that things may be entrusted to them more readily.

Thus, while practising different ways, we aim all at the same thing.

If however they were not likely to make any gain by it, the truth-teller would lie and the liar would speak the truth, with indifference.

next, the multitude does none of those things which the monarch does: offices of state are exercised by lot, and the magistrates are compelled to render account of their action: and finally all matters of deliberation are referred to the public assembly.

I therefore give as my opinion that we let monarchy go and increase the power of the multitude; for in the many is contained everything.

”

By reason of this the man of whom I speak is admired by the people, and being so admired he suddenly appears as monarch. Thus he too furnishes herein an example to prove that the rule of one is the best thing.

Finally, to sum up all in a single word, whence arose the liberty which we possess, and who gave it to us?

Was it a gift of the people or of an oligarchy or of a monarch?

I therefore shall not be a competitor with you, for

I do not desire either to rule or to be ruled

; and on this condition I withdraw from my claim to rule, namely that I shall not be ruled by any of you, either I myself or my descendants in future time.”

and these are not able to bear them, but break down and fall to the earth; and the men come up to them and collect the cinnamon. Thus cinnamon is collected and comes from this nation to the other countries of the world. 112.

Gum-mastic however, which the Arabians call ladanon, comes in a still more extraordinary manner; for though it is the most sweet-scented of all things, it comes in the most evil-scented thing, since it is found in the beards of he-goats

, produced there like resin from wood: this is of use for the making of many perfumes, and the Arabians use it more than anything else as incense. 113. Let what we have said suffice with regard to spices;

Therefore Darius contrived as follows:—having called together those of the Persians who were of most repute, he said to them: “

Persians, which of you all will undertake to perform this matter for me with wisdom, and not by force or with tumult? for where wisdom is wanted, there is no need of force.

Which of you, I say, will either bring Oroites alive to me or slay him? for he never yet did any service to the Persians, and on the other hand he has done to them great evil.

but they cared nothing about the siege, for the Babylonians used to go up to the battlements of the wall and show contempt of Darius and of his army by gestures and by words; and one of them uttered this saying:

“Why, O Persians, do ye remain sitting here, and not depart? For then only shall ye capture us, when mules shall bring forth young.”

This was said by one of the Babylonians, not supposing that a mule would ever bring forth young. 152.

for to Cyrus no man of the Persians ever yet ventured to compare himself: and

Darius is said to have declared often that he would rather that Zopyros were free from the injury than that he should have twenty Babylons added to his possession in addition to that one which he had

. Moreover he gave him great honours; for not only did he give him every year those things which by the Persians are accounted the most honourable, but also he granted him Babylon to rule free from tribute, so long as he should live;

… of them they are not able either to see or to pass through the further parts of the continent, the opinion which I have is this:—in the parts beyond this land it snows continually, though less in summer than in winter, as might be supposed.

Now whomsoever has seen close at hand snow falling thickly, knows what I mean without further explanation, for the snow is like feathers

: and on account of this wintry weather, being such as I have said, the Northern parts of this continent are uninhabitable. I think therefore that by the feathers the Scythians and those who dwell near them mean symbolically the snow.

and Sitalkes when he received his brother led him away as a prisoner, but Octamasades cut off the head of Skyles there upon the spot.

Thus do the Scythians carefully guard their own customary observances, and such are the penalties which they inflict upon those who acquire foreign customs besides their own.

81. How many the Scythians are I was not able to ascertain precisely, but I heard various reports of the number: for reports say both that they are very many in number and also that they are few, at least as regards the true Scythians.

and there he embarked in a ship and sailed to the so-called Kyanean rocks, which the Hellenes say formerly moved backwards and forwards; and taking his seat at the temple he gazed upon the Pontus, which is a sight well worth seeing.

Of all seas indeed it is the most marvellous in its nature.

The length of it is eleven thousand one hundred furlongs, and the breadth, where it is broadest, three thousand three hundred:

and Darius said that as he was a friend and made a reasonable request, he would leave behind all the sons.

So Oiobazos was greatly rejoiced, supposing that his sons had been freed from service, but Darius commanded those who had the charge of such things to put to death all the sons of Oiobazos.

85. These then were left, having been slain upon the spot where they were: and Darius meanwhile set forth from Susa and arrived at the place on the Bosphorus where the bridge of ships had been made, in the territory of Chalcedon;

91. Darius then, having come to this river and having encamped there, was pleased with the river and set up a pillar there also, with an inscription as follows:

“The headsprings of the river Tearos give the best and fairest water of all rivers; and to them came leading an army against the Scythians the best and fairest of all men, Darius the son of Hystaspes, of the Persians and of all the Continent king.”

These were the words which were there written.

but if he is not killed, they find fault with the messenger himself, calling him a worthless man, and then having found fault with him they send another: and they give him the charge beforehand, while he is yet alive.

These same Thracians also shoot arrows up towards the sky when thunder and lightning come, and use threats to the god, not believing that there exists any other god except their own.

95. This Salmoxis I hear from the Hellenes who dwell about the Hellespont and the Pontus, was a man, and he became a slave in Samos, and was in fact a slave of Pythagoras the son of Mnesarchos.

96. Thus they say that he did; but as to this matter and the chamber under ground, I neither disbelieve it nor do I very strongly believe, but I think that this Salmoxis lived many years before Pythagoras.

However, whether there ever lived a man Salmoxis, or whether he is simply a native deity of the Getai, let us bid farewell to him now.

97. These, I say, having such manners as I have said, were subdued by the Persians and accompanied the rest of the army:

for it is said of them by the Scythians and by the Hellenes who are settled in the Scythian land that once in every year each of the Neuroi becomes a wolf for a few days and then returns again to his original form.

For my part I do not believe them when they say this, but they say it nevertheless, and swear it moreover.

106. The Androphagoi have the most savage manners of all human beings, and they neither acknowledge any rule of right nor observe any customary law. They are nomads and wear clothing like that of the Scythians, but have a language of their own;

127. To this the king of the Scythians Idanthyrsos made answer thus: “My case, O Persian, stands thus:—

Never yet did I fly because I was afraid, either before this time from any other man, or now from thee

; nor have I done anything different now from that which I was wont to do also in time of peace: and as to the cause why I do not fight with thee at once, this also I will declare to thee.

This was the opinion expressed by Darius; but the opinion of Gobryas, one of the seven men who killed the Magian, was at variance with it, for he conjectured that the gifts expressed this:

“Unless ye become birds and fly up into the heaven, O Persians, or become mice and sink down under the earth, or become frogs and leap into the lakes, ye shall not return back home, but shall be smitten by these arrows.”

133. The Persians then, I say, were making conjecture of the gifts:

therefore the natives of the country drive chariots. The boundaries of this people extend, it is said, to the parts near the Enetoi, who live on the Adriatic; and people say that they are colonists from the Medes.

In what way however these have come to be colonists from the Medes I am not able for my part to conceive, but everything is possible in the long course of ages.

However that may be, the Ligurians who dwell in the region inland above Massalia call traders sigynnai, and the men of Cyprus give the same name to spears. 10.

but the priestess stood up from her seat before he had passed through the door, and said, “Lacedaemonian stranger, go back and enter not into the temple, for it is not lawful for Dorians to pass in hither.” He said:

“Woman, I am not a Dorian, but an Achaian.”

So then, paying no attention to the ominous speech, he made his attempt and then was expelled again with the Lacedaemonians;

… but in every way, that Equality is an excellent thing, since the Athenians while they were ruled by despots were not better in war that any of those who dwelt about them, whereas after they had got rid of despots they became far the first.

This proves that when they were kept down they were wilfully slack, because they were working for a master, whereas when they had been set free each one was eager to achieve something for himself.

79. These then were faring thus: and the Thebans after this sent to the god, desiring to be avenged on the Athenians;

The Athenians then, I say, being persuaded, voted a resolution to despatch twenty ships to help the Ionians, and appointed to command them Melanthios one of their citizens, who was in all things highly reputed.

These ships proved to be the beginning of evils for the Hellenes and the Barbarians.

98. Aristagoras however sailed on before and came to Miletos;

and when he had been informed, he asked for his bow, and having received it and placed an arrow upon the string, he discharged it upwards towards heaven, and as he shot into the air he said:

“Zeus, that it may be granted me to take vengeance upon the Athenians!”

Having so said he charged one of his attendants, that when dinner was set before the king he should say always three times: “Master, remember the Athenians.” 106.

“Zeus, that it may be granted me to take vengeance upon the Athenians!” Having so said he charged one of his attendants, that when dinner was set before the king he should say always three times:

“Master, remember the Athenians.”

106. When he had given this charge, he called into his presence Histiaios the Milesian, whom Darius had now been keeping with him for a long time, and said:

Histiaios then not only slew many of these, but also, taking Polichne of the Chians as his base, he conquered with the help of the Lesbians the remainder of the Chians as well, since they had suffered great loss by the sea-fight. 27.

And heaven is wont perhaps to give signs beforehand whenever great evils are about to happen to a city or a race of men;

for to the Chians also before these events remarkable signs had come.

At the present time there is no descendant of Glaucos existing, nor any hearth which is esteemed to be that of Glaucos, but he has been utterly destroyed and rooted up out of Sparta.

Thus it is good not even to entertain a thought about a deposit other than that of restoring it, when they who made it ask for it again.

”

and the tooth having fallen from him upon the sand, he was very desirous to find it; since however the tooth was not to be found when he searched, he groaned aloud and said to those who were by him: “

This land is not ours, nor shall we be able to make it subject to us; but so much part in it as belonged to me the tooth possesses.

”

“

With thee now it rests, Callimachos, either to bring Athens under slavery, or by making her free to leave behind thee for all the time that men shall live a memorial such as not even Harmodios and Aristogeiton have left.

For now the Athenians have come to a danger the greatest to which they have ever come since they were a people;

but when he saw that he thus gesticulated with his legs, he was no longer able to restrain himself, but said: “Thou hast danced away thy marriage however, son of Tisander!” and Hippocleides answered and said: “

Hippocleides cares not!

” 130. and hence comes this saying. Then Cleisthenes caused silence to be made, and spoke to the company as follows:

… informed that things are so, namely that there is no city of men nor any race of human beings remaining, which will be able to come to a contest with us, when those whom I just now mentioned have been removed out of the way.

Thus both those who have committed wrong against us will have the yoke of slavery, and also those who have not committed wrong.

(d) And ye will please me best if ye do this:—whensoever I shall signify to you the time at which ye ought to come, ye must appear every one of you with zeal for the service;

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.

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;

Nay, I have heard further that he sent branders also with them to brand the Hellespont. However this may be, he enjoined them, as they were beating, to say Barbarian and presumptuous words as follows: “

Thou bitter water, thy master lays upon thee this penalty, because thou didst wrong him not having suffered any wrong from him

: and Xerxes the king will pass over thee whether thou be willing or no; but with right, as it seems, no man doeth sacrifice to thee, seeing that thou art a treacherous and briny stream.”

and this I say, that with no one to stand against thee the country traversed, growing more and more as time goes on, will produce for thee famine.

Man, however, will be in the best condition, if when he is taking counsel he feels fear, reckoning to suffer everything that can possibly come, but in doing the deed he is bold.

” 50. Xerxes made answer in these words: “Artabanos, reasonably dost thou set forth these matters; but do not thou fear everything nor reckon equally for everything:

but do not thou fear everything nor reckon equally for everything: for if thou shouldest set thyself with regard to all matters which come on at any time, to reckon for everything equally, thou wouldest never perform any deed.

It is better to have good courage about everything and to suffer half the evils which threaten, than to have fear beforehand about everything and not to suffer any evil at all

: and if, while contending against everything which is said, thou omit to declare the course which is safe, thou dost incur in these matters the reproach of failure equally with him who says the opposite to this. This then, I say, is evenly balanced:

45. And seeing all the Hellespont covered over with the ships, and all the shores and the plains of Abydos full of men, then

Xerxes pronounced himself a happy man, and after that he fell to weeping.

46. Artabanos his uncle therefore perceiving him—the same who at first boldly declared his opinion advising Xerxes not to march against Hellas—this man, I say, having observed that Xerxes wept, asked as follows:

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:

but Xerxes asked about them whither the men were sailing, and they replied: “Master, to thy foes, conveying to them corn”: he then made answer and said: “

Are we not also sailing to the same place as these men, furnished with corn as well as with other things necessary? How then do these wrong us, since they are conveying provisions for our use?

”

Thus it is not the Argives who have acted most basely of all.

I however am bound to report that which is reported, though I am not bound altogether to believe it

; and let this saying be considered to hold good as regards every narrative in the history:

and here I am not reckoning anything for the women, eunuchs, baggage-animals, or dogs.

Of all these men, amounting to so many myriads, not one was for beauty and stature more worthy than Xerxes himself to possess this power.

188. The fleet, I say, set forth and sailed:

for hearing that the prize was a wreath and not money, he could not endure to keep silence, but in the presence of all he spoke these words:

“Ah! Mardonios, what kind of men are these against whom thou hast brought us to fight, who make their contest not for money but for honour!”

Thus was it spoken by this man.

and as he was speaking, the Corinthian commander, Adeimantos the son of Okytos, said: “

Themistocles, at the games those who stand forth for the contest before the due time are beaten with rods.

” He justifying himself said: “Yes, but those who remain behind are not crowned.” 60. At that time he made answer mildly to the Corinthian;

and as he was speaking, the Corinthian commander, Adeimantos the son of Okytos, said: “Themistocles, at the games those who stand forth for the contest before the due time are beaten with rods.” He justifying himself said: “

Yes, but those who remain behind are not crowned.

” 60. At that time he made answer mildly to the Corinthian; and to Eurybiades he said not now any of those things which he had said before, to the effect that if they should set sail from Salamis they would disperse in different directions;

and we shall be the gainers by the preservation of Megara and Egina and Salamis, at which place too an oracle tells us that we shall get the victory over our enemies.

Now when men take counsel reasonably for themselves, reasonable issues are wont as a rule to come, but if they do not take counsel reasonably, then God is not wont generally to attach himself to the judgment of men.

” 61.

Now he had heard beforehand that the Peloponnesians were pressing to take the ships away to the Isthmus. So when Themistocles came forth to him, Aristeides spoke these words: “

Both at other times when occasion arises, and also especially at this time we ought to carry on rivalry as to which of us shall do more service to our country.

And I tell thee now that it is indifferent whether the Peloponnesians say many words or few about sailing away from hence;

And Xerxes in answer to that which was said to him is reported to have uttered these words: “

My men have become women, and my women men.

” Thus it is said that Xerxes spoke. 89.

98. While Xerxes was doing thus, he sent a messenger to the Persians, to announce the calamity which had come upon them.

Now there is nothing mortal which accomplishes a journey with more speed than these messengers, so skilfully has this been invented by the Persians

: for they say that according to the number of days of which the entire journey consists, so many horses and men are set at intervals, each man and horse appointed for a day’s journey.

for they say that according to the number of days of which the entire journey consists, so many horses and men are set at intervals, each man and horse appointed for a day’s journey.

These neither snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness of night prevents from accomplishing each one the task proposed to him, with the very utmost speed.

The first then rides and delivers the message with which he is charged to the second, and the second to the third;

He laughed and then kept silence some time, and after that pointing to Mardonios, who happened to be standing by him, he said: “

Then Mardonios here shall give them satisfaction, such as is fitting for them to have.

” 115. The herald accordingly accepted the utterance and departed;

He said: “Master, there are none, unless some way be found of freeing ourselves of the excessive number of passengers.” Then it is said that Xerxes, when he heard this, spoke thus: “

Persians, now let each one of you show that he has care for the king; for my safety, as it seems, depends upon you.

” He, they say, thus spoke, and they made obeisance to him and leapt out into the sea; and so the ship being lightened came safe to Asia.

Thus at the same time it so chanced that the Barbarians dared sail no further up towards the West than Samos, being smitten with fear, and the Hellenes no further down towards the East than Delos, when the Chians made request of them.

So fear was guard of the space which lay between them.

133. The Hellenes, I say, sailed to Delos; and Mardonios meanwhile had been wintering in Thessaly.

and do not thou endeavour to persuade us to make a treaty with the Barbarian, for we on our part shall not be persuaded. And now report to Mardonios that the Athenians say thus:—

So long as the Sun goes on the same course by which he goes now, we will never make an agreement with Xerxes

; but we will go forth to defend ourselves against him, trusting in the gods and the heroes as allies, for whom he had no respect when he set fire to their houses and to their sacred images.

and he marvelling at his speech said to him: “Surely then it is right to tell Mardonios and to those of the Persians who after him are held in regard.” He upon this said: “

Friend, that which is destined to come from God, it is impossible for a man to avert; for no man is willing to follow counsel, even when one speaks that which is reasonable.

And these things which I say many of us Persians know well; yet we go with the rest being bound in the bonds of necessity:

for having exalted me on high and my family and my deed, thou didst then cast me down to nought by advising me to do outrage to a dead body, and by saying that if I do this I shall be better reported of.

These things it is more fitting for Barbarians to do than for Hellenes; and even with them we find fault for doing so.

However that may be, I do not desire in any such manner as this to please either Aeginetans or others who like such things;

and as, when the banquet was served, the difference between the two was great, Pausanias laughed and sent for the commanders of the Hellenes; and when these had come together, Pausanias said, pointing to the preparation of the two meals severally: “

Hellenes, for this reason I assembled you together, because I desired to show you the senselessness of this leader of the Medes, who having such fare as this, came to us who have such sorry fare as ye see here, in order to take it away from us.

” Thus it is said that Pausanias spoke to the commanders of the Hellenes.

… 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 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;