Chapter XXXVIII

FROM THE BATTLE OF MARATHON TO THE MARCH OF XERXES AGAINST GREECE.

Resolutions of Darius to invade Greece a second time. His death.
— Succeeded by his son Xerxes. — Revolt and reconquest of Egypt
by the Persians. — Indifference of Xerxes to the invasion of
Greece — persons who advised and instigated him — persuasions
which they employed — prophecies produced by Onomakritus. —
Xerxes resolves to invade Greece. — Historical manner and
conception of Herodotus. — Xerxes announces his project to an
assembly of Persian counsellors — Mardonius and Artabanus,
the evil and good genius. — Xerxes is induced by Artabanus to
renounce his project — his repeated dreams — divine command to
invade Greece. — Religious conception of the sequences of history
— common both to Persians and Greeks. — Vast preparations of
Xerxes — March of Xerxes from the interior of Asia — collection
of the invading army at Sardis — his numerous fleet and large
magazines of provision beforehand. — He throws a bridge of boats
across the Hellespont. — The bridge is destroyed by a storm —
Wrath of Xerxes — he puts to death the engineers and punishes the
Hellespont. — Remarks on this story of the punishment inflicted
on the Hellespont: there is no sufficient reason for disbelieving
its reality. — Reconstruction of the bridge — description of it
in detail. — Xerxes cuts a ship-canal across the isthmus of Mount
Athos. — Superior intelligence of the Phenicians. — Employment
of the lash over the workmen engaged on the canal — impression
made thereby on the Greeks. — Bridge of boats thrown across the
Strymon. — March of Xerxes from Sardis — disposition of his army.
— Story of the rich Kappadokian Pythius — his son put to death
by order of Xerxes. — March to Abydos — respect shown to Ilium
by Xerxes. — Xerxes and his army cross over the Hellespontine
bridges. — March to Doriskus in Thrace, near the mouth of the
Hebrus — his fleet joins him here. — Review and muster on the
plain of Doriskus — immense variety of the nations brought
together. — Numbering of the army — method employed. — Immense
and incredible totals brought out by Herodotus. — Comments upon
the evidence of Herodotus and upon himself as witness and judge.
— Other testimonies about the number of the Persians. — Xerxes
passes in review the land-force and the fleet at Doriskus — his
conversation with the Spartan king Demaratus. — March of Xerxes
from Doriskus westward along Thrace. — Contributions levied on
the Grecian towns on the coast of Thrace — particularly Thasus
and Abdêra. — Xerxes crosses the Strymon — marches to Akanthus —
zeal of the Akanthians in regard to the canal of Athos. — March
of Xerxes to Therma — his fleet join him in the Thermaic Gulf.
— Favorable prospects of the invasion — zeal of the Macedonian
prince to assist Xerxes.
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