the history-第133章

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ether　because　I　wished　to　exhort　you　to　behave　bravely；　and　not　to　sully　with　disgrace　the　former　achievements　of　the　Persian　people；　which　are　very　great　and　famous。　Rather　let　us　one　and　all；　singly　and　jointly；　exert　ourselves　to　the　uttermost；　for　the　matter　wherein　we　are　engaged　concerns　the　common　weal。　Strain　every　nerve；　then；　I　beseech　you；　in　this　war。　Brave　warriors　are　the　men　we　march　against；　if　report　says　true；　and　such　that；　if　we　conquer　them；　there　is　not　a　people　in　all　the　world　which　will　venture　thereafter　to　with。　stand　our　arms。　And　now　let　us　offer　prayers　to　the　gods　who　watch　over　the　welfare　of　Persia；　and　then　cross　the　channel。〃　　　　　All　that　day　the　preparations　for　the　passage　continued；　and　on　the　morrow　they　burnt　all　kinds　of　spices　upon　the　bridges；　and　strewed　the　way　with　myrtle　boughs；　while　they　waited　anxiously　for　the　sun；　which　they　hoped　to　see　as　he　rose。　And　now　the　sun　appeared；　and　Xerxes　took　a　golden　goblet　and　poured　from　it　a　libation　into　the　sea；　praying　the　while　with　his　face　turned　to　the　sun　〃that　no　misfortune　might　befall　him　such　as　to　hinder　his　conquest　of　Europe；　until　he　had　penetrated　to　its　uttermost　boundaries。〃　After　he　had　prayed；　he　cast　the　golden　cup　into　the　Hellespont；　and　with　it　a　golden　bowl；　and　a　Persian　sword　of　the　kind　which　they　call　acinaces。　I　cannot　say　for　certain　whether　it　was　as　an　offering　to　the　sun…god　that　he　threw　these　things　into　the　deep；　or　whether　he　had　repented　of　having　scourged　the　Hellespont；　and　thought　by　his　gifts　to　make　amends　to　the　sea　for　what　he　had　done。　　　When；　however；　his　offerings　were　made；　the　army　began　to　cross；　and　the　foot…soldiers；　with　the　horsemen；　passed　over　by　one　of　the　bridges…　that　（namely）　which　lay　towards　the　Euxine…　while　the　sumpter…beasts　and　the　camp…followers　passed　by　the　other；　which　looked　on　the　Egean。　Foremost　went　the　Ten　Thousand　Persians；　all　wearing　garlands　upon　their　heads；　and　after　them　a　mixed　multitude　of　many　nations。　These　crossed　upon　the　first　day。　　　　　On　the　next　day　the　horsemen　began　the　passage；　and　with　them　went　the　soldiers　who　carried　their　spears　with　the　point　downwards；　garlanded；　like　the　Ten　Thousand；…　then　came　the　sacred　horses　and　the　sacred　chariot；　next　Xerxes　with　his　lancers　and　the　thousand　horse；　then　the　rest　of　the　army。　At　the　same　time　the　ships　sailed　over　to　the　opposite　shore。　According；　however；　to　another　account　which　I　have　heard；　the　king　crossed　the　last。　　　　　As　soon　as　Xerxes　had　reached　the　European　side；　he　stood　to　contemplate　his　army　as　they　crossed　under　the　lash。　And　the　crossing　continued　during　seven　days　and　seven　nights；　without　rest　or　pause。　'Tis　said　that　here；　after　Xerxes　had　made　the　passage；　a　Hellespontian　exclaimed…　　　　　〃Why；　O　Jove；　dost　thou；　in　the　likeness　of　a　Persian　man；　and　with　the　name　of　Xerxes　instead　of　thine　own；　lead　the　whole　race　of　mankind　to　the　destruction　of　Greece？　It　would　have　been　as　easy　for　thee　to　destroy　it　without　their　aid！〃　　　　　When　the　whole　army　had　crossed；　and　the　troops　were　now　upon　their　march；　a　strange　prodigy　appeared　to　them；　whereof　the　king　made　no　account；　though　its　meaning　was　not　difficult　to　conjecture。　Now　the　prodigy　was　this：…　a　mare　brought　forth　a　hare。　Hereby　it　was　shown　plainly　enough；　that　Xerxes　would　lead　forth　his　host　against　Greece　with　mighty　pomp　and　splendour；　but；　in　order　to　reach　again　the　spot　from　which　he　set　out；　would　have　to　run　for　his　life。　There　had　also　been　another　portent；　while　Xerxes　was　still　at　Sardis…　a　mule　dropped　a　foal；　neither　male　nor　female；　but　this　likewise　was　disregarded。　　　　　So　Xerxes；　despising　the　omens；　marched　forwards；　and　his　land　army　accompanied　him。　But　the　fleet　held　an　opposite　course；　and；　sailing　to　the　mouth　of　the　Hellespont；　made　its　way　along　the　shore。　Thus　the　fleet　proceeded　westward；　making　for　Cape　Sarpedon；　where　the　orders　were　that　it　should　await　the　coming　up　of　the　troops；　but　the　land　army　marched　eastward　along　the　Chersonese；　leaving　on　the　right　the　tomb　of　Helle；　the　daughter　of　Athamas；　and　on　the　left　the　city　of　Cardia。　Having　passed　through　the　town　which　is　called　Agora；　they　skirted　the　shores　of　the　Gulf　of　Melas；　and　then　crossed　the　river　Melas；　whence　the　gulf　takes　its　name；　the　waters　of　which　they　found　too　scanty　to　supply　the　host。　From　this　point　their　march　was　to　the　west；　and　after　passing　Aenos；　an　Aeolian　settlement；　and　likewise　Lake　Stentoris；　they　came　to　Doriscus。　　　　　The　name　Doriscus　is　given　to　a　beach　and　a　vast　plain　upon　the　coast　of　Thrace；　through　the　middle　of　which　flows　the　strong　stream　of　the　Hebrus。　Here　was　the　royal　fort　which　is　likewise　called　Doriscus；　where　Darius　had　maintained　a　Persian　garrison　ever　since　the　time　when　he　attacked　the　Scythians。　This　place　seemed　to　Xerxes　a　convenient　spot　for　reviewing　and　numbering　his　soldiers；　which　things　accordingly　he　proceeded　to　do。　The　sea…captains；　who　had　brought　the　fleet　to　Doriscus；　were　ordered　to　take　the　vessels　to　the　beach　adjoining；　where　Sale　stands；　a　city　of　the　Samothracians；　and　Zone；　another　city。　The　beach　extends　to　Serrheum；　the　well…known　promontory；　the　whole　district　in　former　times　was　inhabited　by　the　Ciconians。　Here　then　the　captains　were　to　bring　their　ships；　and　to　haul　them　ashore　for　refitting；　while　Xerxes　at　Doriscus　was　employed　in　numbering　the　soldiers。　　　　　What　the　exact　number　of　the　troops　of　each　nation　was　I　cannot　say　with　certainty…　for　it　is　not　mentioned　by　any　one…　but　the　whole　land　army　together　was　found　to　amount　to　one　million　seven　hundred　thousand　men。　The　manner　in　which　the　numbering　took　place　was　the　following。　A　body　of　ten　thousand　men　was　brought　to　a　certain　place；　and　the　men　were　made　to　stand　as　close　together　as　possible；　after　which　a　circle　was　drawn　around　them；　and　the　men　were　let　go：　then　where　the　circle　had　been；　a　fence　was　built　about　the　height　of　a　man's　middle；　and　the　enclosure　was　filled　continually　with　fresh　troops；　till　the　whole　army　had　in　this　way　been　numbered。　When　the　numbering　was　over；　the　troops　were　drawn　up　according　to　their　several　nations。　　　　　Now　these　were　the　nations　that　took　part　in　this　expedition。　The　Persians；　who　wore　on　their　heads　the　soft　hat　called　the　tiara；　and　about　their　bodies；　tunics　with　sleeves　of　divers　colours；　having　iron　scales　upon　them　like　the　scales　of　a　fish。　Their　legs　were　protected　by　trousers；　and　they　bore　wicker　shields　for　bucklers；　their　quivers　hanging　at　their　backs；　and　their　arms　being　a　short　spear；　a　bow　of　uncommon　size；　and　arrows　of　reed。　They　had　likewise　daggers　suspended　from　their　girdles　along　their　right　thighs。　Otanes；　the　father　of　Xerxes'　wife；　Amestris；　was　their　leader。　This　people　was　known　to　the　Greeks　in　ancient　times　by　the　name　of　Cephenians；　but　they　called　themselves　and　were　called　by　their　neighbours；　Artaeans。　It　was　not　till　Perseus；　the　son　of　Jove　and　Danae；　visited　Cepheus　the　son　of　Belus；　and；　marrying　his　daughter　Andromeda；　had　by　her　a　son　called　Perses　（whom　he　left　behind　him　in　the　country　because　Cepheus　had　no　male　offspring）；　that　the　nation　took　from　this　Perses　the　name　of　Persians。　　　　　The　Medes　had　exactly　the　same　equipment　as　the　Persians；　and　indeed　the　dress　common　to　both　is　not　so　much　Persian　as　Median。　They　had　for　commander　Tigranes；　of　the　race　of　the　Achaemenids。　These　Medes　were　called　anciently　by　all　people　Arians；　but　when　Media；　the　Colchian；　came　to　them　from　Athens；　they　changed　their　name。　Such　is　the　account　which　they　themselves　give。　　　　　The　Cissians　were　equipped　in　the　Persian　fashion；　except　in　one　respect：…　they　wore　on　their　heads；　instead　of　hats；　fillets。　Anaphes；　the　son　of　Otanes；　commanded　them。　　　　　The　Hyrcanians　were　likewise　armed　in　the　same　way　as　the　Persians。　Their　leader　was　Megapanus；　the　same　who　was　afterwards　satrap　of　Babylon。　　　　　The　Assyrians　went　to　the　war　with　helmets　upon　their　heads　made　of　brass；　and　plaited　in　a　strange　fashion　which　it　is　not　easy　to　describe。　They　carried　shields；　lances；　and　daggers　very　like　the　Egyptian；　but　in　addition；　they　had　wooden　clubs　knotted　with　iron；　and　linen　corselets。　This　people；　whom　the　Greeks　call　Syrians；　are　called　Assyrians