by M. I. Finley
“Who then will dare, O King, to meet you in arms, when you come with all Asia’s warriors at your back, and with all her ships? For my part I do not believe the Greek people will be so foolhardy. Grant, however, that I am mistaken herein, and that they are foolish enough to meet us in open fight; in that case they will learn that there are no such soldiers in the whole world as we. Nevertheless let us spare no pains; for nothing comes without trouble; but all that men acquire is got by painstaking.”
When Mardonius had in this way softened the harsh speech of Xerxes, he too held his peace.
10. The other Persians were silent; for all feared to raise their voice against the plan proposed to them. But Artabanus, the son of Hystaspes, and uncle of Xerxes, trusting to his relationship, was bold to speak. “O King,” he said, “it is impossible, if no more than one opinion is uttered, to make choice of the best: a man is forced then to follow whatever advice may have been given him; but if opposite speeches are delivered, then choice can be exercised. In like manner pure gold is not recognized by itself; but when we test it along with baser ore, we perceive which is the better. I counselled your father, Darius, who was my own brother, not to attack the Scyths, a race of people who had no town in their whole land. He thought however to subdue those wandering tribes, and would not listen to me, but marched an army against them, and ere he returned home lost many of his bravest warriors. You are about, O King, to attack a people far superior to the Scyths, a people distinguished above others, it is said, both by land and sea. ’Tis fit therefore that I should tell you what danger you incur hereby.
“You say that you will bridge the Hellespont, and lead your troops through Europe against Greece. Now suppose some disaster befall you by land or sea, or by both. It may be even so; for the men are reputed valiant. Indeed one may measure their prowess from what they have already done; for when Datis and Artaphernes led their huge army against Attica, the Athenians singly defeated them. But grant they are not successful on both elements. Still, if they man their ships, and, defeating us by sea, sail to the Hellespont, and there destroy our bridge—that, sire, were a fearful hazard. And here ’tis not by my own mother wit alone that I conjecture what will happen; but I remember how narrowly we escaped disaster once, when your father, after throwing bridges over the Thracian Bosporus and the Danube, marched against the Scythians, and they tried every sort of prayer to induce the Ionians, who had charge of the bridge over the Danube, to break the passage. On that day, if Histiaeus, the tyrant of Miletus, had sided with the other tyrants, and not set himself to oppose their views, the empire of the Persians would have come to nought. Surely a dreadful thing is this even to hear said, that the king’s fortunes depended wholly on one man.
“Think then no more of incurring so great a danger when no need presses, but follow the advice I tender. Break up this meeting, and when you have well considered the matter with yourself, and settled what you will do, declare to us your resolve. I know not of aught in the world that so profits a man as taking good counsel with himself; for even if things fall out against one’s hopes, still one has counselled well, though fortune has made the counsel of none effect: whereas if a man counsels ill and luck follows, he has gotten a wind-fall, but his counsel is none the less silly. Do you see how God with His lightning smites always the bigger animals, and will not suffer them to wax insolent, while those of a lesser bulk chafe Him not? How likewise His bolts fall ever on the highest houses and the tallest trees? So plainly does He love to bring down everything that exalts itself. Thus ofttimes a mighty host is discomfited by a few men, when God in His jealousy sends fear or storm from heaven, and they perish in a way unworthy of them. For God allows no one to have high thoughts but Himself. Again, hurry always brings about disasters, from which huge sufferings are wont to arise; but in delay lie many advantages, not apparent (it may be) at first sight, but such as in course of time are seen of all. Such then is my counsel to you, O King!
“And you, Mardonius, son of Gobryas, forbear to speak foolishly concerning the Greeks, who are men that ought not to be lightly esteemed by us. For while you revile the Greeks, you encourage the king to lead his own troops against them; and this, as it seems to me, is what you are specially striving to accomplish. May that not come to pass! For slander is of all evils the most terrible. In it two men do wrong, and one man has wrong done to him. The slanderer does wrong, forasmuch as he abuses a man behind his back; and the hearer, forasmuch as he believes what he has not searched into thoroughly. The man slandered in his absence suffers wrong at the hands of both: for one brings against him a false charge, and the other thinks him an evildoer. If, however, it must needs be that we go to war with this people, at least allow the king to abide at home in Persia. Then let you and I both stake our children on the issue. Choose out your men, and, taking with you whatever number of troops you like, lead forth our armies to battle. If things go well for the king, as you say they will, let me and my children be put to death; but if they fall out as I prophesy, let your children suffer, and yourself too, if you come back alive. But should you refuse this wager, and still resolve to march an army against Greece, sure I am that some of those whom you leave behind here will one day receive the sad tidings, that Mardonius has brought a great disaster upon the Persian people, and lies a prey to dogs and birds somewhere in the land of the Athenians, or else in that of the Lacedaemonians; unless indeed you shall have perished sooner by the way, experiencing in your own person the might of those men on whom you would fain induce the king to make war.”
11. Thus spoke Artabanus. But Xerxes, full of wrath, replied to him:
“Artabanus, you are my father’s brother—that shall save you from receiving the due meed of your silly words. One shame however I will lay upon you, coward and faint-hearted as you are—you shall not come with me to fight these Greeks, but shall tarry here with the women. Without your aid I will accomplish all of which I spoke. For let me not be thought the child of Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the son of Arsames, the son of Ariaramnes, the son of Teispes, the son of Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, the son of Teispes, the son of Achaemenes, if I take not vengeance on the Athenians. Full well I know that, were we to remain at rest, yet would not they, but would most certainly invade our country, if at least it be right to judge from what they have already done; for, remember, it was they who fired Sardis and attacked Asia. So now retreat is on both sides impossible, and the choice lies between doing and suffering injury; either our empire must pass under the dominion of the Greeks, or their land become the prey of the Persians; for there is no middle course left in this quarrel. It is right then that we, who have in times past received wrong, should now avenge it, and that I should thereby discover what that great risk is which I run in marching against these men—men whom Pelops the Phrygian, a slave of my forefathers, subdued so utterly that to this day both the land and the people who dwell therein alike bear the name of the conqueror!”
12. Thus far did the speaking proceed. Afterwards evening fell; and Xerxes began to find the advice of Artabanus greatly disquiet him. So he thought upon it during the night, and concluded at last that it was not for his advantage to lead an army into Greece. When he had thus made up his mind anew, he fell asleep. And now he saw in the night, as the Persians declare, a vision of this nature: he thought a tall and beautiful man stood over him and said, “Have you then changed your mind, Persian, and will you not lead your host forth against the Greeks, after commanding the Persians to gather together their levies? Be sure that you do not do well to change; nor is there a man here who will approve your conduct. The course that you determined on during the day, let that be followed.” After thus speaking the man seemed to Xerxes to fly away.
13. Day dawned; and the king made no account of this dream, but called together the same Persians as before, and spoke to them as follows:
“Men of Persia, forgive me if I alter the resolve to which I came so lately. Consider that I have not yet reached to the full growth of my wisdom,
and that they who urge me to engage in this war leave me not to myself for a moment. When I heard the advice of Artabanus, my young blood suddenly boiled; and I spoke words against him little befitting his years: now however I am in agreement, and am resolved to follow his counsel. Understand then that I have changed my intent with respect to carrying war into Greece, and cease to trouble yourselves.”
When they heard these words, the Persians prostrated themselves, filled with joy.
14. But when night came, again the same vision stood over Xerxes as he slept, and said, “Son of Darius, it seems you have openly before all the Persians renounced the expedition, making light of my words, as though you had heard them from a nobody. Know therefore and be well assured, that unless you go forth to the war immediately, this thing shall happen to you—as you have grown mighty and powerful in a short space, so likewise will you within a ,little time be brought low indeed.”
15. Then Xerxes, greatly frightened at the vision which he had seen, sprang from his couch, and sent a messenger to call Artabanus, who came at the summons, when Xerxes spoke to him in these words:
“Artabanus, at the moment I acted foolishly, when I gave you ill words in return for your good advice. However it was not long ere I repented, and was convinced that your counsel was such as I ought to follow. But I may not now act in this way, greatly as I desire to do so. For ever since I repented and changed my mind a dream has haunted me, which disapproves my intentions, and has now just gone from me with threats. Now if this dream is sent to me from a god, and if it is indeed his will that our troops should march against Greece, you too will have the same dream come to you and receive the same commands as myself. And this will be most sure to happen, I think, if you put on the dress which I am wont to wear, and then, after taking your seat upon my throne, lie down to sleep on my bed.”
16. Such were the words of Xerxes. Artabanus would not at first yield to the command of the king, for he deemed himself unworthy to sit upon the royal throne. At the last, however, he was forced to give way, and did as Xerxes bade him; but first he spoke thus to the king:
“To me, sire, it seems to matter little whether a man is wise himself or willing to hearken to such as give good advice. In you truly both tempers are found; but the counsels of evil men lead you astray: they are like the gales of wind which vex the sea—else the most useful thing for man in the whole world—and suffer it not to follow the bent of its own nature. For myself, it irked me not so much to be reproached by you, as to observe that when two courses were placed before the Persian people, one of a nature to increase their pride, the other to humble it by showing them how hurtful it is to allow one’s heart always to covet more than one at present possesses, you made choice of that which was the worse both for yourself and for the Persians.
“Now you say that from the time when you approved the better course, and gave up the thought of warring against Greece, a dream has haunted you, sent by some god, which will not suffer you to lay aside the expedition. But such things, my son, have of a truth nothing divine in them. The dreams that wander to and fro among mankind, I will tell you of what nature they are—I who have seen so many more years than you. Whatever a man has been thinking of during the day, is wont to hover round him in the visions of his dreams at night. Now we during these many days past have had our hands full of this enterprise. If however the matter be not as I suppose, but God has indeed some part therein, you have in brief declared the whole that can be said concerning it—let it appear to me as it has to you, and lay on me the same injunctions. But it ought not to appear to me any the more if I put on your clothes than if I wear my own, nor if I go to sleep in your bed than if I do so in mine—supposing, I mean, that it is about to appear at all. For this thing, be it what it may, that visits you in your sleep, surely is not so far gone in folly as to see me, and because I am dressed in your clothes, straightway to mistake me for you. Now however our business is to see if it will regard me as of small account, and not vouchsafe to appear to me, whether I wear my own clothes or yours, while it keeps on haunting you continually. If it does so, and appears often, I should myself say that it was from God. For the rest, if your mind is fixed, and it is not possible to turn you from your design, but I must needs go and sleep in your bed, well and good, let it be so; and when I have done as you wish, then let the dream appear to me. Till such time, however, I shall keep to my former opinion.”
17. Thus spoke Artabanus; and when he had so said, thinking to show Xerxes that his words were nought, he did according to his orders. Having put on the garments which Xerxes was wont to wear and taken his seat upon the royal throne, he lay down to sleep. As he slept, there appeared to him the very same dream which had been seen by Xerxes; it came and stood over Artabanus, and said:
“You are the man, then, who, feigning to be tender of Xerxes, seeks to dissuade him from leading his armies against the Greeks! But you shall not escape scatheless, either now or in time to come, because you have sought to prevent that which is fated to happen. As for Xerxes, it has been plainly told to himself what will befall him, if he refuses to perform my bidding.”
18. In such words, as Artabanus thought, the vision threatened him, and then endeavoured to burn out his eyes with red-hot irons. At this he shrieked, and, leaping from his couch, hurried to Xerxes, and, sitting down at his side, gave him a full account of the vision; after which he said:
“I, O King, am a man who have seen many mighty empires overthrown by weaker ones; and therefore it was that I sought to hinder you from being quite carried away by your youth; since I knew how evil a thing it is to covet much. I could remember the expedition of Cyrus against the Massagetae, and what was the issue of it; I could recollect the march of Cambyses against the Ethiopians; I had taken part in the attack of Darius upon the Scyths; bearing therefore all these things in mind, I thought with myself that if you would remain at peace, all men would deem you fortunate. But as this impulse has plainly come from above, and a heaven-sent destruction seems about to overtake the Greeks, behold, I change to another mind, and alter my thoughts upon the matter. Make known to the Persians what the god has declared, and bid them follow the orders which were first given, and prepare their levies. Be careful to act so that the bounty of the god may not be hindered by slackness on your part.”
Thus these two spoke together; and Xerxes, being in good heart on account of the vision, when day broke, laid all before the Persians; while Artabanus, who had formerly been the only person openly to oppose the expedition, now showed as openly that he favoured it.
19. After Xerxes had thus determined to go forth to the war, there appeared to him in his sleep a third vision. The Magi were consulted upon it, and said that its meaning reached to the whole earth, and that all mankind would become his servants. Now the vision which the king saw was this: he dreamt that he was crowned with a branch of an olive tree, and that. boughs spread out from the olive branch and covered the whole earth; then suddenly the garland, as it lay upon his brow, vanished. So when the Magi had thus interpreted the vision, straightway all the Persians who were come together departed to their several governments, each hoping to obtain for himself the gifts which had been promised. And so Xerxes gathered together his host, ransacking every corner of the continent.
20. Reckoning from the recovery of Egypt, Xerxes spent four full years in collecting his host, and making ready all things that were needful for his soldiers. It was not till the close of the fifth year [480 B.C.] that he set forth on his march, accompanied by a mighty multitude. For of all the armaments whereof any mention has reached us, this was by far the greatest; insomuch that no other expedition compared to this seems of any account, neither that which Darius undertook against the Scythians, nor the expedition of the Scythians (which the attack of Darius was designed to avenge), when they, being in pursuit of the Cimmerians, fell upon the Median territory, and subdued and held for a time almost the whole of Upper Asia; nor, again, that of the Atridae against Troy, of which we hea
r in story; nor that of the Mysians and Teucrians, which was still earlier, wherein these nations crossed the Bosporus into Europe, and, after conquering all Thrace, pressed forward till they came to the Adriatic, while southward they reached as far as the river Peneus.
21. All these expeditions, and others that there were besides, are as nothing compared with this. For was there a nation in all Asia which Xerxes did not bring with him against Greece? Or was there a river, except those of unusual size, which sufficed for his troops to drink? Some nations furnished ships; others were arrayed among the foot soldiers; others had to supply horses; others, transports for the horse and men likewise for the transport service; others, long ships for the bridges; others, ships and provisions.
22. And in the first place, because the former fleet had met with so great a disaster about Athos, preparations were made, by the space of about three years, in that quarter....
[Xerxes in the meantime marched with his land army to Sardis.]
32. Here his first care was to send off heralds into Greece, who were to prefer a demand for earth and water, and to require that preparations should be made everywhere to feast the king. To Athens indeed and to Sparta he sent no such demand; but, these cities excepted, his messengers went everywhere. Now the reason why he sent for earth and water to states which had already refused was this: he thought that although they had refused when Darius made the demand, they would now be too frightened to venture to say him nay. So he sent his heralds, wishing to know for certain how it would be.