in my opinion, and they, elated by folly, should come to battle with us, they will learn that of all men we are the most skilled in war. Let nothing, then, be untried; for nothing is accomplished of its own self, but all things are usually achieved by men through endeavors." Mardonius, having thus smoothed over the opinion of Xerxes, ceased to speak.

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10. The rest of the Persians continuing silent, and not daring to declare an opinion to the one proposed, Artabanus, son of Hystaspes, being uncle to Xerxes, and relying on this, spoke as follows: (1.) "O king, unless opinions opposite to each other are spoken, it is impossible to choose the better, but it becomes necessary to adopt that which has been advanced; whereas, when various opinions have been given, it is possible: just as with unalloyed gold, we can not distinguish it by itself, but when we have rubbed it by the side of other gold, we do distinguish the better. I warned your father and my brother not to make war upon the Scythians, a people who have no city in any part of their territory; but he, hoping to subdue the Scythian nomades, heeded not my advice, and, having led an army against them, returned with the loss of many brave men of his army. But you, O king, are about to make war upon men far superior to the Scythians, who are said to be most valiant both by sea and land; it is therefore right that I should inform you of the danger we have to fear. (2.) You say that, having thrown a bridge over the Hellespont, you will march an army through Europe into Greece; now it may happen that we shall be worsted either by land or by sea, or even by both, for the people are said to be valiant; and this we may infer, since the Athenians alone destroyed so great an army that invaded the Attic territory under Datis and Artaphernes. They were not, however, successful in both; but if they should attack us with their fleet, and, having obtained a naval victory, should sail to the Hellespont and destroy the bridge, this surely, O king, were a great danger. (3.) Nor do I found this conjecture on any wisdom of my own, but from the calamity that once all but befell us, when your father, having joined the shores of the Thracian Bosphorus, and thrown a bridge over the Ister, crossed over to attack the Scythians; then the Scythians used every means to induce the Ionians, to whom the guard of the See B. IV. ch. 83.

passage over the Ister had been intrusted, to break up the bridge; and if, at that time, Histiæus, tyrant of Miletus, had assented to the opinion of the other tyrants, and had not opposed it, the power of the Persians would have been utterly ruined. It is dreadful even to hear it said that the whole power of the king depended on a single man. (4.) Do not, therefore, willingly expose yourself to any such danger, when there is no necessity, but be persuaded by me; dismiss this assembly; and hereafter, whenever it shall seem fit to you, having considered with yourself, proclaim what appears to you to be most advantageous; for to deliberate well I find is the greatest gain; for if the result prove unfortunate, the matter has nevertheless been well deliberated on, but our deliberation is defeated by fortune; but he who has deliberated badly, if fortune attend him, has met with a success he had no right to expect, but has nevertheless formed bad plans. (5.) Do you see how the deity strikes with his thunder the tallest animals, and suffers them not to be ostentatious, but the smaller ones do not at all offend him? Do you see how he ever hurls his bolts against the loftiest buildings, and trees of the like kind? for the deity is wont to cut off every thing that is too highly exalted. Thus even a large army is often defeated by a small one in such a manner as this: when the deity, through jealousy, strikes them with terror or lightning, whereby they perish in a manner unworthy of themselves; for the deity will not suffer any one but himself to have high thoughts. (6.) Again, to hasten any matter produces failures, from whence great losses are wont to follow; but in delay there are advantages, which, though not immediately apparent, yet one may discover after a time. This, then, O king, is the advice I give you. (7.) But do you, Mardonius, son of Gobryas, cease to speak vain words of the Grecians, who do not deserve to be spoken lightly of; for by calumniating the Greeks you urge the king himself to lead an army against them; and to this end you appear to me to exert all your efforts. But it may not so be; for calumny is the worst of evils; in it there are two who commit injustice, and one who is injured; for he who calumniates another acts unjustly, by accusing one that is not present; and he acts unjustly who is persuaded before he has learned the exact truth; and he that is absent when the charge is made is thus doubly injured,

being calumniated by the one, and by the other deemed to be base. (8.) But if, at all events, it must needs be that war must be made on these people, come, let the king himself remain in the abodes of the Persians; let both of us risk our children, and do you lead the expedition, having selected what men you choose, and taken with you as large a force as you think fit; and if matters succeed to the king in the manner you say, let my children be put to death, and me also with them; but if the event prove such as I foretell, then let your children suffer the same, and you also with them, if ever you return. If, however, you are unwilling to submit to these terms, and will at all events lead an army against Greece, I affirm that some of those who are left in this country will hear that Mardonius, having brought some great disaster upon the Persians, and being torn in pieces by dogs and birds, either in the territory of the Athenians or in that of the Lacedæmonians, if not sooner on his march, has discovered against what sort of men you now persuade the king to make war.'

11. Artabanus thus spoke, but Xerxes, inflamed with anger, answered as follows: "Artabanus, you are my father's brother; this will protect you from receiving the just recompense of your foolish words. However, I inflict this disgrace upon you, base and cowardly as you are, not to accompany me in my expedition against Greece, but to remain here with the women, and I, without your assistance, will accomplish all that I have said; for I should not be sprung from Darius, son of Hystaspes, son of Arsames, son of Ariaramnes, son of Teispes, son of Cyrus, son of Cambyses, son of Achæmenes, if I did not avenge myself on the Athenians, knowing full well that if we continue quiet, yet they will not, but will even invade our territories, if we may conjecture from what has been already done by them, who have both burned Sardis and advanced into Asia; wherefore it is not possible for either party to retreat, but the alternative lies before us, to do or suffer; so that all these dominions must fall under the power of the Grecians, or all theirs under that of the Persians, for there is no medium in this enmity. It is, therefore, honorable for us, who have first

5 Larcher, with whom Baehr appears to agree, refers yvóvтa to Tiva: in that case, the meaning of the passage being that "those who remain at home will, when they hear of the disasters that have befallen Mardonius and the army, learn what an enemy they have had to contend with."

suffered, to take revenge, that I may also be informed of the danger to which I shall expose myself by marching against those men whom Pelops the Phrygian, who was a slave of my ancestors, so completely subdued that, even to this day, the people themselves and their country are called after the name of the conqueror."

12. These things were said so far, but afterward night came on, and the opinion of Artabanus occasioned uneasiness to Xerxes, and deliberating with himself during the night, he clearly discovered that it would not be to his interest to make war on Greece: having thus altered his resolution, he fell asleep, and some time in the night he saw the following vision, as is related by the Persians. Xerxes imagined that a tall and handsome man stood by him and said, "Do you, then, change your mind, O Persian, and resolve not to lead an army against Greece, after having ordered the Persians to assemble their forces? You do not well to change your resolution, nor is there any man who will agree with you; therefore pursue that course which you resolved upon in the day." Xerxes thought that the man, having pronounced these words, flew away. 13. When day dawned, he paid no attention to this dream, but having assembled those Persians whom he had before convened, he addressed them as follows: "Pardon me, O Persians, that I suddenly change my plans, for I have not yet attained to the highest perfection of judgment, and they who persuade me to this enterprise are never absent from me. When, therefore, I heard the opinion of Artabanus, my youth immediately boiled with rage against him, so that I threw out words more unbecoming than I ought to a person of his years; but now, conscious of my error, I will follow his advice: since, therefore, I have changed my resolution, and determined not to make war against Greece, do you remain quiet." The Persians, when they heard this, being transported with joy, did him homage. 14. When night came, the same dream, again standing by Xerxes as he slept, said, "Son of Darius, you have, then, openly renounced, in the presence of the Persians, the intended expedition, and make no account of my words, as if you not heard them from any one. Be well assured, however, of this, that unless you immediately undertake this expedition, this will be the consequence to you: as you have become great and powerful in a short time, so you shall become low

had

again in an equally short space." 15. Xerxes, being alarmed by this vision, rushed from his bed, and sent a messenger to call Artabanus; and when he came, Xerxes spoke to him as follows: "Artabanus, I on the moment was not in my senses when I used hasty words to you in return for your good advice; however, after no long time I repented, and acknowledged that those measures which you suggested ought to be adopted by me. I am not, however, able to perform them, though desirous of doing so; for, after I had altered my resolution and acknowledged my error, a dream frequently presents itself to me by no means approving of my so doing; and it has just now vanished, after threatening me. If, then, it is a deity who sends this dream, and it is his pleasure that an expedition against Greece should at all events take place, this same dream will also flit before you, and give the same injunction as to me. This I think will happen, if you should take all my apparel, and, having put it on, should afterward sit on my throne, and then go to sleep in my bed." 16. Xerxes thus addressed

him; but Artabanus not obeying the first order, as he did not think himself worthy to sit on the royal throne, when he was at last compelled, did as he was desired, after he had spoken as follows. (1.) "I deem it an equal merit, O king; to form good plans, and to be willing to yield to one who gives good advice; and though both of these qualities attach to you, the converse of wicked men leads you astray; just as blasts of wind falling on the sea, which of all things is the most useful to mankind, do not suffer it to follow its proper nature. As for me, grief did not so much vex me at hearing your reproaches, as that when two opinions were proposed by the Persians, one tending to increase their arrogance, the other to check it, and to show how hurtful it is to teach the mind to be constantly seeking for more than we already possess; that, when these two opinions were proposed, you should choose that which is more dangerous both to yourself and the Persians. (2.) Now, however, after you have changed to the better resolution, you say, that since you have given up the expedition against the Greeks, a dream has come to you, sent by some god, which forbids you to abandon the enterprise. But these things, my son, are not divine, for dreams which wander among men are such as I will explain to you, being many years older than you are. Those visions of dreams most com