scarce than boats, so many were anxious to behold the sight; and having crossed over, they went through and viewed the dead; and all thought that those that lay there were all Lacedæmonians and Thespians, though they also saw the Helots: however Xerxes did not deceive those who had crossed over by what he had done with respect to his own dead, for indeed it was ridiculous; of the one party a thousand dead were seen lying; but the others lay all heaped up together, to the number of four thousand. This day they spent in the view, and on the next they returned to Histiæa, to their ships, and those with Xerxes set out on their march. 26. Some few deserters came to them from Arcadia, in want of subsistence, and wished to be actively employed: taking these men into the king's presence, the Persians inquired concerning the Greeks, what they were doing. One in particular it was who asked them this question. They answered, that they were celebrating the Olympic games, and viewing gymnastic combats and horseraces. He then asked, what was the reward proposed to them, for which they contended. They mentioned the crown of olive that is given. Upon which Tritantæchmes, son of Artabanus, having uttered a noble sentiment, incurred the charge of cowardice from the king: for having heard that the prize was a crown, and not riches, he could not remain silent, but spoke as follows before all: "Heavens, Mardonius, against what kind of men have you brought us to fight, who contend not for wealth, but for glory!" This, then, was said by him.

27. In the mean time, and when the defeat had occurred at Thermopyla, the Thessalians immediately sent a herald to the Phocians, as they had always1 entertained a grudge against them, and particularly since their last defeat. For not many years before this expedition of the king, the Thessalians themselves and their allies, having invaded the territories of the Phocians with all their forces, had been worsted by the Phocians and roughly handled. For when the Phocians had been shut up in Mount Parnassus, having with them the Elean prophet Tellias, this Tellias thereupon devised the following stratagem for them. Having smeared over with chalk six hundred of the bravest Phocians, both the men themselves and their armour, he attacked the Thessalians by night, having ordered them to kill every man they should see not covered See B. VII. chap. 176.

with white. The sentinels of the Thessalians, accordingly, seeing them first, were terrified, supposing it was some strange prodigy, and after the sentinels, the whole army, so that the Phocians got possession of four thousand dead and shields; of these they dedicated one half at Abæ, and the other at Delphi. The tenth of the treasures taken in this battle composed those great statues which stand about the tripod in the front of the temple at Delphi, and others like them were dedicated at Abæ. 28. Thus the Phocians dealt with the infantry of the Thessalians, who were besieging them; and they inflicted an irreparable blow on their cavalry, when they made an irruption into their territory; for in the entrance which is near Hyampolis, having dug a large pit, they put empty jars in it, and having heaped soil over and made it like the rest of the ground, they waited the attack of the Thessalians; but they, hoping to overwhelm the Phocians, being borne violently on, fell among the jars, whereupon the horses had their legs broken. 29. The Thessalians, bearing a grudge against them for these two things, sent a herald and made the following announcement: "O Phocians, now at length learn better, and know that you are not equal to us. For both before among the Greeks, as long as that party pleased us, we always proved superior to you; and now, we have so great influence with the barbarian, that it is in our power to deprive you of your country; and, moreover, to reduce you to slavery. We, however, though possessing full power, are not mindful of injuries; therefore, let fifty talents of silver be given us by way of reparation, and we promise you to avert the evils that impend over your country."

30. The Thessalians sent them this message. For the Phocians were the only people of those parts who did not side with the Mede; for no other reason, as I conjecture, than their hatred of the Thessalians; but if the Thessalians had taken part with the Greeks, in my opinion the Phocians would have sided with the Mede. When the Thessalians sent this message, they said they would not give money, and that it was in their power to join the Mede as well as the Thessalians, if only they chose to do so; but that they would not willingly be traitors to Greece. 31. When this answer was brought back, the Thessalians thereupon, being incensed with the Phocians, became guides to the barbarian; and, accord

ingly, they entered from Trachinia into Doris. For a narrow strip of Doric territory extends that way, about thirty stades in breadth, and situate between the Malian and Phocian territory, and which was anciently Dryopis. This region is the mother country of the Dorians in Peloponnesus. The barbarians, in their passage through, did not ravage this Doric territory; for the inhabitants sided with the Mede, and the Thessalians wished them not to do so. 32. When they entered from the Doric to the Phocian territory, they did not take the Phocians themselves, for some of the Phocians had ascended to the heights of Parnassus; and the summit of Parnassus lying near the city of Neon, which stands apart, is well adapted to receive a multitude; its name is Tithorea; to this, then, they carried their property, and ascended themselves: but the greater number of them had conveyed their effects to the Locrian Ozola, to the city of Amphissa, which is situate on the Crisæan plain. But the barbarians overran the whole Phocian territory. 33. For marching this way along the river Cephissus, they ravaged the whole country, and burnt down the cities of Drymus, Charadra, Erochus, Tethronium, Amphicæa, Neon, Pedieæ, Triteæ, Elatea, Hyampolis, Parapotamii, and Abæ; where was a rich temple of Apollo, adorned with many treasures and offerings, and there was then, and still is, an oracle there; this temple they plundered and burnt; and pursuing some of the Phocians, they took them near the mountains; and they caused the death of some women, by having intercourse with them in great numbers. 34. The barbarians having passed by Parapotamii, arrived at Panopeæ, and from thence, their army being divided, proceeded in two bodies. The largest and most powerful part of the army marching with Xerxes himself towards Athens, entered Bootia, at the territory of the Orchomenians. But the Boeotians sided with the Mede; Macedonian soldiers therefore posted in different places, having been sent by Alexander, saved their cities; and they saved them in order by this means to make it known to Xerxes that the Boeotians favoured the cause of the Medes. These barbarians, then, took this route.

35. The rest of them, having guides, proceeded towards the temple of Delphi, keeping Parnassus on their right and whatever parts of Phocis they came to, they pillaged; for they set fire to the city of the Panopians, and of the Daulians, and

the Æolidæ. They marched this way detached from the rest of the army for this reason, that having plundered the temple at Delphi, they might present the treasures to king Xerxes. But Xerxes, as I am informed, knew every thing that was of value in the temple better than what he had left at home, many persons continually telling him, especially of the offerings of Croesus, son of Alyattes. 36. The Delphians having heard of this, fell into a great consternation; and being in a state of great terror, consulted the oracle respecting the sacred treasures, whether they should hide them under ground, or transport them to another country. But the god would not suffer them to be moved; saying, "that he was able to protect his own." The Delphians having received this answer, began to think of themselves: accordingly they sent their children and wives across to Achaia; and the greater part of the men ascended to the tops of Parnassus, and carried their effects into the Corycian cavern; whilst others withdrew to the Locrian Amphissa. Thus all the Delphians abandoned the city, except only sixty men, and the prophet. 37. When the barbarians were advanced near, and saw the temple in the distance, then the prophet, whose name was Aceratus, saw the sacred arms, which it was not lawful for any mortal to touch, lying before the temple, having been brought out from within the fane. He therefore went to make known the prodigy to the Delphians who were at hand. But when the barbarians, hastening their march, were near the temple of Minerva Pronæa prodigies still greater than the former succeeded. And this indeed is a great wonder, that warlike instruments should be seen, self-moved, lying before the temple, yet the second prodigies, which succeeded after this, are worthy of admiration beyond all other portents. For when the barbarians had advanced near the temple of Minerva Pronæa, at that moment thunder fell on them from heaven, and two crags, broken away from Parnassus, bore down upon them with a loud crash, and killed many of them, and a loud cry and a war-shout issued from the temple of the Pronæa. 38. All these things being commingled together, a panic struck the barbarians; and the Delphians, having learnt that they had fled, came down after them, and slew a great number of them: the survivors fled direct into Boeotia. Those of the barbarians who returned, as I am informed, declared, that besides these they saw other mira

culous things, for that two heavy-armed men, of more than human stature, followed them, slaying and pursuing them. 39. The Delphians say these two were heroes of the country Phylacus and Autonous, whose precincts are near the temple; that of Phylacus by the road-side, above the temple of the Pronæa; and that of Autonous, near the Castalian spring under the Hyampeian summit. The rocks that fell from Parnassus were still preserved in my time, lying in the enclosure of Minerva Pronæa, where they fell when borne among the barbarians. Such, then, was the retreat of these men from the temple. 40. The Grecian fleet from Artemisium, at the request of the Athenians, put in at Salamis. For this reason the Athenians requested them to direct their course to Salamis, that they might remove their children and wives out of Attica, and moreover might consult of what measures were to be taken. For in the present posture of affairs they intended to hold a consultation, as they had been disappointed in their expectation. For whereas they expected to find the Peloponnesians with all their forces waiting in Boeotia to receive the barbarian, they found nothing of the kind; but were informed that they were fortifying the isthmus leading into the Peloponnesus, considering it of the greatest importance that it should be saved, and that, keeping guard there, they gave up all the rest. Having been informed of this, they therefore entreated them to direct their course to Salamis. 41. The rest therefore held on to Salamis, but the Athenians to their own country; and on their arrival they caused proclamation to be made," that every one should save his children and family by the best means he could." Thereupon the greatest part sent away their families to Trozene, some to Ægina, and others to Salamis. They used all diligence to remove them to a place of safety, both from a desire to obey the oracle, and more particularly for the following reason: the Athenians say, that a large serpent used to live in the temple as a guard to the Acropolis; they both say this, and, as if it were really there, they do it honour by placing before it its monthly food; the monthly food consists of a honey-cake: this honey-cake having been in former time always consumed, now remained untouched. When the priestess made this known, the Athenians with more readiness abandoned the city, since even the goddess had forsaken the Acropolis. As soon as every thing had