Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/13

CONTENTS. VOL. V. PART II. CONTINUATION OP HISTORICAL GREECE. CHAPTER XXXVIII. FROM THE BATTLE OF MAEATHON TO THE 5IAECH OF XEEXES AGAINST GREECE. Kesolutions of Darius to invade Greece a second time. His death. — Suc- ceeded by his son Xerxes. — Eevolt and reconquest of Egypt by the Per- sians. — Indifference of Xerxes to the invasion of Greece — persons who advised and instigated him — persuasions -which they employed — proph- ecies 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 Arta- banus, the evil and good genius. — Xerxes is induced by Artabanus to re- nounce his project — his repeated dreams — divine command to invade Greece. — Religious conception of the sequences of histoiy — 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 pro'ision before- hand. — He throws a bridge of boats across the Hellespont. — The bridge is destroyed by a storm — wi-ath of Xerxes — he puts to death the engi- neers and punishes the Hellespont. — Remarks on this stoiy of the pun- ishment inflicted on the Hellespont : there is no suiScient reason for dis- believing 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 Stiymon. — March of Xerxes from Sardis — disposition of his army. — Stoiy of the rich Kap- padokian Pythius — his son put to death by order of Xerxes. — March to Abydos — respect shown to Hium 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. — Im- mense and incredible totals brought out by Herodotus. — Comments A*