Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/51

CRUELTY OF XERXES. 27 troops : after whom, with an interval of two furlongs, the remain- ing host followed pell-mell. ^ Respecting its numbers and constit- uent portions I shall speak presently, on occasion of the great review at Doriskus. On each side of the army, as it marched out of Sardis, Avas seen suspended one half of the body of a slaughtered man, placed there expressly for the purpose of impressing a lesson on the sub- jects of Persia. It was the body of the eldest son of the wealthy Pythius, a Phrygian old man resident at Kelcen^, who had en- tertained Xerxes in the course of his march from Kappadokia to Sardis, and who had previously recommended himself by rich gifts to the preceding king Darius. So abundant was his hospi- tality to Xerxes, and so pressing his offers of pecuniary contri- bution for the Grecian expedition, that the monarch asked him what was the amount of his wealth. " I possess (replied Pyth- ius) besides lands and slaves, two thousand talents of silver, and three million nine hundred and ninety-three thousand of golden darics, wanting only seven thousand of being four million. All this gold and silver do I present to thee, retaining only my lands and slaves, which will be quite enough." Xerxes replied by the strongest expressions of praise and gratitude for his liberality ; at the same time refusing his offer, and even giving to Pythius out of his own treasure the sum of seven thousand darics, which was wanting to make up the exact sum of four million. The latter was so elated with this mark of favor, that when the army was about to depart from Sardis, he ventured, under the influ- ence of terror from the various menacing portents, to prefer a prayer to the Persian monarch. His five sons were all about to serve in the invading army against Greece : his prayer to Xerxes was, that the eldest of them might be left behind, as a stay to his own declining years, and that the service of the remaining four with the army might be considered as sufficient. But the un- happy father knew not what he asked. " Wretch ! (replied Xerxes) dost thou dare to talk to me about thy son, when I am myself on the march against Greece, with my sons, brothers, re- latives, and friends ? thou who art my slave, and whose duty it ' Herodot. Ail, 41. Mera 61 ttjv lirnov SieTiiXenrro koI 6vo aradiovs, Koi