The Good Book

by A. C. Grayling

  4. ‘But if opposite speeches are delivered, then choice can be exercised.

  5. ‘I counselled your father, Darius, who was my own brother, not to attack the Scythians, a race of people who had no town in their whole land.

  6. ‘He thought however to subdue those wandering tribes, and would not listen to me, but marched an army against them, and before he returned home lost many of his bravest warriors.

  7. ‘You, O king! are about to attack a people far superior to the Scythians, a people distinguished above others both by land and sea. It is fit therefore that I tell you what danger you incur hereby.

  8. ‘You say you will bridge the Hellespont, and lead your troops through Europe against Greece.

  9. ‘Now suppose some disaster befall you by land or sea, or by both. It could happen; for the men are reputed valiant.

  10. ‘Indeed one may measure their prowess from what they have already done;

  11. ‘For when Datis and Artaphernes led their huge army against Attica, the Athenians by themselves defeated them.

  12. ‘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.

  13. ‘I remember how narrowly we escaped disaster once, when your father, after throwing bridges over the Thracian Bosphorus and the Ister,

  14. ‘Marched against the Scythians, and they tried every means to induce the Ionians, who had charge of the bridge over the Ister, to break the passage.

  15. ‘On that day, if Histiaeus, king of Miletus, had sided with the other princes, and not set himself to oppose their views, the empire of the Persians would have come to an end.

  16. ‘Surely it were a dreadful thing even to hear this said, that the king’s fortunes depended wholly on one man.

  17. ‘Think then no more of incurring so great a danger when no need presses, but follow the advice I offer.

  18. ‘Break up this meeting, and when you have thought the matter over by yourself, and settled what you will do, tell us your decision.

  19. ‘I know nothing in the world that so profits a man as taking good counsel with himself.

  20. ‘Moreover, hurry always brings disasters, from which huge sufferings arise;

  21. ‘But in delay lie many advantages, not always apparent at first sight, but such as in course of time are seen of all. Such is my counsel, O king!

  22. ‘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.

  23. ‘For by reviling the Greeks, you encourage the king to lead his troops against them; and it seems to me that you want this for your own benefit.

  24. ‘If, however, it turns out that we must go to war with this people, at least allow the king to abide at home in Persia.

  25. ‘Then let you and me stake our children on the issue. If things go well for the king, as you say they will, let me and my children be put to death;

  26. ‘But if they fall out as I predict, let your children suffer, and you too, if you happen to come back alive.

  27. ‘But if you refuse this wager, and still resolve to march an army against Greece,

  28. ‘I am certain that some of those you leave behind here will one day receive the sad tidings that Mardonius has brought a great disaster on the Persian people,

  29. ‘And himself lies a prey to dogs and birds somewhere in the land of the Athenians, or else in that of the Spartans;

  30. ‘Unless indeed you perish sooner by the way, experiencing in your own person the might of those men on whom you wish to induce the king to make war.’

  31. Angrily Xerxes said, ‘Artabanus, you are my father’s brother; that saves you from punishment for your stupid words.

  32. ‘But I will lay one shame on you: you will not come with me to conquer the Greeks, but will tarry here with the women.

  33. ‘It is henceforth either the Greeks or the Persians: one must conquer; there is no middle way.’

  34. So he spoke; but in the night he was troubled by what Artabanus had said, and changed his mind, and told the Persians so the next morning;

  35. At which they all rejoiced, and made grateful obeisances to him.

  36. Yet the second night he changed his mind yet again, and told them so; and this time, because he had been discussing long with Artabanus,

  37. And had persuaded his uncle to support him in his resolve, he was able to tell the Persians that Artabanus at last agreed too; and so the expedition was decided.

  Chapter 59

  1. Reckoning from the recovery of Egypt, Xerxes spent four years collecting his host and making all ready for the invasion of Greece.

  2. So many nations furnished men, ships and supplies, that no greater host had ever been assembled for war, or more careful preparations made.

  3. These included laying up stores at way stations, building bridges and digging a great channel across the isthmus of Athos.

  4. Meanwhile the satraps of the provinces of the empire had vied with each other in fitting out in brilliant array the armies they levied.

  5. When these came together, a vast host, Xerxes led them across the River Halys, and marched through Phrygia to the city of Celaenae.

  6. Here Xerxes and his army were magnificently entertained by Pythius, a citizen so wealthy that in the time of Darius he had sent the king a golden plane tree, and was reputed to be second in wealth only to Xerxes himself.

  7. So pleased was Xerxes by Pythius’ generosity that he promised him lifelong friendship, and added to this store of wealth with further gifts.

  8. When the army crossed the Maeander they passed by the city of Callatebus, where the men make honey and harvest wheat and the fruit of the tamarisk.

  9. Xerxes there found a plane tree so beautiful that he presented it with golden ornaments, and put it under the care of one of his favourite guards.

  10. When he reached Sardis, the capital of Lydia, Xerxes sent heralds to all Greece demanding gifts of earth and water as tokens of submission, and asking them to prepare feasts to welcome him.

  11. To two cities only he did not send these demands: Athens and Sparta.

  12. Then Xerxes set forward to Abydos, where the bridge across the Hellespont had just been finished by his engineers.

  13. It was a double bridge, one half built by Phoenicians and the other by Egyptians.

  14. The former had used cables of white flax, the latter ropes of papyrus. It is seven furlongs from Abydos to the European coast.

  15. The bridge was fine to see, and ready for use; but before Xerxes could cross with his host, a violent storm arose, and the bridge was broken to pieces, all the work destroyed and submerged in the raging water.

  16. Xerxes was extremely angry at this, and ordered the Hellespont to be given three hundred lashes as punishment, and a pair of fetters thrown into it.

  17. It is even said that he ordered his branders to heat their branding irons and brand the Hellespont.

  18. It is certain that he commanded those who scourged the waters to utter, as they lashed them, these words:

  19. ‘You bitter water, your lord punishes you because you have wronged him without cause. King Xerxes will cross you, whether you will or no.

  20. ‘You deserve this punishment as a treacherous and unsavoury river.’

  21. When this absurd task had been completed, other master builders were brought to the Hellespont, and fashioned a new bridge.

  22. They joined together triremes and penteconters, three hundred and sixty to support the bridge on the side of the Euxine Sea, and three hundred and fourteen to sustain the other;

  23. And these they placed at right angles to the sea, and in the direction of the current of the Hellespont, thus relieving the tension of the shore cables.

  24. Having joined the vessels, they moored them with anchors of great size,

  25. So that the vessels towards the Euxine could r
esist the winds which blow from the straits,

  26. And those of the more western bridge facing the Aegean might withstand the southerly and south-easterly winds.

  27. A gap was left in the penteconters in no fewer than three places, to afford a passage for such light craft as chose to enter or leave the Euxine.

  28. When all this was done, they made the cables taut from the shore by the help of wooden capstans.

  29. This time, instead of using the two materials separately, they assigned to each bridge six cables, two of white flax, four of papyrus.

  30. Both cables were of the same size and quality; but the flaxen were the heavier, weighing more than a talent the cubit.

  31. When the bridge was complete, tree trunks were sawn into planks to match the width of the bridge,

  32. And these were fastened side by side on the tightened cables. Brushwood was arranged on the planks, after which earth was heaped on the brushwood, and trodden into a solid mass.

  33. Lastly a bulwark was set up on either side of the causeway, high enough to prevent the sumpter beasts and horses from seeing over it and taking fright at the water.

  Chapter 60

  1. While the host of Xerxes was approaching the bridge at Abydos the sun, shining in a clear sky, was suddenly eclipsed, causing momentary consternation to Xerxes himself and all his men.

  2. But the one most unnerved was Pythius, who had royally entertained Xerxes on arriving in Lydia;

  3. And he asked him if, of the five sons marching with the army, he might be spared just one to stay at home and guard his old age and wealth.

  4. Angered, Xerxes said, ‘All my kin and people are marching to this war with me, yet you wish to have a son exempted from the duty!

  5. ‘That son forfeits his life as your punishment for asking!’ At this he ordered the youth to be killed and cut in two,

  6. One half of the corpse being placed on one side, and the other on the other side of the road along which the army marched towards the Hellespont.

  7. On arriving at Abydos, Xerxes had a throne of white marble set on a hill so that he could overlook the Hellespont, the bridge, the great host of his army and his fleet on the waters, all in one sweeping view from this vantage point.

  8. He ordered a sailing race among the fleet, which the Phoenicians won; and he was delighted with the sight of such a mighty host and armament.

  9. But as he looked at so many ships, and the plains thronging with men as far as the eye could see, he suddenly began to weep.

  10. Then Artabanus, his uncle, asked him: ‘Why do you weep, who were rejoicing just now at the sight of such a magnificent host bent on securing kingship of the world for you?’

  11. And Xerxes said, ‘There came on me a sudden pity, when I thought of the brevity of men’s lives, and considered that of all this host, so numerous as it is, not one will be alive a hundred years from now.’

  12. To which Artabanus replied, ‘And yet there are sadder things than that. Short as our time is, there is no man, whether here among this multitude or elsewhere,

  13. ‘Who is so happy, as not to have felt the wish – I will not say once, but many a time – that he were dead rather than alive.

  14. ‘Calamities fall upon us; sicknesses vex and harass us, and make life weary even though short.

  15. ‘So death, through the wretchedness of our life, is a most sweet refuge to our kind.’

  16. ‘You speak the truth,’ said Xerxes, ‘and so let us turn our thoughts from it, because the truth is sad.

  17. ‘And tell me, uncle, whether the sight of this great army and navy here before us pleases you as it does me.’

  18. Artabanus replied, ‘No one could feel otherwise, if he is on the same side as such a host!

  19. ‘But I worry about two dangers that are especially difficult to overcome.’

  20. ‘Can any dangers withstand an army and a navy so great as these?’ asked Xerxes, astonished.

  21. ‘Precisely because they are so great in number and extent, these dangers – one can say: these enemies to you – are the greater,’ replied Artabanus.

  22. ‘They are: the land, and the sea. Nowhere on the margins of the sea is there a harbour big enough for your fleet;

  23. ‘If a storm arises, there is no way the whole fleet can find protection together.

  24. ‘And the land: by distance, increasing as you go further from home, and by becoming quickly insufficient to provide food and fodder for such a huge army and its animals, it will contrive to defeat you.’

  25. Xerxes said, ‘There is good sense in what you say. But do not fear everything alike, or count every risk.

  26. ‘If we thought only of difficulties we would never venture anything. Far better to have a stout heart, and accept the possibility of evils, than to step timidly and travel nowhere.

  27. ‘Success for the most part attends those who act boldly, not those who weigh everything.

  28. ‘You see the height the power of Persia has reached – never would it have grown to this point if they who sat on the throne before me had thought like you, or listened to councillors of such a mind.’

  29. And Xerxes sent Artabanus home to Susa, tired of his caution and opposition.

  Chapter 61

  1. The next day, when the sun rose, Xerxes ordered the first of his host across the bridge.

  2. Sumpter beasts, camp followers, and at their head the choice Ten Thousand of the Persian army, followed by troops of many other nations, crossed over.

  3. On the second day the cavalry crossed, and the regiments of spearmen, and Xerxes himself, and the rest of the army.

  4. At the same time the fleet sailed to the far shore. As soon as Xerxes had reached the European side, he stood to contemplate his army as they crossed under the lash.

  5. And the crossing continued during seven days and seven nights, without rest or pause.

  6. It is said that here, after Xerxes had made the passage, a Hellespontian exclaimed,

  7. ‘Why has the whole race of mankind come to the destruction of Greece? What has Greece done, to deserve such a vengeance?’

  8. For Xerxes had brought one million seven hundred thousand men from many nations of Asia, India, Arabia and Africa, each with its own type of weapon and clothing, and its own skills in war.

  9. In the fleet were one thousand two hundred triremes, and each ship had a company of soldiers alongside the seamen.

  10. There were many men of note and courage in the army and navy, and many noble rulers.

  11. And there was one woman, Artemisia, who ruled over the Halicarnassians, the men of Cos, of Nisyrus and of Calydna;

  12. She brought five triremes to the Persian fleet and they were, next to the Sidonian, the most famous ships in the fleet.

  13. She likewise gave to Xerxes sounder counsel than any of his other allies.

  14. So Xerxes began his march into Macedonia. Every city he passed added men to his army, and the coastal towns provided yet further seamen to his fleet.

  15. Every city, in response to the demand he had sent by heralds before him, had made food and drink ready for him and his forces.

  16. No sooner had the heralds brought their message, than in every city the inhabitants made a division of their stores of corn,

  17. And proceeded to grind flour of wheat and of barley for many months together.

  18. They purchased the best cattle and fattened them; and fed poultry and waterfowl to be ready for the army;

  19. While they likewise prepared gold and silver vases and drinking-cups, and everything else needed for the service of the table.

  20. These last preparations were made for the king only, and those who sat with him; for the rest of the army plain food was provided.

  21. On the arrival of the Persians, a tent ready pitched for the purpose received Xerxes, who took his rest therein, while the soldiers remained under the open sky.

  22. When the dinner hour came, great was the toil of those who entertained the arm
y;

  23. While the guests ate their fill, and then, after passing the night at the place, took down the royal tent next morning, and packing its contents, carried them all off, leaving nothing behind.

  24. At last Xerxes reached Therma, to which he had ordered his fleet,

  25. And from there he could see the Thessalian mountains, Olympus and Ossa, both very high.

  26. He took a boat to view the mouth of the River Peneus, which collects all the waters of the rivers of Thessaly, a land ringed by its mountains, and discharges them into the sea.

  Chapter 62

  1. When Xerxes returned to Therma he found waiting for him the heralds he had sent to the cities of Greece, demanding earth and water; and learned which had complied, and which had refused.

  2. Among those who sent earth and water were the Thessalians, Dolopians, Enianians, Perrhaebians,

  3. The Locrians, Magnetians, Malians, Achaeans of Phthiotis, Thebans, and the Boeotians generally, except those of Plataea and Thespiae.

  4. In the cities that had refused to submit there was great alarm and anxiety, for news of the vast host of the Persians had reached everywhere in Greece.

  5. In Athens the citizens debated whether to abandon their city and fly, or to stay and fight.

  6. Among them a citizen of the first rank, Themistocles, nerved them by saying, ‘We are defended by the best circuit of wooden walls of any city;

  7. ‘I mean our fleet.’ He said this because he had previously given Athens excellent advice, which was as follows.

  8. The city authorities had accumulated a large sum in the treasury, and were about to share it among the citizens, who would have received ten drachmas apiece,

  9. When Themistocles persuaded them not to distribute the money, but to use it to build two hundred ships to help them in their war against the Eginetans.

  10. It was thus the Eginetan war which proved the saving of Greece; for thereby was Athens forced to become a maritime power.

  11. Now, with the looming threat of Xerxes, they resolved to build yet more ships, and to equip them well.