Persians (739-795)

Alas! The fulfilment of the oracles has indeed come swiftly, and it is my son upon whom

Zeus has caused their issue to descend. Yet I was confident that, only after long lapse of time, the gods would in some way bring them to accomplishment; nevertheless, when man hastens to his own undoing, the god too participates with him. A fountain of misfortune has now, I think, been discovered for all I love. A son of mine it was who, in his ignorance, brought these things to pass through youthful recklessness;

for he conceived the hope that he could by shackles, as if it were a slave, restrain the current of the sacred Hellespont, the Bosporus, a stream divine; he set himself to fashion a roadway of a new type, and, by casting upon it hammer-wrought fetters, made a spacious causeway for his mighty host. Mortal though he was, he thought in his folly that he would gain the mastery of all the gods,

yes, even over Poseidon. Must this not have been a disease of the soul that possessed my son? I fear that the plenteous treasure amassed by my toil may become the prey of the spoiler.

This lesson impetuous Xerxes learned through conversation with evil men. For they kept telling him that, whereas you

won plentiful treasure for your children by your spear, he, on his part, through lack of manly spirit, played the warrior at home and did not increase his father’s wealth. Hearing such taunts many a time from evil counsellors, he planned this expedition and army against Hellas.

Therefore a calamity

dreadful and unforgettable has been caused by him, a desolating calamity such as never before befell this city of Susa since our Lord Zeus first ordained that one ruler should bear sway over all Asia with its flocks and wield the sceptre of its government.

For Medus was first to be the leader of its host; and another, his son, completed his work since wisdom ruled his spirit. Third, after him, Cyrus, blessed in good fortune, came to the throne and established peace for all his people.

The Lydians and Phrygians he won to his rule, and the whole of Ionia he subdued by force; for he won the favor of the gods through his right-mindedness. Fourth in succession, the son of Cyrus ruled the host. Fifth in the list, Mardus came to power, a disgrace to his native land

and to the ancient throne; but he was slain in his palace by the guile of noble Artaphrenes, with the help of friends whose duty this was. Sixth came Maraphis, and seventh Artaphrenes.[*] And I in turn attained the lot I desired,

and many a campaign I made with a valiant force; but disaster so dire as this I brought not upon the state. Yet Xerxes my son, youth that he is, has the mind of youth and does not remember my injunctions. Be sure of this, my age-mates:

all of us who have held this sovereign power cannot be shown to have wrought ruin as great as this.

What then, O king Darius? What is the intention of your words? How, after this reverse, may we, the people of Persia, best prosper in time to come?

If you do not take the field against the Hellenes’ land, even if the forces of the Medes outnumber theirs. The land itself is their ally.

What do you mean? In what way their ally?

It wastes with famine an enemy force which is too large.

But we will dispatch a force of select and easily managed troops.