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is；　left　Mardonius　in　Thessaly；　and　marched　away　himself；　at　his　best　speed；　toward　the　Hellespont。　In　five…and…forty　days　he　reached　the　place　of　passage；　where　he　arrived　with　scarce　a　fraction；　so　to　speak；　of　his　former　army。　All　along　their　line　of　march；　in　every　country　where　they　chanced　to　be；　his　soldiers　seized　and　devoured　whatever　corn　they　could　find　belonging　to　the　inhabitants；　while；　if　no　corn　was　to　be　found；　they　gathered　the　grass　that　grew　in　the　fields；　and　stripped　the　trees；　whether　cultivated　or　wild；　alike　of　their　bark　and　of　their　leaves；　and　so　fed　themselves。　They　left　nothing　anywhere；　so　hard　were　they　pressed　by　hunger。　Plague　too　and　dysentery　attacked　the　troops　while　still　upon　their　march；　and　greatly　thinned　their　ranks。　Many　died；　others　fell　sick　and　were　left　behind　in　the　different　cities　that　lay　upon　the　route；　the　inhabitants　being　strictly　charged　by　Xerxes　to　tend　and　feed　them。　Of　these　some　remained　in　Thessaly；　others　in　Siris　of　Paeonia；　others　again　in　Macedon。　Here　Xerxes；　on　his　march　into　Greece；　had　left　the　sacred　car　and　steeds　of　Jove；　which　upon　his　return　he　was　unable　to　recover；　for　the　Paeonians　had　disposed　of　them　to　the　Thracians；　and；　when　Xerxes　demanded　them　back；　they　said　that　the　Thracian　tribes　who　dwelt　about　the　sources　of　the　Strymon　had　stolen　the　mares　as　they　pastured。　　　　　Here　too　a　Thracian　chieftain；　king　of　the　Bisaltians　and　of　Crestonia；　did　a　deed　which　went　beyond　nature。　He　had　refused　to　become　the　willing　slave　of　Xerxes；　and　had　fled　before　him　into　the　heights　of　Rhodope；　at　the　same　time　forbidding　his　sons　to　take　part　in　the　expedition　against　Greece。　But　they；　either　because　they　cared　little　for　his　orders；　or　because　they　wished　greatly　to　see　the　war；　joined　the　army　of　Xerxes。　At　this　time　they　had　all　returned　home　to　him…　the　number　of　the　men　was　six…　quite　safe　and　sound。　But　their　father　took　them；　and　punished　their　offence　by　plucking　out　their　eyes　from　the　sockets。　Such　was　the　treatment　which　these　men　received。　　　　　The　Persians；　having　journeyed　through　Thrace　and　reached　the　passage；　entered　their　ships　hastily　and　crossed　the　Hellespont　to　Abydos。　The　bridges　were　not　found　stretched　across　the　strait；　since　a　storm　had　broken　and　dispersed　them。　At　Abydos　the　troops　halted；　and；　obtaining　more　abundant　provision　than　they　had　yet　got　upon　their　march；　they　fed　without　stint；　from　which　cause；　added　to　the　change　in　their　water；　great　numbers　of　those　who　had　hitherto　escaped　perished。　The　remainder；　together　with　Xerxes　himself；　came　safe　to　Sardis。　　　　　There　is　likewise　another　account　given　of　the　return　of　the　king。　It　is　said　that　when　Xerxes　on　his　way　from　Athens　arrived　at　Eion　upon　the　Strymon；　he　gave　up　travelling　by　land；　and；　intrusting　Hydarnes　with　the　conduct　of　his　forces　to　the　Hellespont；　embarked　himself　on　board　a　Phoenician　ship；　and　so　crossed　into　Asia。　On　his　voyage　the　ship　was　assailed　by　a　strong　wind　blowing　from　the　mouth　of　the　Strymon；　which　caused　the　sea　to　run　high。　As　the　storm　increased；　and　the　ship　laboured　heavily；　because　of　the　number　of　the　Persians　who　had　come　in　the　king's　train；　and　who　now　crowded　the　deck；　Xerxes　was　seized　with　fear；　and　called　out　to　the　helmsman　in　a　loud　voice；　asking　him；　if　there　were　any　means　whereby　they　might　escape　the　danger。　〃No　means；　master；〃　the　helmsman　answered；　〃unless　we　could　be　quit　of　these　too　numerous　passengers。〃　Xerxes；　they　say；　on　hearing　this；　addressed　the　Persians　as　follows：　〃Men　of　Persia；〃　he　said；　〃now　is　the　time　for　you　to　show　what　love　ye　bear　your　king。　My　safety；　as　it　seems；　depends　wholly　upon　you。〃　So　spake　the　king；　and　the　Persians　instantly　made　obeisance；　and　then　leapt　over　into　the　sea。　Thus　was　the　ship　lightened；　and　Xerxes　got　safe　to　Asia。　As　soon　as　he　had　reached　the　shore；　he　sent　for　the　helmsman；　and　gave　him　a　golden　crown　because　he　had　preserved　the　life　of　the　kings…　but　because　he　had　caused　the　death　of　a　number　of　Persians；　he　ordered　his　head　to　be　struck　from　his　shoulders。　　　　　Such　is　the　other　account　which　is　given　of　the　return　of　Xerxes；　but　to　me　it　seems　quite　unworthy　of　belief；　alike　in　other　respects；　and　in　what　relates　to　the　Persians。　For　had　the　helmsman　made　any　such　speech　to　Xerxes；　I　suppose　there　is　not　one　man　in　ten　thousand　who　will　doubt　that　this　is　the　course　which　the　king　would　have　followed：…　he　would　have　made　the　men　upon　the　ship's　deck；　who　were　not　only　Persians；　but　Persians　of　the　very　highest　rank；　quit　their　place　and　go　down　below；　and　would　have　cast　into　the　sea　an　equal　number　of　the　rowers；　who　were　Phoenicians。　But　the　truth　is；　that　the　king；　as　I　have　already　said；　returned　into　Asia　by　the　same　road　as　the　rest　of　the　army。　　　　　I　will　add　a　strong　proof　of　this。　It　is　certain　that　Xerxes　on　his　way　back　from　Greece　passed　through　Abdera；　where　he　made　a　contract　of　friendship　with　the　inhabitants；　and　presented　them　with　a　golden　scymitar；　and　a　tiara　broidered　with　gold。　The　Abderites　declare…　but　I　put　no　faith　in　this　part　of　their　story…　that　from　the　time　of　the　king's　leaving　Athens；　he　never　once　loosed　his　girdle　till　he　came　to　their　city；　since　it　was　not　till　then　that　he　felt　himself　in　safety。　Now　Abdera　is　nearer　to　the　Hellespont　than　Eion　and　the　Strymon；　where　Xerxes；　according　to　the　other　tale；　took　ship。　　　　　Meanwhile　the　Greeks；　finding　that　they　could　not　capture　Andros；　sailed　away　to　Carystus；　and　wasted　the　lands　of　the　Carystians；　after　which　they　returned　to　Salamis。　Arrived　here；　they　proceeded；　before　entering　on　any　other　matter；　to　make　choice　of　the　first…fruits　which　should　be　set　apart　as　offerings　to　the　gods。　These　consisted　of　divers　gifts；　among　them　were　three　Phoenician　triremes；　one　of　which　was　dedicated　at　the　Isthmus；　where　it　continued　to　my　day；　another　at　Sunium；　and　the　third；　at　Salamis　itself；　which　was　devoted　to　Ajax。　This　done；　they　made　a　division　of　the　booty；　and　sent　away　the　first…fruits　to　Delphi。　Thereof　was　made　the　statue；　holding　in　its　hand　the　beak　of　a　ship；　which　is　twelve　cubits　high；　and　which　stands　in　the　same　place　with　the　golden　one　of　Alexander　the　Macedonian。　　　　　After　the　first…fruits　had　been　sent　to　Delphi；　the　Greeks　made　inquiry　of　the　god；　in　the　name　of　their　whole　body；　if　he　had　received　his　full　share　of　the　spoils　and　was　satisfied　therewith。　The　god　made　answer　that　all　the　other　Greeks　had　paid　him　his　full　due；　except　only　the　Eginetans；　on　them　he　had　still　a　claim　for　the　prize　of　valour　which　they　had　gained　at　Salamis。　So　the　Eginetans；　when　they　heard　this；　dedicated　the　three　golden　stars　which　stand　on　the　top　of　a　bronze　mast　in　the　corner　near　the　bowl　offered　by　Croesus。　　　　　When　the　spoils　had　been　divided；　the　Greeks　sailed　to　the　Isthmus；　where　a　prize　of　valour　was　to　be　awarded　to　the　man　who；　of　all　the　Greeks；　had　shown　the　most　merit　during　the　war。　When　the　chiefs　were　all　come；　they　met　at　the　altar　of　Neptune；　and　took　the　ballots　wherewith　they　were　to　give　their　votes　for　the　first　and　for　the　second　in　merit。　Then　each　man　gave　himself　the　first　vote；　since　each　considered　that　he　was　himself　the　worthiest；　but　the　second　votes　were　given　chiefly　to　Themistocies。　In　this　way；　while　the　others　received　but　one　vote　apiece；　Themistocles　had　for　the　second　prize　a　large　majority　of　the　suffrages。　　　　　Envy；　however；　hindered　the　chiefs　from　coming　to　a　decision；　and　they　all　sailed　away　to　their　homes　without　making　any　award。　Nevertheless　Themistocles　was　regarded　everywhere　as　by　far　the　wisest　man　of　all　the　Greeks；　and　the　whole　country　rang　with　his　fame。　As　the　chiefs　who　fought　at　Salamis；　notwithstanding　that　he　was　really　entitled　to　the　prize；　had　withheld　his　honour　from　him；　he　went　without　delay　to　Lacedaemon；　in　the　hope　that　he　would　be　honoured　there。　And　the　Lacedaemonians　received　him　handsomely；　and　paid　him　great　respect。　The　prize　of　valour　indeed；　which　was　a　crown　of　olive；　they　gave　to　Eurybiades；　but　Themistocles　was　given　a　crown　of　olive　too；　as　the　prize　of　wisdom　and　dexterity。　He　was　likewise　presented　with　the　most　beautiful　chariot　that　could　be　found　in　Sparta；　and　after　receiving　abundant　praises；　was；