while　Artabanus；　who　had　formerly　been　the　only　person　openly　to　oppose　the　expedition；　now　showed　as　openly　that　he　favoured　it。　　　　　After　Xerxes　had　thus　determined　to　go　forth　to　the　war；　there　appeared　to　him　in　his　sleep　yet　a　third　vision。　The　Magi　were　consulted　upon　it；　and　said　that　its　meaning　reached　to　the　whole　earth；　and　that　all　mankind　would　become　his　servants。　Now　the　vision　which　the　king　saw　was　this：　he　dreamt　that　he　was　crowned　with　a　branch　of　an　olive　tree；　and　that　boughs　spread　out　from　the　olive　branch　and　covered　the　whole　earth；　then　suddenly　the　garland；　as　it　lay　upon　his　brow；　vanished。　So　when　the　Magi　had　thus　interpreted　the　vision；　straightway　all　the　Persians　who　were　come　together　departed　to　their　several　governments；　where　each　displayed　the　greatest　zeal；　on　the　faith　of　the　king's　offers。　For　all　hoped　to　obtain　for　themselves　the　gifts　which　had　been　promised。　And　so　Xerxes　gathered　together　his　host；　ransacking　every　corner　of　the　continent。　　　　　Reckoning　from　the　recovery　of　Egypt；　Xerxes　spent　four　full　years　in　collecting　his　host　and　making　ready　all　things　that　were　needful　for　his　soldiers。　It　was　not　till　the　close　of　the　fifth　year　that　he　set　forth　on　his　march；　accompanied　by　a　mighty　multitude。　For　of　all　the　armaments　whereof　any　mention　has　reached　us；　this　was　by　far　the　greatest；　insomuch　that　no　other　expedition　compared　to　this　seems　of　any　account；　neither　that　which　Darius　undertook　against　the　Scythians；　nor　the　expedition　of　the　Scythians　（which　the　attack　of　Darius　was　designed　to　avenge）；　when　they；　being　in　pursuit　of　the　Cimmerians；　fell　upon　the　Median　territory；　and　subdued　and　held　for　a　time　almost　the　whole　of　Upper　Asia；　nor；　again；　that　of　the　Atridae　against　Troy；　of　which　we　hear　in　story；　nor　that　of　the　Mysians　and　Teucrians；　which　was　still　earlier；　wherein　these　nations　crossed　the　Bosphorus　into　Europe；　and；　after　conquering　all　Thrace；　pressed　forward　till　they　came　to　the　Ionian　Sea；　while　southward　they　reached　as　far　as　the　river　Peneus。　　　　　All　these　expeditions；　and　others；　if　such　there　were；　are　as　nothing　compared　with　this。　For　was　there　a　nation　in　all　Asia　which　Xerxes　did　not　bring　with　him　against　Greece？　Or　was　there　a　river；　except　those　of　unusual　size；　which　sufficed　for　his　troops　to　drink？　One　nation　furnished　ships；　another　was　arrayed　among　the　foot…soldiers；　a　third　had　to　supply　horses；　a　fourth；　transports　for　the　horse　and　men　likewise　for　the　transport　service；　a　fifth；　ships　of　war　towards　the　bridges；　a　sixth；　ships　and　provisions。　　　　　And　in　the　first　place；　because　the　former　fleet　had　met　with　so　great　a　disaster　about　Athos；　preparations　were　made；　by　the　space　of　about　three　years；　in　that　quarter。　A　fleet　of　triremes　lay　at　Elaeus　in　the　Chersonese；　and　from　this　station　detachments　were　sent　by　the　various　nations　whereof　the　army　was　composed；　which　relieved　one　another　at　intervals；　and　worked　at　a　trench　beneath　the　lash　of　taskmasters；　while　the　people　dwelling　about　Athos　bore　likewise　a　part　in　the　labour。　Two　Persians；　Bubares；　the　son　of　Megabazus；　and　Artachaees；　the　son　of　Artaeus；　superintended　the　undertaking。　　　　　Athos　is　a　great　and　famous　mountain；　inhabited　by　men；　and　stretching　far　out　into　the　sea。　Where　the　mountain　ends　towards　the　mainland　it　forms　a　peninsula；　and　in　this　place　there　is　a　neck　of　land　about　twelve　furlongs　across；　the　whole　extent　whereof；　from　the　sea　of　the　Acanthians　to　that　over　against　Torone；　is　a　level　plain；　broken　only　by　a　few　low　hills。　Here；　upon　this　isthmus　where　Athos　ends；　is　Sand；　a　Greek　city。　Inside　of　Sand；　and　upon　Athos　itself；　are　a　number　of　towns；　which　Xerxes　was　now　employed　in　disjoining　from　the　continent：　these　are　Dium；　Olophyxus；　Acrothoum；　Thyssus；　and　Cleonae。　Among　these　cities　Athos　was　divided。　　　　　Now　the　manner　in　which　they　dug　was　the　following：　a　line　was　drawn　across　by　the　city　of　Sand；　and　along　this　the　various　nations　parcelled　out　among　themselves　the　work　to　be　done。　When　the　trench　grew　deep；　the　workmen　at　the　bottom　continued　to　dig；　while　others　handed　the　earth；　as　it　was　dug　out；　to　labourers　placed　higher　up　upon　ladders；　and　these　taking　it；　passed　it　on　farther；　till　it　came　at　last　to　those　at　the　top；　who　carried　it　off　and　emptied　it　away。　All　the　other　nations；　therefore；　except　the　Phoenicians；　had　double　labour；　for　the　sides　of　the　trench　fell　in　continually；　as　could　not　but　happen；　since　they　made　the　width　no　greater　at　the　top　than　it　was　required　to　be　at　the　bottom。　But　the　Phoenicians　showed　in　this　the　skill　which　they　are　wont　to　exhibit　in　all　their　undertakings。　For　in　the　portion　of　the　work　which　was　allotted　to　them　they　began　by　making　the　trench　at　the　top　twice　as　wide　as　the　prescribed　measure；　and　then　as　they　dug　downwards　approached　the　sides　nearer　and　nearer　together；　so　that　when　they　reached　the　bottom　their　part　of　the　work　was　of　the　same　width　as　the　rest。　In　a　meadow　near；　there　was　a　place　of　assembly　and　a　market；　and　hither　great　quantities　of　corn；　ready　ground；　were　brought　from　Asia。　　　　　It　seems　to　me；　when　I　consider　this　work；　that　Xerxes；　in　making　it；　was　actuated　by　a　feeling　of　pride；　wishing　to　display　the　extent　of　his　power；　and　to　leave　a　memorial　behind　him　to　posterity。　For　notwithstanding　that　it　was　open　to　him；　with　no　trouble　at　all；　to　have　had　his　ships　drawn　across　the　isthmus；　yet　he　issued　orders　that　a　canal　should　be　made　through　which　the　sea　might　flow；　and　that　it　should　be　of　such　a　width　as　would　allow　of　two　triremes　passing　through　it　abreast　with　the　oars　in　action。　He　likewise　gave　to　the　same　persons　who　were　set　over　the　digging　of　the　trench；　the　task　of　making　a　bridge　across　the　river　Strymon。　　　　　While　these　things　were　in　progress；　he　was　having　cables　prepared　for　his　bridges；　some　of　papyrus　and　some　of　white　flax；　a　business　which　he　entrusted　to　the　Phoenicians　and　the　Egyptians。　He　likewise　laid　up　stores　of　provisions　in　divers　places；　to　save　the　army　and　the　beasts　of　burthen　from　suffering　want　upon　their　march　into　Greece。　He　inquired　carefully　about　all　the　sites；　and　had　the　stores　laid　up　in　such　as　were　most　convenient；　causing　them　to　be　brought　across　from　various　parts　of　Asia　and　in　various　ways；　some　in　transports　and　others　in　merchantmen。　The　greater　portion　was　carried　to　Leuce…Acte；　upon　the　Thracian　coast；　some　part；　however；　was　conveyed　to　Tyrodiza；　in　the　country　of　the　Perinthians；　some　to　Doriscus；　some　to　Eion　upon　the　Strymon；　and　some　to　Macedonia。　　　　　During　the　time　that　all　these　labours　were　in　progress；　the　land　army　which　had　been　collected　was　marching　with　Xerxes　towards　Sardis；　having　started　from　Critalla　in　Cappadocia。　At　this　spot　all　the　host　which　was　about　to　accompany　the　king　in　his　passage　across　the　continent　had　been　bidden　to　assemble。　And　here　I　have　it　not　in　my　power　to　mention　which　of　the　satraps　was　adjudged　to　have　brought　his　troops　in　the　most　gallant　array；　and　on　that　account　rewarded　by　the　king　according　to　his　promise；　for　I　do　not　know　whether　this　matter　ever　came　to　a　judgment。　But　it　is　certain　that　the　host　of　Xerxes；　after　crossing　the　river　Halys；　marched　through　Phrygia　till　it　reached　the　city　of　Celaenae。　Here　are　the　sources　of　the　river　Maeander；　and　likewise　of　another　stream　of　no　less　size；　which　bears　the　name　of　Catarrhactes　（or　the　Cataract）；　the　last…named　river　has　its　rise　in　the　market…place　of　Celaenae；　and　empties　itself　into　the　Maeander。　Here；　too；　in　this　market…place；　is　hung　up　to　view　the　skin　of　the　Silenus　Marsyas；　which　Apollo；　as　the　Phrygian　story　goes；　stripped　off　and　placed　there。　　　　　Now　there　lived　in　this　city　a　certain　Pythius；　the　son　of　Atys；　a　Lydian。　This　man　entertained　Xerxes　and　his　whole　army　in　a　most　magnificent　fashion；　offering　at　the　same　time　to　give　him　a　sum　of　money　for　the　war。　Xerxes；　upon　the　mention　of　money；　turned　to　the　Persians　who　stood　by；　and　asked　of　them；　〃Who　is　this　Pythius；　and　what　wealth　has　he；　that　he　should　venture　on　such　an　offer　as　this？〃　They　answered　him；　〃This　is　the　man；　O　king！　who　gave　thy　father　Darius　the　golden　plane…tree；　and　likewise　the　golden　vine；　and　he　is　still　the　wealthiest　man　we　know　of　in　all　the　world；　excepting　thee。〃　　　　　Xerxes　marvelled　at　these　last　words；　and　now；　addressing　Pythius　with　his　own　lips；　he　asked　him　what　the　amount　of　his　wealth　really　was。　Pythius　answered　as　follows：…　　　　　〃O　king！　I　will　not　hide　this　matter　from　thee；　nor　make　pretence　that　I　do　not　know　how　rich　I　am；　but　as　I　know　perfectly；　I　will　declare　all　fully　before　thee。　For　when　thy　journey　was　noised　abroad；　and　I　heard　thou　wert　coming　down　to　the　Grecian　coast；　straightway；　as　I　wished　to　give　thee　a　sum　of　money　for　the　war；　I　made　count　of　my　stores；　and　found　them　to　be　two　thousand　talents　of　silver；　and　of　gold　four　millions　of　Daric　staters；　wanting　seven　thousand。　All　this　I　willingly　make　over　to　thee　as　a　gift；　and　when　it　is　gone；　my　slaves　and　my　estates　in　land　will　be　wealth　enough　for　my　wants。〃　　　　　This　speech　charmed　Xerxes；　and　he　replied；　〃Dear　Lydian；　since　I　left　Persia　there　is　no　man　but　thou　who　has　either　desired　to　entertain　my　army；　or　come　forward　of　his　own　free