neither　faith　nor　truth。〃　　　　　Thus　spake　the　envoys。　After　which　the　Athenians　returned　this　answer　to　Alexander：…　　　　　〃We　know；　as　well　as　thou　dost；　that　the　power　of　the　Mede　is　many　times　greater　than　our　own：　we　did　not　need　to　have　that　cast　in　our　teeth。　Nevertheless　we　cling　so　to　freedom　that　we　shall　offer　what　resistance　we　may。　Seek　not　to　persuade　us　into　making　terms　with　the　barbarian…　say　what　thou　wilt；　thou　wilt　never　gain　our　assent。　Return　rather　at　once；　and　tell　Mardonius　that　our　answer　to　him　is　this：…　'So　long　as　the　sun　keeps　his　present　course；　we　will　never　join　alliance　with　Xerxes。　Nay；　we　shall　oppose　him　unceasingly；　trusting　in　the　aid　of　those　gods　and　heroes　whom　he　has　lightly　esteemed；　whose　houses　and　whose　images　he　has　burnt　with　fire。'　come　not　thou　again　to　us　with　words　like　these；　nor；　thinking　to　do　us　a　service；　persuade　us　to　unholy　actions。　Thou　art　the　guest　and　friend　of　our　nation…　we　would　not　that　thou　shouldst　receive　hurt　at　our　hands。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　answer　which　the　Athenians　gave　to　Alexander。　To　the　Spartan　envoys　they　said：…　　　　　〃'Twas　natural　no　doubt　that　the　Lacedaemonians　should　be　afraid　we　might　make　terms　with　the　barbarian；　but　nevertheless　It　was　a　base　fear　in　men　who　knew　so　well　of　what　temper　and　spirit　we　are。　Not　all　the　gold　that　the　whole　earth　contains…　not　the　fairest　and　most　fertile　of　all　lands…　would　bribe　us　to　take　part　with　the　Medes　and　help　them　to　enslave　our　countrymen。　Even　could　we　anyhow　have　brought　ourselves　to　such　a　thing；　there　are　many　very　powerful　motives　which　would　now　make　it　impossible。　The　first　and　chief　of　these　is　the　burning　and　destruction　of　our　temples　and　the　images　of　our　gods；　which　forces　us　to　make　no　terms　with　their　destroyer；　but　rather　to　pursue　him　with　our　resentment　to　the　uttermost。　Again；　there　is　our　common　brotherhood　with　the　Greeks：　our　common　language；　the　altars　and　the　sacrifices　of　which　we　all　partake；　the　common　character　which　we　bear…　did　the　Athenians　betray　all　these；　of　a　truth　it　would　not　be　well。　Know　then　now；　if　ye　have　not　known　it　before；　that　while　one　Athenian　remains　alive；　we　will　never　join　alliance　with　Xerxes。　We　thank　you；　however；　for　your　forethought　on　our　behalf；　and　for　your　wish　to　give　our　families　sustenance；　now　that　ruin　has　fallen　on　us…　the　kindness　is　complete　on　your　part；　but　for　ourselves；　we　will　endure　as　we　may；　and　not　be　burdensome　to　you。　Such　then　is　our　resolve。　Be　it　your　care　with　all　speed　to　lead　out　your　troops；　for　if　we　surmise　aright；　the　barbarian　will　not　wait　long　ere　he　invade　our　territory；　but　will　set　out　so　soon　as　he　learns　our　answer　to　be；　that　we　will　do　none　of　those　things　which　he　requires　of　us。　Now　then　is　the　time　for　us；　before　he　enters　Attica；　to　go　forth　ourselves　into　Boeotia；　and　give　him　battle。〃　　　　　When　the　Athenians　had　thus　spoken；　the　ambassadors　from　Sparta　departed；　and　returned　back　to　their　own　country。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Ninth　Book；　Entitled　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CALLIOPE
  Mardonius；　when　Alexander　upon　his　return　made　known　to　him　the　answer　of　the　Athenians；　forthwith　broke　up　from　Thessaly；　and　led　his　army　with　all　speed　against　Athens；　forcing　the　several　nations　through　whose　land　he　passed　to　furnish　him　with　additional　troops。　The　chief　men　of　Thessaly；　far　from　repenting　of　the　part　which　they　had　taken　in　the　war　hitherto；　urged　on　the　Persians　to　the　attack　more　earnestly　than　ever。　Thorax　of　Larissa　in　particular；　who　had　helped　to　escort　Xerxes　on　his　flight　to　Asia；　now　openly　encouraged　Mardonius　in　his　march　upon　Greece。　　　　　When　the　army　reached　Boeotia；　the　Thebans　sought　to　induce　Mardonius　to　make　a　halt：　〃He　would　not；〃　they　told　him；　〃find　anywhere　a　more　convenient　place　in　which　to　pitch　his　camp；　and　their　advice　to　him　was；　that　he　should　go　no　further；　but　fix　himself　there；　and　thence　take　measures　to　subdue　all　Greece　without　striking　a　blow。　If　the　Greeks；　who　had　held　together　hitherto；　still　continued　united　among　themselves；　it　would　be　difficult　for　the　whole　world　to　overcome　them　by　force　of　arms。　But　if　thou　wilt　do　as　we　advise；〃　they　went　on　to　say；　〃thou　mayest　easily　obtain　the　direction　of　all　their　counsels。　Send　presents　to　the　men　of　most　weight　in　the　several　states；　and　by　so　doing　thou　wilt　sow　division　among　them。　After　that；　it　will　be　a　light　task；　with　the　help　of　such　as　side　with　thee；　to　bring　under　all　thy　adversaries。〃　　　　　Such　was　the　advice　of　the　Thebans：　but　Mardonius　did　not　follow　it。　A　strong　desire　of　taking　Athens　a　second　time　possessed　him；　in　part　arising　from　his　inborn　stubbornness；　in　part　from　a　wish　to　inform　the　king　at　Sardis；　by　fire…signals　along　the　islands；　that　he　was　master　of　the　place。　However；　he　did　not　on　his　arrival　in　Attica　find　the　Athenians　in　their　country…　they　had　again　withdrawn；　some　to　their　ships；　but　the　greater　part　to　Salamis…　and　he　only　gained　possession　of　a　deserted　town。　It　was　ten　months　after　the　taking　of　the　city　by　the　king　that　Mardonius　came　against　it　for　the　second　time。　　　　　Mardonius；　being　now　in　Athens；　sent　an　envoy　to　Salamis；　one　Murychides；　a　Hellespontine　Greek；　to　offer　the　Athenians　once　more　the　same　terms　which　had　been　conveyed　to　them　by　Alexander。　The　reason　for　his　sending　a　second　time；　though　he　knew　beforehand　their　unfriendly　feelings　towards　him；　was；…　that　he　hoped；　when　they　saw　the　whole　land　of　Attica　conquered　and　in　his　power；　their　stubbornness　would　begin　to　give　way。　On　this　account；　therefore；　he　dispatched　Murychides　to　Salamis。　　　　　Now；　when　Murychides　came　before　the　council；　and　delivered　his　message；　one　of　the　councillors；　named　Lycidas；　gave　it　as　his　opinion…　〃that　the　best　course　would　be；　to　admit　the　proposals　brought　by　Murychides；　and　lay　them　before　the　assembly　of　the　people。〃　This　he　stated　to　be　his　opinion；　perhaps　because　he　had　been　bribed　by　Mardonius；　or　it　may　be　because　that　course　really　appeared　to　him　the　most　expedient。　However；　the　Athenians…　both　those　in　the　council；　and　those　who　stood　without；　when　they　heard　of　the　advice…　were　full　of　wrath；　and　forthwith　surrounded　Lycidas；　and　stoned　him　to　death。　As　for　Murychides；　the　Hellespontine　Greek；　him　they　sent　away　unharmed。　Now　there　was　a　stir　in　the　island　about　Lycidas；　and　the　Athenian　women　learnt　what　had　happened。　Then　each　exhorted　her　fellow；　and　one　brought　another　to　take　part　in　the　deed；　and　they　all　flocked　of　their　own　accord　to　the　house　of　Lycidas；　and　stoned　to　death　his　wife　and　his　children。　　　　　The　circumstances　under　which　the　Athenians　had　sought　refuge　in　Salamis　were　the　following。　So　long　as　any　hope　remained　that　a　Peloponnesian　army　would　come　to　give　them　aid；　they　abode　still　in　Attica；　but　when　it　appeared　that　the　allies　were　slack　and　slow　to　move；　while　the　invader　was　reported　to　be　pressing　forward　and　to　have　already　entered　Boeotia；　then　they　proceeded　to　remove　their　goods　and　chattels　from　the　mainland；　and　themselves　again　crossed　the　strait　to　Salamis。　At　the　same　time　they　sent　ambassadors　to　Lacedaemon；　who　were　to　reproach　the　Lacedaemonians　for　having　allowed　the　barbarian　to　advance　into　Attica；　instead　of　joining　them　and　going　out　to　meet　him　in　Boeotia。　They　were　likewise　to　remind　the　Lacedaemonians　of　the　offers　by　which　the　Persian　had　sought　to　win　Athens　over　to　his　side；　and　to　warn　them；　that　no　aid　came　from　Sparta；　the　Athenians　must　consult　for　their　own　safety。　　　　　The　truth　was；　the　Lacedaemonians　were　keeping　holiday　at　that　time；　for　it　was　the　feast　of　the　Hyacinthia；　and　they　thought　nothing　of　so　much　moment　as　to　perform　the　service　of　the　god。　They　were　also　engaged　in　building　their　wall　across　the　Isthmus；　which　was　now　so　far　advanced　that　the　battlements　had　begun　to　be　placed　upon　it。　　　　　When　the　envoys　of　the　Athenians；　accompanied　by　ambassadors　from　Megara　and　Plataea；　reached　Lacedaemon；　they　came　before　the　Ephors；　and　spoke　as　follows：…　　　　　〃The　Athenians　have　sent　us　to　you　to　say；…　the　king　of　the　Medes　offers　to　give　us　back　our　country；　and　wishes　to　conclude　an　alliance　with　us　on　fair　and　equal　terms；　without　fraud　or　deceit。　He　is　willing　likewise　to　bestow　on　us　another　country　besides　our　own；　and　bids　us　choose　any　land　that　we　like。　But　we；　because　we　reverenced　Hellenic　Jupiter；　and　thought　it　a　shameful　act　to　betray　Greece；　instead　of　consenting　to　these　terms；　refused　them；　notwithstanding　that　we　have　been　wronged　and　deserted　by　the　other　Greeks；　and　are　fully　aware　that　it　is　far　more　for　our　advantage　to　make　peace　with　the　Persian　than　to　prolong　the　war　with　him。　Still　we　shall　not；　of　our　own　free　will；　consent　to　any　terms　of　peace。　Thus　do　we；　in　all　our　dealings　with　the　Greeks；　avoid　what　is　base　and　counterfeit：　while　contrariwise；　ye；　who　were　but　now　so　full　of　fear　least　we　should　make　terms　with　the　enemy；　having　learnt　of　what　temper　we　are；　and　assured　yourselves　that　we　shall　not　prove　traitors　to　our　country…　having　brought　moreover　your　wall　across　the　Isthmus　to　an　advanced　state…　cease　altogether　to　have　any　care　for　us。　Ye　covenanted　with　us　to　go　out　and　meet　the　Persian　in　Boeotia；　but　when　the　time　came；　ye　were　false　to　your　word；　and　looked　on　w