Histories

“The Lacedaemonians have sent us, O king of the Medes, in requital for the slaying of your heralds at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, to make atonement for their death,” and more to that effect. To this Xerxes, with great magnanimity, replied that he would not imitate the Lacedaemonians. “You,” said he, “made havoc of all human law by slaying heralds, but I will not do that for which I censure you, nor by putting you in turn to death will I set the Lacedaemonians free from this guilt.”

This conduct on the part of the Spartans succeeded for a time in allaying the anger of Talthybius, in spite of the fact that Sperthias and Bulis returned to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta. Long after that, however, it rose up again in the war between the Peloponnesians and Athenians, as the Lacedaemonians say. That seems to me to be an indication of something divine.

It was just that the wrath of Talthybius descended on ambassadors, nor abated until it was satisfied. The venting of it, however, on the sons of those men who went up to the king to appease it, namely on Nicolas son of Bulis and Aneristus son of Sperthias (that Aneristus who landed a merchant ships crew at the Tirynthian settlement of Halia and took it),[*](Halia was a port in +Nomos Argolidhos [22.833,37.666] (department), Peloponnese, Greece, Europe Argolis. The event took place probably between 461 and 450, when Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens and Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos were allied against Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta.) makes it plain to me that this was the divine result of Talthybius' anger.

These two had been sent by the Lacedaemonians as ambassadors to Asia (continent)Asia, and betrayed by the Thracian king Sitalces son of Tereus and Nymphodorus son of Pytheas of +Abdera [24.9667,40.9833] (Perseus) Abdera, they were made captive at +Tekirdag [27.516,40.983] (inhabited place), Tekirdag, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Bisanthe on the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont, and carried away to Attica [23.5,38.83] (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Attica, where the Athenians put them, and with them Aristeas son of Adimantus, a Corinthian, to death.[*](In 430; cp. Thuc. 2.67.) This happened many years after the king's expedition, and I return now to the course of my history.

The professed intent of the king's march was to attack Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens, but in truth all Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas was his aim. This the Greeks had long since learned, but not all of them regarded the matter alike.

Those of them who had paid the tribute of earth and water to the Persian were of good courage, thinking that the foreigner would do them no harm, but they who had refused tribute were afraid, since there were not enough ships in Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas to do battle with their invader; furthermore, the greater part of them had no stomach for grappling with the war, but were making haste to side with the Persian.