Histories

I return now to that place in my history where it earlier left off.[*](Hdt. 7.220, where Herodotus mentioned the bare fact of the Spartans getting early intelligence of Xerxes' plans against Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeGreece. Now he completes the story.) The Lacedaemonians were the first to be informed that the king was equipping himself to attack Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas; with this knowledge it was that they sent to the oracle at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi, where they received the answer about which I spoke a little while ago. Now the way in which they were informed of this was strange.

Demaratus son of Ariston, an exile among the Medes, was, as I suppose (reason being also my ally), no friend to the Lacedaemonians, and I leave it to be imagined whether what he did was done out of goodwill or spiteful triumph. When Xerxes was resolved to march against Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas, Demaratus, who was then at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa and had knowledge of this, desired to send word of it to the Lacedaemonians.

He, however, feared detection and had no other way of informing them than this trick:—taking a double tablet, he scraped away the wax from it, and then wrote the king's plan on the wood. Next he melted the wax back again over the writing, so that the bearer of this seemingly blank tablet might not be troubled by the way-wardens.