Histories

When they had made their way over two-fifths of it, however, and three yet remained to cross before they could be in +Pallene [23.8833,38.05] (Perseus) Pallene, there came a great flood-tide, higher, as the people of the place say, than any one of the many that had been before. Some of them who did not know how to swim were drowned, and those who knew were slain by the Potidaeans, who came among them in boats.

The Potidaeans say that the cause of the high sea and flood and the Persian disaster lay in the fact that those same Persians who now perished in the sea had profaned the temple and the image of Poseidon which was in the suburb of the city. I think that in saying that this was the cause they are correct. Those who escaped alive were led away by Artabazus to Mardonius in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly. This is how the men who had been the king's escort fared.

All that was left of Xerxes' fleet, having in its flight from Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis touched the coast of Asia (continent)Asia and ferried the king and his army over from the Gelibolu Yarimadasi (peninsula), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, AsiaChersonese to Abydus [26.416,40.2] (deserted settlement), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Abydos, wintered at Kyme [24.1167,38.6333] (Perseus)Cyme. Then early in the first dawn of spring they mustered at +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, where some of the ships had wintered. The majority of their fighting men were Persians and Medes.

Mardontes son of Bagaeus and Artayntes son of Artachaees came to be their admirals, and Artayntes chose also his own nephew Ithamitres to have a share in the command. But by reason of the heavy blow dealt them they went no further out to sea westwards, nor did anyone insist that they should so do. They did, however, lie off +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos keeping watch against a revolt in Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. The whole number of their ships, Ionian and other, was three hundred.

In truth they did not expect that the Greeks would come to Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia, but rather that they would be content to guard their own country. This they thought because the Greeks had not pursued them when they fled from Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis, but had been glad to be quit of them. In regard to the sea, the Persians were at heart beaten men, but they supposed that on land Mardonius would easily prevail.