Histories

She said this as instructed, but he replied with this: “Woman, what you have said is exactly what I had in mind to do. For I have planned to make a bridge from this continent to the other continent and lead an army against the Scythians; and this will be done in a short time.”

“Look,” Atossa said, “let the Scythians go for the present; you shall have them whenever you like; I tell you, march against Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas. I have heard of Laconian and Argive and Attic and Corinthian women, and would like to have them as servants. You have a man who is fitter than any other to instruct and guide you in everything concerning Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas: I mean the physician who healed your foot.”

Darius answered, “Woman, since you think that we should make an attempt on Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeGreece first, it seems to me to be best that we first send Persian spies with the man whom you mention, who shall tell us everything that they learn and observe; and then when I am fully informed I shall rouse myself against them.”

He said this, and no sooner said than did it. For the next day at dawn he summoned fifteen prominent Persians, and instructed them to go with Democedes and sail along the coast of Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas; telling them, too, by all means to bring the physician back and not let him escape.

Having given these instructions to them, he then sent for Democedes, and asked of him that when he had shown and made clear all of Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeGreece to the Persians, he would come back; and he told him to take all his movable goods to give to his father and siblings, saying that he would give him many times as much in return and would send with him a ship with a cargo of all good things.