Histories

This is borne out, some of the Greeks say, by the tale of a thing which happened many years afterwards. It happened that while Athenian envoys, Callias son of Hipponicus, and the rest who had come up with him, were at Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa, called the Memnonian,[*](Cp. Hdt. 5.53.) about some other business,[*](In 448, apparently. See How and Wells ad loc. for a full discussion of the matter.) the Argives also had at this same time sent envoys to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa, asking of Xerxes' son Artoxerxes whether the friendship which they had forged with Xerxes still held good, as they desired, or whether he considered them as his enemies. Artoxerxes responded to this that it did indeed hold good and that he believed no city to be a better friend to him than Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos.”

Now, whether it is true that Xerxes sent a herald with such a message to Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos, and that the Argive envoys came up to Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa and questioned Artoxerxes about their friendship, I cannot say with exactness, nor do I now declare that I consider anything true except what the Argives themselves say.

This, however, I know full well, namely if all men should carry their own private troubles to market for barter with their neighbors, there would not be a single one who, when he had looked into the troubles of other men, would not be glad to carry home again what he had brought.[*](The general idea,—rather obscurely expressed,—seems to be that some who judge the Argives harshly have really just as many kaka/ and ai)sxra/ (which Herodotus appears to confuse) of their own.)

The conduct of the Argives was accordingly not utterly shameful. As for myself, although it is my business to set down that which is told me, to believe it is none at all of my business. This I ask the reader to hold true for the whole of my history, for there is another tale current, according to which it would seem that it was the Argives who invited the Persian into Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas, because the war with the Lacedaemonians was going badly, and they would prefer anything to their present distresses.