Histories

They remained there for only a few days, for messengers came from Alexander son of Amyntas, the Macedonian. These, pointing out the size of the army and the great number of ships, advised them to depart and not remain there to be trodden under foot by the invading host. When they had received this advice from the messengers (as they thought their advice was sound and that the Macedonian meant well by them), the Greeks followed their counsel.

To my thinking, however, what persuaded them was fear, since they had found out that there was another pass leading into +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly by the hill country of Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia through the country of the Perrhaebi, near the town of Gonnus; this was indeed the way by which Xerxes' army descended on +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly. The Greeks accordingly went down to their ships and made their way back to the Isthmus.

This was the course of their expedition into +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly, while the king was planning to cross into Europe (continent)Europe from Asia (continent)Asia and was already at Abydus [26.416,40.2] (deserted settlement), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Abydos. The Thessalians, now bereft of their allies, sided with the Persian wholeheartedly and unequivocally. As a result of this they, in their acts, proved themselves to be most useful to the king.

When they had come to the Isthmus, the Greeks, taking into account what was said by Alexander, deliberated as a body how and where they should stand to fight. It was decided that they should guard the pass of +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae, for they saw that it was narrower than the pass into +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly and nearer home.

The pass, then, which brought about the fall of those Greeks who fell at +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae, was unknown to them until they came to +Thermopylae [22.5583,38.8] (Perseus) Thermopylae and learned of it from the men of +Trachis [22.55,38.8] (Perseus) Trachis. This pass they were resolved to guard and so stay the barbarian's passage into Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas, while their fleet should sail to +Artemisium [23.2417,39.0083] (Perseus) Artemisium in the territory of Histiaea. These places are near to each other, and each force could therefore be informed of the other's doings. As for the places themselves, their nature is as follows.