Histories

For these reasons I bid you set your hands to the war strenuously; I know that we march against valiant men, and if we overcome them it is certain that no other human army will ever withstand us. Let us now cross over, after praying to the gods who hold Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia for their allotted realm.”

All that day they made preparations for the crossing. On the next they waited until they could see the sun rise, burning all kinds of incense on the bridges and strewing the road with myrtle boughs.

At sunrise Xerxes poured a libation from a golden phial into the sea, praying to the sun that no accident might befall him which would keep him from subduing Europe (continent)Europe before he reached its farthest borders. After the prayer, he cast the phial into the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont, and along with it a golden bowl, and a Persian sword which they call “acinaces.”[*](Sometimes translated “scimitar”; but that is, I believe, a curved weapon, whereas the a)kina/khs appears to have been a short, straight dagger.)