Histories

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.)

As for these, I cannot rightly determine whether he cast them into the sea for offerings to the sun, or repented having whipped the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont and gave gifts to the sea as atonement.