Histories

When they had arrived in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly, Mardonius first chose all the Persians called Immortals, save only Hydarnes their general who said that he would not quit the king's person, and next, the Persian cuirassiers and the thousand horse and the Medes and Sacae and Bactrians and Indians, alike their infantrymen and the rest of the horsemen.

These nations he chose in their entirety; of the rest of his allies he picked out a few from each people, the best men and those whom he knew to have done some good service. The Persians whom he chose (men who wore torques and bracelets) were more in number than those of any other nation and next to them the Medes; these indeed were as many as the Persians, but not such stout fighters. Thereby the whole number, together with the horsemen, grew to three hundred thousand men.

Now while Mardonius was choosing his army and Xerxes was in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly, there came an oracle from Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to the Lacedaemonians, that they should demand justice of Xerxes for the slaying of Leonidas and take whatever he should offer them. The Spartans then sent a herald with all speed. He found the army yet undivided in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly, came into Xerxes' presence, and spoke as follows:

“The Lacedaemonians and the Heraclidae of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta demand of you, king of the Medes, that you pay the penalty for the death of their king, whom you killed while he defended Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas.” At that Xerxes laughed, and after a long while, he pointed to Mardonius, who chanced to be standing by him and said, “Then here is Mardonius, who shall pay those you speak of such penalty as befits them.”