Histories

Herodotus

Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, translator. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).

All the aforesaid had been kings of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, save the seven named first after Leutychides. The general of the Athenians was Xanthippus son of Ariphron.

When all the ships had arrived at +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina, there came to the Greek quarters messengers from the Ionians, the same who a little while before that had gone to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta and entreated the Lacedaemonians to free Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia.

One of these was Herodotus the son of Basileides. These, who at first were seven, made a faction and conspired to slay Strattis, the tyrant of +Chios [26,38.366] (island), Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios, but when their conspiracy became known, one of the accomplices having revealed their enterprise, the six who remained got them secretly out of +Chios [26,38.366] (island), Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios, from where they went to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta and now to +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina, entreating the Greeks to sail to Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia.

The Greeks took them as far as Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos, and that not readily, for they, having no knowledge of those parts and thinking that armed men were everywhere, feared all that lay beyond. They supposed too that +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos was no nearer to them than the Pillars of Heracles. So it happened that the barbarians were too disheartened to dare to sail farther west than +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, while at the same time the Greeks dared to go at the Chians' request no farther east than Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos. It was fear which kept the middle space between them.

The Greeks, then, sailed to Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos, and Mardonius wintered in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly. Having his headquarters there he sent a man of +Salahiyeh [40.716,34.75] (deserted settlement), Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, Asia Europus called Mys to visit the places of divination, charging him to inquire of all the oracles which he could test. What it was that he desired to learn from the oracles when he gave this charge, I cannot say, for no one tells of it. I suppose that he sent to inquire concerning his present business, and that alone.