Histories

When the man called Mys entered into this temple together with three men of the town who were chosen on the state's behalf to write down the oracles that should be given, straightway the diviner prophesied in a foreign tongue.

The Thebans who followed him were astonished to hear a strange language instead of Greek and knew not what this present matter might be. Mys of +Salahiyeh [40.716,34.75] (deserted settlement), Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, Asia Europus, however, snatched from them the tablet which they carried and wrote on it that which was spoken by the prophet, saying that the words of the oracle were Carian. After writing everything down, he went back to +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly.

Mardonius read whatever was said in the oracles, and presently he sent a messenger to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens, Alexander, a Macedonian, son of Amyntas. Him he sent, partly because the Persians were akin to him; Bubares, a Persian, had taken to wife Gygaea Alexander's sister and Amyntas' daughter, who had borne to him that Amyntas of Asia (continent)Asia who was called by the name of his mother's father, and to whom the king gave +Alabanda [28,37.6] (Perseus) Alabanda a great city in Phrygia (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Phrygia for his dwelling. Partly too he sent him because he learned that Alexander was a protector and benefactor to the Athenians.

It was thus that he supposed he could best gain the Athenians for his allies, of whom he heard that they were a numerous and valiant people, and knew that they had been the chief authors of the calamities which had befallen the Persians at sea.

If he gained their friendship he thought he would easily become master of the seas, as truly he would have been. On land he supposed himself to be by much the stronger, and he accordingly reckoned that thus he would have the upper hand of the Greeks. This chanced to be the prediction of the oracles which counseled him to make the Athenians his ally. It was in obedience to this that he sent his messenger.