Histories

When Xerxes understood the calamity which had taken place, he feared that some of the Ionians might advise the Hellenes, if they did not think of it themselves, to sail to the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont and destroy the bridges. He would be trapped in Europe (continent)Europe in danger of destruction, so he resolved on flight. He did not want to be detected either by the Hellenes or by his own men, so he attempted to build a dike across to Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis, and joined together Phoenician cargo ships to be both a bridge and a wall, making preparations as if to fight another sea battle.

All who saw him doing this confidently supposed that he fully intended to stay and fight there, but none of this eluded Mardonius, who had the most experience of the king's intentions. While doing all this, Xerxes sent a messenger to Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia to announce the disaster.

While Xerxes did thus, he sent a messenger to Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia with news of his present misfortune. Now there is nothing mortal that accomplishes a course more swiftly than do these messengers, by the Persians' skillful contrivance. It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day's journey. These are stopped neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.