Histories

Having won favorable omens, the Greeks put out to sea from Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos for +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos. When they were now near Calamisa in the Samian territory, they anchored there near the temple of Hera which is in those parts, and prepared for a sea-fight. The Persians, learning of their approach, also put out to sea and made for the mainland with all their ships save the Phoenicians, whom they sent sailing away. It was determined by them in council that they would not do battle by sea,

for they thought themselves overmatched; the reason of their making for the mainland was that they might be under the shelter of their army at Mykale [26.8667,38.1] (Perseus)Mykale, which had been left by Xerxes' command behind the rest of his host to hold Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. There were sixty thousand men in it, and Tigranes, the noblest and tallest man in Iran [53,32] (nation), AsiaPersia, was their general.

It was the design of the Persian admirals to flee to the shelter of that army, and there to beach their ships and build a fence round them which should be a protection for the ship and a refuge for themselves.

With this design they put to sea. So when they came past the temple of the Goddesses[*](Demeter and Persephone.) at Mykale [26.8667,38.1] (Perseus)Mykale to the Gaeson and Scolopois,[*](The Gaeson was probably a stream running south of the hill called Mykale [26.8667,38.1] (Perseus)Mykale; Scolopois, a place on its east bank (How and Wells).) where there is a temple of Eleusinian Demeter (which was built by Philistus son of Pasicles when he went with Nileus son of Codrus to the founding of Miletus [27.3,37.5] (Perseus) Miletus), they beached their ships and fenced them round with stones and the trunks of orchard trees which they cut down; they drove in stakes around the fence and prepared for siege or victory, making ready, after consideration, for either event.