the history-第157章

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here　was　not　one　who；　in　the　judgment　of　Xerxes；　showed　himself　a　brave　man；　excepting　Boges；　the　governor　of　Eion。　Him　Xerxes　never　could　praise　enough；　and　such　of　his　sons　as　were　left　in　Persia；　and　survived　their　father；　he　very　specially　honoured。　And　of　a　truth　this　Boges　was　worthy　of　great　commendation；　for　when　he　was　besieged　by　the　Athenians　under　Cimon；　the　son　of　Miltiades；　and　it　was　open　to　him　to　retire　from　the　city　upon　terms；　and　return　to　Asia；　he　refused；　because　he　feared　the　king　might　think　he　had　played　the　coward　to　save　his　own　life；　wherefore；　instead　of　surrendering；　he　held　out　to　the　last　extremity。　When　all　the　food　in　the　fortress　was　gone；　he　raised　a　vast　funeral　pile；　slew　his　children；　his　wife；　his　concubines；　and　his　household　slaves；　and　cast　them　all　into　the　flames。　Then；　collecting　whatever　gold　and　silver　there　was　in　the　place；　he　flung　it　from　the　walls　into　the　Strymon；　and；　when　that　was　done；　to　crown　all；　he　himself　leaped　into　the　fire。　For　this　action　Boges　is　with　reason　praised　by　the　Persians　even　at　the　present　day。　　　　　Xerxes；　as　I　have　said；　pursued　his　march　from　Doriscus　against　Greece；　and　on　his　way　he　forced　all　the　nations　through　which　he　passed　to　take　part　in　the　expedition。　For　the　whole　country　as　far　as　the　frontiers　of　Thessaly　had　been　（as　I　have　already　shown）　enslaved　and　made　tributary　to　the　king　by　the　conquests　of　Megabazus；　and；　more　lately；　of　Mardonius。　And　first；　after　leaving　Doriscus；　Xerxes　passed　the　Samothracian　fortresses；　whereof　Mesambria　is　the　farthermost　as　one　goes　toward　the　west。　The　next　city　is　Stryme；　which　belongs　to　Thasos。　Midway　between　it　and　Mesambria　flows　the　river　Lissus；　which　did　not　suffice　to　furnish　water　for　the　army；　but　was　drunk　up　and　failed。　This　region　was　formerly　called　Gallaica；　now　it　bears　the　name　of　Briantica；　but　in　strict　truth　it　likewise　is　really　Ciconian。　　　　　After　crossing　the　dry　channel　of　the　Lissus；　Xerxes　passed　the　Grecian　cities　of　Maroneia；　Dicaea；　and　Abdera；　and　likewise　the　famous　lakes　which　are　in　their　neighbourhood；　Lake　Ismaris　between　Maroneia　and　Stryme；　and　Lake　Bistonis　near　Dicaea；　which　receives　the　waters　of　two　rivers；　the　Travus　and　the　Compsatus。　Near　Abdera　there　was　no　famous　lake　for　him　to　pass；　but　he　crossed　the　river　Nestus；　which　there　reaches　the　sea。　Proceeding　further　upon　his　way；　he　passed　by　several　continental　cities；　one　of　them　possessing　a　lake　nearly　thirty　furlongs　in　circuit；　full　of　fish；　and　very　salt；　of　which　the　sumpter…beasts　only　drank；　and　which　they　drained　dry。　The　name　of　this　city　was　Pistyrus。　All　these　towns；　which　were　Grecian；　and　lay　upon　the　coast；　Xerxes　kept　upon　his　left　hand　as　he　passed　along。　　　　　The　following　are　the　Thracian　tribes　through　whose　country　he　marched：　the　Paeti；　the　Ciconians；　the　Bistonians；　the　Sapaeans；　the　Dersaeans；　the　Edonians；　and　the　Satrae。　Some　of　these　dwelt　by　the　sea；　and　furnished　ships　to　the　king's　fleet；　while　others　lived　in　the　more　inland　parts；　and　of　these　all　the　tribes　which　I　have　mentioned；　except　the　Satrae；　were　forced　to　serve　on　foot。　　　　　The　Satrae；　so　far　as　our　knowledge　goes；　have　never　yet　been　brought　under　by　any　one；　but　continue　to　this　day　a　free　and　unconquered　people；　unlike　the　other　Thracians。　They　dwell　amid　lofty　mountains　clothed　with　forests　of　different　trees　and　capped　with　snow；　and　are　very　valiant　in　fight。　They　are　the　Thracians　who　have　an　oracle　of　Bacchus　in　their　country；　which　is　situated　upon　their　highest　mountain…range。　The　Bessi；　a　Satrian　race；　deliver　the　oracles；　but　the　prophet；　as　at　Delphi；　is　a　woman；　and　her　answers　are　not　harder　to　read。　　　　　When　Xerxes　had　passed　through　the　region　mentioned　above；　he　came　next　to　the　Pierian　fortresses；　one　of　which　is　called　Phagres；　and　another　Pergamus。　Here　his　line　of　march　lay　close　by　the　walls；　with　the　long　high　range　of　Pangaeum　upon　his　right；　a　tract　in　which　there　are　mines　both　of　gold　and　silver；　some　worked　by　the　Pierians　and　Odomantians；　but　the　greater　part　by　the　Satrae。　　　　　Xerxes　then　marched　through　the　country　of　the　Paeonian　tribes…　the　Doberians　and　the　Paeoplae…　which　lay　to　the　north　of　Pangaeum；　and；　advancing　westward；　reached　the　river　Strymon　and　the　city　Eion；　whereof　Boges；　of　whom　I　spoke　a　short　time　ago；　and　who　was　then　still　alive；　was　governor。　The　tract　of　land　lying　about　Mount　Pangaeum　is　called　Phyllis；　on　the　west　it　reaches　to　the　river　Angites；　which　flows　into　the　Strymon；　and　on　the　south　to　the　Strymon　itself；　where　at　this　time　the　Magi　were　sacrificing　white　horses　to　make　the　stream　favourable。　　　　　After　propitiating　the　stream　by　these　and　many　other　magical　ceremonies；　the　Persians　crossed　the　Strymon；　by　bridges　made　before　their　arrival；　at　a　place　called　〃The　Nine　Ways；〃　which　was　in　the　territory　of　the　Edonians。　And　when　they　learnt　that　the　name　of　the　place　was　〃The　Nine　Ways；〃　they　took　nine　of　the　youths　of　the　land　and　as　many　of　their　maidens；　and　buried　them　alive　on　the　spot。　Burying　alive　is　a　Persian　custom。　I　have　heard　that　Amestris；　the　wife　of　Xerxes；　in　her　old　age　buried　alive　seven　pairs　of　Persian　youths；　sons　of　illustrious　men；　as　a　thank…offering　to　the　god　who　is　supposed　to　dwell　underneath　the　earth。　　　　　From　the　Strymon　the　army；　proceeding　westward；　came　to　a　strip　of　shore；　on　which　there　stands　the　Grecian　town　of　Argilus。　This　shore；　and　the　whole　tract　above　it；　is　called　Bisaltia。　Passing　this；　and　keeping　on　the　left　hand　the　Gulf　of　Posideium；　Xerxes　crossed　the　Sylean　plain；　as　it　is　called；　and　passing　by　Stagirus；　a　Greek　city；　came　to　Acanthus。　The　inhabitants　of　these　parts；　as　well　as　those　who　dwelt　about　Mount　Pangaeum；　were　forced　to　join　the　armament；　like　those　others　of　whom　I　spoke　before；　the　dwellers　along　the　coast　being　made　to　serve　in　the　fleet；　while　those　who　lived　more　inland　had　to　follow　with　the　land　forces。　The　road　which　the　army　of　Xerxes　took　remains　to　this　day　untouched：　the　Thracians　neither　plough　nor　sow　it；　but　hold　it　in　great　honour。　　　　　On　reaching　Acanthus；　the　Persian　king；　seeing　the　great　zeal　of　the　Acanthians　for　his　service；　and　hearing　what　had　been　done　about　the　cutting；　took　them　into　the　number　of　his　sworn　friends；　sent　them　as　a　present　a　Median　dress；　and　besides　commended　them　highly。　　　　　It　was　while　he　remained　here　that　Artachaees；　who　presided　over　the　canal；　a　man　in　high　repute　with　Xerxes；　and　by　birth　an　Achaemenid；　who　was　moreover　the　tallest　of　all　the　Persians；　being　only　four　fingers　short　of　five　cubits；　royal　measure；　and　who　had　a　stronger　voice　than　any　other　man　in　the　world；　fell　sick　and　died。　Xerxes　therefore；　who　was　greatly　afflicted　at　the　mischance；　carried　him　to　the　tomb　and　buried　him　with　all　magnificence；　while　the　whole　army　helped　to　raise　a　mound　over　his　grave。　The　Acanthians；　in　obedience　to　an　oracle；　offer　sacrifice　to　this　Artachaees　as　a　hero；　invoking　him　in　their　prayers　by　name。　But　King　Xerxes　sorrowed　greatly　over　his　death。　　　　　Now　the　Greeks　who　had　to　feed　the　army；　and　to　entertain　Xerxes；　were　brought　thereby　to　the　very　extremity　of　distress；　insomuch　that　some　of　them　were　forced　even　to　forsake　house　and　home。