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；　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。　When　the　Thasians　received　and　feasted　the　host；　on　account　of　their　possessions　upon　the　mainland；　Antipater；　the　son　of　Orges；　one　of　the　citizens　of　best　repute；　and　the　man　to　whom　the　business　was　assigned；　proved　that　the　cost　of　the　meal　was　four　hundred　talents　of　silver。　　　　　And　estimates　almost　to　the　same　amount　were　made　by　the　superintendents　in　other　cities。　For　the　entertainment；　which　had　been　ordered　long　beforehand　and　was　reckoned　to　be　of　much　consequence；　was；　in　the　manner　of　it；　such　as　I　will　now　describe。　No　sooner　did　the　heralds　who　brought　the　orders　give　their　message；　than　in　every　city　the　inhabitants　made　a　division　of　their　stores　of　corn；　and　proceeded　to　grind　flour　of　wheat　and　of　barley　for　many　months　together。　Besides　this；　they　purchased　the　best　cattle　that　they　could　find；　and　fattened　them；　and　fed　poultry　and　water…fowl　in　ponds　and　buildings；　to　be　in　readiness　for　the　army；　while　they　likewise　prepared　gold　and　silver　vases　and　drinking…cups；　and　whatsoever　else　is　needed　for　the　service　of　the　table。　These　last　preparations　were　made　for　the　king　only；　and　those　who　sat　at　meat　with　him；　for　the　rest　of　the　army　nothing　was　made　ready　beyond　the　food　for　which　orders　had　been　given。　On　the　arrival　of　the　Persians；　a　tent　ready　pitched　for　the　purpose　received　Xerxes；　who　took　his　rest　therein；　while　the　soldiers　remained　under　the　open　heaven。　When　the　dinner　hour　came；　great　was　the　toil　of　those　who　entertained　the　army；　while　the　guests　ate　their　fill；　and　then；　after　passing　the　night　at　the　place；　tore　down　the　royal　tent　next　morning；　and　seizing　its　contents；　carried　them　all　off；　leaving　nothing　behind。　　　　　On　one　of　these　occasions　Megacreon　of　Abdera　wittily　recommended　his　countrymen　〃to　go　to　the　temples　in　a　body；　men　and　women　alike；　and　there　take　their　station　as　suppliants；　and　beseech　the　gods　that　they　would　in　future　always　spare　them　one…half　of　the　woes　which　might　threaten　their　peace…　thanking　them　at　the　same　time　very　warmly　for　their　past　goodness　in　that　they　had　caused　Xerxes　to　be　content　with　one　meal　in　the　day。〃　For　had　the　order　been　to　provide　breakfast　for　the　king　as　well　as　dinner；　the　Abderites　must　either　have　fled　before　Xerxes　came；　or；　if　they　awaited　his　coming；　have　been　brought　to　absolute　ruin。　As　it　was；　the　nations；　though　suffering　heavy　pressure；　complied　nevertheless　with　the　directions　that　had　been　given。　　　　　At　Acanthus；　Xerxes　separated　from　his　fleet；　bidding　the　captains　sail　on　ahead　and　await　his　coming　at　Therma；　on　the　Thermaic　Gulf；　the　place　from　which　the　bay　takes　its　name。　Through　this　town　lay；　he　understood；　his　shortest　road。　Previously；　his　order　of　march　had　been　the　following：…　from　Doriscus　to　Acanthus　his　land　force　had　proceeded　in　three　bodies；　one　of　which　took　the　way　along　the　sea…shore　in　company　with　the　fleet；　and　was　commanded　by　Mardonius　and　Masistes；　while　another　pursued　an　inland　track　under　Tritantaechmes　and　Gergis；　the　third；　with　which　was　Xerxes　himself　marching　midway　between　the　other　two；　and　having　for　its　leaders　Smerdomenes　and　Megabyzus。　　　　　The　fleet；　therefore；　after　leaving　the　king；　sailed　through　the　channel　which　had　been　cut　for　it　by　Mount　Athos；　and　came　into　the　bay　whereon　lie　the　cities　of　Assa；　Pilorus；　Singus；　and　Sarta；　from　all　which　it　received　contingents。　Thence　it　stood　on　for　the　Thermaic　Gulf；　and　rounding　Cape　Ampelus；　the　promontory　of　the　Toronaeans；　passed　the　Grecian　cities　Torone；　Galepsus；　Sermyla；　Mecyberna；　and　Olynthus；　receiving　from　each　a　number　of　ships　and　men。　This　region　is　called　Sithonia。　　　　　From　Cape　Ampelus　the　fleet　stretched　across　by　a　short　course　to　Cape　Canastraeum；　which　is　the　point　of　the　peninsula　of　Palline　that　runs　out　farthest　into　the　sea；　and　gathered　fresh　supplies　of　ships　and　men　from　Potidaea；　Aphytis；　Neapolis；　Aega；　Therambus；　Scione；　Mende；　and　Sane。　These　are　the　cities　of　the　tract　called　anciently　Phlegra；　but　now　Palline。　Hence　they　again　followed　the　coast；　still　advancing　towards　the　place　appointed　by　the　king；　and　had　accessions　from　all　the　cities　that　lie　near　Pallene；　and　border　on　the　Thermaic　Gulf；　whereof　the　names　are　Lipaxus；　Combreia；　Lisae；　Gigonus；　Campsa；　Smila；　and　Aenea。　The　tract　where　these　towns　lie　still　retains　its　old　name　of　Crossaea。　After　passing　Aenea；　the　city　which　I　last　named；　the　fleet　found　itself　arrived　in　the　Thermaic　Gulf；　off　the　land　of　Mygdonia。　And　so　at　length　they　reached　Therma；　the　appointed　place；　and　came　likewise　to　Sindus　and　Chalestra　upon　the　river　Axius；　which　separates　Bottiaea　from　Mygdonia。　Bottiaea　has　a　scanty　sea…board；　which　is　occupied　by　the　two　cities　Ichnae　and　Pella。　　　　　So　the　fleet　anchored　off　the　Axius；　and　off　Therma；　and　the　towns　that　lay　between；　waiting　the　king's　coming。　Xerxes　meanwhile　with　his　land　force　left　Acanthus；　and　started　for　Therma；　taking　his　way　across　the　land。　This　road　led　him　through　Paeonia　and　Crestonia　to　the　river　Echeidorus；　which　rising　in　the　country　of　the　Crestonians；　flows　through　Mygdonia；　and　reaches　the　sea　near　the　marsh　upon　the　Axius。　　　　　Upon　this　march　the　camels　that　carried　the　provisions　of　the　army　were　set　upon　by　lions；　which　left　their　lairs　and　came　down　by　night；　but　spared　the　men　and　the　sumpter…beasts；　while　they　made　the　camels　their　prey。　I　marvel　what　may　have　been　the　cause　which　compelled　the　lions　to　leave　the　other　animals　untouched　and　attack　the　camels；　when　they　had　never　seen　that　beast　before；　nor　had　any　experience　of　it。　　　　　That　whole　region　is　full　of　lions　and　wild　bulls；　with　gigantic　horns；　which　are　brought　into　Greece。　The　lions　are　confined　within　the　tract　lying　between　the　river　Nestus　（which　flows　through　Abdera）　on　the　one　side；　and　the　Achelous　（which　waters　Acarnania）　on　the　other。　No　one　ever　sees　a　lion　in　the　fore　part　of　Europe　east　of　the　Nestus；　nor　through　the　entire　continent　west　of　the　Achelous；　but　in　the　space　between　these　bounds　lions　are　found。　　　　　On　reaching　Therma　Xerxes　halted　his　army；　which　encamped　along　the　coast；　beginning　at　the　city　of　Therma　in　Mygdonia；　and　stretching　out　as　far　as　the　rivers　Lydias　and　Haliacmon；　two　streams　which；　mingling　their　waters　in　one；　form　the　boundary　between　Bottiaea　and　Macedonia。　Such　was　the　extent　of　country　through　which　the　barbarians　encamped。　The　rivers　here　mentioned　were　all　of　them　sufficient　to　supply　the　troops；　except　the　Echeidorus；　which　was　drunk　dry。　　　　　From　Therma　Xerxes　beheld　the　Thessalian　mountains；　Olympus　and　Ossa；　which　are　of　a　wonderful　height。　Here；　learning　that　there　lay　between　these　mountains　a　narrow　gorge　through　which　the　river　Peneus　ran；　and　where　there　was　a　road　that　gave　an　entrance　into　Thessaly；　he　formed　the　wish　to　go　by　sea　himself；　and　examine　the　mouth　of　the　river。　His　design　was　to　lead　his　army　by　the　upper　road　through　the　country　of　the　inland　Macedonians；　and　so　to　enter　Perrhaebia；　and　come　down　by　the　city　of　Gonnus；　for　he　was　told　that　that　way　was　the　most　secure。　No　sooner　therefore　had　he　formed　this　wish　than　he　acted　accordingly。　Embarking；　as　was　his　wont　on　all　such　occasions；　aboard　a　Sidonian　vessel；　he　gave　the　signal　to　the　rest　of　the　fleet　to　get　under　weigh；　and　quitting　his　land　army；　set　sail　and　proceeded　to　the　Peneus。　Here　the　view　of　the　mouth　caused　him　to　wonder　greatly；　and　sending　for　his　guides；　he　asked　them　whether　it　were　possible　to　turn　the　course　of　the　stream；　and　make　it　reach　the　sea　at　any　other　point。　　　　　Now　there　is　a　tradition　that　Thessaly　was　in　ancient　times　a　lake；　shut　in　on　every　side　by　huge　hills。　Ossa　and　Pelion…　ranges　which　join　at　the　foot…　do　in　fact　inclose　it　upon　the　east；　while　Olympus　forms　a　barrier　upon　the　north；　Pindus　upon　the　west；　and　Othrys　towards　the　south。　The　tract　contained　within　these　mountains；　which　is　a　deep　basin；　is　called　Thessaly。　Many　rivers　pour　their　waters　into　it；　but　five　of　them　are　of　more　note　than　the　rest；　namely；　the　Peneus；　the　Apidanus；　the　Onochonus；　the　Enipeus；　and　the　Pamisus。　These　streams　flow　down　from　the　mountains　which　surround　Thessaly；　and；　meeting　in　th