The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [154]
11. And had afterwards, of his own accord, gone into banishment, came to Susa, and there heard of the quarrel of the princes.
12. He went to Xerxes and advised him, in addition to all that he had urged before, to argue that when he was born Darius was already king,
13. But when Artabazanes came into the world, Darius was a mere private person.
14. It would therefore be neither right nor seemly that the crown should go to anyone but Xerxes.
15. ‘For at Sparta,’ said Demaratus, ‘the law is that if a king has sons before he comes to the throne, and another son is born to him afterwards, the latter child is heir to his father’s kingdom.’
16. Xerxes followed this counsel, and Darius, persuaded that he had justice on his side, appointed him heir.
17. Many say that even without this, the crown would have gone to Xerxes; for his mother Atossa was all-powerful.
18. Having appointed his heir, and made his preparations, Darius was ready to depart in conquest of Greece and the reconquest of Egypt; but death intervened, ending his thirty-six years of reign.
19. Xerxes mounted the throne, and at first was indifferent to the idea of conquering Greece, which seemed unimportant and marginal, whereas the loss of Egypt concerned him far more.
20. But Mardonius, who had great influence with him, persuaded him otherwise, saying,
21. ‘Sire, it is not fitting to let the Athenians escape without punishment, after doing Persia such a great injury.
22. ‘Subdue Egypt, yes; but then lead the army against Athens. In this way you will prevent future rebellions and insults, by showing that the Persian will never leave either unpunished.’
23. Mardonius also said, ‘Europe is a wondrous beautiful region, rich in all kinds of cultivated trees, and the soil excellent: no one, save you, is worthy to be king of such a land.’
24. He said this because he longed for further adventures, and hoped to become satrap of Greece under the king.
25. He was helped by the coincidence that at the same time the kings of Thessaly sent an invitation to Xerxes to enter Greece,
26. Promising him all their assistance in the venture. And further, the Pisistratidae, who had come to Susa, urged the same, and persuaded him even more than the Thessalonians.
Chapter 57
1. When therefore Egypt was subdued, Xerxes undertook to conquer Greece.
2. He called together an assembly of the noblest Persians to hear their opinions, saying,
3. ‘I need not remind you of the deeds of Cyrus and Cambyses, and my own father Darius, how many nations they conquered, and added to our dominions.
4. ‘You well know what great things they achieved. For myself, I will say that, from the day I mounted the throne,
5. ‘I have not ceased to consider by what means I may rival those who have preceded me in this post of honour, and increase the power of Persia as much as any of them.
6. ‘I have decided on a way to win glory, and at the same time get possession of a land which is as large and as rich as our own,
7. ‘Indeed, which is even more varied in the fruits it bears; while at the same time we obtain satisfaction and revenge.
8. ‘My intent is to throw a bridge over the Hellespont and march an army through Europe against Greece,
9. ‘That thereby I may obtain vengeance from the Athenians for the wrongs committed by them against the Persians and my father.
10. ‘Your own eyes saw the preparations of Darius against these men; but death came upon him, and foiled his hopes of revenge.
11. ‘On his behalf, therefore, and that of all Persians, I undertake the war,
12. ‘And pledge myself not to rest till I have burned Athens, which has dared to injure me and my father.
13. ‘I see many advantages added to this war. Once we have subdued Athens, and those neighbours of theirs in Sparta,
14. ‘We shall extend the Persian territory as far as the sky reaches. The sun will then shine on no land beyond our borders;
15. ‘For I will pass through Europe from one end to the other, and with your aid make all the lands