The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [155]
16. ‘For thus there will be no city, no country left in all the world, which will withstand our arms.
17. ‘By this course we shall bring all mankind under our rule, alike those who are guilty and those who are innocent of doing us wrong.
18. ‘For yourselves, if you wish to please me, do as follows: when I announce the time for the army to meet, hasten to the muster with good will.
19. ‘To the man who brings with him the most gallant array I will give the gifts which our people consider most honourable.
20. ‘But to show that I am not self-willed in this matter, I lay the business before you, and give you full leave to speak your minds openly.’
21. Then Mardonius spoke. ‘You have spoken truly; and best of all is your resolve.
22. ‘It were indeed a monstrous thing if, after conquering and enslaving the Sacae, the Indians, the Ethiopians, the Assyrians, the Egyptians and many other mighty nations,
23. ‘Not for any wrong that they had done us, but only to increase our empire, we should then allow the Greeks, who have done us such injury, escape our vengeance.
24. ‘What is it that we fear in them? Not surely their numbers, not the greatness of their wealth? They have neither!
25. ‘We know their way of fighting; we know how weak their power is; already we have subdued their children who dwell in our country, the Ionians, Aeolians and Dorians.
26. ‘I myself have had experience of these men when I marched against them by order of your father;
27. ‘And though I went as far as Macedonia, and came not far short of reaching Athens itself, yet not a single person ventured to come out against me to battle.
28. ‘And yet, I am told, these same Greeks wage wars against one another in the most foolish way.
29. ‘For no sooner is war proclaimed than they search out the smoothest and fairest plain, and there assemble and fight;
30. ‘Whence it comes that even the conquerors depart with great loss: I say nothing of the conquered, for they are destroyed altogether.
31. ‘Now surely, as they are all of one speech, they ought to interchange heralds, and make up their differences by any means rather than battle;
32. ‘Or, at the worst, if they must fight, they ought to post themselves as strongly as possible.
33. ‘But, notwithstanding that they are so foolish in warfare, yet these Greeks, when I led my army against them to the very borders of Macedonia, did not so much as think of offering me battle.
34. ‘Who then will dare, O king! to meet you in arms, when you come with all Asia’s warriors at your back, and all her ships?
35. ‘For my part I do not believe the Greek people will be so unwise.
36. ‘Grant, however, that I am mistaken, and that they are foolish enough to fight us;
37. ‘In that case they will learn that there are no such soldiers in the whole world as we.
38. ‘Nevertheless let us spare no pains; for nothing comes without trouble; but all that men acquire is got by taking pains.’
Chapter 58
1. The other Persians were silent; all feared to raise their voice against Xerxes’ plan.
2. But Artabanus, the son of Hystaspes and uncle of Xerxes, trusting to his relationship, was bold to speak.
3. ‘O king!’ he said, ‘it is impossible, if no more than one opinion is uttered, to make choice of the best: a man is forced then to follow whatever advice may have been given him;
4. ‘But if opposite speeches are delivered, then choice can be exercised.
5. ‘I counselled your father, Darius, who was my own brother, not to attack the Scythians, a race of people who had no town in their whole land.
6. ‘He thought however to subdue those wandering tribes, and would not listen to me, but marched an army against them, and before he returned home lost many of his bravest warriors.
7. ‘You, O king! are about to attack a people far superior to the Scythians, a people distinguished above others both by land and sea. It is fit therefore that I tell you what danger you incur hereby.
8. ‘You say you will bridge the Hellespont, and lead your troops through Europe against Greece.
9. ‘Now suppose some disaster