f Egypt, which has broken out insolently against us,
then do thou march an army against Athens, that a good report may be
made of thee by men, and that in future every one may beware of making
expeditions against thy land." Thus far his speech had to do with
vengeance, 3 and to this he would make addition as follows, saying
that Europe was a very fair land and bore all kinds of trees that are
cultivated for fruit, and was of excellent fertility, and such that the
king alone of all mortals was worthy to possess it.

6. These things he was wont to say, since he was one who had a desire
for perilous enterprise and wished to be himself the governor of Hellas
under the king. So in time he prevailed upon Xerxes and persuaded him to
do this; for other things also assisted him and proved helpful to him
in persuading Xerxes. In the first place there had come from Thessaly
messengers sent by the Aleuadai, who were inviting the king to come
against Hellas and were showing great zeal in his cause, (now these
Aleuadai were kings of Thessaly): and then secondly those of the sons of
Peisistratos who had come up to Susa were inviting him also, holding to
the same arguments as the Aleuadai; and moreover they offered him yet
more inducement in addition to these; for there was one Onomacritos an
Athenian, who both uttered oracles and also had collected and arranged
the oracles of Musaios; 4 and with this man they had come up, after they
had first reconciled the enmity between them. For Onomacritos had been
driven forth from Athens by Hipparchos the son of Peisistratos, having
been caught by Lasos of Hermion interpolating in the works of Musaios
an oracle to the effect that the islands which lie off Lemnos should
disappear 5 under the sea. For this reason Hipparchos drove him forth,
having before this time been very much wont to consult him. Now however
he had gone up with them; and when he had come into the presence of the
king, the sons of Peisistratos spoke of him in magnificent terms, and
he repeated some of the oracles; and if there was in them anything
which imported disaster to the Barbarians, of this he said nothing;
but choosing out of them the most fortunate things he told how it was
destined that the Hellespont should be yoked with a bridge by a Persian,
and he set forth the manner of the march. He then thus urged Xerxes with
oracles, while the sons of Peisistratos and the Aleuadai pressed him
with their advice.

7. So when Xer