be any other army of
men which will ever stand against us. Now therefore let us begin the
crossing, after having made prayer to those gods who have the Persians
51 for their allotted charge."

54. During this day then they were making preparation to cross over; and
on the next day they waited for the Sun, desiring to see him rise, and
in the meantime they offered all kinds of incense upon the bridges and
strewed the way with branches of myrtle. Then, as the Sun was rising,
Xerxes made libation from a golden cup into the sea, and prayed to the
Sun, that no accident might befall him such as should cause him to cease
from subduing Europe, until he had come to its furthest limits. After
having thus prayed he threw the cup into the Hellespont and with it a
golden mixing-bowl and a Persian sword, which they call akinakes: but
whether he cast them into the sea as an offering dedicated to the
Sun, or whether he had repented of his scourging of the Hellespont and
desired to present a gift to the sea as amends for this, I cannot for
certain say.

55. When Xerxes had done this, they proceeded to cross over, the whole
army both the footmen and the horsemen going by one bridge, namely that
which was on the side of the Pontus, while the baggage-animals and the
attendants went over the other, which was towards the Egean. First the
ten thousand Persians led the way, all with wreaths, and after them came
the mixed body of the army made up of all kinds of nations: these on
that day; and on the next day, first the horsemen and those who had
their spear-points turned downwards, these also wearing wreaths; and
after them the sacred horses and the sacred chariot, and then Xerxes
himself and the spear-bearers and the thousand horsemen; and after them
the rest of the army. In the meantime the ships also put out from shore
and went over to the opposite side. I have heard however another account
which says that the king crossed over the very last of all.

56. When Xerxes had crossed over into Europe, he gazed upon the army
crossing under the lash; and his army crossed over in seven days and
seven nights, going on continuously without any pause. Then, it is said,
after Xerxes had now crossed over the Hellespont, a man of that coast
exclaimed: "Why, O Zeus, in the likeness of a Persian man and taking for
thyself the name of Xerxes instead of Zeus, art thou proposing to
lay waste Hellas, taking with thee all the nations of men? for it was
possib