they had distributed to them an
allowance of food more abundant than they had had by the way, and from
satisfying their hunger without restraint and also from the changes of
water there died many of those in the army who had remained safe till
then. The rest arrived with Xerxes at Sardis.

118. There is also another story reported as follows, namely that when
Xerxes on his march away from Athens came to Eion on the Strymon, from
that point he did not continue further to make marches by road, but
delivered his army to Hydarnes to lead back to the Hellespont, while he
himself embarked in a Phenician ship and set forth for Asia; and as he
sailed he was seized by a wind from the Strymon, 85 violent and raising
great waves; and since he was tossed by the storm more and more, the
ship being heavily laden (for there were upon the deck great numbers of
Persians, those namely who went with Xerxes), the king upon that falling
into fear shouted aloud and asked the pilot whether there were for them
any means of safety. He said: "Master, there are none, unless some way
be found of freeing ourselves of the excessive number of passengers."
Then it is said that Xerxes, when he heard this, spoke thus: "Persians,
now let each one of you show that he has care for the king; for my
safety, as it seems, depends upon you." He, they say, thus spoke, and
they made obeisance to him and leapt out into the sea; and so the ship
being lightened came safe to Asia. As soon as they had landed Xerxes,
they say, first presented the pilot with a wreath of gold, because he
had saved the life of the king, and then cut off his head, because he
had caused the death of many of the Persians.

119. This other story, I say, is reported about the return of Xerxes,
but I for my part can by no means believe it, either in other respects
or as regards this which is said to have happened to the Persians; for
if this which I have related had in truth been said by the pilot to
Xerxes, not one person's opinion in ten thousand will differ from mine
that the king would have done some such thing as this, that is to say,
he would have caused those who were upon the deck to go down below into
the hold, seeing that they were Persians of the highest rank among the
Persians; and of the rowers, who were Phenicians, he would have thrown
out into the sea a number equal to the number of those. In fact however,
as I have said before, he made his return to Asia together with the rest