king which speaks in this manner:--To the Athenians I remit all
the offences which were committed against me: and now, Mardonios,
thus do,--first give them back their own land; then let them choose
for themselves another in addition to this, whichsoever they desire,
remaining independent; and set up for them again all their temples,
which I set on fire, provided that they consent to make a treaty with
me. This message having come to me, it is necessary for me to do so,
unless by your means I am prevented: and thus I speak to you now:--Why
are ye so mad as to raise up war against the king? since neither will ye
overcome him, nor are ye able to hold out against him for ever: for
ye saw the multitude of the host of Xerxes and their deeds, and ye are
informed also of the power which is with me at the present time; so that
even if ye overcome and conquer us (of which ye can have no hope if ye
are rightly minded), another power will come many times as large. Do
not ye then desire to match yourselves with the king, and so to be both
deprived of your land and for ever running a course for your own lives;
but make peace with him: and ye have a most honourable occasion to make
peace, since the king has himself set out upon this road: agree to a
league with us then without fraud or deceit, and remain free. (b) These
things Mardonios charged me to say to you, O Athenians; and as for me,
I will say nothing of the goodwill towards you on my part, for ye
would not learn that now for the first time; but I ask of you to do as
Mardonios says, since I perceive that ye will not be able to war with
Xerxes for ever,--if I perceived in you ability to do this, I should
never have come to you speaking these words,--for the power of the king
is above that of a man and his arm is very long. If therefore ye do not
make an agreement forthwith, when they offer you great things as the
terms on which they are willing to make a treaty, I have fear on your
behalf, seeing that ye dwell more upon the highway than any of your
allies, and are exposed ever to destruction alone, the land which ye
possess being parted off from the rest and lying between the armies
which are contending together. 111 Nay, but be persuaded, for this is
a matter of great consequence to you, that to you alone of the Hellenes
the great king remits the offences committed and desires to become a
friend."

141. Thus spoke Alexander; and the Lacedemonians having been informed
that Alex