nd
by oaths to remain faithful and not withdraw from the league: and having
bound these by oaths they sailed to break up the bridges, for they
supposed they would find them still stretched over the straits.

These then were sailing towards the Hellespont;.

107, and meanwhile those Barbarians who had escaped and had been driven
to the heights of Mycale, being not many in number, were making their
way to Sardis: and as they went by the way, Masistes the son of Dareios,
who had been present at the disaster which had befallen them, was saying
many evil things of the commander Artayntes, and among other things he
said that in respect of the generalship which he had shown he was worse
than a woman, and that he deserved every kind of evil for having brought
evil on the house of the king. Now with the Persians to be called worse
than a woman is the greatest possible reproach. So he, after he had been
much reviled, at length became angry and drew his sword upon Masistes,
meaning to kill him; and as he was running upon him, Xeinagoras the son
of Prexilaos, a man of Halicarnassos, perceived it, who was standing
just behind Artayntes; and this man seized him by the middle and
lifting him up dashed him upon the ground; and meanwhile the spearmen of
Masistes came in front to protect him. Thus did Xeinagoras, and thus he
laid up thanks for himself both with Masistes and also with Xerxes for
saving the life of his brother; and for this deed Xeinagoras became
ruler of all Kilikia by the gift of the king. Nothing further happened
than this as they went on their way, but they arrived at Sardis.

Now at Sardis, as it chanced, king Xerxes had been staying ever since
that time when he came thither in flight from Athens, after suffering
defeat in the sea-fight..

108. At that time, while he was in Sardis, he had a passionate desire,
as it seems, for the wife of Masistes, who was also there: and as she
could not be bent to his will by his messages to her, and he did not
wish to employ force because he had regard for his brother Masistes and
the same consideration withheld the woman also, for she well knew that
force would not be used towards her, then Xerxes abstained from all
else, and endeavoured to bring about the marriage of his own son Dareios
with the daughter of this woman and of Masistes, supposing that if
he should do so he would obtain her more easily. Then having made the
betrothal and done all the customary rites, he went away