A T H 



'the coafl; of Macedonia, in order to dig acrofs the iilhmus 

 which joins to that, coaft the higli promontory of Athos. 

 The (lifnilcr which befel the fleet commanded by Mardoniiis, 

 in doubhng the cape of this celebrated peninfula, was ftill 

 prefent to tlie mind of Xerxes. The neck of land, only a 

 mile and a half in breadth, was adorned by the Grecian city 

 of Sana ; and the promontory being rich and fertile, was 

 well inhabited both by Greeks and |5arbarians. The cut- 

 tlnff of this narrow illhmus, by a canal of fulhcient width 

 to aliow two gallies to fail abreall, was a matter not beyond 

 the power of a potentate who commanded the labour of fo 

 many myriads ; but it is obfervcd by Herodotus, to have 

 been a work of more oftentation than utihty, as the 

 veiTels, according to the cultom of the age, might have 

 been co.nveyed over land with greater expedition, and with 

 lefs trouble and cxpence. The Perfian forces were now 

 fafely conducted into Europe ; and the chief obftacle to 

 the eafy navigation of their fleet along the coalls of Thrace, . 

 Macedon, and ThelTaly, to the centre of the Grecian Hales, 

 was removed by the dividing of mount Athos. Through 

 the fertile plains of Leffer Afia, the whole army had kept 

 in a body ; but the difficulty of fnpphes obliged them to 

 fcparate into three divifions in their marcli through the lefs 

 cultivated countries of Europe. Before this fepavation 

 took place, the whole fleet and army were reviewed by 

 Xerxes, near Dorifcus, a city of Thrace, at the mouth of 

 the river Hebrus. This celebrated mufter we fliall narrate 

 in the words of Ur. Gillies. " Such an immenfe colleftion 

 of men ad'eniblcd in arms, and' attended with every circum- 

 ftance of martial magnificence, gave an opporLunity for 

 feeing, or at leall for fuppofing, many aifedting fcenes. 

 The ambition of the great king had torn him from his pa- 

 lace of Sufa, but it could not tear him from the objects of 

 his afFeftion, and the miniders of his pleafure. ,JHe was 

 followed by his women, and by his flatterers, and all the effe- 

 minate pride of a court was blended with the pomp of war. 

 While the great body of the army lay every night in the 

 open air, Xerxes and his attendants were provided with 

 magnificent tents. The fplendor of his chariots, the 

 mettle of his horfes, which far excelled the fwifteil racers of 

 Theffaly, the unexampled number of his troops, and above 

 all, the bravery or the immortal band (a body of 10,000 

 Perfian cavalry, fo named becaufe their number was con- 

 ftantly maintained from the flower of the whole army), 

 feemed fufitcient, to the admiring crowd, to raife the gloiy 

 of their fovereign above the condition of humanity ; 

 efpecially fihce, among fo many thoufands of men as paffcd 

 in review, none could be compared to Xerxes in llrength, 

 in beauty, or in [lature. But amidft this fplendor of exter- 

 nal grcatntfs, Xerxes felt himfelf unhappy. Having afctnded 

 an eminence to view his camp and fleet, his pride was hum- 

 bled with the reflection, that no one of all the innumer- 

 able hofl could furvive an hundred years. The haughty 

 monarch of Afia was melted into tears. The couverfation of 

 his kinfman and counfellor, Artabanus, was ill calculated to 

 confole his melancholy. That refpeftable old man, whofe 

 wlfdom had often moderated the youthful ardour of Xerxes, 

 and who had been as affiduous to prevent, as Mardonius had 

 been to promote, the Grecian war, took notice that the mi- 

 fery ot human life was an objedl far more lamentable than 

 its ftiortnefs. In the narrow fpace allotted, has not every 

 one of thefe in our prefence, and indeed the whole human 

 race, often wifhed rather to die than to live ? The tumult 

 of paffions difturbs the beft. of our days ; difeafes and weak- 

 nefs accompany old age ; and death, fo vainly dreaded, is the 

 fure and hofpitable refuge of wretched mortals." (See Gil- 

 lies, vol. i. p. 424.) Xerxes often converfed with Dcma- 



7 



A T H 



ratus, an exiled king of Sparta, who had taken refuge with 

 the Perfian monarch, and their dialogues, detailed by Hero- 

 dotus, admirably illuftrate the oppofite circumllances and 

 charaders of the Perfians and Greeks. The following is 

 nearly the fubftance. " Do you imagine," faid the de- 

 fpot, " that the Greeks will dare to refill my forces ?" Denia- 

 ratus, having obtained permiffion to fpeak the truth, ri plied, 

 " The Greeks are to be feared, becaufe they are poor and 

 virtBOUs. Without pronouncing the eulogium of the other 

 ftates, I fhall only fpeak to you of the I^acedsmonians. 

 They will fcqrn the idea of flavery. Should all Greece 

 fubmit to your arms, they will be but the more ardent in 

 defence of their liberty. Inquire not the number of their 

 troops ; were they but a fingle thoufand, nay, were they 

 ftill fewer, they would prefent themfelves to the combat." 

 The Perfian king, at hearing this, laughed aloud ; and after 

 comparing his forces with thofc of the Lacedaemonians : 

 " Do yon not fee," faid he, " that the greatefl; part of my 

 foldiers would take to flight, were they not retained by 

 menaces and blows ? As a fimilar dread cannot operate on 

 thofe Spartans, who are reprefented to us as fo free and in- 

 dependent, it is evident that they will never unneccflarily 

 brave certain death : and what is there to conftrain them 

 to it ?" " The law," replied Demaratus ; " tliat law which 

 has more power over them, than you have over your fubjedls; 

 that law which faith to them, behold your enemies ; the 

 qucftion is not to number them ; you muft conquer or die." 

 Xei-xes was rather amufed than inftirufted by this difcourfe. 

 His hopes of fuccefs feemed built on too folid principles to 

 be Ihaken by the opinion of a prejudiced Greek. Every 

 day m-elfengers arrived with the fubmiflion of new nations. 

 He proceeded on his march, till he arrived at the pals of 

 Thermop; las. This is a defile fituated at the foot of mount 

 Oeta, betvvcen Theffaly and Phocis ; a pafs no morp than 

 ninety feet broad, and the only one by which the noil of 

 Xerxes could penetrate into Achaia. Thither the Grecian 

 army, not exceeding 11,000, directed its courfe : of thefe 

 4,000 only were more immediately deftined to defend the 

 paffage. But finding himlelf miftaken, and being informed 

 by Demaratus, that a handful of men might at this place 

 ftop for a confiderable time all his forces, he endeavoured 

 to corrupt Leonidas by magnificent prefents, and the moft 

 tempting promifes, even that of making him fupreme 

 lord of Greece. But Leonidas having rejected all his 

 temptations with difdain, Xerxes thereupon com- 

 manded him by a meffenger to fend him his arms. " Let 

 your king come and take them," anfv.'ered Leonidas. Then' 

 the Mtdes advanced againfl the Greeks : but being unable 

 to fuftain their attack, were obliged to retreat. The troop 

 of Perfians, diflinguifhcd by the name of immortal, next- 

 charged the Greeks, and fought with great valour, fo that 

 the pafs was choaked up with the dead. While the befl 

 troops of Xerxes were thus facrificed to the Spartan valour, 

 an inhabitant of the countr)- having difcovered to the Perfians' 

 a fecret path conducting to an eminence that commanded 

 the pafs, a large detachment was immediately fent to take 

 poffefTion of it. Leonidas receiving intelligence that the tops 

 of the rocks forming the p?<fs were occupied by 20,000 

 Perfian troops, whofe darts muft foon overwhelm him and 

 his fmall party, intreated the greater part of his men to re- 

 tire, and referve then.felves for a more advantageous oppor- 

 tunity of ferving their country ; while he himfelf with about 

 300 Spartans and a few Thefpians, would maintain the pafs 

 till the laft. The reft having accordingly departed, " Come 

 my friends," faid Leonidas, " kt us dine cheerfully, in the 

 hope of fupping together in the other world." His brave 

 companions, encouraged by the example of their chief, 



thought 



