Polymnia   

down everything that exalts itself. Thus ofttimes a mighty host is
discomfited by a few men, when God in his jealousy sends fear or storm
from heaven, and they perish in a way unworthy of them. For God allows
no one to have high thoughts but Himself. (SS 6.) Again, hurry
always brings about disasters, from which huge sufferings are wont
to arise; but in delay lie many advantages, not apparent (it may be)
at first sight, but such as in course of time are seen of all. Such
then is my counsel to thee, O king!
(SS 7.) "And thou, Mardonius, son of Gobryas, forbear to speak
foolishly concerning the Greeks, who are men that ought not to be
lightly esteemed by us. For while thou revilest the Greeks, thou
dost encourage the king to lead his own troops against them; and this,
as it seems to me, is what thou art specially striving to
accomplish. Heaven send thou succeed not to thy wish! For slander is
of all evils the most terrible. In it two men do wrong, and one man
has wrong done to him. The slanderer does wrong, forasmuch as he
abuses a man behind his back; and the hearer, forasmuch as he believes
what he has not searched into thoroughly. The man slandered in his
absence suffers wrong at the hands of both: for one brings against him
a false charge; and the other thinks him an evildoer. (SS 8.) If,
however, it must needs be that we go to war with this people, at least
allow the king to abide at home in Persia. Then let thee and me both
stake our children on the issue, and do thou choose out thy men,
and, taking with thee whatever number of troops thou likest, lead
forth our armies to battle. If things go well for the king, as thou
sayest they will, let me and my children be put to death; but if
they fall out as I prophesy, let thy children suffer, and thyself too,
if thou shalt come back alive. But shouldest thou refuse this wager,
and still resolve to march an army against Greece, sure I am that some
of those whom thou leavest behind thee here will one day receive the
sad tidings that Mardonius has brought a great disaster upon the
Persian people, and lies a prey to dogs and birds somewhere in the
land of the Athenians, or else in that of the Lacedaemonians; unless
indeed thou shalt have perished sooner by the way, experiencing in thy
own person the might of those men on whom thou wouldest fain induce
the king to make war."
Thus spake Artabanus. But Xerxes, full of wrath, replied to him:-
"Artabanus, thou art my father's brother- that shall save thee
from receiving the due meed of thy silly words. One shame however I
will lay upon thee, coward and faint-hearted as thou art- thou shalt
not come with me to fight these Greeks, but shalt tarry here with
the women. Without thy aid I will accomplish all of which I spake. For
let me not be thought the child of Darius, the son of Hystaspes, the
son of Arsames, the son of Ariaramnes, the son of Teispes, the son
of Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, the son of Teispes, the son of
Achaemenes, if I take not vengeance on the Athenians. Full well I know
that, were we to remain at rest, yet would not they, but would most
certainly invade our country, if at least it be right to judge from
what they have already done; for, remember, it was they who fired
Sardis and attacked Asia. So now retreat is on both sides
impossible, and the choice lies between doing and suffering injury;
either our empire must pass under the dominion of the Greeks, or their
land become the prey of the Persians; for there is no middle course
left in this quarrel. It is right then that we, who have in times past
received wrong, should now avenge it, and that I should thereby
discover what that great risk is which I run in marching against these
men- men whom Pelops the Phrygian, a vassal of my forefathers, subdued
so utterly, that to this day both the land, and the people who dwell
therein, alike bear the name of the conqueror!"
Thus far did the speaking proceed. Afterwards evening fell; and
Xerxes began to find the advice of Artabanus greatly disquiet him.
So he thought upon it during the night, and concluded at last that
it was not for his advantage to lead an army into Greece. When he
had thus made up his mind anew, he fell asleep. And now he saw in