Polymnia   

are of most consequence are alike opposed to thee."
"Thou strange man!" said Xerxes in reply- "what, I pray thee,
are the two things thou speakest of? Does my land army seem to thee
too small in number, and will the Greeks, thinkest thou, bring into
the field a more numerous host? Or is it our fleet which thou
deemest weaker than theirs? Or art thou fearful on both accounts? If
in thy judgment we fall short in either respect, it were easy to bring
together with all speed another armament."
"O king!" said Artabanus, "it is not possible that a man of
understanding should find fault with the size of thy army or the
number of thy ships. The more thou addest to these, the more hostile
will those two things, whereof I spake, become. Those two things are
the land and the sea. In all the wide sea there is not, I imagine,
anywhere a harbour large enough to receive thy vessels, in case a
storm arise, and afford them a sure protection. And yet thou wilt
want, not one such harbour only, but many in succession, along the
entire coast by which thou art about to make thy advance. In default
then of such harbours, it is well to bear in mind that chances rule
men, and not men chances. Such is the first of the two dangers; and
now I will speak to thee of the second. The land will also be thine
enemy; for if no one resists thy advance, as thou proceedest farther
and farther, insensibly allured onwards (for who is ever sated with
success?), thou wilt find it more and more hostile. I mean this, that,
should nothing else withstand thee, yet the mere distance, becoming
greater as time goes on, will at last produce a famine. Methinks it is
best for men, when they take counsel, to be timorous, and imagine
all possible calamities, but when the time for action comes, then to
deal boldly."
Whereto Xerxes answered- "There is reason, O Artabanus! in
everything which thou hast said; but I pray thee, fear not all
things alike, nor count up every risk. For if in each matter that
comes before us thou wilt look to all possible chances, never wilt
thou achieve anything. Far better is it to have a stout heart
always, and suffer one's share of evils, than to be ever fearing
what may happen, and never incur a mischance. Moreover, if thou wilt
oppose whatever is said by others, without thyself showing us the sure
course which we ought to take, thou art as likely to lead us into
failure as they who advise differently; for thou art but on a par with
them. And as for that sure course, how canst thou show it us when thou
art but a man? I do not believe thou canst. Success for the most
part attends those who act boldly, not those who weigh everything, and
are slack to venture. Thou seest to how great a height the power of
Persia has now reached- never would it have grown to this point if
they who sate upon the throne before me had been like-minded with
thee, or even, though not like-minded, had listened to councillors
of such a spirit. 'Twas by brave ventures that they extended their
sway; for great empires can only be conquered by great risks. We
follow then the example of our fathers in making this march; and we
set forward at the best season of the year; so, when we have brought
Europe under us, we shall return, without suffering from want or
experiencing any other calamity. For while on the one hand we carry
vast stores of provisions with us, on the other we shall have the
grain of all the countries and nations that we attack; since our march
is not directed against a pastoral people, but against men who are
tillers of the ground."
Then said Artabanus- "If, sire, thou art determined that we
shall not fear anything, at least hearken to a counsel which I wish to
offer; for when the matters in hand are so many, one cannot but have
much to say. Thou knowest that Cyrus the son of Cambyses reduced and
made tributary to the Persians all the race of the Ionians, except
only those of Attica. Now my advice is that thou on no account lead
forth these men against their fathers; since we are well able to
overcome them without such aid. Their choice, if we take them with
us to the war, lies between showing themselves the most wicked of