Polymnia   

alive, to bring them into his presence. The messengers found the spies
alive, and brought them before the king, who, when he heard the
purpose for which they had come, gave orders to his guards to take
them round the camp, and show them all the footmen and all the
horse, letting them gaze at everything to their hearts' content; then,
when they were satisfied, to send them away unharmed to whatever
country they desired.
For these orders Xerxes gave afterwards the following reasons.
"Had the spies been put to death," he said, "the Greeks would have
continued ignorant of the vastness of his army, which surpassed the
common report of it; while he would have done them a very small injury
by killing three of their men. On the other hand, by the return of the
spies to Greece, his power would become known; and the Greeks," he
expected, "would make surrender of their freedom before he began his
march, by which means his troops would be saved all the trouble of
an expedition." This reasoning was like to that which he used upon
another occasion. While he was staying at Abydos, he saw some
corn-ships, which were passing through the Hellespont from the Euxine,
on their way to Egina and the Peloponnese. His attendants, hearing
that they were the enemy's, were ready to capture them, and looked
to see when Xerxes would give the signal. He, however, merely asked
"whither the ships were bound?" and when they answered, "For thy foes,
master, with corn on board, "We too are bound thither," he rejoined,
"laden, among other things, with corn. What harm is it, if they
carry our provisions for us?"
So the spies, when they had seen everything, were dismissed, and
came back to Europe.
The Greeks who had banded themselves together against the
Persian king, after despatching the spies into Asia, sent next
ambassadors to Argos. The account which the Argives give of their
own proceedings is the following. They say that they had information
from the very first of the preparations which the barbarians were
making against Greece. So, as they expected that the Greeks would come
upon them for aid against the assailant, they sent envoys to Delphi to
inquire of the god what it would be best for them to do in the matter.
They had lost, not long before, six thousand citizens, who had been
slain by the Lacedaemonians under Cleomenes the son of Anaxandridas;
which was the reason why they now sent to Delphi. When the Pythoness
heard their question, she replied-

Hated of all thy neighbors, beloved of the blessed Immortals,
Sit thou still, with thy lance drawn inward, patiently watching;
Warily guard thine head, and the head will take care of the body.

This prophecy had been given them some time before the envoys came;
but still, when they afterwards arrived, it was permitted them to
enter the council-house, and there deliver their message. And this
answer was returned to their demands- "Argos is ready to do as ye
require, if the Lacedaemonians will first make a truce for thirty
years, and will further divide with Argos the leadership of the allied
army. Although in strict right the whole command should be hers, she
will be content to have the leadership divided equally."
Such, they say, was the reply made by the council, in spite of the
oracle which forbade them to enter into a league with the Greeks. For,
while not without fear of disobeying the oracle, they were greatly
desirous of obtaining a thirty years' truce, to give time for their
sons to grow to man's estate. They reflected, that if no such truce
were concluded, and it should be their lot to suffer a second calamity
at the hands of the Persians, it was likely they would fall hopelessly
under the power of Sparta. But to the demands of the Argive council
the Lacedaemonian envoys made answer- "They would bring before the
people the question of concluding a truce. With regard to the
leadership, they had received orders what to say, and the reply was
that Sparta had two kings, Argos but one- it was not possible that