Xerxes being resolved on the Grecian war, centered into a B.C.482.
league with the Carthaginians, whereby it was agreed, that while
the Persians invaded Greece, the Carthaginians should fall on
all those who were of the Grecian name in Sicily and Italy, that
thereby they might be diverted from helping one the other. And
the Carthaginians made choice of Hamilcar to be their general
in this war, who not only raised what forces he could in Africa,
but also with the money sent him by Xerxes hired a great
8.C.485-482.] XERXES 1-4. 261
number of mercenaries out of Spain, Gallia, and Italy, so that he
got together an army of three hundred thousand men, and a
fleet proportionable hereto, for the prosecuting of the intent of
this league.
B.C.481. And thus Xerxes, according
as was foretold by the prophet
Daniel, having by his strength and through his great riches stirred
up all the then known habitable world against the realm of Grecia,
that is, all the west under the command of Hamilcar, and all the
east under his own, he did *in the fifth year of his reign, which
was hthe tenth after the battle of Marathon, set out from Susa
to begin the war, and having marched as far as Sardis, wintered
there. B. C.
480. Early the next spring ' Xerxes did set out for the Hellespont,
over which two bridges of boats having been laid, the one for
his army, and the other for his carriages and beasts of burden,
he passed all over in seven days, during all which time they were
continually a passing day and night before all could get over, so
great was the number of them that attended him in this expedition.
From thence marching through the Thracian Cherso-
nesus he arrived at Doriscus, a city at the mouth of the river
Hebrus in Thracia, at which place having encamped his army,
and ordered his fleet also to attend him on the adjacent shore,
he there took an account of both. His land army upon the
muster was found to be one million and seven hundred thousand
foot, and fourscore thousand horse, besides his chariots and his
camels, for which allowing twenty thousand more, the whole will
amount to one million and eight hundred thousand men. His
fleet consisted of twelve hundred and seven ships of the line of
battle, besides gallies, transports, victuallers, and other sorts of
vessels that attended, which were three thousand more ; on
board all which were reckoned to be five hundred and seventeen
thousand six hundred and ten men. So that the whole number
of forces by sea and land, which Xerxes brought with him out
of Asia to invade Greece, amounted to two millions three hundred
and seventeen thousand six hundred and ten men. After
his passing the Hellespont, the nations on this side, that
submitted to him, added to his land army three hundred thousand
men more, and two hundred and twenty ships to his fleet,
on board of which were twenty-four thousand men. So that
8.C.485-482.] XERXES 1-4. 261
putting all together, his forces by sea and land, by that time he
came to the straits of the Thermopylae, made up the number of
two millions six hundred forty-one thousand six hundred and
ten men. And the servants, eunuchs, women, sutlers, and all
such other people as followed the camp, were computed to be no
less than as many more. So that the whole number of persons
of all sorts, that followed Xerxes in this expedition, were at
least five millions. This is k Herodotus' s account of them, and '
Plutarch and mlsocrates agree with him herein. But "Diodo-
rus Siculus, "Pliny, P^Elian, and others, do in their computations
fall much short of this number, making the army of Xerxes,
with which he passed the Hellespont against Greece, to be very
little more than that with which Darius his father passed the
Bosphorus to make war upon the Scythians. It is probable they
might have mistaken the one for the other. The verses engraven
on the monument of those Grecians who were slain at Thermopylae
best agree with the account of Herodotus. For in them
it is said, "5 that they there fought against two millions of men.
And he being the ancientest author that hath written of this
war, and having lived in the age in which it happened, and
treated of it more particularly, and with a greater appearance
of exactness than any other, his computation seemeth the most
likely to be the truest, and that especially since we find it to be
the general opinion of the ancients, both Greeks and Latins,
that this was the greatest army that was ever brought into the
field.
Josephus tells us, that a band of Jews was also in this army,
and brings for proof of it a passage out of the poet Choerilus,
who in describing the army of Xerxes, as they passed on by their
several nations in their march, hath these verses:
Then next did march in habit and in mien,
A people wonderful for to be seen.
Their language is in dialect the same,
Which men do speak of the Phrenician name.
They dwell in the high Solymsean land,
On hills, near which there doth a great lake stand.
k Herod, lib. 7. ' In Themistocle. p. 26. This inscription, according to the
m In Panathenaico. " Lib. n. reading as in Herodotus, saith they were
0 Lib. 33. c. jo. three millions, but as in Diodorus only
P Var. Hist. lib. 13. c. 3. two millions.
1 Herodot. lib. 7. Diod. Sic. lib. 11. ' Contra Apionem, lib. 1.
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B.C. 481-480.] XEREXS 6. 263