The histories of Herodotus;

103-106J XERXES AND DEMARATUS 399
and, compelled by the lash, might, though fewer, attack a
greater number: but now, being left to their own free will,
they will do nothing of the kind. And I am of opinion that
even if they were equal in numbers the Grecians would hardly
contend with the Persians alone. For the valour that you
speak of exists among us ; it is not, however, common, but
rare. For there are Persians among my body-guards who
would readily encounter three Greeks at once ; and you, having
no experience of these men, talk very idly." To this
Demaratus replied : " O king, I knew from the first that, by
adhering to the truth, I should not say what would be agreeable
to you ; but since you constrained me to speak the exact
truth, I told you the real character of the Spartans. However,
you yourself well know how tenderly I must love them, who,
after they had deprived me of my paternal honours and dig-
nity, have made me citiless and an exile ; but your father,
having received me, gave me maintenance and a home: it is
not probable, therefore, that a prudent man should repel manifest
benevolence, but should by all means cherish it. For my
part, I do not pretend to be able to fight with ten men, nor
with two ; nor would I willingly fight with one. But if there
was any necessity, or any great stake to rouse me, I would
most willingly fight with one of those men who pretend to
be singly a match for three Grecians. In like manner the
Lacedaemonians in single combat are inferior to none ; but
together are the bravest of all men. For though free, they
are not absolutely free; for they have a master over them,
the law, which they fear much more than your subjects do
you. They do, accordingly, whatever it enjoins ; and it ever
enjoins the same thing, forbidding them to fly from battle
before any number of men, but to remain in their ranks, and
conquer or die. If I appear to you, in saying this, to talk idly,
I will for the future observe silence on this subject, and now
I have spoken through compulsion ; however, may events,
O king, turn out according to your wish !
Such was the reply he made. But Xerxes turned it into
ridicule, and evinced no anger, but dismissed him kindly.
Xerxes, having held this conversation, and appointed Mascames,
son of Megadostes, to be governor of this Doriscus,
and having deposed the person placed there by Darius,
marched his army through Thrace toward Greece. Mascames,
whom he left, proved so excellent a man that Xerxes used
to send presents every year to him alone, as being the best
of all the governors whom either he or Darius had appointed
and he used to send them every year ; as did also Artaxerxes,
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