herodotus

helmets of plaited work, and had small shields of hide and javelins;and the Colchians wore wooden helmets about their heads, and had smallshields of raw ox-hide and short spears, and also knives. Of the Maresand Colchians the commander was Pharandates the son of Teaspis. TheAlarodians and Saspeirians served armed like the Colchians; and ofthese the commander was Masistios the son of Siromitres. 80. Theisland tribes which came with the army from the Erythraian Sea,belonging to the islands in which the king settles those who arecalled the "Removed,"[75] had clothing and arms very like those of theMedes. Of these islanders the commander was Mardontes the son ofBagaios, who in the year after these events was a commander of thearmy at Mykale and lost his life in the battle.81. These were the nations which served in the campaign by land andhad been appointed to be among the foot-soldiers. Of this army thosewho have been mentioned were commanders; and they were the men who sitit in order by divisions and numbered it and appointed commanders ofthousands and commanders of tens of thousands, but the commanders ofhundreds and of tens were appointed by the commanders of tenthousands; and there were others who were leaders of divisions andnations. 82. These, I say, who have been mentioned were commanders ofthe army; and over these and over the whole army together that went onfoot there were in command Mardonios the son of Gobryas,Tritantaichmes the son of that Artabanos who gave the opinion thatthey should not make the march against Hellas, Smerdomenes the son ofOtanes (both these being sons of brothers of Dareios and so cousins ofXerxes),[76] Masistes the son of Dareios and Atossa, Gergis the son ofAriazos, and Megabyzos the son of Zopyros. 83. These were generals ofthe whole together that went on foot, excepting the ten thousand; andof these ten thousand chosen Persians the general was Hydarnes the sonof Hydarnes; and these Persians were called "Immortals," because, ifany one of them made the number incomplete, being overcome either bydeath or disease, another man was chosen to his place, and they werenever either more or fewer than ten thousand. Now of all the nations,the Persians showed the greatest splendour of ornament and werethemselves the best men. They had equipment such as has beenmentioned, and besides this they were conspicuous among the rest forgreat quantity of gold freely used; and they took with them carriages,and in them concubines and a multitude of attendants well furnished;and provisions for them apart from the soldiers were borne by camelsand beasts of burden.84. The nations who serve as cavalry are these; not all howeversupplied cavalry, but only as many as here follow:--the Persiansequipped in the same manner as their foot-soldiers, except that upontheir heads some of them had beaten-work of metal, either bronze or