herodotus

were repeatedly gathered together and proclamation made, asking if anyone of the Lacedemonians was willing to die for Sparta, at lengthSperthias the son of Aneristos and Bulis the son of Nicolaos, Spartansof noble birth and in wealth attaining to the first rank, voluntarilysubmitted to pay the penalty to Xerxes for the heralds of Dareioswhich had perished at Sparta. Thus the Spartans sent these to theMedes to be put to death. 135. And not only the courage then shown bythese men is worthy of admiration, but also the following sayings inaddition: for as they were on their way to Susa they came to Hydarnes(now Hydarnes was a Persian by race and commander of those who dwelton the sea coasts of Asia), and he offered them hospitality andentertained them; and while they were his guests he asked them asfollows: "Lacedemonians, why is it that ye flee from becoming friendsto the king? for ye may see that the king knows how to honour goodmen, when ye look at me and at my fortunes. So also ye, Lacedemonians,if ye gave yourselves to the king, since ye have the reputation withhim already of being good men, would have rule each one of you overHellenic land by the gift of the king." To this they made answer thus:"Hydarnes, thy counsel with regard to us is not equally balanced,[117]for thou givest counsel having made trial indeed of the one thing, butbeing without experience of the other: thou knowest well what it is tobe a slave, but thou hast never yet made trial of freedom, whether itis pleasant to the taste or no; for if thou shouldest make trial ofit, thou wouldest then counsel us to fight for it not with spears onlybut also with axes." 136. Thus they answered Hydarnes; and then, afterthey had gone up to Susa and had come into the presence of the king,first when the spearmen of the guard commanded them and endeavoured tocompel them by force to do obeisance to the king by falling downbefore him, they said that they would not do any such deed, thoughthey should be pushed down by them head foremost; for it was not theircustom to do obeisance to a man, and it was not for this that they hadcome. Then when they had resisted this, next they spoke these words orwords to this effect: "O king of the Medes, the Lacedemonians sent usin place of the heralds who were slain in Sparta, to pay the penaltyfor their lives." When they said this, Xerxes moved by a spirit ofmagnanimity replied that he would not be like the Lacedemonians; forthey had violated the rules which prevailed among all men by slayingheralds, but he would not do that himself which he blamed them forhaving done, nor would he free the Lacedemonians from their guilt byslaying these in return. 137. Thus the wrath of Talthybios ceased forthe time being, even though the Spartans had done no more than thisand although Sperthias and Bulis returned back to Sparta; but a longtime after this it was roused again during the war between thePeloponnesians and Athenians, as the Lacedemonians report. This Iperceive to have been most evidently the act of the Deity: for in thatthe wrath of Talthybios fell upon messengers and did not cease until