herodotus

guard, enjoining them, if they should find the spies yet alive, tobring them to his presence. So having found them yet surviving theybrought them into the presence of the king; and upon that Xerxes,being informed for what purpose they had come, commanded the spearmento lead them round and to show them the whole army both foot andhorse, and when they should have had their fill of looking at thesethings, to let them go unhurt to whatsoever land they desired. 147.Such was the command which he gave, adding at the same time thissaying, namely that if the spies had been put to death, the Helleneswould not have been informed beforehand of his power, how far beyonddescription it was; while on the other hand by putting to death threemen they would not very greatly have damaged the enemy; but when thesereturned back to Hellas, he thought it likely that the Hellenes,hearing of his power, would deliver up their freedom to himthemselves, before the expedition took place which was being set inmotion; and thus there would be no need for them to have the labour ofmarching an army against them. This opinion of his is like his mannerof thinking at other times;[133] for when Xerxes was in Abydos, he sawvessels which carried corn from the Pontus sailing out through theHellespont on their way to Egina and the Peloponnese. Those then whosat by his side, being informed that the ships belonged to the enemy,were prepared to capture them, and were looking to the king to seewhen he would give the word; but Xerxes asked about them whither themen were sailing, and they replied: "Master, to thy foes, conveying tothem corn": he then made answer and said: "Are we not also sailing tothe same place as these men, furnished with corn as well as with otherthings necessary? How then do these wrong us, since they are conveyingprovisions for our use?"148. The spies then, having thus looked at everything and after thathaving been dismissed, returned back to Europe: and meanwhile those ofthe Hellenes who had sworn alliance against the Persian, after thesending forth of the spies proceeded to send envoys next to Argos. Nowthe Argives report that the matters concerning themselves took placeas follows:--They were informed, they say, at the very first of themovement which was being set on foot by the Barbarian against Hellas;and having been informed of this and perceiving that the Helleneswould endeavour to get their alliance against the Persians, they hadsent messengers to inquire of the god at Delphi, and to ask how theyshould act in order that it might be best for themselves: becauselately there had been slain of them six thousand men by theLacedemonians and by Cleomenes the son of Anaxandrides,[134] and thisin fact was the reason that they were sending to inquire: and whenthey inquired, the Pythian prophetess made answer to them as follows:"Thou to thy neighbours a foe, by the gods immortal beloved,