herodotus

Xerxes on his march away from Athens came to Eïon on the Strymon, fromthat point he did not continue further to make marches by road, butdelivered his army to Hydarnes to lead back to the Hellespont, whilehe himself embarked in a Phenician ship and set forth for Asia; and ashe sailed he was seized by a wind from the Strymon,[85] violent andraising great waves; and since he was tossed by the storm more andmore, the ship being heavily laden (for there were upon the deck greatnumbers of Persians, those namely who went with Xerxes), the king uponthat falling into fear shouted aloud and asked the pilot whether therewere for them any means of safety. He said: "Master, there are none,unless some way be found of freeing ourselves of the excessive numberof passengers." Then it is said that Xerxes, when he heard this, spokethus: "Persians, now let each one of you show that he has care for theking; for my safety, as it seems, depends upon you." He, they say,thus spoke, and they made obeisance to him and leapt out into the sea;and so the ship being lightened came safe to Asia. As soon as they hadlanded Xerxes, they say, first presented the pilot with a wreath ofgold, because he had saved the life of the king, and then cut off hishead, because he had caused the death of many of the Persians. 119.This other story, I say, is reported about the return of Xerxes, but Ifor my part can by no means believe it, either in other respects or asregards this which is said to have happened to the Persians; for ifthis which I have related had in truth been said by the pilot toXerxes, not one person's opinion in ten thousand will differ from minethat the king would have done some such thing as this, that is to say,he would have caused those who were upon the deck to go down belowinto the hold, seeing that they were Persians of the highest rankamong the Persians; and of the rowers, who were Phenicians, he wouldhave thrown out into the sea a number equal to the number of those. Infact however, as I have said before, he made his return to Asiatogether with the rest of the army by road. 120. And this also whichfollows is a strong witness that it was so; for Xerxes is known tohave come to Abdera on his way back, and to have made with them aguest-friendship and presented them with a Persian sword of gold and agold-spangled tiara: and as the men of Abdera themselves say (though Ifor my part can by no means believe it), he loosed his girdle for thefirst time during his flight back from Athens, considering himself tobe in security. Now Abdera is situated further towards the Hellespontthan the river Strymon and Eïon, from which place the story says thathe embarked in the ship.121. The Hellenes meanwhile, when it proved that they were not able toconquer Andros, turned towards Carystos, and having laid waste theland of that people they departed and went to Salamis. First then forthe gods they chose out first-fruits of the spoil, and among themthree Persian triremes, one to be dedicated as an offering at the