Thyia, where there is an inclosure consecrated to
Thyia, daughter of Cephisus, from whom this district derives its name,
and conciliated them with sacrifices; and the Delphians, in obedience to
that oracle, to this day propitiate the winds.

The naval force of Xerxes, setting out from the city of Therma, advanced
with ten of the fastest sailing ships straight to Scyathus, where were
three Grecian ships keeping a look-out: a Troezenian, an AEginetan, and
an Athenian, These, seeing the ships of the barbarians at a distance,
betook themselves to flight.

The Troezenian ship, which Praxinus commanded, the barbarians pursued
and soon captured; and then, having led the handsomest of the marines to
the prow of the ship, they slew him, deeming it a good omen that the
first Greek they had taken was also very handsome. The name of the man
that was slain was Leon, and perhaps he in some measure reaped the
fruits of his name.

The AEginetan ship, which Asonides commanded, gave them some trouble;
Pytheas, son of Ischenous, being a marine on board, a man who on this
day displayed the most consummate valor; who, when the ship was taken,
continued fighting until he was entirely cut to pieces. But when, having
fallen (he was not dead, but still breathed), the Persians who served on
board the ships were very anxious to save him alive, on account of his
valor, healing his wounds with myrrh, and binding them with bandages of
flaxen cloth; and when they returned to their own camp, they showed him
with admiration to the whole army, and treated him well; but the others,
whom they took in this ship, they treated as slaves.

Thus, then, two of the ships were taken; but the other, which Phormus,
an Athenian, commanded, in its flight ran ashore at the mouth of the
Peneus, and the barbarians got possession of the ship, but not of the
men; for as soon as the Athenians had run the ship aground, they leaped
out, and, proceeding through Thessaly, reached Athens. The Greeks who
were stationed at Artemisium were informed of this event by signal-fires
from Sciathus; and being informed of it, and very much alarmed, they
retired from Artemisium to Chalcis, intending to defend the Euripus, and
leaving scouts on the heights of Euboea. Of the ten barbarian ships,
three approached the sunken rock called Myrmex, between Sciathus and
Magnesia. Then the barbarians, when they had erected on the rock a stone
column, which they had brought with them, set out fro