nion contrary to that which had been
proposed, then Artabanos the son of Hystaspes, being father's brother to
Xerxes and having reliance upon that, spoke as follows: (a) "O king,
if opinions opposed to one another be not spoken, it is not possible to
select the better in making the choice, but one must accept that which
has been spoken; if however opposite opinions be uttered, this is
possible; just as we do not distinguish the gold which is free from
alloy when it is alone by itself, but when we rub it on the touchstone
in comparison with other gold, then we distinguish that which is
the better. Now I gave advice to thy father Dareios also, who was my
brother, not to march against the Scythians, men who occupied no abiding
city in any part of the earth. He however, expecting that he would
subdue the Scythians who were nomads, did not listen to me; but he made
a march and came back from it with the loss of many good men of his
army. But thou, O king, art intending to march against men who are much
better than the Scythians, men who are reported to be excellent both by
sea and on land: and the thing which is to be feared in this matter it
is right that I should declare to thee. (b) Thou sayest that thou wilt
yoke the Hellespont with a bridge and march an army through Europe to
Hellas. Now supposing it chance that we are 9 worsted either by land or
by sea, or even both, for the men are reported to be valiant in fight,
(and we may judge for ourselves that it is so, since the Athenians
by themselves destroyed that great army which came with Datis and
Artaphrenes to the Attic land),--suppose however that they do not
succeed in both, yet if they shall attack with their ships and conquer
in a sea-fight, and then sail to the Hellespont and break up the bridge,
this of itself, O king, will prove to be a great peril. (c) Not however
by any native wisdom of my own do I conjecture that this might happen:
I am conjecturing only such a misfortune as all but came upon us at the
former time, when thy father, having yoked the Bosphorus of Thracia and
made a bridge over the river Ister, had crossed over to go against the
Scythians. At that time the Scythians used every means of entreaty
to persuade the Ionians to break up the passage, to whom it had been
entrusted to guard the bridges of the Ister. At that time, if Histiaios
the despot of Miletos had followed the opinion of the other despots and
had not made opposition to them, the power o