rthwith every man of the Persians who had been assembled together
departed to his own province and was zealous by all means to perform the
commands, desiring each one to receive for himself the gifts which
had been proposed: and thus Xerxes was gathering his army together,
searching every region of the continent.

20. During four full years from the conquest of Egypt he was preparing
the army and the things that were of service for the army, and in the
course of the fifth year 20 he began his campaign with a host of great
multitude. For of all the armies of which we have knowledge this proved
to be by far the greatest; so that neither that led by Dareios against
the Scythians appears anything as compared with it, nor the Scythian
host, when the Scythians pursuing the Kimmerians made invasion of the
Median land and subdued and occupied nearly all the upper parts of Asia,
for which invasion afterwards Dareios attempted to take vengeance,
nor that led by the sons of Atreus to Ilion, to judge by that which is
reported of their expedition, nor that of the Mysians and Teucrians,
before the Trojan war, who passed over into Europe by the Bosphorus and
not only subdued all the Thracians, but came down also as far as the
Ionian Sea 21 and marched southwards to the river Peneios.

21. All these expeditions put together, with others, if there be any,
added to them, 22 are not equal to this one alone. For what nation
did Xerxes not lead out of Asia against Hellas? and what water was not
exhausted, being drunk by his host, except only the great rivers?
For some supplied ships, and others were appointed to serve in the
land-army; to some it was appointed to furnish cavalry, and to others
vessels to carry horses, while they served in the expedition themselves
also; 23 others were ordered to furnish ships of war for the bridges,
and others again ships with provisions.

22. Then in the first place, since the former fleet had suffered
disaster in sailing round Athos, preparations had been going on for
about three years past with regard to Athos: for triremes lay at anchor
at Elaius in the Chersonese, and with this for their starting point men
of all nations belonging to the army worked at digging, compelled by
the lash; and the men went to the work regularly in succession: moreover
those who dwelt round about Athos worked also at the digging: and
Bubares the son of Megabazos and Artachaies the son of Artaios, Persians
both, were set ove