manders of tens of thousands, but the commanders of hundreds and
of tens were appointed by the commanders of ten thousands; and there
were others who were leaders of divisions and nations.

82. These, I say, who have been mentioned were commanders of the army;
and over these and over the whole army together that went on foot there
were in command Mardonios the son of Gobryas, Tritantaichmes the son of
that Artabanos who gave the opinion that they should not make the march
against Hellas, Smerdomenes the son of Otanes (both these being sons of
brothers of Dareios and so cousins of Xerxes), 76 Masistes the son of
Dareios and Atossa, Gergis the son of Ariazos, and Megabyzos the son of
Zopyros.

83. These were generals of the whole together that went on foot,
excepting the ten thousand; and of these ten thousand chosen Persians
the general was Hydarnes the son of Hydarnes; and these Persians
were called "Immortals," because, if any one of them made the number
incomplete, being overcome either by death or disease, another man was
chosen to his place, and they were never either more or fewer than
ten thousand. Now of all the nations, the Persians showed the greatest
splendour of ornament and were themselves the best men. They had
equipment such as has been mentioned, and besides this they were
conspicuous among the rest for great quantity of gold freely used; and
they took with them carriages, and in them concubines and a multitude
of attendants well furnished; and provisions for them apart from the
soldiers were borne by camels and beasts of burden.

84. The nations who serve as cavalry are these; not all however supplied
cavalry, but only as many as here follow:--the Persians equipped in the
same manner as their foot-soldiers, except that upon their heads some of
them had beaten-work of metal, either bronze or iron.

85. There are also certain nomads called Sagartians, Persian in race
and in language and having a dress which is midway between that of the
Persians and that of the Pactyans. These furnished eight thousand horse,
and they are not accustomed to have any arms either of bronze or of iron
excepting daggers, but they use ropes twisted of thongs, and trust to
these when they go into war: and the manner of fighting of these men is
as follows:--when they come to conflict with the enemy, they throw the
ropes with nooses at the end of them, and whatsoever the man catches by
the throw, 77 whether horse or man, he draws