ities are is called even to
the present day Crossaia. Then sailing from Aineia, with which name I
brought to an end the list of the cities, at once the fleet came into
the Thermaic gulf and to the region of Mygdonia, and so it arrived at
the aforesaid Therma and at the cities of Sindos and Chalestra upon the
river Axios. This river is the boundary between the land of Mygdonia
and Bottiaia, of which district the narrow region which lies on the sea
coast is occupied by the cities of Ichnai and Pella.

124. Now while his naval force was encamped about the river Axios an the
city of Therma and the cities which lie between these two, waiting for
the coming of the king, Xerxes and the land-army were proceeding from
Acanthos, cutting through the middle by the shortest way 109 with a view
to reaching Therma: and he was proceeding through Paionia and Crestonia
to the river Cheidoros, 110 which beginning from the land of the
Crestonians, runs through the region of Mygdonia and comes out alongside
of the marsh which is by the river Axios.

125. As he was proceeding by this way, lions attacked the camels which
carried his provisions; for the lions used to come down regularly by
night, leaving their own haunts, but they touched nothing else, neither
beast of burden nor man, but killed the camels only: and I marvel what
was the cause, and what was it that impelled the lions to abstain from
all else and to attack the camels only, creatures which they had never
seen before, and of which they had had no experience.

126. Now there are in these parts both many lions and also wild oxen,
those that have the very large horns which are often brought into
Hellas: and the limit within which these lions are found is on the one
side the river Nestos, which flows through Abdera, and on the other the
Achelos, which flows through Acarnania; for neither do the East of the
Nestos, in any part of Europe before you come to this, would you see a
lion, nor again in the remaining part of the continent to the West of
the Acheloos, but they are produced in the middle space between these
rivers.

127. When Xerxes had reached Therma he established the army there; and
his army encamping there occupied of the land along by the sea no less
than this,--beginning from the city of Therma and from Mygdonia it
extended as far as the river Lydias and the Haliacmon, which form the
boundary between the lands of Bottiaia and Macedonia, mingling their
waters together