onjecture the truth about the
matter, namely that they were preparing themselves to die and to deal
death to the enemy so far as they might; but it seemed to him that they
were acting in a manner merely ridiculous; and therefore he sent for
Demaratos the son of Ariston, who was in his camp, and when he came,
Xerxes asked him of these things severally, desiring to discover what
this was which the Lacedemonians were doing: and he said: "Thou didst
hear from my mouth at a former time, when we were setting forth to go
against Hellas, the things concerning these men; and having heard them
thou madest me an object of laughter, because I told thee of these
things which I perceived would come to pass; for to me it is the
greatest of all ends to speak the truth continually before thee, O
king. Hear then now also: these men have come to fight with us for the
passage, and this is it that they are preparing to do; for they have a
custom which is as follows;--whenever they are about to put their lives
in peril, then they attend to the arrangement of their hair. Be assured
however, that if thou shalt subdue these and the rest of them which
remain behind in Sparta, there is no other race of men which will await
thy onset, O king, or will raise hands against thee: for now thou art
about to fight against the noblest kingdom and city of those which are
among the Hellenes, and the best men." To Xerxes that which was said
seemed to be utterly incredible, and he asked again a second time in
what manner being so few they would fight with his host. He said; "O
king, deal with me as with a liar, if thou find not that these things
come to pass as I say."

210. Thus saying he did not convince Xerxes, who let four days go by,
expecting always that they would take to flight; but on the fifth day,
when they did not depart but remained, being obstinate, as he thought,
in impudence and folly, he was enraged and sent against them the Medes
and the Kissians, charging them to take the men alive and bring them
into his presence. Then when the Medes moved forward and attacked
the Hellenes, there fell many of them, and others kept coming up
continually, and they were not driven back, though suffering great loss:
and they made it evident to every man, and to the king himself not least
of all, that human beings are many but men are few. This combat went on
throughout the day:

211, and when the Medes were being roughly handled, then these retired
from the