but nothing to satisfy hunger. The noble guest
sat starving in the midst of a scene of unexampled riches and splendor,
because it was not possible to _eat_ silver and gold.

And as for Xerxes's professions of gratitude and friendship for Pythius,
they were put to the test, a short time after the transactions which we
have above described, in a remarkable manner. Pythius had five sons.
They were all in Xerxes's army. By their departure on the distant and
dangerous expedition on which Xerxes was to lead them, their father
would be left alone. Pythius, under these circumstances, resolved to
venture so far on the sincerity of his sovereign's professions of regard
as to request permission to retain one of his sons at home with his
father, on condition of freely giving up the rest.

Xerxes, on hearing this proposal, was greatly enraged. "How dare you,"
said he, "come to me with such a demand? You and all that pertain to you
are my slaves, and are bound to do my bidding without a murmur. You
deserve the severest punishment for such an insolent request. In
consideration, however, of your past good behavior, I will not inflict
upon you what you deserve. I will only kill one of your sons--the one
that you seem to cling to so fondly. I will spare the rest." So saying,
the enraged king ordered the son whom Pythius had endeavored to retain
to be slain before his eyes, and then directed that the dead body should
be split in two, and the two halves thrown, the one on the right side of
the road and the other on the left, that his army, as he said, might
"march between them."

On leaving Phrygia, the army moved on toward the west. Their immediate
destination as has already been said, was Sardis, where they were to
remain until the ensuing spring. The historian mentions a number of
objects of interest which attracted the attention of Xerxes and his
officers on this march, which mark the geographical peculiarities of the
country, or illustrate, in some degree, the ideas and manners of the
times.

There was one town, for example, situated, not like Celaenae, where a
river had its origin, but where one disappeared. The stream was a branch
of the Meander. It came down from the mountains like any other mountain
torrent, and then, at the town in question, it plunged suddenly down
into a gulf or chasm and disappeared. It rose again at a considerable
distance below, and thence flowed on, without any further evasions, to
the Meander.

On th