e confines between Phrygia and Lydia the army came to a place where
the road divided. One branch turned toward the north, and led to Lydia;
the other inclined to the south, and conducted to Caria. Here, too, on
the frontier, was a monument which had been erected by Croesus, the
great king of Lydia, who lived in Cyrus's day, to mark the eastern
boundaries of his kingdom. The Persians were, of course, much
interested in looking upon this ancient landmark, which designated not
only the eastern limit of Croesus's empire, but also what was, in
ancient times, the western limit of their own.

There was a certain species of tree which grew in these countries called
the plane-tree. Xerxes found one of these trees so large and beautiful
that it attracted his special admiration. He took possession of it in
his own name, and adorned it with golden chains, and set a guard over
it. This idolization of a tree was a striking instance of the childish
caprice and folly by which the actions of the ancient despots were so
often governed.

As the army advanced, they came to other places of interest and objects
of curiosity and wonder. There was a district where the people made a
sort of artificial honey from grain, and a lake from which the
inhabitants procured salt by evaporation, and mines, too, of silver and
of gold. These objects interested and amused the minds of the Persians
as they moved along, without, however, at all retarding or interrupting
their progress. In due time they reached the great city of Sardis in
safety, and here Xerxes established his head-quarters, and awaited the
coming of spring.

In the mean time, however, he sent heralds into Greece to summon the
country to surrender to him. This is a common formality when an army is
about to attack either a town, a castle, or a kingdom. Xerxes's heralds
crossed the AEgean Sea, and made their demands, in Xerxes's name, upon
the Greek authorities. As might have been expected, the embassage was
fruitless; and the heralds returned, bringing with them, from the
Greeks, not acts or proffers of submission, but stern expressions of
hostility and defiance. Nothing, of course, now remained, but that both
parties should prepare for the impending crisis.

CHAPTER V.

CROSSING THE HELLESPONT.

B.C. 480

Winter in Asia Minor.--Destruction of the bridge.--Indignation of
Xerxes.--His ridiculous punishment of the sea.--Xerxes orders a new
bridge to be made.--Its construction.--Mo