of these was formed by
an immense mountainous mass rising out of the water, and connected by a
narrow isthmus with the main land. The highest summit of this rocky pile
was called Mount Athos in ancient times, and is so marked upon the map.
In modern days it is called Monte Santo, or Holy Mountain, being covered
with monasteries, and convents, and other ecclesiastical establishments
built in the Middle Ages.

Mount Athos is very celebrated in ancient history. It extended along the
promontory for many miles, and terminated abruptly in lofty cliffs and
precipices toward the sea, where it was so high that its shadow, as was
said, was thrown, at sunset, across the water to the island of Lemnos, a
distance of twenty leagues. It was a frightful specter in the eyes of
the ancient navigators, when, as they came coasting along from the north
in their frail galleys, on their voyages to Greece and Italy, they saw
it frowning defiance to them as they came, with threatening clouds
hanging upon its summit, and the surges and surf of the AEgean
perpetually thundering upon its base below. To make this stormy
promontory the more terrible, it was believed to be the haunt of
innumerable uncouth and misshapen monsters of the sea, that lived by
devouring the hapless seamen who were thrown upon the rocks from their
wrecked vessels by the merciless tumult of the waves.

The plan which Xerxes had formed for the advance of his expedition was,
that the army which was to cross the Hellespont by the bridge should
advance thence through Macedonia and Thessaly, by land, attended by a
squadron of ships, transports, and galleys, which was to accompany the
expedition along the coast by sea. The _men_ could be marched more
conveniently to their place of destination by land. The stores, on the
other hand, the arms, the supplies, and the baggage of every
description, could be transported more easily by sea. Mardonius was
somewhat solicitous in respect to the safety of the great squadron which
would be required for this latter service, in doubling the promontory of
Mount Athos.

In fact, he had special and personal reason for his solicitude, for he
had himself, some years before, met with a terrible disaster at this
very spot. It was during the reign of Darius that this disaster
occurred. On one of the expeditions which Darius had intrusted to his
charge, he was conducting a very large fleet along the coast, when a
sudden storm arose just as he was appro