CHAPTER XL
DARIUS DEMANDS EARTH AND WATER
The Ionic revolt was ended, but Darius had yet to punish
the Athenians for burning the city of Sardis. Eight years
had now passed since she had been destroyed, yet his anger
against the Greeks was as fierce as ever.
Daily during all these years a slave had said to him as he sat at dinner, 'Sire, remember the Athenians,' and now, at length, his vengeance was at hand.
Mardonius, one of the king's generals, was ordered to invade Greece and to bring back with him to Susa the Athenians who had dared to destroy Sardis.
So Mardonius crossed the Hellespont, and began to march through Thrace and Macedonia. His fleet, with part of his army, was to meet him later, beyond the perilous promontory of Mount Athos.
The country through which Mardonius marched was wild, and inhabited by rough and savage tribes. These tribes attacked the Persian troops so fiercely that more than half of them were slain. Meanwhile the fleet had encountered a terrible storm, and three hundred ships were dashed to pieces upon the rocks near Mount Athos, while twenty thousand men were drowned.
When Mardonius heard of this terrible disaster he knew that his troops would not now be strong enough to invade Greece. So he went back to Persia.
But Darius was as determined as ever to punish the Athenians. He spent two years in preparations, and then,
