40 fflSTORY OF GREECE. of this crowd was probably quite as great as if its numbers had really corresponded to the ideas of Herodotus. After the numeration had taken place, Xerxes passed in his chariot by each of the several contingents, observed their equip- ment, and put questions to which the royal scribes noted down the answers : he then embarked on board a Sidonian trireme, which had been already fitted up with a gilt tent, and sailed along the prows of his immense fleet, moored in line about four hundi'ed feet from the shore, and every vessel completely manned for action. Such a spectacle was well calculated to rouse emo- tions of arrogant confidence, and it w^as in this spirit that he sent forthwith for Demaratus, the exiled king of Sparta, who was among his auxiliaries, — to ask whether resistance on the part of the Greeks to such a force was even conceivable. The conver- sation between them, dramatically given by Herodotus, is one of the most impressive manifestations of sentiment in the Greek language.! Demaratus assures Lim that the Spartans most in supposing that the contingents of the Persian anny marched with their wiyes and families (pp. 557-559). ' When Herodotus specifies his infonnants — it is much to be regi-etted that he does not specify them oftener — they seem to be frequently Greeks, such as Dikseus the Athenian exile, Thersander of Orchomenus in Bceotia, Archias of Sparta, etc. (iii, 55 ; viii, 65; ix, 16.) He mentions the Spartan king Demaratus often, and usually under circumstances both of dignity and dramatic interest : it is highly probable that he may have conversed with that prince himself, or with his descendants, who remained settled for a long time in Teuthrania, near the ^olic coast of Asia Minor (Xenoph. HeUenica, iii, 1,6), and he may thus have heard of representations offered by the exiled Spartan king to Xerxes. Neveitheless, the remarks made by Hoflfmeister, on the speeches ascribed to Demaratus by Herodotus, are well deserving of attention ( Sittlich-religiose Lebensansicht des Herodotos, p. 118). " Herodotus always brings into connection with insolent kings some man or other through whom he gives utterance to his own lessons of wisdom. To Croesus, at the summit of his glory, comes the wise Solon : Croesus himself, reformed by his captivity, perfonns the same part towards Cyrus and Kambyses : Darius, as a pnident and honest man, does not require any such counsellor; but Xerxes in his pride has the sententious Artabanus and the sagacious Demaratus attached to him ; while Amasis king of Egypt is employed to transmit judicious counsel to Polvkrates, the despot of Samos. Since all these men speak one and the same language, it appears certain that they are introduced by Herodotus merely as spokesmen for his own
