292 ARISTIDES.

of Greece ; lest being enclosed, through want of means to escape, necessity should compel him to foi'ce his way with so great an army. So Themistocles once more despatched Arnaces, the eunuch, his prisoner, giving him in command privately to advertise the king that he had diverted the Greeks from their intention of setting sail for the bridges, out of the desire he felt to preserve him. Xerxes, being much terrified with this, immediately hasted to the Hellespont. But Mardonius was left with the most serviceable part of the army, about three hun- dred thousand men, and was a formidable enemy, confi- dent in his infantry, and writing messages of defiance to the Greeks: "You have overcome by sea men accus- tomed to fight on land, and unskilled at the oar ; but there lies now the open countr}^ of Thessaly; and 'the plains of Boeotia offer a broad and worthy field for brave men, either horse or foot, to contend in." But he sent privately to the Athenians, both by letter and word of mouth from the king, promising to rebuild their city, to give them a vast sum of money, and constitute them lords of all Greece on condition they were not engaged in the war. The Lacedfemonians, receiving news of this, and fearing, despatched an embassy to the Athenians, en- treatinsr that thev would send their wives and children to Sparta, and receive support from them for their superan- nuated. For, being despoiled both of their city and coun- try, the people were suffering extreme distress. Hav- ing given audience to the ambassadors, they returned an answer, upon the motion of Aristides, worthy of the highest admiration; declaring, that they forgave their enemies if they thought all things purchasable by wealth, than which they knew nothing of greater value ; but that they felt oflended at the Lacedtemonians, for looking only to their present poverty and exigence, with- out any remembrance of their valor and magnanimity,