Xerxes made Mascames governor of the fort of Doricus. This man he esteemed very highly, sending him gifts every year; and Artaxerxes after him sent gifts to the children of Mascames. Nor, indeed, was any of the Persian governors held in greater honor, save Boges only. This Boges was besieged in Eion that is on the river Strymon by Cimou and the Athenians. And though he might have made an agreement with them and come out from Eion and returned safe to Asia, he would not, lest he should seem to the King to have failed in valor, but held out to the last. And when there was no food remaining in the fort, he caused a great pile of wood to be built, and slew his children and his wife and his concubines and his slaves, and cast them into the fire. After this he threw all the gold and silver that was in the fort into the river: and last of all he cast himself into the fire. With good cause, therefore, do the Persians honor him to this day.
Then Xerxes went on his way from Doricus westward; and whomsoever he found he compelled to take service with him. The road by which he went the Thracians in after time held in great honor, and did not plow it or sow it.
When the King came to Acanthus that is by Mount Athos, and saw what had been done with the trench, and knew that the people of Acanthus had been very zealous in the work, he sent them a Persian dress for a gift, and praised them much. While he tarried here Artachæes, a Persian, and of the royal house, who had been set over the digging of the trench, fell sick and died. He excelled in stature all the Persians, being but five fingers short of five cubits of the royal measure, and his voice surpassed that of