_Mess._ Artembares, the lord of myriad horse, On the hard flinty coasts of the Sileni Is now being dashed; and valiant Dadakes, Captain of thousands, smitten with the spear, Leapt wildly from his ship. And Tenagon, Best of the true old Bactrians, haunts the soil Of Aias' isle; Lilaios, Arsames, 310 And with them too Argestes, there defeated, Hard by the island where the doves abound,[30] Beat here and there upon the rocky shore. [And from the springs of Neilos, Ægypt's stream, Arkteus, Adeues, Pheresseues too, These with Pharnuchos in one ship were lost;] Matallos, Chrysa-born, the captain bold Of myriads, leader he of swarthy horse Some thrice ten thousand strong, has fallen low, His red beard, hanging all its shaggy length, Deep dyed with blood, and purpled all his skin. Arabian Magos, Bactrian Artames, 320 They perished, settlers in a land full rough. [Amistris and Amphistreus, guiding well The spear of many a conflict, and the noble Ariomardos, leaving bitter grief For Sardis; and the Mysian Seisames.] With twelve score ships and ten came Tharybis; Lyrnæan he in birth, once fair in form, He lies, poor wretch, a death inglorious dying: And, first in valour proved, Syennesis, Kilikian satrap, who, for one man, gave Most trouble to his foes, and nobly died. 330 Of leaders such as these I mention make, And out of many evils tell but few. _Atoss._ Woe, woe! I hear the very worst of ills, Shame to the Persians, cause of bitter wail; But tell me, going o'er the ground again, How great the number of the Hellenes' navy, That they presumed with Persia's armament To wage their warfare in the clash of ships. _Mess._ As far as numbers went, be sure the ships Of Persia had the better, for the Hellenes 340 Had, as their total, ships but fifteen score, And other ten selected as reserve.[31] And Xerxes (well I know it) had a thousand Which he commanded—those that most excelled[32] In speed were twice five score and seven in number; So stands the account. Deem'st thou our forces less In that encounter? Nay, some Power above Destroyed our host, and pressed the balance down With most unequal fortune, and the Gods Preserve the city of the Goddess Pallas. _Atoss._ Is the Athenians' city then unsacked? 350 _Mess._ Their men are left, and that is bulwark strong.[33] _Atoss._ Next tell me how the fight of ships began. Who led the attack? Were those Hellenes the first, Or was't my son, exulting in his strength?