§7.101.1ὡς δὲ καὶ ταύτας διεξέπλωσε καὶ ἐξέβη ἐκ τῆς νεός, μετεπέμψατο Δημάρητον τὸν Ἀρίστωνος συστρατευόμενον αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, καλέσας δʼ αὐτὸν εἴρετο τάδε. Δημάρητε, νῦν μοι σὲ ἡδύ τι ἐστὶ εἰρέσθαι τὰ θέλω.
And when he had sailed past these also and had disembarked from the ship, he sent for Demaratus, the son of Ariston, who was campaigning with him against Greece, and having called him, he asked him these things: "Demaratus, now it is a pleasure for me to ask you what I wish.
σὺ εἶς Ἕλλην τε, καὶ ὡς ἐγὼ πυνθάνομαι σεῦ τε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων Ἑλλήνων τῶν ἐμοὶ ἐς λόγους ἀπικνεομένων, πόλιος οὔτʼ ἐλαχίστης οὔτʼ ἀσθενεστάτης.
You are a Greek, and, as I learn from you and from the other Greeks who come to speak with me, from a city that is neither the smallest nor the weakest.
§7.101.2νῦν ὦν μοι τόδε φράσον, εἰ Ἕλληνες ὑπομενέουσι χεῖρας ἐμοὶ ἀνταειρόμενοι.
Now therefore tell me this: whether the Greeks will stand their ground and raise their hands against me.
οὐ γάρ, ὡς ἐγὼ δοκέω, οὐδʼ εἰ πάντες Ἕλληνες καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ πρὸς ἑσπέρης οἰκέοντες ἄνθρωποι συλλεχθείησαν, οὐκ ἀξιόμαχοι εἰσὶ ἐμὲ ἐπιόντα ὑπομεῖναι, μὴ ἐόντες ἄρθμιοι.
For, as I think, not even if all the Greeks and the rest of the people living towards the west were gathered together, would they be strong enough to withstand me as I advance, unless they are united.
§7.101.3θέλω μέντοι καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ σεῦ, ὁκοῖόν τι λέγεις περὶ αὐτῶν, πυθέσθαι. ὃ μὲν ταῦτα εἰρώτα, ὁ δὲ ὑπολαβὼν ἔφη
βασιλεῦ, κότερα ἀληθείῃ χρήσωμαι πρὸς σὲ ἢ ἡδονῇ; ὁ δέ μιν ἀληθείῃ χρήσασθαι ἐκέλευε, φὰς οὐδέν οἱ ἀηδέστερον ἔσεσθαι ἢ πρότερον ἦν.
However, I wish also to learn your own opinion, what kind of thing you say about them." He asked these things, and the other answered and said: "O King, shall I speak to you with truth, or to please you?" And Xerxes ordered him to speak the truth, saying that he would be in no way less pleasing to him than he was before.