§7.12.1ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο ἐλέγετο.
These things were spoken to this extent.
μετὰ δὲ εὐφρόνη τε ἐγίνετο καὶ Ξέρξην ἔκνιζε ἡ Ἀρταβάνου γνώμη·
Afterwards, night came on, and the opinion of Artabanus troubled Xerxes.
νυκτὶ δὲ βουλὴν διδοὺς πάγχυ εὕρισκέ οἱ οὐ πρῆγμα εἶναι στρατεύεσθαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
Giving counsel to himself by night, he found it completely not to his interest to march against Greece.
δεδογμένων δέ οἱ αὖτις τούτων κατύπνωσε, καὶ δή κου ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ εἶδε ὄψιν τοιήνδε, ὡς λέγεται ὑπὸ Περσέων· ἐδόκεε ὁ Ξέρξης ἄνδρα οἱ ἐπιστάντα μέγαν τε καὶ εὐειδέα εἰπεῖν §7.12.2μετὰ δὴ βουλεύεαι, ὦ Πέρσα, στράτευμα μὴ ἄγειν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, προείπας ἁλίζειν Πέρσας στρατόν;
When these things had been decided by him anew, he fell asleep, and indeed, as is said by the Persians, he saw in the night a vision of this kind: it seemed to Xerxes that a man, tall and handsome, stood over him and said: "Do you change your counsel now, O Persian, and decide not to lead an army against Greece, after having publicly ordered the Persians to assemble a force?
οὔτε ὦν μεταβουλευόμενος ποιέεις εὖ οὔτε ὁ συγγνωσόμενός τοι πάρα· ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ τῆς ἡμέρης ἐβουλεύσαο ποιέειν, ταύτην ἴθι τῶν ὁδῶν.
Neither then do you do well in changing your counsel, nor is there anyone to agree with you; but even as you resolved to do during the day, go on that path."