This tale takes place in ancient Greece approximately 480 BC. Darius, father of Xerxes, king of all Persia had sent heralds to Sparta to demand water and earth, which symbolized surrender, and willingness to prepare a feast for his arrival. The Spartans commited a massive breach of etiquette by throwing the heralds in a pit and letting them die. By doing this they brought a curse on Sparta. After a while the Spartans consulted the oracle at Delphi and learned that a sacrifice must be made. Thus begins the story, taken from The History, by Herodotus, and translated from the Greek by Daniel Grene.
The Lacedaemonians (Spartans) were very distressed at this and made a proclamation to the effect that some Spartan should offer his life for Sparta. At this Sperthias, son of Aneristus, and Bulis son of Nicolous, Spartiates of high birth and great property, volunteered to pay the price to Xerxes for Darius’ heralds that were murdered in Sparta. These men the Spartiates then sent to Media to meet their deaths.
Their courage was admirable and so were their words. When they were on their journey to Susa they came before Hydarnes, the Persian who was the general over the seacoast of Asia. He entertained them admirably and in his place as host asked them, ”You men of Lacedaemon, why do you avoid friendship with the king? You see how he knows to honor good men; you can take as your standards myself and my good fortunes. So to if you put yourself in his hands you will be judged as good men and each of you might hold office in Greece under the kings mandate.” They then answered him ”Hydarnes your advice to us comes from something less than an equality of position. You council us as one who knows one position but knows nothing of the other. You know what it is to be a slave but have no experience of freedom. If you had such an experience you would bid us to fight for it, not with spears only but with axes as well.”
Such was their answer to Hydarnes. Thereafter they left him and went to Susa and came into the presence of the King. At first the bodyguards were for ordering them, forcing them to fall down and do obeisance to the King, but they declared that even if thrown headlong they would not do these things, for, said they, it was not the custom of their people to do obeisance to a human creature and that was not for this purpose they had come. Having fought off this demand they spoke as follows “King of the Medes, the Lacedaemonians have sent us to pay the penalty for the heralds who were murdered in Sparta.” As they said that, Xerxes, in his magnanimity said that he would not be like the Lacedaemonians, for “they have broken what is customary usage in all the world by killing the heralds, but I will not do what I myself rebuke them for, nor by counnterkilling will I release them from their guilt”.
The Lacedaemonians (Spartans) were very distressed at this and made a proclamation to the effect that some Spartan should offer his life for Sparta. At this Sperthias, son of Aneristus, and Bulis son of Nicolous, Spartiates of high birth and great property, volunteered to pay the price to Xerxes for Darius’ heralds that were murdered in Sparta. These men the Spartiates then sent to Media to meet their deaths.
Their courage was admirable and so were their words. When they were on their journey to Susa they came before Hydarnes, the Persian who was the general over the seacoast of Asia. He entertained them admirably and in his place as host asked them, ”You men of Lacedaemon, why do you avoid friendship with the king? You see how he knows to honor good men; you can take as your standards myself and my good fortunes. So to if you put yourself in his hands you will be judged as good men and each of you might hold office in Greece under the kings mandate.” They then answered him ”Hydarnes your advice to us comes from something less than an equality of position. You council us as one who knows one position but knows nothing of the other. You know what it is to be a slave but have no experience of freedom. If you had such an experience you would bid us to fight for it, not with spears only but with axes as well.”
Such was their answer to Hydarnes. Thereafter they left him and went to Susa and came into the presence of the King. At first the bodyguards were for ordering them, forcing them to fall down and do obeisance to the King, but they declared that even if thrown headlong they would not do these things, for, said they, it was not the custom of their people to do obeisance to a human creature and that was not for this purpose they had come. Having fought off this demand they spoke as follows “King of the Medes, the Lacedaemonians have sent us to pay the penalty for the heralds who were murdered in Sparta.” As they said that, Xerxes, in his magnanimity said that he would not be like the Lacedaemonians, for “they have broken what is customary usage in all the world by killing the heralds, but I will not do what I myself rebuke them for, nor by counnterkilling will I release them from their guilt”.
