The Twitter Herodotus

7.21 Nations throughout Xerxes' empire contributed men & equipment--ships from here, horsemen from there. The vast host drank rivers dry.

7.22 By way of preparation, Xerxes had a canal dug through the peninsula at Athos--fearing the wreck of another fleet off the coast.

7.23 They dug the canal by passing buckets of dirt up, one man to another. Most of the crews had trouble w/the sides of the canal caving in.

7.24 I think X. dug the canal out of arrogance: he could've drawn his ships across the isthmus instead. He also ordered the Strymon bridged.

7.25 Xerxes had ropes prepared and corn stored. The provisions were stored around the Persian world, wherever was suitable.

7.26 Meanwhile, the land army was marching to Sardis w/Xerxes, having gathered in Cappadocia. On the way they came to Celaenae in Phrygia.

7.27 A Lydian named Pythius met Xerxes there. He entertained the army & offered funding. He was, after Xerxes, the richest man in the world.

7.28 Xerxes asked Pythius how much $$$ he had and Pythius told him, to the penny. He offered X. everything except what he needed to live on.

7.29 Xerxes was delighted with Pythius' generosity, but he declined his offer. Instead, he rewarded Pythius and made him his guest-friend.

7.30 Having given Pythius money, Xerxes & his men left Celaenae & marched to Cydrara, which marks the boundary between Phrygia and Lydia.