The Twitter Herodotus

8.21 A messenger came from Thermopylae and told the Greeks the army had perished. The fleet now retreated by contingent, the Athenians last.

8.22 But Themistocles went around to places where there was drinkable water and left messages urging the Ionians in Xerxes' fleet to desert.

8.23 When the Persians heard the Greeks had pulled out, they sailed across to Euboea and captured towns in the northern part of the island.

8.24 Meanwhile Xerxes had hidden 19,000 of the 20,000 Persian dead at Thermopylae. Then he invited his sailors to come view the battlefield.

8.25 So many men went to see the corpses it was hard to find a boat. But Xerxes' trick didn't fool them: 1000 Persian dead vs. 4000 Greeks.

8.26 Some deserters from Arcadia came to Xerxes. He asked what the Greeks were up to. They told him the Olympics were being celebrated.

8.27 After Thermopylae the Thessalians sent a herald to the Phocians, who had defeated their infantry in battle not long before.

8.28 The Phocians had also defeated their cavalry. They put jars in covered pits. When the horses charged they fell and broke their legs.

8.29 The Thessalians, who had medized, said via messenger that if the Phocians paid them 50 talents they'd keep Xerxes away from Phocis.

8.30 The Phocians refused to give them any money, & they said they would not medize. They were the only ones in that area who did not do so.