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Xerxes was given a lesson in the determination of the Spartans not to give up their freedom to some foreign conquering ruler. They could have immortally told their tormentor, Xerxes, Give me liberty or give me death and beaten American Patrick Henry to the punch by 2,200 years, but the Spartans were fighting men with no time for fine words. The two Spartans who visited Xerxes spoke more bluntly.

Athens got the depressing prophecy from the oracle at Delphi that it was doomed if it resisted the Persians, in a prophecy that was blunt and not obscure like the one that poor Croesus received which I talked about in Part 8 of this series. But Athens resolved to fight on – even if the gods were against them. But they took the precaution of asking for a second opinion from the Oracle – perhaps an insult to the gods that may have made things worse. This prophecy was classic Delphic causing debate among the Athenians about what the prophecy meant.

Let me reveal all now.

Tag words: Xerxes; Persians; Athens; Croesus; Delphi Oracle; Demartus; Spartans; Herodotus; The Histories; the wooden wall; Divine Salamis; Gelon;