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On board of every ship was a band of soldiers, Persians, Medes, or
Sacans. The Phoenician ships were the best sailers in the fleet,
and the Sidonian the best among the Phoenicians. The contingent of
each nation, whether to the fleet or to the land army, had at its head
a native leader; but the names of these leaders I shall not mention,
as it is not necessary for the course of my History. For the leaders
of some nations were not worthy to have their names recorded; and
besides, there were in each nation as many leaders as there were
cities. And it was not really as commanders that they accompanied the
army, but as mere slaves, like the rest of the host. For I have
already mentioned the Persian generals who had the actual command, and
were at the head of the several nations which composed the army.
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