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King Xerxes and his army waited but a few days after the sea-fight,
and then withdrew into Boeotia by the road which they had followed on
their advance. It was the wish of Mardonius to escort the king a part
of the way; and as the time of year was no longer suitable for carrying
on war, he thought it best to winter in Thessaly, and wait for the
spring before he attempted the Peloponnese. After the army was come
into Thessaly, Mardonius made choice of the troops that were to stay
with him; and, first of all, he took the whole body called the
"Immortals," except only their leader, Hydarnes, who refused to
quit the person of the king. Next, he chose the Persians who wore
breastplates, and the thousand picked horse; likewise the Medes, the
Sacans, the Bactrians, and the Indians, foot and horse equally.
These nations he took entire: from the rest of the allies he culled a
few men, taking either such as were remarkable for their appearance,
or else such as had performed, to his knowledge, some valiant deed.
The Persians furnished him with the greatest number of troops, men
who were adorned with chains and armlets. Next to them were the
Medes, who in number equalled the Persians, but in valour fell short
of them. The whole army, reckoning the horsemen with the rest,
amounted to 300,000 men.
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