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Xerxes marvelled at these last words; and now, addressing Pythius
with his own lips, he asked him what the amount of his wealth really
was. Pythius answered as follows:
"O king! I will not hide this matter from thee, nor make pretence
that I do not know how rich I am; but as I know perfectly, I will
declare all fully before thee. For when thy journey was noised
abroad, and I heard thou wert coming down to the Grecian coast,
straightway, as I wished to give thee a sum of money for the war, I
made count of my stores, and found them to be two thousand talents of
silver, and of gold four millions of Daric staters, wanting seven
thousand. All this I willingly make over to thee as a gift; and when
it is gone, my slaves and my estates in land will be wealth enough for
my wants."
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