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Darius, after he had finished his survey, sailed back to the bridge,
which had been constructed for him by Mandrocles a Samian. He
likewise surveyed the Bosphorus, and erected upon its shores two
pillars of white marble, whereupon he inscribed the names of all the
nations which formed his army - on the one pillar in Greek, on the
other in Assyrian characters. Now his army was drawn from all the
nations under his sway; and the whole amount, without reckoning the
naval forces, was seven hundred thousand men, including cavalry. The
fleet consisted of six hundred ships. Some time afterwards the
Byzantines removed these pillars to their own city, and used them for
an altar which they erected to Orthosian Diana. One block remained
behind: it lay near the temple of Bacchus at Byzantium, and was
covered with Assyrian writing. The spot where Darius bridged the
Bosphorus was, I think, but I speak only from conjecture,
half-way between the city of Byzantium and the temple at the mouth of
the strait.
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