despair in his heart, saw two hundred of his best ships sunk or
captured and many more seriously disabled, while the Greeks had
suffered little loss.

25. Themistocles remained all night at his anchorage, ready to renew
the conflict on the morrow, but Xerxes, fearful for the fate of his
bridge across the Hellespont, ordered the eight hundred remaining
ships to sail for its protection, while he and his whole army marched
as rapidly as possible for the same point. The number assembled to
pass back into Asia was greatly diminished from the hosts which a few
months before had so proudly marched to assured victory. Besides those
lost in battle, thousands had perished through disease and famine. But
the hope of final success was not entirely abandoned, and the Persian
general, Mardonius, with three hundred thousand of the best soldiers
of the invading army, were left to complete the conquest.

26. With the retreat of Xerxes, the Athenians returned to their city,
finding their temples destroyed, and their homes desolated, but they
immediately commenced the work of rebuilding, and, amid rejoicings and
renewed hopes, the city arose from its ashes. The clash of arms gave
place to the din of industry, and the fighting soldier was replaced by
the peaceable citizen.

27. In the mean time, Mardonius went into winter quarters in the
northern provinces, and during the winter he endeavored to effect by
negotiation and bribery what he had failed to accomplish by arms. He
succeeded in exciting the jealousy of several of the cities toward
each other, so that it was difficult to bring about concert of action,
and he succeeded in detaching Thebes entirely from the confederacy,
and arraying it against Athens. The Theban force which joined his army