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μετεπέμψατο ... καλέσας . . εἴρετο τάδε, ‘sent for him (to come into his presence), (when he was come) called him to him, and questioned him as follows.’ Δημάρητον τὸν Ἀρίστωνος: Xerxes and Demaratos (cc. 101-104), ‘the son of Ariston,’ already one of the dramatis personae, cp. e. 3 supra. But the patronymic is not sheer proof of obliviscenee, or of independent sources, but may be used deliberately for effect. The bare name here would, indeed, have been ineffective, nor would the patronymic by itself have been sufficient introduction. Seneca, de Benefic. 6. 31, rnins the story by transferring to Demaratos the sentiments of Artabanos. Seneca's lapse does not discredit Hdt., but neither does it enhance his authority, or the authenticity of this interview. On the sources cp. Introduction, § 10.
νῦν, ‘now that we have reviewed all the forces of the empire.’
πόλιος οὔτ᾽ ἐλαχίστης: Xerxes enlarges his view of Sparta c. 135 infra. The days of crass ignorance (1. 153) are past! The king says nothing of the shameful barbarity of the Spartans; cp. c. 133 infra.
ὑπομενέουσι: cp. infra ἐμὲ ἐπιόντα ὑπομεῖναι.
μὴ ἐόντες ἄρθμιοι, ‘unless they unite together’ (a participle conditional, cp. c. 38 supra). In that case the king admits that the united Greeks (πάντες Ἔλληνες), with all their fellow-creatures to the west (οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ πρ. ἑς. οἰκ. ἄνθρωποι) in one levy (συλλογή), might have a chance of resistance (χεῖρας ἀνταείρεσθαι, 6. 44, c. 209 infra). Blakesley would place μὴ ἐόντες ἄρθμιοι after ἀνταειρόμενοι. For ἄρθμιος cp. 9. 9, 37, and 6. 83 (neut. pl.). Even πάντες Ἕλληνες cannot be intended to include the Hellenic subjects of his Majesty.
χρήσωμαι: cp. App. Crit. Baehr defends χρήσομαι, as χρήσεται for χρήσαιτο in 5. 12, where the MSS. show both forms. The subjunctive here seems more courteous.
ἀηδέστερον: sc. μίν.
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