Mark Gagnon

So in a way, they're kind of a counterweight to the Greek version and the records that we have from Herodotus.

The truth is probably in between.

So fast forward, Xerxes is getting ready for his invasion of Greece.

Now, by ancient standards, what he puts together is incomprehensible.

All right.

So once again, Herodotus claims that Xerxes marched with 1.7 million soldiers.

plus cavalry, plus a massive naval fleet.

Now, virtually no modern historian takes that number seriously.

They look at it and they're like, all right, it probably wasn't 1.7.

I mean, logistics alone make it impossible.

You can't feed 1.7 million people while on campaign.

And you can't supply them with...

I mean, it's just impossible.

Modern estimates will range from like 100,000, maybe 300,000, which is still crazy, and roughly a fleet of like 600 to 1,200 warships.

Even on the lower end, that's still maybe the largest military force that the ancient Mediterranean world had ever seen up until that point.

And even at 100 or 200,000 men, you're talking about a literal city of men going to kill you and destroy you and your people and take everything that you've ever had.

I mean, think about that.

The preparations for this would take years.

Now, Xerxes ordered a canal dug across the peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece.

This is a massive engineering project that he designed in order to try and avoid some treacherous waters that had previously wrecked one of Darius's fleets.