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ἄνδρα τοιόνδε ... γενόμενον. These words give not a reason for Xerxes' action, but a later reflection of the author ‘Mascames, left in charge by Xerxes, so bore himself that’, τοιόνδε being explained by the relative clause; cf. i. 202. 2.

πάντων: i.e. in Thrace and on the Hellespont as stated in § 2.

Μασκαμείοισι: a patronymic rare in Prose, but cf. Plato, Gorg. 482 A Κλεινίειος οὗτος.

Ἑλλησπόντου depends on πανταχῇ (cf. ch. 126) = in all the strong places such as Sestos (ch. 33).

ἐξαιρέθησαν, ‘were driven out’; e.g. from Sestos (ix. 118) 478 B.C. spring, Byzantium (Thuc. i. 94. 128) 478 B.C. autumn, Eion (ch. 107) 476-475 winter, and later, apparently after the battle of Eurymedon, from the Thracian Chersonese (Plut. Cim. 14; C. I. A. i. 432). The many attempts to drive out Mascames show the length of these operations. The whole passage indicates that Mascames died in possession of Doriscus, but that it was later lost to Persia. As there is no sign that it ever fell into the hands of Athens, Köhler (Hermes, xxiv. 89) conjectures that the Thracians took it. The fact that Artaxerxes sent the gifts to the descendants of Mascames shows that Mascames must have died after his accession (465 B.C.).

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