Darius would have been cruel if he had taken all three sons to war. But how much more 'generous' was Xerxes! When Pythias, a father of five sons, begged for one to be excused from military service, Xerxes allowed him to choose which one. Then Xerxes tore the chosen son in half, placed one piece on each side of the road, and used this as a ritual sacrifice to purify his army. He got exactly what he deserved. His forces were crushed in battle and scattered everywhere in complete defeat. Xerxes himself walked among the corpses of his soldiers, seeing proof of his own downfall on all sides.
He would have been harsh, had he taken them all to the war with him. How much more good-natured was Xerxes,[5] who, when Pythias, the father of five sons, begged for one to be excused from service, permitted him to choose which he wished for. He then tore the son whom the father had chosen into two halves, placed one on each side of the road, and, as it were, purified his army by means of this propitiatory victim. He therefore had the end which he deserved, being defeated, and his army scattered far and wide in utter rout, while he in the midst of it walked among the corpses of his soldiers, seeing on all sides the signs of his own overthrow.