Histories

These pillars were afterward carried by the Byzantines into their city and there used to build the altar of Orthosian [*](A deity worshipped especially at Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta; the meaning of the epithet is uncertain.) Artemis, except for one column covered with Assyrian writing that was left beside the temple of Dionysus at +Byzantium [28.95,41.0333] (Perseus) Byzantium. Now if my reckoning is correct, the place where king Darius bridged the Karadeniz Bogazi (strait), Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, AsiaBosporus was midway between +Byzantium [28.95,41.0333] (Perseus) Byzantium and the temple at the entrance of the sea.

After this, being pleased with his bridge of boats, Darius made a gift of ten of everything[*](Apparently a proverbial expression for great abundance; cp. a similar phrase in Hdt. 9.81.) to Mandrocles the Samian, the architect of it; Mandrocles took the first-fruits of these and had a picture made with them, showing the whole bridge of the Karadeniz Bogazi (strait), Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, AsiaBosporus, and Darius sitting aloft on his throne and his army crossing; he set this up in the temple of Hera, with this inscription:

1. “After bridging the Karadeniz Bogazi (strait), Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, AsiaBosporus that teems with fish,
2. Mandrocles dedicated a memorial of the floating bridge to Hera,
3. Having won a crown for himself, and fame for the Samians,
4. Doing the will of King Darius.”

Darius, after rewarding Mandrocles, crossed over to Europe (continent)Europe; he had told the Ionians to sail into the +Black Sea [38,42] (sea) Pontus as far as the Ister river, and when they got to the Ister, to wait there for him, bridging the river meanwhile; for the fleet was led by Ionians and Aeolians and men of the Canakkale Bogazi (strait), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Hellespont.