Thessaly was a kingdom in the northern part of Greece.Xerxes examined the canal, and was extremely well bristol museum uk satisfied with its construction.The leading classes in their commonwealth were cultivated, intellectual, and refined.The Spartan character, in a word, was bristol museum uk stern, gloomy, indomitable, and wholly unadorned.It was the custom, in those days, to write with a steel point on a smooth surface of wax.When Darius invaded Greece some bristol museum uk years before, he had summoned Athens and Sparta as well as the others, but his demands were indignantly rejected.To this, of course, the Spartans would not agree.They were entitled to the command of the whole, being, as they contended, the superior nation in rank, but they would waive their just claim, and be satisfied with half, if the Spartans would agree to bristol museum uk that arrangement.Themistocles opposed this proposition, and urged instead that the government should build and equip a fleet with the money.Xerxes visits bristol museum uk Thessaly.Their laws discouraged commerce, lest it should make some of the people rich.Sailing bristol museum uk of the fleet.These vessels had been purchased and built, some time before this, for the Athenian government, through the influence of a certain public officer of high rank and influence, named Themistocles.