 |
| A Relief of Hero and Leander |
In 480 BC, the Persian King Xerxes moved to attack Greece with one of the greatest armies that had so far been assembled. He ordered the construction of a bridge across the Hellespont between Abydos and Sestos where the crossing distance was least [26]. He must have had a large navy too, for he was able to spare enough of it to form two parallel rows of ships called penteconters and trieremes - 360 in one and 314 in the other. These were lashed together and anchored across the Channel. A roadway was then constructed on top, made from planking covered with soil, and with side panels added so that the animals would not take fright as they crossed.
The story of Hero and Leander is an essential part of our study. In the style of Romeo and Juliet, the waters of the Hellespont separated these two famous lovers. At the narrowest point of the 
.jpg)
